Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 14th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 9th Nov., 1888
I, WILLIAM FREDERIC PAMPHLETT, of Portland House, Lion Terrace, Portsea, in
the County of Hants, Marine Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved apparatus for the evaporation and condensation
of fresh water from sea water for drinking purposes or for boiler feed, and is designed
to effect the same by means of especially simple and convenient apparatus, and in an
economical manner.
By a well known law, boiling water under a vacuum enables the evaporation to be
effected at a comparatively low temperature, and this law take advantage of in
carrying out the evaporation of sea water under a vacuum by means of steam, utilising
the pre-heated condensing water for evaporation.
My apparatus in addition to being suitable for the production of fresh water for
drinking purposes is also particularly applicable for the supply of the usual loss of
fresh water by the boiler.
My apparatus consists in the construction of a combined evaporation and condenser,
the one placed concentrically within the other, so as to form an exceedingly compact,
cheaply made, and easily repaired device used in conjunction with a set of suitable
pumps.
I may equivalently either form the complete combined condenser and evaporator in
one casting, or in separate castings, the one introduced into the centre of the other and
secured in place by bolts.
The inner chamber may be used as the condenser, and the outer as the evaporator or
vice versa.
I prefer, for simplicity of form, to make my whole device cylindrical in shape,
closed at the top and bottom with suitable covers, and divided into an inner and outer
chamber (where the casting is in one piece) by an internal cylindrical wall the covers
over the central chamber, and outer annular chamber, being preferably distinct from

page_text: one another.
Where I use two distinct castings for the inner and outer chamber, the
relative position remains the same, the outer chamber being an annulus of considerable
depth, and the inner chamber being introduced into the central space within the outer
nest or annular chamber. In the inner and outer chambers respectively I provide,
suitable tube plates or diaphragms and closely pack the intervening space with plane
or corrugated tubes, which thus form convenient vessels either for evaporation by
steam or for condensation by cold condensing water.
For evaporation by steam it is obvious I may introduce the steam either within the
said tubes, the sea water to be evaporated occupying the space around them, or vice
versa, and similarly in the condensing vessel, the steam to be condensed may be passed
through the nest of tubes, whilst surrounded with cold circulating water, or, vice versa,
the water may be within the tubes, and the steam to be condensed in the space
outside.
Convenient forms of this apparatus are as follows:-
This
1st. I introduce steam from a boiler into the annular chamber surrounding the
outer nest of tubes, and into the same space introduce the exhaust either from the
engine or from any other source of waste, where low pressure steam is introduced
from the boiler. The tube space in this annular ring I supply with hot sea water
taken from the circulating water after it has been used for such condensation.
water is here evaporated and carried by suitable pipe connections to the inner
condenser, passing through the nest of tubes therein, and drawn there-through by the
vacuum of any suitable air pump. The space surrounding the nest of tubes is occupied
by the cold circulating water from any suitable source of supply. The evaporation
therefore proceeds under a vacuum. The condensed products from the steam taken
from the boiler or exhaust of the engine or other waste is removed by a feed
pump.
2nd. By the addition of suitable pipes, the outer nest of tubes can be converted
into an ordinary surface condenser, if required, for auxiliary purposes, valves being
applied between the circulating water inlets and outlets and the outer and inner
chambers respectively, so as to provide alternative connections when required.
3rd. By the further modification in the arrangements of the pipes, I may use the
inner nest as an evaporator, the steam from the boiler or other exhaust or waste being
introduced therein surrounding the nest of tubes, and the water to be evaporated being
obtained from the circulating water outlet and supplied to the interior of the tubes
and chamber. The outer chamber is then used for the condensation of the evaporated
products of the inner chamber, circulating water being introduced by suitable pipes
through the tubes and the condensed products surrounding the said tubes being with-
drawn by an air pump as before.
Where desirable, in all these instances, I introduce an air space between the inner
and outer chambers, or may clothe either of them with asbestos cloth or other non-
conductor of heat.
The first described arrangement in which the inner chamber is a distinct vessel from
the outer annulus is particularly suitable for the introduction of an air space between
them or suitable non-conducting medium.
Dated this 14th day of November 1887
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: An Improved Evaporating and Condensing Apparatus for Producing
Fresh Water from Sea Water for Drinking Purposes and for
Boiler Feed.
