Patent ID: 8506763

Claim:
A flash distillation device for treating a liquid comprising a solvent and a solute, and separating the solvent and solute, the device comprising a continuous flow treatment chamber at about atmospheric pressure including: (a) one or more drying zones; (b) one or more return zones to circulate heating fluid continuously through drying zone(s) and return zone(s) sequentially, the heating fluid including a fluid which contains the same molecules as the solvent; (c) a heating fluid inlet(s) in at least one of the return zones for the introduction of the heating fluid; (d) a circulating fan to circulate the heating fluid; (e) a liquid inlet(s) in the drying zone(s) including nozzles though which liquid to be treated is introduced in misted form into the zones; (f) a solute collector(s) located in the drying zone(s) downstream of the liquid inlet(s); wherein the introduced liquid is heated by the heating fluid and the solute is separated from the liquid in the solute collector(s).