Abstract: A method and apparatus for high volume distillation of impure liquid comprises evaporating the impure liquid in an evaporator to form a vapor at a temperature above the freezing point and below the boiling point of said liquid at atmospheric pressure and at a pressure not exceeding a pressure corresponding to the evaporation temperature under saturated conditions; compressing the vapor; passing a portion of the compressed vapor through an expansion engine to do work upon and motivate the engine and to produce shaft energy, whereby the vapor expands and cools; bypassing the expansion engine with the remainder of the compressed vapor and admixing the remainder directly with the expanded vapor from the expansion engine in a mixing chamber; adding work to the expansion engine to supplement the work done by the vapor expanding therethrough to make up for work lost when the remainder of the compressed vapor bypassed the expansion engine and for other work lost; cooling the admixed vapor in heat transfer relation wi

Abstract: A desalinazation apparatus has the bulk of its piping circuitry composed of black iron pipe, or similar pipe, which is normally subject to corrosion by sea water. Heat transfer to a salt water still includes indirect heat transfer by a thermal oil which is contained in the black iron pipe. A solar collector heat source is used to heat the heat transfer oil. The heat transfer rate from the heat transfer oil is maintained by using turbulence inducing fins in the interior of the heat transfer tubes in the salt water still and by directing high pressure gas at the exterior of the heat transfer tubes in the salt water still. A manifold of jets placed beneath the heat transfer tubes in the salt water still projects the high pressure gas, such as high pressure high temperature steam, onto the exterior of the heat exchange tubes.

Abstract: A urine-water recovery system is described which provides efficient potable water recovery from waste liquids. The design allows use over extended durations such as encountered in space flights. The system has advantages such as low power consumption, compactness, and gravity insensitive operation. The system comprises a vacuum distillation system combining a hollow fiber polysulfone membrane evaporator with a thermoelectric heat pump and condenser. With the system of the present invention, water purified from urine can be produced at a rate of more than 0.5 kg/hr at a total system energy of less than 400 w-hr/kg.

Abstract: Reconcentration of moist glycol, which has been used to dry natural gas, by heating the moist glycol with flue gas from a reboiler and by thereafter stripping water from the moist glycol with the dried flue gas or with a hydrocarbon gas by-product of the natural gas being dried.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for concentrating and collecting solar energy are disclosed. In accordance with the invention, solar energy is concentrated by economical refringent lenses or lens systems including fluid lenses and/or Fresnel-type lenses. The lenses concentrate the solar energy preferably along lines in continuous linear foci or in discrete foci at an elongated collector comprising one or more fluid-carrying conduits and one or more fluids therein. In one embodiment, a plurality of photoelectric cells are located in or on the collector along the linear foci or at the discrete foci and operate at increased efficiency with heat being removed by the collector. A first fluid in the collector is heated by the concentrated solar energy and in a preferred embodiment is used to heat a second fluid contiguous to the first fluid, the first fluid having a boiling point exceeding that of the second fluid.

Abstract: The oxidation of liquid n-butane with oxygen gas at a temperature of from 120.degree. C. up to 235.degree. C. in the presence of an acetic acid solution containing bromide ion in combination with ions of cobalt or cobalt and manganese produces a reaction effluent containing mainly acetic acid (65 to 72 weight percent) and water (23 to 27 weight percent) together with impurity concentrations of esters and ketones boiling lower than acetic acid, higher carbon (C.sub.3 and C.sub.4) aliphatic monocarboxylic acids boiling higher than acetic acid and the difficultly separable 3-bromo-2-butanone impurity. The concentration of said bromoketone can be decreased by maintaining said reaction effluent or its debutanized residue at a temperature of from 150.degree. C. up to 200.degree. C. for 15 to 150 minutes. Subsequent distillation even further decreases the concentration of the bromoketone in the acetic acid distillate fraction.

Abstract: An improved multistage flash evaporator comprises a plurality of cylindrical shells parallelly and horizontally extending in spaced relation, tube sheets in pairs supported by opposite end portions of the cylindrical shells, each pair of the sheets holding a bundle of cooling tubes therebetween, a top plate connecting the upper portions of the shells to one another, internal bulkheads connecting the lower portions of the shells to a bottom plate, and demisters mounted between the shells, whereby the bulkheads are reduced in height and wall thickness to an economic advantage as compared with the conventional bulkheads, and the demisters are made adjustable in surface areas according to the evaporation loads to be encountered.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the isolation of chloroacetaldehyde which is obtained as a by-product during the synthesis of acetaldehyde from ethylene and air in an aqueous palladium/cupric chloride solution by the 2-stage process. The mixture to be worked-up to chloroacetaldehyde is taken from the acetaldehyde distillation column and transferred to a distillation and extraction system, where it is fractionally condensed. The chloroacetaldehyde-containing fraction is extracted with water and the aqueous extract is subjected to purification distillation.

Abstract: A process for isolating a conjugated diolefin from a C.sub.4 - or C.sub.5 -hydrocarbon mixture containing the diolefin, by single-stage or multi-stage extractive distillation using a selective solvent, wherein the selective solvent is a solvent mixture which comprises(a) from 50 to 99 percent by weight of a selective solvent boiling at from 140.degree. C. to 260.degree. C. and(b) from 1 to 50 percent by weight of an organic solvent boiling at from 45.degree. C. to 125.degree. C.

