Patent ID: 7722740

Claim:
A device for the recovery of a gaseous phase from a liquid fluid on a commercial scale by at least partial evaporation of the liquid fluid or of at least one of the components contained therein or by setting free one of the components formed by thermal transition of the liquid fluid, said device comprising a modular falling-film evaporator consisting of stacked vertical or inclined plate-type modules, said device comprising a modular falling film evaporator containing at least one stack of vertical or inclined plate-type modules, at least every other module featuring one or several spaces through which a heat exchange fluid can flow, and gap-shaped evaporation chambers between the side surfaces of essentially equal-sized rectangular modules, with the surfaces facing each other, wherein the evaporator modules feature a set of parallel micro-channels on at least one side facing the gap-type evaporation chambers, the orientation of the micro-channels corresponding to the direction of the liquid fluid stream flowing therein by gravity and/or capillary forces, and a device for feeding a liquid fluid into the micro-channels, the gap-type evaporation chambers being open at the top and/or bottom essentially over the entire width of the module, and that at least one stack being arranged in a vessel equipped with a device for withdrawing a gas phase and a device for withdrawing a liquid phase.