Improvements in and relating to the Production of Fresh Water from Salt Water.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 10th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 13th Jan., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Production of Fresh Water
from Salt Water.
I FRANKLIN HOCKING of 16 Spellow Lane, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
The improvements relating to the production of fresh water from salt water
according to my Invention have reference more particularly to that class of apparatus
by which the fresh water is obtained by the evaporation of salt water by steam from a
steam generator or steam engine the vapour or steam arising from such salt water
being formed into fresh water by condensation.
A convenient arrangement and construction of apparatus and embodying the
improvements and operating according to my Invention is as follows:-
1
The apparatus may consist of single, duplex, triplex or multiplex form according to
the requirements of the particular application. A suitable example of apparatus say
for obtaining fresh water from salt water upon navigable steam vessels, in which the
steam for heating and evaporating the salt water may be taken from the main steam
generator or donkey boiler may consist of a triplex form, that is to say three
evaporating vessels, or chambers are provided the heating steam remaining uncon-
densed after employment in the first apparatus passes to a second and a third
ovaporating vessel.
The steam evaporated from the salt water in each vessel is condensed by a separate,
or a common condensing apparatus of any suitable construction.
The water obtained by the condensation of the steam from the evaporating vessel
and the water caused by the condensation of the heating steam may be used either
separately, or combined for any desired purposes, such as for feeding the steam
generators of the vessel, or drinking or other purposes.
The evaporating vessels which by preference are vertically arranged are so con-
structed as to provide a large amount of surface to the salt water in comparison to
the space and surface occupied and presented by the heating device. This may
consist of one, or more ways such as spiral annular or cylindrical ways round
which the steam passes.

page_text: The spiral ways are formed by the space resulting from the placing of one tube
within another (the iubes being of varying diameters) and a spiral rod, or tube, or
equivalent being inserted between such tubes. When more than one of the ways
are employed they are connected by tubes to diaphragms and communicate with a
steam chest at the top and a combined steam and water box, or chamber at the
bottom. The uncondensed steam which passes through the ways is led into the
next set of ways and heats the salt water in the second vessel and in like manner
passes through the third where it becomes entirely, or nearly all condensed. The
exit passages of the ways are so made as to prevent a too free escape of the heating
steam from them. The ways may be covered by caps to which they may be
connected by beaded joints.
Communicating pipes and cocks are provided to regulate the height of water in the
lower receivers.
The steam made in the first vessel is preferably maintained in it under pressure as
is also that made in the second and third but the pressure in each is consecutively
lower than its preceeding one.
In some cases the steam made in the vessels may be in direct communication with
the condenser of the main engines and so the vessels would be worked under vacuum,
or it may be arranged so that it may either communicate with the main condensers,
or with the special condensers, provided in connection with the apparatus.
Part of the circulating water from the condensers of the apparatus inay be used to
feed the evaporators. In such a case when working under pressure I provide a
pressure valve on the water main, or pipe, and form connections between such pipe
and the evaporators. The pressure in the main is greater than that of the evaporators
so that the water from such main will when desired flow into and feed the
evaporators. Suitable cocks, or valves and gauge glasses are provided in connection
with the apparatus in the ordinary way and for the usual purposes or for other
requirements.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
Agents for Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Production of Fresh Water
from Salt Water.
I, FRANKLIN HOCKING, of 16 Spellow Lane, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to he particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
The improvements relating to the production of fresh water from salt water
according to my Invention have reference more particularly to that class of apparatus
by which the fresh water is obtained by the evaporation of salt water by steam from
a steam generator, or steam engine, the vapour or steam arising from such salt water
being formed into fresh water by condensation.
A convenient arrangement and construction of apparatus and embodying the
improvements and operating according to my Invention is as follows:-
The apparatus may consist of single, duplex, triplex, or multiplex form according
to the requirements of the particular application. A suitable example of apparatus
say for obtaining fresh water from salt water upon navigable steam vessels, in which
the steam for heating and evaporating the salt water may be taken from the main
steam generator, or donkey" boiler may consist of a triplex form, that is to say
three vessels, or chambers are provided, the heating steam remaining uncondensed
and the condensed water after employment in the first apparatus passes to a second
and then to a water heating vessel.
The steam evaporated from the salt water in each vessel is condensed by a separate,
or common condensing apparatus of any suitable construction.
The water obtained by the condensation of the steam from the evaporating vessel
and the water caused by the condensation of the heating steam may be used either
separately, or combined for any desired purposes, such as for feeding the steam
generators of the vessel, or drinking, or other purposes.
The evaporating vessels which by preference are vertically arranged are so con-
structed as to provide a large amount of surface to the salt water in comparison to the
space and surface occupied and presented by the heating device. This may consist of
one, or more ways such as spiral, annular, or cylindrical ways round which the steam
passes.
The spiral ways are formed by the space resulting from the placing of one tube
within another (the tubes being of varying diameters) and a spiral rod, or tube, or
equivalent being inserted between such tubes. When more than one of the ways are
employed they are connected by tubes to diaphragms and communicate with a steam
chest at the top and a combined steam and water box, or chamber at the bottom.

