Improvements in Machinery for Producing Distilled Water from Sea or other Impure Water.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 30th June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 2nd Aug., 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Producing Distilled Water from
Sea or other Impure Water.
I, ALPHONSE LOUIS NORMANDY of No. 6 The Crescent, Clapham Common, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
According to my present invention I construct machinery for producing distilled
water from sea or other impure water as follows. An outer closed vessel, preferably
of a vertical cylindrical form, has placed inside it two other closed vessels or chambers
one above the other, and separated so that heat may not readily pass from the lower
to the upper inner chamber. The above inner chambers are preferably constructed of
a sheaf of tubes, secured in tube plates and having the group of open tube ends
covered by caps.
A current of impure cold water, is caused to flow through the interior of the upper
inner chamber, and the lower inner chamber is surrounded by impure water,
contained in the lower part of the above named outer vessel.
Boiler steam at a suitable pressure is admitted into the lower inner chamber, so as
to become condensed therein into distilled water by the cooling action of the impure
water outside this lower inner chamber, and so as to evaporate a portion of this
surrounding impure water, thus generating secondary steam which rises into the
upper part of the outer chamber, and coming into contact with the cold exterior of the
upper inner chamber, is thereby condensed into distilled water (hereinafter called
secondary distilled water) and this secondary distilled water is prevented from mixing
with the impure water below, by means of a jacket surrounding the upper chamber,
which jacket is open at the top so as to allow the steam to pass into it, and closed at
the bottom so as to form a sort of collecting tank for the distilled water, which escapes
from this jacket by a suitable pipe, leading it to where desired.
As the impure water in the lower part of the outer vessel, and which surrounds the
lower inner chamber, is gradually evaporated and concentrated as before described,
I admit a regulated supply of impure water into the lower part of the outer vessel, in
excess of the evaporation, the excess escaping from this outer vessel by a pipe from

page_text: the lower part thereof, which pipe rises up to the level at which it is desired to
maintain the impure water in the outer vessel, so as to keep the impure water at this
level.
The water formed by the condensation of the boiler steam inside the lower inner
chamber (hereinafter called first condensed water) escapes from the lower part of this
chamber by passing through an opening of suitable size to allow all the first condensed
water to pass, and but little or none of the uncondensed boiler steam, and this first
condensed water is either led to where desired, or it is led up into the jacket
surrounding the upper inner chamber, so that it may mix with the secondary
condensed water collected therein as before described and escape therewith for use as
desired.
The supply of impure water flowing into the lower part of the outer vessel, and
surrounding the lower inner chamber as before described, is regulated by passing it
through an opening of suitable size, placed in a feed box provided with a float so as
to regulate the head of water above this opening, so as to secure the passage of the
proper quantity of impure water. I prefer to fix this feed box on the exterior of the
before described outer vessel.
I sometimes provide these machines with a loaded valve called a reducing valve,
for the purpose of reducing the pressure of the boiler steam as it enters the lower
inner chamber, to below the boiler pressure, so that a steam pump actuated by the
boiler steam, for circulating impure water through the upper inner chamber, may
discharge its exhaust steam into the lower inner chamber, so as to mix with the boiler
steam, which has passed through-the reducing valve, and be condensed therewith as
before described, the steam pump in this case being actuated by the difference of
pressure between the boiler pressure, and the pressure inside the lower inner chamber,
reduced by the reducing valve as above described.
As the exterior of the lower inner chamber will become coated with deposit, or
scale, I make the outer vessel preferably with vertical joints bolted together so as to
facilitate the taking of it apart in confined places, in order to gain access to the inner
chamber for cleansing it of such deposit.
Dated this 30th day of September 1886.
ABEL & IMRAY,
28, Southampton Buildings, London. W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Machinery for Producing Distilled Water from
Sea or other Impure Water.
