Abstract: An improved process and apparatus for vapor compression distillation is provided comprising a heat exchanger, a vapor compressor, and a liquid-vapor separator. The heat exchanger is preferably of the plate and frame type, with the plate faces being spaced apart to allow for the microscopic movement of the plates during the distillation process. This movement aids in the breaking off of hard scale which has accumulated on the plates. The process involves passing pressurized vapor and liquid into the heat exchanger, the pressurized vapor condensing to form a distillate, the liquid being heated to form a heated liquid and a non-pressurized vapor, the heated liquid and non-pressurized vapor being passed into a liquid-vapor separator where they are separated, the heated liquid being passed back into the heat exchanger and the non-pressurized vapor being passed into a vapor compressor for passage back into the heat exchanger.

Abstract: A vapor compression distillation process and apparatus is provided wherein the apparatus includes a container having a generally vertical longitudinal center axis and bottom and top end caps, a plurality of generally vertical tubes spacedly disposed within the container, the tubes being fixedly held in position by opposing top and bottom tube sheets defining a condensing chamber therebetween wherein the condensing chamber has an upper, partially sectioned off chamber, an evaporation chamber within the container between the top tube sheet and a top end cap, a vapor compressor communicating with an upper area of the evaporation chamber and with the upper chamber of the condensing chamber, heat input communicating with the container, and a plurality of passages for passing a liquid into or out of the container.

Abstract: An improved vapor compression distillation process and apparatus are provided having a container with a substantially horizontal longitudinal center axis, two opposing end plates closing each end of the container, a first and second passage area defined within and on opposing ends of the container, each adjacent one of the end plates, a collecting chamber defined within the container between the first and second passage areas, a plurality of generally horizontal tubes spacedly exposed within the collecting chamber generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container, each of the tubes having two opposing ends which open into the first and second passage areas respectively, two opposing plates positioned on opposite ends of the horizontal tubes, each plate engaging similar ends of the horizontal tubes, a vapor compressor attached to the container such that the vapor compressor communicates with an upper area of the collecting chamber and communicates with the first passage area, at least one passage fo

Abstract: An air conditioner comprises a compressing and expanding apparatus which includes a compressing system for compressing air taken into compression chambers in one of two cylinder blocks through an inlet aperture and discharging the air from an outlet aperture, and an expanding system for taking in the compressed air through an entrance aperture into expansion chambers in the other cylinder block and expanding the air therein. The air conditioner further comprises a heat exchanger for cooling positioned in the air flow between an outlet aperture of the compressing system and an entrance aperture of the expanding system. Since air is utilized as the cooling medium for the air conditioner, no air pollution or other problem is caused even if it is released into the atmosphere. Moreover, since multiple chambers are provided to process a large amount of air and since the compressing system and the expanding system are arranged compactly, the compressing and expanding apparatus can be compact.