Orbital drive evaporator

In an evaporator having a container, a feed liquid inlet to the container, an outlet for condensate from the container, at least one vertically oriented heat transfer tube mounted within the container so that the feed liquid can evaporate at the interior surface of said heat transfer tube to form a vapor stream by taking heat from the vapor stream condensing at its exterior surface to form the condensate the improvement comprising an orbital drive and suspension system comprising

• A. a base,
• B. at least one orbiting counterweight,
• C. means coupled to said container for mounting said counterweight to rotate about a first vertical axis generally parallel to said heat transfer tube,
• D. means to rotate said counterweight and said counterweight mounting means,
• E. means for directing the feed liquid from said inlet to the interior of said heat transfer tube, and
• means mounted on said base for supporting said container to revolve in response to the rotation of said counterweight as an orbiting two-body system about a common second vertical orbiting axis for said container and said counterweight, said supporting means with said container mounted thereon having a low lateral stiffness in a plane orthogonal to said first and second vertical axes, and having high torsional rigidity, said container supporting means providing a dynamic balance for said evaporator during said rotation and said revolving.