in Apparatus for Producing Fresh Water from Salt Water.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1892
L
Cab 1893-Accepted, 11th Mar., 1893
Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1892
L
Linn Com
Feb 1893-Accepted, 11th Mar., 1893
Complete opo
PROVISIONAL SPECIF
mprovements in Apparatus for Producing Fresh Water from
Salt Water.
We ALPHONSE NORMANDY, and FRANK NORMANDY, both of Phillip Street,
ctoria Dock Road, in the County of Essex, Manufacturing Engineers, do hereby
clare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to apparatus for producing fresh water from salt water, of
e kind in which steam at a suitable pressure, (hereinafter called primary steam)
passed into a closed condensing and evaporating chamber (hereinafter called the
vaporating chamber) contained within a closed receptacle charged with salt water,
that while the primary steam is partly condensed in the evaporating chamber by
he cooling action of the salt water, the latter is to a certain extent evaporated by
he heat given off by the primary steam and the steam thus given off (hereinafter
alled secondary steam) is then condensed, producing fresh water (hereinafter called
secondary fresh water).
According to our present improvements we construct such apparatus as follows.
The evaporating chamber in which the primary steam is to be coudensed consists
by preference of a group of vertical tubes connected at their upper and lower ends
to closed boxes. This evaporating chamber is contained in an outer chamber, and
the pipes, through which the primary steam is introduced into the upper box of the
evaporating chamber, and through which the primary fresh water is led out of
the lower box thereof, are arranged in the vertical central axis of such chamber
and pass out through stuffing boxes in the top and bottom covers of the outer
chamber, so that the inner evaporating chamber can be turned round on such
vertical axis. The outer chamber has a lateral opening for gaining access to the
evaporating chamber for clearing it of scale, and by the before described rotatable
construction of this evaporating chamber it will be seen that cach part thereof can
5 successively be brought in front of the said opening in order to be effectually cleaned.
The outer chamber is partly filled with salt water, in which
through the same.
the evaporating chamber is immersed, and such salt water is consequently evaporated
by the heat given off by the primary steam in the evaporating chamber, such
primary steam being at the same time partly condensed into primary fresh water
30 which is led off to wherever required through the central discharge pipe.
The secondary steam produced by the evaporation of the water in the outer
chamber is led off from the upper part of such chamber through a pipe into a
secondary condensing chamber contained in the upper part of a secondary outer
chamber through which a current of cold salt water is made to flow, so as to condens
35 the secondary steam in the inner chamber, into secondary fresh water which i
either led directly out of the inner condensing chamber to wherever required eithe
for use as feed water for a boiler, or for other purposes, or it is led from the sai
upper inner condensing chamber into a lower inner cooling chamber in which it
cooled before being led off to filters for use as drinking water; or such coold
40 secondary fresh water may also be led to the feed tank of a boiler, either by itse
or together with the primary fresh water.
In some cases, instead of using the above described lower chamber as a cooli
chamber for the secondary fresh water, it is used as an additional condensi
chamber for condensing the secondary steam when water for boiler feeding
45 required.
The partial evaporation of the salt water in the primary outer chamber produ
ich is discharged either by blowing off through a cock, or by allowin

page_text: to escape from the lower part of the chamber through a brine pipe either to the
bilge of the ship or to a brine pump which pumps it overboard, or into the
current of the condensing salt water escaping from the secondary outer chamber.
Sometimes cold salt water is mixed with the brine discharged as above described
so as to reduce its temperature.
The partial evaporation of salt water in the first outer chamber produces a
deposit of scale on the outside of the inner evaporating chamber which deposit can
be readily removed from time to time as herein before described.
The salt water discharged as brine from the outer chamber is replaced by a
regulated supply of salt water, preferably by means of a feed apparatus consisting
of a box having an upper chamber communicating by a small aperture with a lower
chamber, and supplied with salt water through a side inlet in which slides an
equilibrium piston valve connected by a rod to a float and so arranged that when
the water rises in the chamber beyond the normal level the float in rising causes
the valve to cut off or diminish the supply. The water in the upper chamber
descends through the before mentioned small hole in the lower chamber from
which it is led through a pipe to the first above described outer chamber.