I, WILLIAM FREDERIC PAMPHLETT, of Portland House, Lion Terrace, Portsea, in
the County of Hants, Marine 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 an improved apparatus for the evaporation and condensation
of fresh water from sea water for drinking purposes, to be afterwards cooled and
aërated if desirable; or for boiler feed ; and it is designed to effect the same by means
of especially simple and convenient apparatus, and in an economical manner.
By a well know law, boiling water under a vacuum enables the evaporation to be
effected at a comparatively low temperature, and this law I take advantage of in
carrying out the evaporation of sea water under a vacuum by means of steam, utilising
the pre-heated condensing water for evaporation.
My apparatus, in addition to being suitable for the production of fresh water for
drinking purposes, is also particularly applicable for the supply of the usual loss of
fresh water by the boiler.
My apparatus consists in the construction of a combined evaporator and condenser,
the one placed concentrically within the other, so as to form an exceedingly compact,
cheaply inade, and easily repaired device, used in conjunction with a set of suitable
pumps.
I may equivalently either form the complete combined condenser and evaporator
in one casting, or in separate castings, the one introduced into the centre of the other,
and secured in place by bolts.
The inner chamber may be used as the condenser and the outer as the
evaporator, or vice versa, or both being convertible into condensing chambers when
desired.
I prefer, for simplicity of form, to make my whole device cylindrical in shape,
closed at the top and bottom with suitable covers, and divided into an inner and outer
chamber (where the casting is in one piece) by an internal cylindrical wall, the covers
over the central chamber and outer annular chamber being preferably distinct from
one another. Where I use two distinct castings for the inner and outer chamber, the
relative position remains the same, the outer chamber being an annulus of considerable
depth, and the inner chamber being introduced into the central space within the outer
nest or annular chamber. In the inner and outer chambers respectively, I provide
suitable tube plates or diaphragms, and closely pack the intervening space with plain
or corrugated tubes, which thus form convenient vessels either for evaporation by steam
or for condensation by cold condensating water.
For evaporation by steam, it is obvious I may introduce the steam either within the
said tubes, the sea water to be evaporated occupying the space around them, or vice
versa; and similarly in the condensing vessel, the steam to be condensed may be
passed through the nest of tubes whilst surrounded with cold circulating water, or,

page_text: vice versa, the water may be within the tubes and the steam to be condensed in the
space outside. Or by a suitable series of alternative pipe connections and cocks, I may
use both chambers for condensation of steam from auxiliary engines &c. when no
evaporation is required.
In order that my invention may be the better understood, I now proceed to describe
the same in relation to the drawings hereunto annexed, reference being had to the
letters and figures marked thereon. Like letters refer to like parts throughout the
figures.
Figure 1 shows in sectional elevation one form of my improved combined evaporator
and condenser.
Figure 2 shows in sectional elevation an equivalent but modified form of my improved
evaporator and condenser with alternative connections and cocks to enable the whole
device to be used as a condenser.
Figure 3 shows in sectional elevation another equivalent but modified form of
combined evaporator and condenser.
Figure 4 shows a sectional elevation through a convenient filter and cooler.
E is the evaporator made of any suitable material according to the pressure of the
steam used. The tubes e may be either of brass, iron or steel, and plain or corrugated
in shape and straight or coiled. By the use of corrugated tubes, in addition to
obtaining increased evaporating surface, greater strength is obtained. The corrugations
may be either at right angles to the axis of the tube, or slightly spiral, so as to facilitate
cleaning and withdrawal. The salt water to be evaporated is supplied conveniently
through the pipe J into the evaporator E, where it fills the lower portion E¹ of the
evaporator E, the interior of the tubes, and is allowed to stand to some little height above
the top tube plate. Live steam from the boiler is admitted through the pipe and
valve A into the chamber containing the evaporating tubes, so as to surround the
latter, and impart its heat to the sea water therein contained.
In figures 1 and 2, C the condenser chamber is within the annular evaporating
chamber, and in figure 3 the condenser C is the annulus within which is placed the
evaporator E.
