Improvements in Apparatus for the Evaporation and Condensation of Sea or Impure Water.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Evaporation and Condensation
of Sea or Impure Water.
1 OLIVER MATTHEW Row of 25 Diana Street, Walton, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object is to provide apparatus for obtaining pure or fresh water from sea or
impure water by evaporation and condensation such apparatus being so constructed
and combined that largo quantities of fresh water may be obtained with comparatively
small loss of heat, and consequently at reduced cost.
For the above object. First I combine an evaporater, and a condenser with pumps
and a supplementary evaporater and condenser so that heating and condensing is
conducted in two operations. Steam from any convenient generator being used for
beating and giving motion to the pumps, and connections being made from the
condensers both to a fresh water stove and to the steam generator.
Second. I construct the evaporater and condenser with alternate annular heating
and cooling spaces, and make the joints of the annuli by means of screw and nut
and connections.
Third. I provide means for continuously withdrawing brine from the evaporater at
a speed corresponding to that of evaporation so that a uniform density of water is
maintained in the evaporater A pump actuated by the condensed water may be con-
veniently used for that purpose.
Fourth. I heat the feed to the evaporater by the brine withdrawn therefrom.
Fifth. I maintain a partial vacuum in the condensers of combined evaporating and
condensing apparatus under my invention.
Sixth. regulate the feed to the evaporater by means of a float and valve
constructed with guides so as to obtain a free way and certain action.
Dated this 28th day of March 1888.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Evaporation and Condensation
of Sea or Impure Water.
I OLIVER MATTHEW Row of 25 Diana Street Walton Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster 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 :-
The object is to provide apparatus for obtaining pure or fresh water from. sea or
impure water by evaporation and condensation such apparatus being so constructed
and combined that large quantities of fresh water may be obtained with comparatively
small loss of heat and consequently at reduced cost.
. For the above object First I combine an evaporator, and a condensor with pumps
and a supplementary condensor so that heating and condensing is conducted in two
operations. Steam from any convenient generator being used for heating and giving
motion to the pumps, and connections being made from the condensors both to a fresh
water store and to the steam generator.
Second. I construct the evaporator and condensor with alternate annular beating
and cooling spaces and make the joints of the annuli by means of a screw and nut and
connections.
Third. I provide means for continuously withdrawing brine from the evaporator at
a speed corresponding to that of evaporation so that a uniform density of water is
maintained in the evaporator. A pump actuated by condensed water may be con-
veniently used for that purpose.
Fourth. I heat the feed to the evaporator by the brine withdrawn therefrom.
Fifth. I maintain a partial vacuum in the condensors of combined evaporating and
condensing apparatus under my invention.
Sixth. I regulate the feed to the evaporator by means of a float and valve so as to
obtain a free way and certain action.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is an elevation and fig. 2 a vertical section of apparatus under my invention.
1 is an evaporator 2 is the condensor. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are pumps actuated by the steain
cylinder 7 through connections, cranks, and levers 8, acting in any usual manner.
The evaporator 1 is built up of a condensed water tank 9 forming the base, a steam
chamber 10 resting thereon, and connected to the generator or boiler by a pipe 11, and
the evaporating chamber 1 superposed on the steam chamber 10. Within the
evaporating chamber are nests of annular heating and cooling spaces 12. These nests
consist of the outer annulus 12 and inner annulus 12*. Each annulus is connected to
the space, 9, by tubes 13 secured in position by nuts and to the space 10 by tubes 14
also secured in position by nuts. The tubes 14 pass up the annulus to near the top
thereof. The condensor consists of a chamber 2 containing one or more annular

page_text: spaces 15. These annular spaces are connected as shown more in detail in fig. 3 by a
pipe 16 secured in position by nuts to a plate 17 forming the base of a top chamber 18
and by pipes 19 to a plate 20 forming the top of a lower chamber 21. In the evaporator and
condensor water circulates around and through the spaces enclosed by each annulus. 22 is
a pipe for conducting brine, sea, or impure water, to the pump . 23 is a pipe for
conveying the said water to the condensor 2. 24 is a pipe conveying the said impure
water away from the condensor. 25 is a pipe leading from the pipe 24 into a
chamber 26, containing a valve 27 opening downwards into the chamber 28. Within
the chamber 28 is a float 29 connected to the valve 27 by a stem and also to the
piston 30 above the valve. The pressure of water on the piston and valve serves to
maintain the parts in equilibrium. A pipe 31 leads through the chamber. 32 into
the evaporator 1. 33 is a pipe leading from the ovaporator 1. into the chamber 34
between the valves 35. 36 is a lever connected to the valves 85 and to a float 37 in
the chamber 38. The said lever is also connected to two valves similar to 35 in a
chamber 39. The space between the valves in 39 is connected to the chamber 88 by
a pipe 40. A pipe 41 leads from the chamber 39 to the tank 42. A pipe 43 leads for
the chamber 34 to the chamber 82 surrounding the pipe 31. 44 waste pipe from the
chamber 32. 45 pipe leading from the top of the evaporator 1 to the condensor
chamber 18. 46 pipe leading from the condensor chamber 21 to the pump G. 47 pipe
leading from the pump 6 to.the tank 38. 48 pipe leading from the space 9 to the
pump 3. 19 pipe leading from the pump 3 to the generator or boiler. 50 pipe
leading from the tank 42 to the pump 5. 51 discharge pipe from the pump 5.
