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

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 30th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 7th Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Fresh Water from
Salt Water.
I, ALPHONSE NORMANDY, of Phillips Street, Victoria Dock Road in the
County of Essex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to that description of apparatus for producing fresh water
from salt water in which steam at a suitable pressure (hereinafter called "first
steam") is passed into a closed condensing and evaporating chamber contained
within a closed casing charged with salt water so that while the first steam is
condensed in the said evaporating chamber, producing fresh water, by the cooling
action of the salt water, the latter is at the same time evaporated to a certain
extent by the heat given off by the first steam and the steam thus given off is then
condensed, producing a further quantity of fresh water.
According to my present invention I combine with such apparatus, other
apparatus for carrying on the condensation of further steam given off by the salt
condensing water and the evaporation of further salt water by such condensation,
repeating this operation in such manner as to utilise nearly the whole of the heat
contained in the primary steam, and I also combine therewith other apparatus for
effectually regulating the quantity of cold condensing salt water supplied to the
apparatus in proportion to the quantity of fresh water produced. I construct such
combined apparatus as follows:-
1. In this apparatus there are 3 closed outer chambers (hereinafter called first,
second, and third evaporator casings).
2. Inside each first, second, and third evaporator casing, is a closed inner chamber
(hereinafter called first, second, and third evaporating chambers).
3. The first, second, and third evaporator casings are partly filled with salt water
so as to surround the first, second and third evaporating chambers.
4. Steam generated from salt water in a boiler, (hereinafter called first steam)
is admitted into the first evaporating chamber, and is partly condensed therein;
into hot fresh water (hereinafter called first fresh water) by the salt water outside
the first evaporating chamber.
5. The salt water outside the first evaporating chamber is partly evaporated by
the heat thereof, and the steam thus generated is called second steam.
6. The second steam thus produced rises in the upper part of the first evaporator
casing, and passes therefrom into the second evaporating chamber and is partly
condensed therein, into hot fresh water (hereinafter called second fresh water) by
the salt water outside second evaporating chamber.
7. The salt water outside the second evaporating chamber is partly evaporated
by the heat thereof, and the steam thus generated is hereinafter called third steam.
8. The third steam thus produced rises in upper part of third evaporator casing,
and passes therefrom into the third evaporating chamber, and is partly condensed
therein into hot fresh water (hereinafter called third fresh water) by the salt
water outside the third evaporating chamber.
9. The salt water outside the third evaporating chamber is partly evaporated by
the heat thereof, and the steam thus generated is hereinafter called fourth steam.
10. The fourth steam thus produced rises into the upper part of the third
evaporator casing, and passes therefrom into a fourth closed inner chamber,
hereinafter called the condenser.

page_text: 11. The condenser is contained in the upper part of a closed outer chamber
hereinafter called the condenser casing.
12. In the lower part of condenser casing is a second inner chamber hereinafter
called the cooler.
13. A current of cold salt water flows through the condenser casing so as to fill
it, thus surrounding the condenser and the cooler with cold salt water.
14. The fourth steam passing into the condenser, as above described, is condensed
therein into hot fresh water (hereinafter called fourth fresh water) by the cold sea
water outside condenser.
15. The first, second, third, and fourth fresh waters produced as above all pass
into the cooler, and are cooled therein, and the mixed waters are hereinafter called
cold fresh water.
16. Before the first, second, and third hot fresh water can pass into the condenser
as above described, they have to pass through openings or ferrules of such a size
as to pass these waters mixed with little or none of the uncondensed steam from
first, second, and third evaporating chambers.
17. As the salt water inside the boiler and inside the first, second and third
evaporator casings is being constantly evaporated, as above described, it is
necessary to keep the boiler, and the first, second, and third evaporator casings
supplied with about twice as much salt water as is evaporated, in order to replace,
firstly, the water evaporated as above, and secondly to replace about an equal
quantity of concentrated salt water or brine discharged from the boiler and the
first, second, and third evaporator casings, to prevent the water becoming too salt.
18. The supply of salt water to the boiler, first, second, and third evaporator
casings, is regulated by means of a feed regulator as follows:-
19. The feed regulator consists of seven vertical chambers open at the top,
hereinafter called chambers A, B, C, D, E, F, G.
20. Chamber A communicates with chamber B, by a small opening (hereinafter
called ferrule B) which ferrule is placed near the bottom of chamber B.
21. Chamber C communicates with four chambers D, E, F, G by four small
openings (hereinafter called ferrules D, E, F, G,) which ferrules are near the
bottom of chambers B, C, D, E.
