Patent ID: 7399338

Claim:
An apparatus for concentrating a solution, comprising: an ultrasonic atomization chamber for receiving a solution containing a target substance; an ultrasonic oscillator for atomizing the solution into a mist by ultrasonic oscillation in an inside of the ultrasonic atomization chamber; an ultrasonic power supply connected to the ultrasonic oscillator for supplying high-frequency electric power to the ultrasonic oscillator to generate ultrasonic oscillation; a collection chamber for aggregating and collecting the mist atomized by the ultrasonic oscillator, wherein the mist atomized in the ultrasonic atomization chamber is collected in the collection chamber to separate the target substance from the solution; and a compressor connected between an outlet side of the ultrasonic atomization chamber and an inlet side of the collection chamber to absorb and supply the mist in the ultrasonic atomization chamber to the collection chamber, said compressor being operable to increase a pressure in the collection chamber so as to be higher than an atmospheric pressure so that a saturation vapor pressure of the target substance in a gas phase in the collection chamber is made lower than a saturation vapor pressure thereof under atmospheric pressure, so as to aggregate and collect the mist, wherein the collection chamber is provided with a cooling heat exchanger to cool, aggregate and collect the mist.