I, ALPHONSE LOUIS NORMANDY, of No. 6 The Crescent, Clapham Common in the
County of Surrey, 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 :-
According to my present invention
construct machinery for producing distilled
water from sea or other impure water as follows:
I construct an outer closed chamber, preferably of cylindrical form, inside of which
are placed two other closed chambers, placed one above the other. I prefer con-
structing the lower inner chamber of a sheaf of tubes, secured in tube plates, and
having the group of open tube-ends covered by caps. I sometimes construct the
upper inner chamber of a sheaf of tubes, the open ends of these tubes being covered
by caps, in which case a current of condensing water is caused to flow through the
inside of these tubes and caps, so as to make the outside thereof act as condensing
surfaces for secondary steam generated as explained below, or I construct this upper
inner chamber of a sheaf of tubes, secured in tube plates, and surround these tubes by
a shell or casing, so as to enclose all the exteriors of the sheaf of tubes comprised
between the tube plates in which they are secured, in which case a current, of
condensing water is caused to flow over the outsides of the tubes in this sheaf of
tubes, and over the inside of the shell or casing surrounding them and, in this case,
the interior surfaces of the tubes in the sheaf, and the exterior surface of the shell or
casing act as condensing surfaces for the secondary steam generated as described
below.
A current of impure cold water is caused to flow through the interior of the upper
inner chamber, and the lower inner chamber is surrounded by impure water, contained
in the lower part of the above named outer chamber.
Boiler steam at a suitable pressure is admitted into the lower inner chamber, so as
to become condensed therein into distilled water, hereinafter called first condensed
water, by the cooling action of the impure water outside this lower inner chamber,
and so as to evaporate a portion of this surrounding impure water, thus generating
steam, (hereinafter called secondary steam,) which rises into the upper part of the
outer chamber and coming into contact with the cold surfaces of the upper inner
chamber, it is thereby condensed into distilled water, hereinafter called second
condensed water and this second condensed water is prevented from mixing with the
impure water below by means of a jacket surrounding the upper inner chamber,
which jacket is open at the top, so as to allow secondary steam to pass into it, and
closed at the bottom so as to form a sort of collecting tank for the second condensed
water, which escapes from this jacket by a suitable pipe leading it to where desired.
As the impure water in the lower part of the outer chamber and which surrounds
the lower inner chamber, is gradually evaporated and concentrated, as before described,

page_text: I admit a regulated supply of impure water into the lower part of the outer chamber,
such supply being in excess of the evaporation, the excess escaping from this outer
chamber by a pipe from the lower part thereof, (hereinafter called the brine pipe),
which brine pipe rises up to the level at which it is desired to maintain the impure
water in the outer chamber, so as to keep the impure water at this level.
The water formed by condensation of the boiler steam inside the lower inner
chamber or first condensed water, escapes from the lower part of this chamber by
passing through an opening of suitable size to allow all the first condensed water to
pass. and but little or none of the uncondensed boiler steam, and this first condensed
water is either led where desired, or it is led up into the jacket surrounding the upper
inner chamber, so that it may mix there with the second condensed water which has
collected therein, as before described, and escape therewith for use as desired.
The supply of impure water flowing into the lower part of the outer chamber and
which surrounds the lower inner chamber as before described, is regulated by passing
it through an opening of suitable size placed in a feed box provided with a float so as
to regulate the head of water above this opening, and thus insure the passage of the
proper quantity of impure water. I prefer to fix this feed box on the exterior of the
before described outer chamber.
I sometimes provide these machines with a loaded valve, called hereinafter a
reducing valve, for the purpose of reducing the pressure of the boiler steam as it
enters the lower inner chamber to below the boiler pressure, so that a steam pump
actuated by the boiler steam for circulating impure water through the upper inner
chamber may discharge its exhaust steam into the lower inner chamber, in order to
mix with the boiler steam which has passed through the reducing valve, and be
condensed therewith as before described. The steam pump in this case is actuated by
the difference of pressure between the boiler pressure and the pressure inside the
lower inner chamber, as reduced by the reducing valve above described.
As the exterior of the lower inner chamber becomes coated with deposits or scale,
I prefer making the outer chamber with vertical joints bolted together so as to
facilitate taking apart in confined places.
