Device for heating a liquid comprising a solvent and solute, and separating the solvent and solution

A flash distillation device for treating a liquid comprising a solvent and a solute, and separating the solvent and solute, the device comprising:

• (A) a continuous flow treatment chamber including:
• (a) one or more drying zones;
• (b) one or more return zones to circulate heating fluid continuously through drying zone(s) and return zone(s) sequentially, the heating fluid including a fluid which contains the same molecules as the solvent;
• (c) a heating fluid inlet(s) in at least one of the return zones for the introduction of the heating fluid;
• (d) a circulating fan to circulate the heating fluid;
• (e) a liquid inlet(s) in the drying zone(s) including nozzles though which liquid to be treated is introduced in misted form into the zones;
• and
• (f) a solute collector(s) located in the drying zone(s) downstream of the liquid inlet(s);
• wherein the introduced liquid is heated by the heating fluid and the solute is separated from the liquid in the solute collector(s);
• (B) at least one heat exchanger located downstream of the solute collector to increase the temperature of the heating fluid;
• (C) a take off outlet located between the solute collector and heat exchanger through which a sub-stream of heating fluid may pass;
• and
• (D) a compressor to receive and compress the sub-stream from the take off outlet;
• wherein the heat exchanger includes (i) an inlet to receive the compressed sub-stream of heating fluid, the sub-stream being permitted to condense in heat exchange relationship with the circulating heating fluid to heat the circulating heating fluid;
• and (ii) an outlet for the condensed sub-stream of heating fluid.