Abstract: A process and system for obtaining fresh water from salt water such as sea water, by direct contact heat transfer using staged evaporator-condenser units operating with a low boiling water-immiscible liquid hydrocarbon. Each stage comprises a closed vessel divided into two compartments, an evaporator and a condenser, by a bubble cap tray similar in construction to those used in distillation. Relatively hot fresh water is introduced into the liquid hydrocarbon contained in the lower compartment of each stage, causing boiling of the hydrocarbon at a temperature differnce of 2.degree.-4.degree. F. Hydrocarbon vapors pass from the evaporator compartment through the bubble caps to the upper condenser compartment where they are condensed in contact with a colder saline stream, and the condensed hydrocarbon is returned to the lower compartment.

Abstract: A process for the production of alcohol from a fermented feed wherein insoluble organic matter is separated prior to entry into a first distillation column. The insoluble organic matter is dried under pressure to produce dried distillers grain and wherein excess vapor is removed from the drying zone to provide heat to the distillation system. The present process also includes removing excess water vapor from the evaporation zone, obtained from supplemental heating supplied by the overhead from said first distillation column, compressing said water vapor, and recycling it to the distillation columns and the evaporation zone.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for distillation wherein the heat of partial condensation and the heat of evaporation are incrementally utilized as produced thus guiding the gaseous phase of the distillation along the dew-point line of the enthalpy-concentration diagram and guiding the fluid phase along the bubble-point line of the enthalpy-concentration diagram of the mixture to be rectified.

Abstract: Process for purifying crude ethanol, whether produced by fermentation or by the synthetic route, to produce a pure ethanol-water azeotrope. The process uses only two distillation columns for fermentation ethanol and only three columns for synthetic ethanol because the latter has diethyl ether as impurity. The inventive concept lies in the design and specification of the columns and the specific distillation conditions which enable each of the impurities in ethanol to be reduced below 1 ppm. Ethanol of such purity is most desirable when used for potable or pharmaceutical purposes. The crude ethanol is fed into a first column and water is separately fed there as well, a side stream of purified aqueous ethanol is withdrawn from the first column and fed to a rectification column where a substantially pure ethanol-water azeotrope is withdrawn as a side stream. The points of introduction and removal of the respective streams to and from the columns are critical for a successful operation and product recovery.

Abstract: Highly decolorized, purified hydroquinone and resorcinol can be separated from each other from a mixture containing hydroquinone and resorcinol and recovered by continuously rectifying the mixture, thereby obtaining rectification bottoms containing resorcinol and hydroquinone in a ratio by weight of resorcinol to hydroquinone of 0.1-1:1 while obtaining resorcinol as a distillate, redistilling the rectification bottoms, contacting hydroquinone vapor with water vapor, condensing the hydroquinone vapor in the presence of the water vapor, thereby recovering hydroquinone as an aqueous hydroquinone solution, and then recrystallizing the aqueous hydroquinone solution, if necessary, in the presence of an organic solvent, thereby separating hydroquinone from the aqueous solution.

Abstract: A process and apparatus especially suited for distilling alcohol from aqueous fermentation liquors wherein liquid vapors from a body of a liquid mixture (4) which is to be distilled pass from a container (2) holding the liquid mixture to a vapor heating chamber (8) disposed above the container where the vapors are heated by solar radiation and/or heat exchange with a source of process heat. The vapors are then withdrawn from the vapor heating chamber, compressed, passed in heat exchange relation with the liquid mixture and introduced into a reflux column (15) disposed in the interior of the body of liquid to be distilled near the center of the container. An aqueous fraction (24) is collected from the bottom of the reflux column, and an alcohol vapor fraction is withdrawn from the top of the reflux column and further condensed in heat exchange contact with the liquid mixture to produce an alcohol fraction (32).

Abstract: Crude liquid polyether-polyols containing an alkaline catalyst are purified by the steps of:neutralizing said crude liquid polyether-polyol with a mineral acid having a dissociation constant of greater than 10.sup.-3 at 25.degree. C.distilling off water from said liquid, and filtering the same. The improvement resides in the step of adding a hydrate of a metal salt of said mineral acid to the liquid polyether-polyol at a stage before the distillation step for promoting the crystal growth of a salt formed from said alkaline catalyst by the neutralization.

Abstract: A method for the removal of aromatic hydrocarbon from mixtures containing non-aromatic hydrocarbon by liquid-liquid extraction and extractive distillation is described. Isoenthalpic expansion of the rectification column bottom solvent stream and addition of water to the selective solvent can be used to reduce heat consumption.

Abstract: An improved distillation method and apparatus are provided for recovering hydrous ethanol from fermentation or synthetic feedstocks. Substantial energy savings are realized by utilizing a pair of stripper-rectifier towers in which overhead vapors from one tower operating at a higher pressure supply the heat required for the other tower operating at a lower pressure and by preheating the feedstock in multiple heat exchange steps. The feedstock is split into two portions of unequal size, the larger portion being supplied to the higher pressure tower and the smaller portion to the lower pressure tower.

Abstract: A process for the purification of olefine oxides by subjecting a mixture containing the olefine oxides to distillation in a distillation column in the presence of a small amount of water in order to obtain olefine oxide as the distillate. A fraction of the down-flow liquid is withdrawn from the column and the withdrawn fraction is subjected to decantation, so as to separate off an aqueous phase which is discarded, and an organic phase. The organic phase is returned to the column at a point located below the withdrawal point.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises a container closed to free communication with the atmosphere, and means for maintaining therein a body of crude volatile liquid at a predetermined surface level with an evacuated space thereabove containing a low pressure mixture of evaporated volatile liquid vapor and incondensible gas, an array of heat conducting tubes immersed in said body of crude liquid with their lower ends entering into a closed drum member, a fan blower arranged to maintain a pressure differential for heating said mixture by compression and friction and impelling it into the upper ends of the tubes, whereby through heat exchange the vapor is condensed to liquid and passes into the drum member together with incondensible gas.