초록 ▼

A method and apparatus for heat and mass transfer is described that is applicable to: concentration, crystallization, purification, fractionation, stripping, absorption, and/or heat exchange for liquid media; drying for solid or gel media; and temperature and humidity modification for gas media. Gen

A method and apparatus for heat and mass transfer is described that is applicable to: concentration, crystallization, purification, fractionation, stripping, absorption, and/or heat exchange for liquid media; drying for solid or gel media; and temperature and humidity modification for gas media. Generally, using a moving gas, such as air at a constant and atmospheric pressure, a continual change in a vapor-liquid equilibrium is created between proximate but continually changing gas and liquid temperatures within energy transferring chambers. Chamber wetting, implemented segmentedly, allows mass transfer into and from the moving gas. A forced temperature differential in each chamber causes heat transfer between chambers by means of thermally conductive partitions. This transfer can allow condensation causing further evaporation in the opposite chamber resulting in a recycling of energy. Concurrent with temperature variances, the segmented wetting can further allow wetting substance concentrations caused by evaporation, selective condensation, or absorption to vary between wetted sectors. A migratory movement connecting these wetted sectors generally provides for development of applicable concentration gradients between the wetted sectors along the chamber length.

대표청구항 ▼

Apparatus for changing at least one selected property of two wetting substances, said apparatus comprising: a first chamber containing a plurality of sectors; first wetting means for segmentedly wetting substantially all of said sectors with a first substance; migration means coupled to said first w

Apparatus for changing at least one selected property of two wetting substances, said apparatus comprising: a first chamber containing a plurality of sectors; first wetting means for segmentedly wetting substantially all of said sectors with a first substance; migration means coupled to said first wetting means for providing a migratory movement for said first substance between adjacent sectors; a second chamber containing a second plurality of sectors; second wetting means for segmentedly wetting substantially all of said sectors of said second chamber with a second substance; gas means for controlling a flow of gas through said segmentedly wetted chambers, wherein said gas flow in said first chamber and said second chamber is counter-current; a heat transferring partition thermally connecting said first and second chambers, wherein sectors in said first chamber and said second sector are bounded by said heat transferring partition; temperature means for changing a temperature of said gas during a flow between said first and second chambers, said changing of temperature resulting in transfer of heat between said first and second chambers through said partition between said first substance and said second substance, wherein a temperature of said first substance and a temperature of said second substance are respectively below a boiling temperature for each substance during substance wetting, wherein interaction in said sectors between said substances and said gas causes a change in at least one selected property of said first and second substances, said gas approaching a vapor-liquid equilibrium with said substances for each of said wetted sectors, wherein interaction by said first substance and said migratory movement causes said selected property of said first substance of a sector to influence said selected property of said first substance in an adjacent sector.