Patent ID: 9546099
Date: 2017-01-17
CPC Classifications: B01D,C02F,Y02A

Claim:
1. An apparatus, comprising: an evaporator assembly configured to receive a mixture of a gas and a solution and vaporize a portion of a solvent from the solution, the evaporator assembly including: an inlet flow member having a first surface and a second surface; and a diffuser having a first surface and a second surface, a first portion of the first surface of the diffuser and the first surface of the inlet flow member collectively defining a first flow path, the first flow path converging along a longitudinal axis of the evaporator assembly, the second surface of the diffuser defining a second flow path that diverges along a longitudinal axis of the evaporator assembly, the second surface of the inlet flow member and a second portion of the first surface of the diffuser defining an evaporation volume between the first flow path and the second flow path, at least one of the first portion of the first surface of the diffuser or the first surface of the inlet flow member including a plurality of vanes configured to produce a rotational velocity component about the longitudinal axis within a flow of the mixture of the solution and the gas when the flow exits the first flow path into the evaporation volume, such that, in use, the converging first flow path and the rotational velocity component causes at least partial atomization of the solution; and a separator fluidically coupled to the second flow path, the separator configured to receive the mixture of the gas and the solution, the separator configured to produce a first outlet flow and a second outlet flow, the first outlet flow including a portion of the gas and a vaporized portion of the solvent, the second outlet flow including a liquid portion of the solvent from the solution and a solute from the solution.