Patent ID: 7347918
Filing Date: 2008-03-25
Classification: B01D

Abstract:
1. A method for evaporating a material and condensing at least part of the material to provide a liquid, comprising the steps of: providing an evaporation region, a condensation region, and a liquid region, with the evaporation region, the condensation region and the liquid region being in fluid communication, the evaporation region having an inlet, the liquid region having a liquid port, and a mass of the liquid disposed in the liquid region, such that a surface of the mass of the liquid disposed in the liquid region defines a volume of the evaporation region and the condensation region; introducing an inlet feed of the material through the inlet and into the evaporation region; wherein the mass of the liquid in the liquid region defines a piston having a liquid level boundary defined by the surface of the mass of the liquid, such that a weight of the mass of the liquid in the liquid region reduces a pressure in the evaporation region in response to removing a mass flow of the liquid from the liquid region; removing the mass flow of the liquid from the liquid region through the liquid port to determine the liquid level boundary and reduce the pressure in the evaporation region; evaporating at least part of the material in the evaporation region, by means of reducing the pressure in the evaporation region in response to the step of removing the mass flow of the liquid from the liquid region through the liquid port; defining a pressure difference between the evaporation region and the condensation region; condensing at least part of the material in the condensation region to provide the liquid; collecting the liquid which condenses in the condensate region in the liquid region to provide at least part of the mass of the liquid in the liquid region; and regulating the inlet feed of the material through the inlet and into the evaporation region and the mass flow of the liquid from the liquid region through the liquid port to define an elevation of the surface of the liquid and the volume in the evaporation region and the condensation region, such that the at least part of the material is evaporated in the evaporation region by the weight of the mass of the liquid in the liquid region reducing the pressure in the evaporation region in response to removing the mass flow of the liquid from the liquid region.