In figure 1, I introduce steam from a boiler through the pipe A into the annular
chamber E, containing the outer nest of tubes, and into the same space introduce the
exhaust steam, either from the engine, or from any other source of waste, by the
pipe D. In the tube space in this annular chamber, I supply hot sea water taken from
the circulating water after it has been used for such condensation. This water is here
evaporated, and carried by suitable pipe connections B to the condenser C, passing
through the nest of tubes therein, and drawn therethrough by the vacuum of any
suitable air pump by the pipe F. The space surrounding the nest of tubes in the
condenser is in this case occupied by the cold circulating water, from any suitable
source of supply, through the pipe L, and passes off through the pipe L. The
evaporation therefore proceeds under a vacuum. The condensed products from the
steam, taken from the boiler, or exhaust of the engine, or other waste, which condenses
in the process of parting with its heat to evaporate the sea water, is removed by a
feed pump through the pipe Q. In this case the inner condenser may conveniently
be made of a distinct casting from that of the evaporater E, and can be put together
as illustrated herewith.
In the case of figure 2, similar parts have similar letters as in the above description,
but in this case the evaporated sea water is carried by the tube B into the space
surrounding the tubes, e, of the condenser C, instead of through the said tubes. The
condensing water in this case passes through the pipe Linside the tubes e, and has its
exit through the pipe L'. By the addition of the connection P and screw down valve
therein, as also by placing a similar valve R in the main branch of the admission pipe
for the circulating water, and also by reason of the branch P¹ and screw down valve
therein added to the exit pipe of the circulating water, the evaporator, and the
condenser may both be converted into condensers by opening all the screw down
valves P R P except that in the tube B. In this case the circulating water is free to
pass through the whole of the tubes in both chambers, and to issue from the exit

page_text: pipe L, the whole of the space surrounding such tubes being thus available for
condensing purposes when the evaporation is not required.
In figure 3 by a slight modification in the arrangement of the pipes, I may use the
inner nest as an evaporator E, the steam from the boiler or other exhaust or waste
(being introduced therein by the pipe A) surrounding the nest of tubes, and the
water to be evaporated being taken from a circulating water outlet, and supplied to
the interior of the tubes by the pipe J in the internal chamber. The outer chamber
is then used for the condensation of the evaporated products from the inner chamber
transmitted by the pipe B into the space surrounding the tubes e of the condenser C.
The circulating water is introduced by the pipe L through the tubes e, issuing by the
pipe L'; and the condensed products for drinking purposes being collected as before
from the pipe F, the condensed greasy products being withdrawn by the feed pump
through the pipe Q.
In the first case, the arrangement in figure 1 is provided with an air space between
the inner and outer vessels, to prevent intercommunication of heat, or the space may
be suitably packed to effect this.
Drinking water so produced by the evaporation or distillation of sea or other water
is warm and flat to the taste, and will therefore require cooling and filtration as well
as aëration before being pleasant to the taste. This I effect by combining with my
evaporator and condenser a cooling filter vessel, figure 4, into which the water to be
filtered is introduced by the pipe M, provided with an internal open air pipe m, for the
aeration of the water. A perforated plate n is placed over the tubes to distribute the
flow of water. The upper part of the filter is divided by a diaphragm and a transverse
rib into two parts, into one of which fresh water is delivered from the condenser. It
then passes through the series of tubes N to the lower part of the filter, and ascends
again through similar tubes N' to the outlet T. Circulating water enters the pipe S
surrounding the whole of the said tubes issuing from the outlet S', thus further
cooling the fresh water. The tubes N N¹ are filled with charcoal or other approved
filtering medium to filter the water as it passes through the said tubes; the resulting
product is thus cooled, aërated and filtered and excellent to drink.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The construction of an improved evaporator and condenser consisting of two
distinct chambers or nests of tubes one fitting within the other, and the necessary
connecting pipes, substantially as described.
2nd. The combination of a combined evaporator and condenser consisting of two
cylindrical nests of tubes, one fitting within the other, with alternative circulating
water connections, cocks or valves therein, and other pipe connections, as described
in reference to figure 2 and applicable to figures 1 and 3, so that both chambers
may be readily used for condensing purposes when evaporation is not required.
3rd. The construction of the combined evaporator and condenser as illustrated in
reference to figure 1.
4th. The construction of the combined evaporator and condenser as illustrated in
reference to figure 2.
5th. The construction of the combined evaporator and condenser as illustrated in
reference to figure 3.
Dated this 14th day of August 1888.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.