The primary steam to the evaporating chamber is preferably passed through a
regulating valve so that the primary steam so supplied is of nearly uniform pressure
although the pressure thereof before passing through this regulating valve may vary
considerably.
Dated this 6th day of April 1892.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Fresh Water from
Salt Water.
We, ALPHONSE NORMANDY, and FRANK NORMANDY, both of Phillip Street,
Victoria Dock Road, in the County of Essex, Manufacturing Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Our invention relates to apparatus for producing fresh water from salt water, of
the kind in which steam at a suitable pressure, hereinafter called primary steam, is
passed into a closed condensing and evaporating chamber, hereinafter called the
evaporating chamber, contained within a closed receptacle charged with salt water,
so that, while the primary steam is partly condensed in the evaporating chamber
by the cooling action of the salt water, the latter is to a certain extent evaporated
by the heat given off by the primary steam, and the steam thus given off, herein-
after called secondary steam, is then condensed producing fresh water, hereinafter
called secondary fresh water.
According to our present improvements we construct such apparatus as follows.
The evaporating chamber, in which the primary steam is to be condensed,
consists by preference of a group of vertical tubes connected at their upper and
lower ends to closed boxes. This evaporating chamber is contained in an outer
chamber, and the pipes, through which the primary steam is introduced into the
upper box of the evaporating chamber, and through which the primary fresh water
is led out of the lower box thereof, are arranged in the vertical central axis of such
chamber and pass out through stuffing boxes in the top and bottom covers of the
outer chamber, so that the inner evaporating chamber can be turned round on such
vertical axis. The outer chamber has a lateral opening for gaining access to the
evaporating chamber for clearing it of scale, and by the before described rotatable
construction of this evaporating chamber it will be seen that each part thereof can
successively be brought in front of the said opening, in order to be effectually

page_text: 0
The outer chamber is partly une
aned through the same.
ich the evaporating chamber is immersed, and such salt water is consequently
porated by the heat given off by the primary steam in the evaporating
amber, such primary steam being at the same time partly condensed into primary
esh water, which is led off to wherever required through the central discharge pipe.
The secondary steam produced by the evaporation of the water in the outer
amber is led off from the upper part of such chamber through a pipe into a
condary condensing chamber contained in the upper part of a secondary outer
amber through which a current of cold salt water is made to flow, so as to
ondense the secondary steam in the inner chamber, into secondary fresh water,
hich is either led directly out of the inner condensing chamber to wherever
equired, either for use as feed water for a boiler, or for other purposes, or it is led
rom the said upper inner condensing chamber into a lower inner cooling chamber,
which it is cooled before being led off to filters for use as drinking water; or
uch cooled secondary fresh water may also be led to the feed tank of a boiler, either
by itself or together with the primary fresh water.
In some cases, instead of using the above described lower chamber as a cooling
chamber for the secondary fresh water, it is used as an additional condensing
chamber for condensing the secondary steam when water for boiler feeding is
required.
by allowing it
The partial evaporation of the salt water in the primary outer chamber produces
brine, which is discharged either by blowing off through a cock, or
to escape from the lower part of the chamber through a brine pipe, either to the
bilge of the ship or to a brine pump which pumps it overboard, or into the current
of the condensing salt water escaping from the secondary outer chamber.
Sometimes cold salt water is mixed with the brine discharged as above described,
so as to reduce its temperature.
The partial evaporation of salt water in the first outer chamber produces a
deposit of scale on the outside of the inner evaporating chamber which deposit
can be readily removed from time to time as herein before described.
The salt water discharged as brine from the outer chamber is replaced by a
regulated supply of salt water, preferably by means of a feed apparatus consisting
of a box having an upper chamber communicating by a small aperture with a
lower chamber, and supplied with salt water through a side inlet in which slides an
equilibrium piston valve connected by a rod to a float and so arranged that when
the chamber beyond the normal level the float in rising causes
the water rises
the valve to cut off or diminish the supply. The water in the upper chamber
descends through the before mentioned small hole into the lower chamber from
which it is led through a pipe to the first above described outer chamber.