A pressure gauge may be fitted to the outer chamber to indicate the pressure of
secondary steam therein, so that the pressure thereof may be regulated to the desired
pressure by increasing or reducing the quantity of boiler steam admitted to the lower
inner chamber, the rate of production of secondary steam being thereby proportionately
varied and consequently the pressure thereof. The pressure gauge I prefer using for
this purpose is a column of water contained in a glass U shaped tube, so that the
pressure of secondary steam forces down the column of water in one side of the
U tube and up in the other side, thus indicating the pressure of this steam.
Sometimes I dispense with this pressure gauge and allow the secondary steam to
regulate its own pressure and rate of production by causing it to act on the impure
water surrounding the lower inner chamber so as to expel a portion of it through the
brine pipe and thus keep the level of this impure water round the lower inner
chamber lower than it would otherwise be, thereby reducing the amount of surface of
the lower inner chamber covered by the impure water outside thereof and consequently
reducing the production of secondary steam to less than it would be if the whole of
the surface of the lower inner chamber were covered by impure water, thus the level
of the impure water outside the lower inner chamber will adjust itself to suit the
pressure of boiler steam inside this lower inner chamber, so as to produce secondary
steam at a suitable rate to suit the condensing surfaces of the upper inner chamber.
I sometimes dispense with the reducing valve before described and cause the
exhaust steam from the pump to mix with the secondary steam, so that it may be
condensed therewith as before described.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing shew diagrammatic sections of the two
herein described arrangements of my improved machine, the same reference numbers
referring to the same parts in both figures.
In both arrangements a current of condensing water enters by pipe 1 into upper
inner chamber 2 and escapes therefrom by nine 3.

page_text: A portion of this condensing water passes by pipe 4 into feed box 5 so as to lift
float 6; it then passes by opening 7 through pipe 8 into the lower part of outer
chamber 9 and rises therein until it escapes by the brine pipe 10.
Boiler steam enters by pipe 12 and passes through reducing valve box 13 and
pipe 14 into lower inner chamber 15.
The boiler steam condensed inside chamber 15 into first condensed water passes
through pipe 16 steam trap 23 and opening 11 to three way cock 17 which directs it
either through pipe 18 to where desired, or up pipe 19 into jacket 20 surrounding the
upper inner chamber 2.
The boiler steam in chamber 15 evaporates a portion of the impure water outside
thereof, thus generating secondary steam which passes into jacket 20, so as to be
condensed therein by the cold surfaces of upper inner chamber 2, thus forming second
condensed water.
The second condensed water, and any first condensed water which may be mixed
with it, escapes from jacket 20 by pipe 21 to where desired.
To illustrate the automatic regulation of the production of secondary steam, assume
that with a given boiler steam pressure inside chamber 15, the level of impure water
outside chamber 15 is at A, next assume that the steam pressure inside chamber 15 is
increased and that this increase slightly increases the pressure of the secondary steam
generated therefrom, then this increased pressure of secondary steam will depress the
level of impure water from A to B by forcing some of it out by brine pipe 10, thereby
reducing the production of secondary steam to less than it would have been had the
level of impure water remained at A.
The exhaust steam from the pump circulating condensing water through the upper
inner chamber enters chamber 15 by pipe 22. Or it may be discharged into jacket 20
so as to be condensed with the secondary steam.
The steam trap cock 24 is for discharging air from chamber 15.
In Fig. 1 the arrangement of inner upper chamber 2 is as last hereinbefore
described and that of Fig. 2 is as first herein described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. Constructing distilling machines wherein an outer closed chamber charged
with a regulated supply of impure water to be distilled, contains two inner closed
chambers placed one above the other, a current of cold condensing water being
made to flow through the upper chamber, while boiler steam is admitted into the
lower chamber, so that as this steam is condensed into first condensed water it
causes secondary steam to be generated from the impure water and this secondary
steam is in its turn condensed by coming in contact with the upper chamber, which
is surrounded by a jacket for preventing the second condensing water thus produced
from mixing with the impure water below, and collecting it for use substantially as
herein described.
2. In distilling machines constructed and operating as set forth in the preceding
claim, effecting the automatic regulation of the secondary steam by causing it to
depress the level of the impure water when its pressure exceeds a certain limit, thus
lessening the extent of contact of such water with the lower inner vessel so as to
decrease the production of steam, substantially as herein described.
Dated this 30th day of June 1887.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.