22. In each of the chambers A and C is a vertical float in the form of a long
cylinder, and these floats (hereinafter called float A, and float C) are suspended
from opposite ends of a scale bean placed over chambers A and C in such a way
that as float A moves up it depresses float C and vice versa.
23. Salt water is admitted to chamber C through an opening near the bottom
thereof, and the size of the opening is regulated by the position of a valve attached
to the lower end of float C.
24. The position of float C depends on the height of salt water in the chamber C
surrounding this float.
25. The salt water in chamber C escapes therefrom through ferrules D, E, F, G,
into chambers D, E, F, G, from whence salt water is pumped into the boiler, and
the first, second, and third evaporator casings.
26. The quantity of salt water thus pumped as above into the boiler, and first,
second, and third evaporator casings depends upon the height of the salt water
in chamber C, for upon that height depend the quantities of salt water the
ferrules D, E, F, G, are capable of passing.
27. The cold fresh water produced as above described flows into chamber A and
rises therein until the height is such, that as fast as it enters it escapes through
ferrule B into chamber B, from whence it is pumped into tanks for use as required.
28. As floats A and C are connected to opposite ends of a scale beam as before
described, it follows that the cold fresh water in chamber A and the salt water in
chamber C must both stand at about the same level, as a difference of level would
cause float C to move up or down and thus admit more or less salt water into
chamber C until both salt and fresh waters in chambers A and C stood at the same
level.

page_text: 29. As before described, the quantity of salt water pumped into the boiler, first,
second and third evaporator casings depends on the level of salt water in the
chamber C, and this salt water level depends on the level of the cold fresh water in
chamber A, which cold fresh water level depends on rate of production thereof.
It therefore follows that this rate of production regulates the quantities of salt
water fed into the boiler, first, second, and third evaporator casings, in such manner
as to be always in suitable proportion to the cold fresh water produced.
30. In order to economise fuel, and increase the productive power of the
apparatus, the salt water supplied to the boiler, first, second and third evaporator
casings is first heated by means of seven heaters.
31. Each heater consists of an inner closed chamber, contained in an outer closed
chamber.
32. The first steam passes through the inner chamber of the first heater, before
entering first evaporating chamber; the second steam passes through the inner
chamber of second heater before entering the second evaporating chamber; the
third steam passes through the inner chamber of the third heater before passing
into the third evaporating chamber, and the fourth steam passes through inner
chambers of the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh heaters, before passing into the
condenser.
33. All four quantities of salt water pumped from the four feed regulator
chambers D, E, F, G, as before described, first pass through outer chambers of the
fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh heaters, and become heated therein by the fourth
steam passing through the inner chambers of those heaters on its way to the
condenser and cooler.
34. Heated salt water from fourth heater passes through the outer chamber
of first heater, and is further heated therein by the first steam passing through the
inner chamber thereof, as before described, and this doubly heated salt water then
passes into the boiler.
35. Heated salt water from the fifth heater passes through the outer chamber of
the second heater, and is further heated by the second steam passing through inner
chamber thereof, as before described. This doubly heated salt water then passes
into first evaporator casing.
36. Heated water from the sixth heater passes through the outer chamber of
the third heater, and is further heated by the third steam passing through the inner
chamber thereof, as before described. This doubly heated salt water then passes
into the second evaporator casing.
37. Heated water from the seventh heater passes into the third evaporator
casing.
38. The cooled water is preferably passed through a filter of animal charcoal
before being used for drinking.
39. The regulator chambers D, E, F, G, are each provided with a float,
attached to which is a valve such that the position of the float regulates the size
of the opening through which the salt water in the chambers D, E, F, G, pass to
the pumps as before described. Unless therefore there is sufficient salt water in
chambers D, E, F, G, to lift the floats therein, these floats and valves attached,
are in such a position as to close the openings for the passage of salt water from
chambers D, E, F, G, thus preventing any air from being drawn from these
chambers by the pumps, which are only intended to draw salt water for forcing
into the boiler, first, second and third evaporator casings.
Although the use of four evaporating chambers and casings have been described,
greater or less number thereof can be employed.
Dated this 1st day of December 1892.
ADEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant

page_text: COMPLETE DIEUTICATION.,
Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Fresh Water from
Salt Water.