52 steam supply to the engine 7. 53 exhaust pipe from the engine 7 leading to the
supplementary condenser 54 surrounding the pipe 24. 55 drain pipe from the
chamber 54. 56 pipe connecting the evaporator 1 with the chamber 28 to maintain
an equality in both.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Steam from a donkey or other boiler
enters the engine 7 by the pipe 52 and sets the pumps 3, 4, 5 and 6 in motion; the
exhaust steam passes away by the pipe 53 through the chamber 54 to the said boiler
or otherwise. Steam from a donkey boiler or generator enters the space 10 through
the pipe 11 passes by the pipes 14 through the annular spaces 12, and 12x, where
it becomes condensed and flows through the tubes 13 into the space 9. The condensed
water in 9 is drawn therefrom through the pipe 48 by the pump 3 and forced
through the pipe 49 back again to the generator or boiler, or is otherwise disposed
of, say by being allowed to fall by gravitation to a hotwell. Sea water or brine or
impure water is drawn by the pump 4 through the pipe 22 and is delivered through
the pipe 23 into the condensor 2 where it condenses the steam from the evaporator 1
and thence through the chamber 54 where it condenses the steam from the engine 7.
Part of the salt or impure water flows away by the pipe 24* and part passes by
the pipe 25 to the chamber 26 and thence past tlie valve 27 by the pipe 31 through
the chamber 32 (where it is heated) into the evaporator L. The salt or impure
water in 1 is heated by the steam in the annular spaces 12 and 12x and steam liberated
therefrom passes by the pipe 45 into the chamber 18 and thence through the
annular spaces 15 where it is condensed into the chamber 21. From the chamber 21
the condensed and pure water flows by the pipe 46 to the bucket pump, 6 from
which it is delivered by the pipe 47 into the chamber 38. By using a bucket pump.
a partial vacuum is maintained in the condensor and the water in the tank 38 will be
at atmospheric pressure. As the water rises in 38 it raises the float 37 and through
the action of the lever 36 the valves in the chambers 34 and 39 so that equal
quantities of the condensed water in 38 and of the brine in the evaporator 1 flow past
the said valves through the respective pipes 41 and 43. The brine flowing away by
the pipe 43 passes through the chamber 32 where it heats the salt or impure water
being fed to the evaporator 1 through the pipe 31. The fresh water passes through
the pipe 41 to the tank 42, whence it is delivered by the pump 5 into any required
place.
It will be evident that the walls of the evaporaters and condensers may be corrugated
or otherwise formed to expose large heating & cooling surfaces.

page_text: Having now particulary described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to beformed, I declare that what I
claim is.
First. Apparatus for evaporating and condensing water substantially as set forth.
Second. The combination of evaporators with condensors and with pumps and
connections substantially as setforth.
Third. Constructing evaporators and condensors with annular heating and cooling
spaces having corrugated or plane walls substantially in the manner and for the
purpose setforth.
Fourth. Withdrawing brine or impure water from the evaporator substantially in
the manner and for the purpose setforth.
Fifth. Heating brine or impure water to be evaporated by waste water from the
evaporator substantially as setforth.
Sixth. Maintaining a partial vacuum in the condensors of apparatus under my
invention.
Seventh. Feed regulating apparatus consisting of a float 29, valve 27, and piston 30,
operating within chambers, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 20th doxal Decomber 1883