Solution-concentrating apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for concentrating a liquid solution comprises a plurality of spaced-apart plates arranged for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis; means for supplying solution to the surfaces of said plates, said surfaces being arranged to be exposed to heat and/or flowing gas for vaporizing a readily vaporizable constituent from the solution passed to the surfaces of said plates; and means for collecting concentrated products. The plates are provided with an outer layer of open-pore porous material having the ability to absorb solution; and the radially inner regions of said outer layers extend into a storage space for solution to be concentrated, said storage space being shielded from the outer-layer parts exposed to said heat and/or said gas by means of shielding means. In this way, the outer surfaces of said plates absorb solution from the storage space, rotation of said plates contributing to uniform dispersion of the solution over the surfaces of said plate layers exposed to said heat and/or said flowing gas.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.