Abstract: Water containing dissolved compounds is preheated, and is then pressurized in stages of water pressure, while receiving a quantum of steam. Scale-forming compounds in the water are thermally precipitated, and clarified post-thermal water is formed. This is flash vaporized in stages corresponding to the stages of water pressure, and the flashed vapors are compressed to form each said quantum of steam. Alternately, the flashed vapors themselves comprise each said quantum of steam, by being induced into the water as it flows through an eductor means. Flash-cooled, post-thermal water, substantially devoid of scale-forming compounds, is employed as such, or more generally is evaporated to form fresh water and an end concentrate of dissolved compounds.

Abstract: A fuel-efficient method and apparatus for the generation, actually re-generation, of ejecting steam used in a steam ejection system to evacuate process vapor from an enclosed space. In the method, all of the ejecting steam is not generated continuously in a boiler, but a predetermined quantity of steam is reused by continuous mechanical recompression, without intervening condensation, in a returning cycle while alternating between a pressure low after ejection (i.e. expansion) and a pressure high after recompression, whereas the evacuated vapor is branched off from the ejecting steam cycle after ejection and condensed. Parts of the condensate are reconverted to additional steam by heat exchange with all or part of the superheat and friction heat contained in the recompressed ejecting steam and/or by heat exchange with the exhaust and cooling system of a heat engine serving as a prime mover for the compressor.

Abstract: A process and installation for the treatment of distillate water recovered by flash evaporation from impure water, such as sea water, in which gases desorbed during the flash evaporation, including carbon dioxide, are recovered and intermixed with the distillate water prior to and inside an absorber so that the carbon dioxide is absorbed by distillate water to thereby improve the property of the distillate water for human consumption.

Abstract: Minerals are recovered from warm geothermal brines by installing a brine eductor device such as a venturi at the end of a thermally insulated drill casing. The geothermal brine is recovered by flowing a warm, low saline carrier solution at high flow rate through the device to pick up a selected flow of brine. On entering the device the geothermal brine is diluted in an amount sufficient to preclude precipitation and scaling as the mixture flows to the surface. The flow velocity is adequate to entrain any non-dissolved solids without settlement. Thermal losses to the surrounding strata are minimized by the thermal insulation surrounding the casing. The mineral values are recovered from the mixture by flashing, evaporation, and filtration. Clarified solution, filter liquor and make-up water as necessary are combined to form the low salinity carrier solution which is heated in heat exchangers before recycling to the eductor device.

Abstract: This invention relates to a vaporizer for generating developer gas, containing ammonia, from aqueous ammonia for developing diazo copying material comprising a first vaporizer unit including a rectifying column and a column head, a gas outlet for taking off the developer gas and an inlet opening into the column head for feeding in aqueous ammonia, and a heatable, steam-generating sump vessel having a base and a residual water outlet, a second unit including a volatilizer with means for heating a base zone thereof, a residual water inlet opening in said base zone, a residual water line connecting said residual water inlet opening to said residual water outlet of said rectifying column, said residual water outlet of said rectifying column projecting upwardly in said sump vessel and having an orifice above the base thereof, said two units being arranged side by side with parallel axes in a single casing, a first connecting branch as said gas outlet for taking off the developer gas and a second connecting branch

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recovering HF catalyst from an alkylation unit acid stream containing acid soluble oil wherein a bottoms stream, which contains HF, acid soluble oils and a minor quantity of water, from an HF rerun column are processed. The bottoms mixture is cooled in a heat exchanger to a temperature sufficiently low so as to effect separation of HF from the acid soluble oil with the mixture then being passed to a separating vessel to allow the separation of the HF from the acid soluble oil due to the reduced mutual solubility. A gradient of HF concentration is effected within the separation vessel wherein an HF-rich acid soluble oil mixture is withdrawn as a stream separate from a substantially HF-free acid soluble oil portion which is also recovered as a separate stream.

