IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR DISTILLING LIQUIDS, ESPECIALLY FOR DISTILLING FRESH WATER FROM SALT OR SEA WATER
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Archibald Douglas Bryce-Douglas, of Burnbrae, Milngavie,
Dumbartonshire, Manager to Messrs. John Elder and Company, Fairfield Engine
Works, Govan, in the County of Lanark, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR DISTILLING LIQUIDS, ESPECIALLY FOR DISTILLING FRESH
WATER FROM SALT OR SEA WATER." A communication from abroad by
Mr. Dixon Provand. of Lima, Peru.
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Archibald Douglas Bryce
Douglas at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th July 1878.
ARCHIBALD DOUGLAS BRYCE-DOUGLAS, of Burnbrae, Milngavie, Dumbartonshire,
Manager to Messa. John Elder and Company, Fairfield Engine Works, Govan,
in the County of Lanark. "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR DISTILLING LIQUIDS,
ESPECIALLY FOR DISTILLING FRESH WATER FROM SALT OR SEA WATER." (A com-
munication from abroad by Mr. Dixon Provand, of Lima, Peru.)
According to this Invention I combine an air pump or steam jet or other exhaust-
ing appliance with an arrangement of surface condenser, consisting of vertical or
horizontal plates of copper, brass, iron, or other material, plain or corrugated, or of
vertical or horizontal tubes, or of layers of boxes fitted with tubes or plates, or
surfaces placed one above the other and joined to each other by pipes, with an
intervening space between each box, and I place this condenser in a cylindrical
or otherwise shaped box made of cast iron or other metal, together with the liquid
to be distilled on the one side of said surfaces and the steam and resultant liquid
for evaporating said liquid on the other.
The aforesaid condensing surfaces are immersed in the liquid to be distilled, and
there is a space for containing steam or vapour between the surface of the liquid to
be distilled and the top of the containing box or condenser.
There is an air pump contained in or upon the aforesaid box, which air pump

page_text: serves to exhaust the vapour arising from the liquid to be distilled, and to produce
and maintain a perfect or a partial vacuum in the box. The waste steam or air
operating the air pump enters the condenser independently, while the vapour removed
from the space between the surface of the liquid to be distilled and the top of the
box is increased in temperature and pressure by compression between the air pump
piston and the delivery valves, until it attains a pressure and temperature the same
as that within the condenser, into which it is then discharged. Or, by preference,
instead of the air pump I use an air or steam jet, exhauster, or blower, but any other
apparatus capable of maintaining a partial vacuum may be applied. A steam jet
appliance with annular jet may be used, the hollow jet cone drawing vapour both
from within and from without.
The vapour exhausted from the aforesaid space by the said air pump, jet, or
blower or exhauster is discharged (together with the steam or heated air used for
operating the aforesaid air pump jet or blower) into the steam side of the surfaces
of the condenser, and is by contact with said surfaces condensed, and the liquid
arising therefrom is guided from colder portions of said surfaces until it issues from
the condenser at a temperature greater, or the same as that of the inflowing liquid
to be distilled.
The object of maintaining a partial vacuum above the liquid to be distilled is
that the ebullition and evaporation of the said liquid will thereby ensue at a
temperature so much less than the boiling temperature under atmospheric pressure
as to produce a rapid flow of heat to maintain its ebullition through the metallic
plates or tubes of the aforesaid condenser from the steam, which is being con-
tinually exhausted out of the aforesaid space (and which is raised in temperature
and increased in pressure up to or above atmospheric temperature and pressure by
being thoroughly mixed with the steam or heated air of still higher temperature
and pressure used in operating the aforesaid air pump, jet, exhauster, or blower),
and finally discharged into the steam side of the aforesaid condenser, and therein
condensed by contact with the surfaces, which surfaces are always maintained at
or about the same temperature as the distilling liquid in contact with them, and
the heat resulting froin such condensation (viz., the latent heat of evaporation,
together with the heat derived from the subsequent cooling of the liquid resulting
from the said condensation) is by conduction carried through the plates or tubes or
surfaces composing the condenser to evaporate additional quantities of the liquid to
be distilled. Thus the heat required to evaporate the liquid to be distilled, which
is latent, and is contained in the vapour of the said liquid, which vapour is in the
space between the surface of the liquid and the top of the containing box, is by
means of the aforesaid air pump, jet, or blower removed from the aforesaid space.
above the liquid, and again made by conduction (due to the difference of tempe-
rature caused by the vacuum) to pass through the plates or tubes of the said con-
denser, and thereby to evaporate additional quantities of the liquid to be distilled,
and thus the said latent heat or heat of evaporation is continuously circulated, and
never thrown away, lost, or wasted; and further, an additional quantity of heat
derived from the steam or heated air used in working the aforesaid air pump, jet
exhauster, or blower is continuously added to the aforesaid heat, sufficient to main-
tain the equilibrium of the above-described method of distilling by raising the
temperature of the inflowing liquid to be distilled from its initial to its temperature
of evaporation, and also to supply all losses which may be caused by radiation.
Thus by this Invention the resultant distilled liquid is produced at the very lowest
possible cost in fuel, and in the most economical way.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Archibald Douglas Bryce-Douglas in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th January 1879.