page_text: The uncondensed steam and water which passes through the ways is led into the next
set of ways and heats the salt water in the second vessel and in like manner passes
through a third vessel where it becomes entirely, or nearly all condensed. The exit
passages of the ways are so made as to prevent a too free escape of the heating steam
from them. The ways may be covered by caps to which they may be connected by
beaded joints.
Communicating pipes and cocks are provided to regulate the height of water in the
lower receivers.
The steam made in the first vessel is preferably maintained in it under pressure, as
is also thai made in the second, but the pressure in each is consecutively lower than
its preceding one.
In some cases the steam made in the vessels may he in direct communication with
the condenser of the main engines and so the vessels would he worked under vacuum,
or it may be arranged so that it may either communicate with the main condensers,
or with the special condensers provided in connection with the apparatus.
Part of the circulating water from the condensers of the apparatus may be used to
feed the evaporators. In such a case when working under pressure I provide a
pressure valve on the water main, or pipe, and form connections between such pipe
and the evaporators.
The pressure in the main is greater than that of the
evaporators, so that the water from such main, will, when desired, flow into and feed
the evaporators. Suitable cocks or valves and gauge glasses are provided in con-
nection with the apparatus in the ordinary way and for the usual purposes or for
other requirements.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 illustrates in elevation-partly in section-an example of apparatus
constructed and operating according to this Invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of same.
With reference to the Drawings, A and B are steam generators. C designates a
feed water heater. D are condensed water receivers. d are pipes forming communi-
cation between the receivers D, and are cocks controlling the communication.
I designate steam chambers for distributing the steam to the pipes of the heating
tubes G, the interior construction of the steam generator B being the same as that
of the vessel A. Hare diaphragms having corrugations to which the inlet and
outlet tubes are connected and held, and also form divisions between the steam
chambers I, vessels A and the receivers D. are doors for gaining access to the
interiors of the receivers D. E and F designate condensers-of any suitable known
construction for condensing the steam made in the generators A and B. L are
pipes for conveying the steam to the condensers E, and F, and L' are pipes for
conveying the water-being that condensed from such steam-to the common fresh
water pipe 12. O is the pipe for conveying the cooling, or circulating "water
to the condensers E, and F, and 0 is the " circulating water outlet. R is a
pressure valve provided io maintain a constant pressure within the circulating
pipes and other parts, hereafter described, connected therewith. 02 is a pipe con-
nected to the circulating" water outlet pipe O for supplying the water to be
heated in the feed water heater C, and N is a pipe for conveying the water heated in
the feed heater C to the steam generators A and B. N and N are cocks provided
to control such water to the generators B and A respectively. J designates a pipe
communicating between the upper portion of the first receiver D and the space 1 of
the steam generator B, and K is a pipe communicating between the upper portion
of the second receiver D with the feed water heater C, through which the water, or
steam as the case may be coming from the second receiver D passes and falls into the
third and final receiver D. Mis the outlet by which the fresh water is conveyed
away from this fluid receiver D. is a pipe for conveying away scum from the
surface of the water in the steam generators A and B.
52
The above specifies generally the various parts of the apparatus and their functions.

page_text: I will now describe the same more particularly and how they co-act to produce the
result, the object of this Invention. The feed water heater may be of any known
suitable type for instance it may consist of an apparatus such as that set forth in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to H. Hocking No. 100448 in which the
heating liquid is passed through the tubes thereof and the liquid to be heated is
passed through the casing-outside such tubes of the apparatus; or it may be of
any equivalent, or like type of apparatus.
With reference to the tubes G of the steam generators A and B, each of these con-
stitute a spiral way constructed by placing a spiral rod, or tube g³ within two tubes y
and g of different diameters. The inner tube y is closed at the top as shown and the
outer tube is closed by caps, or plates g² as shown. The steam conveyed by the
pipe to these tubes enters the space between the crown of the inner tube g¹ and
the top cap and passes helically down the spiral way-formed by the con-
struction just described-leaving such way by apertures formed in the bottom of
the inner tube g. Having arrived in the interior of the tube it passes by the
outlet pipes to the receivers D.
The condensers E and F may he of any suitable construction. For instance they
may be of the type set forth in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 1004184
before mentioned, and for convenience of description it may be assumed that the
condensers (E and F) shown are of such type. Although I have shown two con-
densers in the Drawing, one, common to the two steam generators A and B may be
employed if so desired.
"
To facilitate the description of the operation of the apparatus let it be assumed
that salt water, derived from any suitable source is being passed, or pumped into the
inlet circulating pipe O through the circulating chambers of the condensers E and F
and out by the pipe 0, and that the pressure within these pipes and passages is
maintained at, say 35 pounds pressure per square inch by the pressure valve R, and
let it also be assumed that the water stands at the height shown in the Drawings in
the steam generators A and B. Then the operation of the apparatus 15 as
follows Steam from any suitable source such as a ::
donkey boiler of a ship is
delivered to the chamber I of the generator A and flows down the pipes /' into
the spiral ways G, and in passing through them gives up a great portion of its
heat to the salt water in the vessel A, and generates steam from such salt water.
The pressure of steam may be maintained say at 30 pounds per square inch. The
steam so generated from the salt water is led by the pipe L to the condenser E
and condensed therein, the condensed water being led away by the pipe L' to the
pipe L, by which it may be conveyed to any desired place. The proportion of the
capacity, or area of the section in the horizontal plane of the vessel to the area of
heating surface of the spiral ways G is preferably about that shown in the Drawings, as
by it. I have found that priming is avoided, when high pressure steam is used whereas
if the heating tubes of apparatus of this description occupy a large portion of the
space within the steam generators priming is very liable to take place. After the
steam has passed through the heating spiral ways of the generator A it passes by the
lower pipe into the first receiver D and it may arrive there still in the form of
steam, or partly steam and partly water. The steam and water that arrives in the
first receiver D are passed by the pipe J into the second steam generator B when it
acts in the manner just described with reference to the generator A, and the steam
generated from the salt water in this vessel is led by the pipe L to the condenser F
and condensed therein, the condensed water being lod away by the pipe L² as
previously described. The uncondensed steam and water that pass into the
second receiver D) pass by the pipe K into the feed water heater and through it
finally falling into the third receiver D from whence it is led away to any
desired spot.
I have above described the course of the heating steam and water condensed
therefrom through the apparatus, I will now specify the course of the water that is
condensed from the steam and when steam alone is passed through the apparatus A B