Abstract: A system for reclaiming the individual constituents of a fuel-contaminated purging fluid by subjecting the fluid to a continuous, closed, flash distillation technique under vacuum coupled with a coalescing oil-water separation procedure.

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 method and closed system for high volume distillation of impure liquids comprises evaporating the impure liquid in an evaporator to form a vapor at a temperature above the freezing point and below the critical point, preferably the boiling point, of the liquid at ambient pressure and at a pressure not exceeding a pressure corresponding to the evaporation temperature under saturated conditions; compressing the vapor in compression means which preferably has a compression ratio variable in the range 1.

Abstract: An apparatus for reducing the vinyl chloride monomer content of polyvinyl chloride resins suspended as a slurry in an aqueous medium. The polyvinyl chloride-water slurry as produced in a conventional suspension resin autoclave, or a resin-water slurry prepared subsequent to suspension polymerization, is placed in a vessel and heated to a suitable temperature for removal of vinyl chloride monomer from the resin. In this operation, the polyvinyl chloride-water slurry is agitated in a vessel and steam is injected directly into the slurry to rapidly heat the slurry up to a minimum temperature of at least about 180.degree. F. The slurry is cooled immediately, or optionally it can be maintained for a period of time at the selected maximum temperature and then rapidly cooled by applying vacuum to the vessel and condensing the vapor phase removed from the vessel. Dried polyvinyl chloride resin produced by this process has been found to have a vinyl chloride monomer content below a detectable limit of 0.5 ppm.

Abstract: Impurities or unwanted by-products are distilled off from an oily liquid by means of an ancillary stripping agent. The vaporization temperatures of the impurities and of the ancillary stripping agent lie below that of the oily liquid. Spontaneous distillation takes place in a decompressor to which the materials to be treated are supplied from a mixer or contactor. The decompressor comprises two nozzles arranged in series. In the decompressor the materials to be treated are subjected to a pressure considerably below the mixer pressure and somewhat below the separator pressure. Decomposition of the oil stream occurs in the decompressor into a non-volatile liquid phase and a vapor phase containing the ancillary stripping agent and the impurities originally in the oil feed. The mixed vapor/liquid stream enters the separator which is at a pressure which lies considerably below the pressure obtaining in the mixer.

Abstract: Unwanted contaminants or by-products of oily streams can be removed by distillation at reduced pressure and elevated temperatures using an ancillary distilling agent which lowers the boiling temperatures of the impurities. The efficiency of such removal is enhanced by the formation of a true solution of the ancillary agent in the oily stream at the molecular level. To bring about this solution, the ancillary agent in the superheated gaseous state is brought into intimate contact with the oily stream in a mixing vessel or contactor at substantially equal pressures but at slightly differing temperatures. The oil temperature is such as to cause condensation of the ancillary agent, but not to significantly cool the oil.

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 at or below the boiling point of said liquid at atmospheric pressure and at a pressure corresponding to the evaporation temperature under saturated conditions; compressing said vapor adiabatically; admixing in a mixing chamber the compressed vapor under substantially isobaric conditions directly with hot gases having a temperature sufficiently greater than the temperature of the compressed vapor that the resulting vapor-gas mixture temperature is greater than the temperature of the compressed vapor prior to the mixing; passing the vapor-gas mixture through an expansion engine to motivate the engine and to produce shaft energy, whereby the vapor-gas mixture adiabatically expands and cools; compressing the expanded vapor-gas mixture adiabatically in an independently powered compressor to a predetermined pressure corresponding

Abstract: A process for the production of linear fiber-forming polyesters, especially polyethylene terephthalate, wherein vaporous reaction products are separated in an improved manner by suction withdrawal from the polymerization reactor through the action of a fluid vacuum jet or aspirator which is supplied with recirculated glycol vapor as the propellant or jet fluid for the aspirator and also by further suction through the action of a recirculated glycol liquid operating a liquid circulating vacuum pump in a final separation of non-condensable gases such as nitrogen from residual condensable vapors. The process is especially useful in preventing the discharge of the vaporous by-products into the surrounding environment during the production of the polyester product.