The primary steam supplied to the evaporating chamber is preferably passed
through a regulating valve so that the primary steam so supplied is of nearly
uniform pressure although the pressure thereof before passing through this regulating
valve may vary considerably.
The accompanying drawing is a vertical section of apparatus according to thi
45 invention as arranged on ship board for producing fresh water from sea water.
A current of sea water entering by 1 flows through the chamber 2 and mostly
issues at 3.
and cock
Part of the sea water passes from chamber 2 through grating
into an upper feed chamber 6 raising a float 7 to which is attached a pisto
50 valve. This valve, according as it covers more or less of the inlet, regulate
the supply of sea water to the chamber 6 whence some of the water pass
through an opening 8 into a lower chamber 9 and thence through pipe 10 in
the chamber 11 rising therein to a level determined by the overflow brine pipe 1
From 12 the pipe 13 leads to a brine pump 14 which forces the brine throug
55 pipe 15 into the outlet 3 for the escaping sea
dispensed with, the brine being discharged into the bilge, or when the positi
water.
The
pump
14
may
of the apparatus permits, into the sea.

page_text: When the secondary steam produced in 11 is desired to be at a pressure too high
for the feed apparatus to act as described, the vessel 11 may be fed with sea water
by a pump, the brine then being discharged by a blow off cock.
Steam, regulated by valve 16, passes by pipe 17 into an upper box 18 and thence
through a group of tubes 19 wherein it is partly condensed by the sea water
surrounding the tubes. The water of condensation collects in the lower box. 20
and passes by pipes 21, 22, through a small opening 23 and pipe 24 to any suitable
receptacle.
The heat of the steam in the tubes 19 evaporates part of the sea water
surrounding the tubes, forming secondary steam which passes from the steam
space 25 through pipe 26 valve 27 pipes 28, 29 into the upper box 30 and thence
through the group of tubes 31 in which it is condensed by the surrounding sea
water. The secondary condensed water, thus formed, collects in the chamber 32
and passes thence through the group of tubes 33 in which it is cooled; it then
passes through chamber 34 and pipes 35, 36 to pump 37 which forces it through
pipes 38 or 39 as directed by the cock 40 to a suitable receptacle.
Part of the sea water in the feed chamber 6, passes through opening 41 into a
compartment of the lower feed chamber 9 and thence through pipe 42 into pipe 13
so as to dilute the brine passing through the pipe 13. When such dilution of the
brine is not desired, the opening 41 and pipe 42 are dispensed with.
By means of the steam valves 27 and 43, a part or the whole of the secondary
steam can be sent into the condensers usually provided on steam ships. When
this is not desired, these valves are dispensed with.
The inlet and outlet pipes 17, 21 pass through stuffing boxes 44, 45, 46 and 47
so that, without breaking any connection, the group of tubes 19 and the upper and
lower boxes 18, 20 can be rotated so as to bring any part of them opposite to a
lateral opening 48 for inspection, cleaning or repair, when desired.
The opening 48 is tightly closed by a door when the apparatus is at work. To
prevent the sticking of the lower axial pipe by incrustation, it should be turned
round from time to time, for which purpose the pipe 21 has fixed on it a capstan
head 49 having holes into which a lever can be inserted for turning the pipe
round.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we would have it under-
stood that we make no general claim to mounting steam coils 'upon tubular trunnions,
but what we claim in respect of apparatus for producing fresh water from salt
water is :-
1. An evaporating chamber consisting of a group of vertical tubes held in upper
and lower boxes, the upper box having an inlet for steam and the lower box an
outlet for water of condensation by pipes which pass through duplicate stuffing
boxes and have an external appliance for turning the whole round, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In combination with the casing for the evaporating chamber, a float and piston
valve for regulating the feed of salt water, and an overflow brine pipe for
determining its level in the casing, substantially as described.
3. The combination of the evaporating chamber and its casing, the condensing
and cooling chambers and their casing, the feed regulating and brine discharging
appliances, and the connecting pipes with their cocks and valves, substantially as
described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Dad thin 4th do- of Wahm 1902
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.