IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE AERATION OF FRESH WATER OBTAINED BY THE DISTILLATION OF SEA WATER
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,.
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE AERATION OF FRESH WATER OBTAINED BY
THE DISTILLATION OF SEA WATER." A communication from abroad by
Theodore Perroy; at present residing at Paris, in the Empire of France,
Marine Engineer.
Sealed the 31st December 1867, and dated the 28th August 1867.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration;.
on the 28th August 1867, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent. Law.
Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I; JOHN?
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,.
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN:
APPARATUS FOR THE AREATION OF FRESH WATER OBTAINED BY THE DISTILLATION OF
SEA WATER," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have
made solemn Declaration that it was communicated to me from abroad by
Theodore Perroy, at present residing at Paris, in the: Empire of France,:
Marine Engineer.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby declare that
the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal, fully describes

page_text: and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, in and by the following statement, reference being had to
the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
that is to say :-
In most of the apparatus hitherto employed for obtaining fresh water by the
distillation of sea water the water supplied has a nauseous taste, which it only
loses by being kept for a 'considerable length of time; this taste is due to the
presence of an empyreumatic oil, which is formed by the decomposition on
contact with the heated metal plate of the animal matters held in suspension
in the sea water; these oils are carbonised hydrogens, which are gradually
burnt on contact with the oxygen of the air in the water, but this chemical
action occupies a considerable time. The combustion of these carbonised
hydrogens may however be hastened by placing the water containing them in
contact with bone black or animal charcoal; which separates them; the-
disenfection is then effected in a very short time; provided that the water
holds in solution the air required to furnish the necessary oxygen for the
chemical combination desired. The carrying out of this aeration necessitates
the use of water of a sufficiently low temperature, as it is well known that
above 113° Fahrenheit water contains no longer air in solution!.
I shall now describe in succession the various apparatus I employ, and
which are shown on the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
My system of aerating the fresh water obtained by the distillation of sea
water comprises three principal parts, viz., the aerator proper, the refrigerator,
and the box of animal charcoal.
>
The aerator shown in Figure 1 is composed of two cones fitting the one
into the other. The external cone communicates with the air by means of
two cocks c which regulate its admission, and the internal cone conducts the
steam which is to be condensed. The steam by penetrating from one cone
into the other produces a powerful: exhaustion, and consequently a current of
air throughout the apparatus, in the middle of which the condensation is
effected.
As shewn in the Figures the, apparatus communicates at its end a with the
boiler, from which it receives the steam, and at the end 6 with the condenser,
which I am about to describe. The advantage of this arrangement is that
the molecules of water on their formation are in contact with the air, and
absorb such a quantity of the same as they are capable of containing at their
temperature.
The refrigerator shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 is of the type of those
known as circulating refrigerators. In this system the water produced remains

page_text: longer in contact with the cooling surfaces, so, that it proceeds from the
apparatus at a lower temperature, which is of great importance for the dis-
infection of the water, for it is on this temperature that the quantity of air it
absorbs depends. The circulation of the water, steam, and air is effected by
means of partitions which with the tubes form circuits. Each circuit is
formed of two rows of tubes; the object of which is to isolate as much as
possible the uncondensed..steam from the. water already produced, which
greatly contributes to the low temperature of the latter."
The apparatus is formed of a tank d full of cold water, which is constantly
renewed, and which enters by the aperture e at the bottom of the apparatus,
and passes out through the aperture placed on the cover, so that the warmest
water will be at the top part and the colder at the bottom of the tank. An
air cock serves to extract the air from the tank when the operation is
commenced.:
The aerating apparatus is 'disposedu in the interior of the tank.d, and; is
composed of a series of tubes g, each end of which terminates in a brass box,
so arranged as to force the distilled water to circulate in the tubes placed
immediately under the preceding.
The steam and the air carried with it are introduced into: the apparatus as
shewn in Figure 2, through the tube h, and. pass. through the rows of 'tubes
into a first receptacle i, in which a second series of tubes opens, through
which they are conducted into a second receptacle i, which itself.commu-
nicates with a third series, consisting of two rows of tubes, and the circulating
motion of the steam, air, and condensed water continues to the bottom of the
apparatus. At this point the water runs off by a single and last row of tubes
communicating-with-a-tube j; so that the section of the passage being reduced
by one-half the air tends to accumulate at the top part of the last chamber i,
from which it escapes through the tube k. With a view to facilitate the
successive introduction of the steam. mixed with air and fresh water into the
different tubes of the apparatus I have made the plates m which serve as the
sides for the boxes i of an undulated form, so that the communication is
continuous for each series of tubes superposed.from the inlet to the outlet of
the condenser.....
3.
-1 :
In order to facilitate the repair of the refrigerator. there is no part rivetted;
the tubes themselves are held by simple compression, and the tightness of the
oint is obtained by india-rubber washers n (Figure 6): pressing (on the tin
bosses o formed on the ends of the tubes. The plates of the metal tank d
which encloses the tubular apparatus are also held by bolts, the result of
which is the greatest possible facility for putting together and taking to pieces,

page_text: two hours at the most being required to take the whole of the refrigerator to
pieces on the deck and put it in its place ready for work again.
The third part of the apparatus is the box of animal charcoal shewn in
Figures 7 and 8, into which the water is introduced through a pipe at t; in
this box is effected the disinfecting of the water. The box is separated into
several compartments by vertical partitions q which necessitates the circulation,
and is so arranged that the water will remain for about three-quarters of an
hour in contact with the animal charcoal. The disinfection of the water as a
chemical result produces only water and carbonic acid, consequently the
animal charcoal contracts no impurities and may be used for an indefinite
number of times.
The exhaustion of the air, the object of which as before explained is to
aerate the water resulting from the condensation, is also utilised to elevate
the water to such a height that it may without the aid of a pump run naturally
into the water tanks. This result is obtained by producing a certain amount
of pressure in the interior of the apparatus, which may be effected by merely
closing more or less the cock k intended to evacuate the exhausted air which
has not been absorbed, and a sufficient pressure will thus be produced to
elevate the water to a height of about 10 feet. This capability of raising the
water produced is of great importance in the setting of the apparatus on board,
as it admits of the apparatus being so placed that the external circulation of
the sea water intended to effect the condensation may be produced merely by
the difference in density. This arrangement is shown in Figures 9, 10, and 11.
In order to effect this circulation it is sufficient that the tube f. (Figure 2),
which serves for the evacuation of the sea water, may run out of the side of
'the vessel under the load waterline, and that in passing through the refrigerator
to the sea it may take an ascending course; this necessitates the placing of
the apparatus itself sufficiently low, which could not be effected for the
elevation of the water produced at its exit.
In order to operate the apparatus it suffices to introduce the steam' after
having opened all the cocks s which permit of the admission and outlet of the
water destined to effect the condensation. It is necessary therefore so to
regulate the opening of the steam cock as to produce water of which the
temperature shall not exceed 95° Fahrenheit. A special stage V fixed to the
planking u of the vessel is provided to facilitate the turning of the cocks s, j;
(Figure 9) is the pipe which conducts the water from the condensing apparatus
to the charcoal filter r, and which pipe is connected with the fresh water outlet
tubej disposed at the lower part of the condenser, on the left-hand side
(Figure 2). p is the outlet pipe for the fresh water from the filter r.

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and
original and therefore claim as the Invention is, the general construction,
arrangement, and combination of apparatus or means for aerating fresh
water obtained by the distillation of sea water, substantially as herein-before
described.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)