I, ALPHONSE NORMANDY, of Phillips Street, Victoria Dock Road, in the
County of Essex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to that description of apparatus for producing fresh water
from salt water in which steam at a suitable pressure (hereinafter called first
steam) is passed into a closed condensing and evaporating chamber contained within
a closed casing charged with salt water so that while the first steam is condensed
in the said evaporating chamber, producing fresh water, by the cooling action of
the salt water, the latter is at the same time evaporated to a certain extent by the
heat given off by the first steam and the steam thus given off is then condensed,
producing a further quantity of fresh water.
According to my present invention I combine with such apparatus, other
apparatus for carrying on the condensation of further steam given off by the salt
condensing water and the evaporation of further salt water by such condensation,
repeating this operation in such manner as to utilise nearly the whole of the heat
contained in the primary steam; and I also combine therewith other apparatus for
effectually regulating the quantity of cold condensing salt water supplied to the
apparatus in proportion to the quantity of fresh water produced. I arrange such
combined apparatus as diagrammatically represented by the accompanying.
drawing which shows the arrangement when three successive evaporators are
employed.
1. In this apparatus there are 3 closed outer chambers or casings E¹, E², E³.
2. Inside each evaporator casing is a closed inner evaporating chamber el e² 3.
3. The evaporator casings E E E³ are partly filled with salt water so as to
surround the evaporating chambers e¹ e² e³.
4. Steam generated from salt water in a boiler B (hereinafter called first steam,)
is admitted into the first evaporating chamber e¹ and is partly condensed therein;
into hot fresh water (hereinafter called first fresh water) by the salt water
outside e¹.
5. The salt water outside el is partly evaporated by the heat of e' and steam is
thus generated, (hereinafter called the second steam).
6. The second steam thus produced rises in the upper part of the first casing, E
and passes therefrom into the second evaporating chamber e² and is partly
condensed therein, into hot fresh water (hereinafter called second fresh water) by
the salt water outside e².
7. The salt water outside e² is partly evaporated by the heat of and steam is
thus generated (hereinafter called third steam).
8. The third steam thus produced rises in upper part of evaporator casing E² and
passes therefrom into the third evaporating chamber and is partly condensed
therein into hot fresh water (hereinafter called third fresh water) by the salt water
outside e³.
9. The salt water outside the third evaporating chamber is partly evaporated
by the heat of e³ and steam is thus generated (hereinafter called fourth steam).
10. The fourth steam thus produced rises into the upper part of the evaporator
casing and passes therefrom into a fourth closed inner chamber, or condenser c.
11. The condenser is contained in the upper part of a closed outer chamber or
condenser casing C.

page_text: lower part of the condenser casing
Is a secona тонет спатber ог
cooler c'.
13. A current of cold salt water flows through the condenser casing C so as to
fill it, thus surrounding the cooler e¹ and the condenser c with cold salt water.
с
14. The fourth steam passing into the condenser c is condensed therein into hot
fresh water (hereinafter called fourth fresh water) by the cold sea water outside the
condenser c.
and
15. The first, second, and third fresh waters produced as above, and any
uncondensed steam which may accompany them, all pass into the condenser
with the fourth fresh water into the cooler and are cooled therein, the mixed
waters forming the cold fresh water.
16. Before the first, second, and third hot fresh waters can pass into the
condenser, as above described, they have to pass through openings or
ferrules D1 D2 D3 of such a size as to pass these waters mixed with little or none
of the uncondensed steam from first, second, and third evaporating chambers.
17. As the salt water inside the boiler and inside the first, second and third
evaporator casings is being constantly evaporated, as above described, it is
necessary to keep the boiler, and the first, second, and third evaporator.casings
supplied with about twice as much salt water as is evaporated, in order to replace
the water evaporated as above, and also to replace about an equal quantity of
concentrated salt water or brine discharged by blow off cocks b from the boiler and
the first, second, and third evaporator casings, to prevent the water from becoming
too salt.
18. The supply of salt water to the boiler, and to the first, second, and
third evaporator casings, is regulated by means of a feed regulator as follows:-
19. The feed regulator consists of seven vertical chambers F1 F2 F³ Fª F³ Fª F7
all open at the top.
20. F communicates with F by a small opening or ferrule D* placed near the
bottom of chamber F.
21. F3 communicates with the four chambers F F F F' by four small openings
or ferrules D D D7 D8 near the bottoms of the chambers F, F, F, and F7.
22. In each of the chambers F F³ there is a vertical float 13 in the form of a
long cylinder, suspended from opposite ends of a scale beam G placed over
chambers FF so that as float frises or sinks it depresses or raises float f³.
23. Salt water is admitted to chamber F³ through an opening near its bottom
the size of the opening being regulated by a valve attached to the float f³.