page_text: and C and the water condensed therefrom is passed from one receiver to another.
That portion of the heating steam which condenses in the first steam generator falls
to the bottom of the receiver D of the generator and is forced by the pressure within
that receiver to flow up the long leg of the pipe d and over into the second
receiver D. Here in the same way the water that enters it is forced by the pressure
within, through the long leg of its pipe d over into the receiver D from whence it is
led away through the outlet M.
From the above it will be seen the whole of the water coming away from the
outlet M will represent the whole of the heating steam in a condensed form, whilst
that led away to the pipe L will represent the whole of the steam-generated in the
vessels A and B from salt water-in a condensed form; the two volumes together
making the product of fresh water of the apparatus.
The salt water, as previously described to feed the generators is led from the salt
water circulating outlet O and will therefore have absorbed the heat of the steam it
will have caused to condense in the condensers E and F. Hence it will to some
extent be heated. In this partially heated state it is led by the pipe O2 (under
pressure) to the casing of the feed heater C through which it passes. Leaving the
upper part of the casing of the feed heater C the salt water passes by the pipe N to
the generators B and A through the cocks N¹ and N³ respectively.
All the various parts of the apparatus are provided with cocks as shown so as to
enable the volume of water, or steam flowing into, or from one part to another to be
controlled, or regulated.
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 :
First. In the production of fresh water from salt water, the method herein described
of generating steam from the salt water, which consists in passing the steam used to
generate steam from the salt water, first through the heating tubes in a vessel (such
as A), and then passing the remaining steam and water passed through such vessel
through the heating tubes of a second vessel (such as B): all as, or substantially as
set forth.
Second. In the production of fresh water from salt water the method herein
described of generating steam from the salt water, which consists in passing the sicam
used to generate steam from the salt water, first through the heating tubes in one
vessel (such as A), and then passing the remaining steam and water passed through
such vessel through the heating tubes of a second generator or vessel (such as B);
then passing the water, or water and steam thus passed through such second vessel,
through a vessel through which the salt feed water for supplying the said two steam
generating vessels is circulated; all as, or substantially as set forth and for the
purposes specified.
Third. In the production of fresh water from salt water, the method herein
described of generating steam from the salt water, which consists in passing the salt
water used to supply the steam generator or generators, first through the condenser,
or condensers used for condensing the steam made in such generator, or generators;
then passing the said water through a feed heater through which the heating water,
or steam and water after having passed through the said generator or generators is
passed, and then passing such heated salt feed water into the generator, or
generators; all as, or substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Fourth. In apparatus for producing fresh water from salt water, the combination
with the circulating outlet pipe of the condenser or condensers of a pressure valve
(such as R), whereby some of such circulating water is forced into the parts of the
apparatus used for heating such water, or generating steam from it, substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
Fifth. The combination of a steam generator, such as A, a steam generator such
as B and receivers such as D, arranged and operating substantially as set forth.

page_text: Sixth. In apparatus for producing fresh water from salt water, of the type herein
described, a steam generator consisting of a chamber 1, vessel A heating tubes, or
ways G, diaphragms H and receiver D, arranged and constructed substantially as set
forth.
Seventh. The combination of paris of apparatus for the production of fresh water
from salt water substantially as set forth with reference to the Drawings.
FRANKLIN HOCKING.
By Cheesbrough & Royston,
15, Water Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents.