Recovery of water from saline solution by solvent extraction

Claim 1

IN SOLVENT EXTRACTION FOR THE RECOVERY OF WATER OF REDUCED SALT CONTENT BY CONTACTING AN EQUEOUS SALINE SOLUTION WITH A SOLVENT HAVING A MINIMUM CONSOLUTE TEMPERATURE WHERE EXTRACTION IS EFFECTED AT ONE TEMPERATURE AND PHASE SEPARATION IS EFFECTED AT A MORE ELEVATED TEMPERATURE THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: EXTRACTING THE AQUEOUS SALINE SOLUTION BY THERMALLY BALANCE COUNTERCURRENT DIRECT EXTRACTION CONTACT WITH HEATED SOLVENT WHEREBY THE SOLVENT CONTACTED BY THE ENTERING SALINE SOLUTION HAS BEEN COOLED TO EFFECTIVE EXTRACTION TEMPERATURE LEVELS, THEREAFTER HEATING THE SOLVENT EXTRACT PHASE TO AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE BY THERMALLY BALANCED COUNTERCURRENT DIRECT EXTRACTION CONTACT WITH HEATED DESALINATED WATER WHEREBY THE HEATED SALINE RAFFINATE LEAVING THE EXTRACTION STEP HAS A MINIMAL SOLVENT CONTENT DISSOLVED THEREIN AND THE HEATED SOLVENT LEAVING THE SOLVENT HEATING STEP HAS MINIMAL WATER DISSOLVED THEREIN, RECYCLING THE SO HEATED SOLVENT BACK TO THE EXTRACTION STEP FOR FURTHER CONTACT WITH SALINE SOLUTION, REHEATING AND RECYCLING A PORTION OF THE NOW DESALINATED WATER OUTPUT FROM THE SOLVENT HEATING STEP BACK THERETO, AND STRIPPING THE RESIDUAL SOLVENT CONTENT FROM THE HEATED SALINE RAFFINATE AND FROM THE WATER PRODUCT, SAID WATER PRODUCT BEING A FURTHER PORTION OF THE WATER OUTPUT OF THE SOLVENT HEATING STEP.