24. The position of float 3 depends on the height of salt water in the chamber F³
surrounding this float; also on the height of cold fresh water in chamber F¹.
25. The salt water escapes from chamber F³ through the ferrules D³ D* D' D°
into the chambers F F F F from which salt water is pumped by pumps P' P³
P6 P7 into the boiler, and the first, second and third evaporator casings.
26. The quantity of salt water thus pumped as above into the boiler, and first,
second, and third evaporator casings depends upon the height of the salt water in
chamber F3, for upon that height depend the quantities of salt water which the
ferrules D D D D are capable of passing.
27. The cold fresh water produced as above described flows into chamber F1
and rises therein until the height is such, that as fast as it enters, it escapes
through ferrule D' into the chamber F2, from whence it is pumped by a pump P²
into tanks for use as required.
28. As floats f¹ and are connected to opposite ends of a scale beam as before
described, it follows that the cold fresh water in chamber F and the salt water in
chamber Fust both stand at about the same level, as a difference of level would
cause float3 to move up or down and thus admit more or less salt water into
chamber F3, until both salt and fresh waters in chambers F1 and F3 should stand at
the same level.
29. As before described, the quantity of salt water pumped into the boiler, first

page_text: second and third evaporator casings depends on the level of salt water in the
chamber F3, and this salt water level depends on the level of the cold fresh water
in chamber F, which level of cold fresh water depends on the rate of its production.
It therefore follows that this rate of production regulates the quantities of salt
water fed into the boiler, first, second, and third evaporator casings, in such
manner as to be always in suitable proportion to the cold fresh water produced.
As the cold fresh water is produced from the condensation of the 1st 2nd, 3rd
and 4th steams, as before described, it follows that the quantities of salt water fed
into the boiler, first, second, and third evaporator casings are suitably proportioned
to the steam generated therein.
30. In order to economise fuel, and increase the productive power of the
apparatus, the salt water supplied to the boiler, first, second and third evaporator
casings is first heated by means of seven heaters H¹ H² H³ H* H* H* H7.
31. Each heater consists of an outer closed chamber H containing an inner closed
chamber h.
32. The first steam from the boiler passes through the inner chamber h¹ of the
first heater H before entering first evaporating chamber e¹ the second steam passes
through the inner chamber 2 of second heater H2 before entering the second
evaporating chamber e, the third steam passes through the inner chamber ³ of the
third heater H³ before passing into the third evaporating chamber and the
fourth steam passes through the inner chambers h h of the fourth, fifth, sixth
and seventh heaters H H H before passing into the condenser c.
33. All four quantities of salt water pumped from the four feed regulator
chambers F F F F as before described, first pass through outer chambers of the
fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh heaters, H H H H and become heated therein
by the fourth steam passing through the inner chambers h h h h of those heaters
on its way to the condenser c and cooler c¹.
34. Heated salt water from the fourth heater H* passes through the outer
chamber of first heater H' and is further heated therein by the first steam passing
through its inner chamber as before described, and this doubly heated salt water
then passes into the boiler B.
35. Heated salt water from the fifth heater H³ passes through the outer chamber
of the second heater H2 and is further heated by the second steam passing through
its inner chamber ² as before described. This doubly heated salt water then
passes into the first evaporator casing E¹.
36. Heated water from the sixth heater He passes through the outer chamber
of the third heater H3 and is further heated by the third steam passing through
its inner chamber as before described. This doubly heated salt water then
passes into the second evaporator casing E².
37. Heated water from the seventh heater H' passes into the third evaporator
casing E³.
38. The cooled water is preferably passed through a filter of animal charcoal
before being used for drinking.
39. Each of the regulator chambers F F F F is provided with a float, attached
to which is a valve such that the position of the float regulates the size of the
opening through which the salt water in each chamber passes to the corresponding
pump. Unless therefore there is sufficient salt water in the chambers F F F F7
to lift the floats therein, the valves close the openings for the passage of salt water
to the pumps, thus preventing any air from being drawn from these chambers by
the pumps, which are only intended to draw salt water for forcing into the boiler,
first, second and third evaporator casings.
Although the use of four evaporating chambers and casings has been described,
a greater or less number thereof can be employed.
One or more of the heaters for doubly heating the feed waters as above described
may be dispensed with, and, when hot fresh water is required the cooler may be
dispensed with.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
In apparatus for producing fresh from salt water, in combination with a boiler,
several evaporating chambers and a condenser, feed regulators and heaters for
heating the water supplied to the several evaporating chambers and to the boiler,
substantially as described.
Dated thin 5th day of Aust 1902
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.