ARCHIBALD DOUGLAS BRYCE-DOUGLAS, of Burnbrae, Milngavie, Dumbartonshire,
Manager to Messieurs John Elder and Company, Fairfield Engine Works, Govan,
in the County of Lanark. "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR DISTILLING LIQUIDS,
ESPECIALLY FOR DISTILLING FRESH WATER FROM SALT OR SEA. WATER." (A com-
munication from abroad by Mr. Dixon Provand, of Lima, Peru.)
According to this Invention I combine an air pump or steam jet or other
exhausting appliance with an arrangement of surface condenser, consisting of
vertical or horizontal plates of copper, brass, iron, or other material, plain or cor-
rugated, or of vertical or horizontal tubes, or of layers of boxes fitted with tubes
or plates, or surfaces placed one above the other, and joined to each other by pipes,
with an intervening space between each box, and I place this "condenser" in a
cylindrical or otherwise shaped box made of cast iron or other metal, together with
the liquid to be distilled on the one side of said surfaces, and the steam and resultant
liquid for evaporating said liquid on the other.
The aforesaid "condensing" surfaces are immersed in the liquid to be distilled,
and there is a space for containing steam or vapour between the surface of the
liquid to be distilled and the top of the containing box or condenser.
There is an air pump contained in or upon the aforesaid box, which air pump
serves to exhaust the vapour arising from the liquid to be distilled, and to produce
and maintain a perfect or a partial vacuum in the box. The waste steam or air
from the engine operating the air pump enters the condenser independently, while
the vapour removed from the space between the surfaces of the liquid to be distilled
and the top of the box is increased in temperature and pressure by compression
between the air pump piston and the delivery valves until it attains a pressure and
temperature the same as that within the condenser, into which it is then discharged.
Or, by preference, instead of the air pump I use an air or steam jet, exhauster, or
blower, but any other apparatus capable of maintaining a partial vacuum may be
applied. A steam jet appliance with annular jet may be used, the hollow jet cone
drawing vapour both from within and from without.
The vapour exhausted from the aforesaid space by the said air pump, jet, or
blower or exhauster is discharged (together with the steam or heated air used for
operating the aforesaid air pump, jet, or blower) into the steam side of the surfaces
of the condenser, and is by contact with said surfaces condensed, and the liquid
arising therefrom is guided over colder portions of said surfaces until it issues from
the condenser at a temperature greater, or the same as that of the inflowing liquid
to be distilled.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are vertical sections to illustrate five different arrange-
ments of condensing surfaces.
Figures 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a, and 5 a are horizontal sections through the corre-
sponding Figures on lines A, A.
Figures 1 and la represent an arrangement of tiers or layers of boxes filled with
tubes placed one above the other, with an intervening space between each box, and
joined together by pipe bends.
Figures 2 and 2ª represent an arrangement of a stack of tubes contained in
single box provided with divisions for separating the box into colder and hotter
chambers.
Figures 3 and 3a represent layers of involved surfaces, which may be plain or.
corrugated, placed one above the other with intervening spaces between, and con-
nected by pipes at the circumference and at the centre alternately. The vapour or
steam of the liquid to be condensed enters the first or upper layer at the centre
and goes out at the circumference into the circumference of the second layer, and

page_text: goes out at the centre into the centre of the third layer, and so on througn
⚫the set.
Figures 4 and 4ª represent a combination of the arrangements shewn in Figure 1,
with three worms.
Figures 5 and 5 represent tiers or layers of condensing surfaces arranged in a
regular volute form, and placed the same as in Figure 3.
These surfaces I, by preference, make of tinned copper, but I may make them of
any other suitable metal.
Figures 1 to 3 illustrate these surfaces combined with an annular steam jet
appliance drawing vapour from within and from without itself out of the space C.
In Figures 4 and 5 I combine a common jet with said surfaces, drawing vapour
out of space C. The vapour is continued between the surface of the water D and
the top of the containing box or base, but with this annular or other jet appliance
may combine any other form of surface condenser, equally capable of condensing
as those forms illustrated in Figures 1 to 5.
I
In Figures 1 to 5 A is in each case the cock or valve for admitting steam from
the boiler to the jet; B is the annular or ordinary jet, drawing air from within
and from without itself; C, a space contained between the surface of the liquid or
salt water to be distilled and the top of the containing box, into which space I, by
preference, admit a quantity of air through an opening regulated by a valve for the
purpose of aërating the resultant distilled liquid or water; D is the water of con-
densation, which is being distilled by boiling at a temperature due to the-vacuum
(perfect or imperfect) maintained by the annular or ordinary steam jet in the
space C, which temperature is less than the boiling temperature under ordinary
atmospheric temperature and pressure, causing thereby a flow of heat through the
plates of the condensing surfaces into the water of condensation D, causing it to
boil continuously, and so it is distilled, the brine or saturated water remaining
behind in the vessel.
E is the supply cock or valve (regulated either by hand or, as here shewn, by a
float M suitably placed, whichever I may prefer) to regulate the supply of the salt
or sea water, or other liquid of condensation D which is to be distilled.
F is an atmospheric balance tube for extracting saturated solutions of the liquid
of condensation and which is being distilled, and for this same purpose I may use a
pump.
}
His a pipe leading the combined stream of steam from the boiler (which forms
the jet), and the vapour arising from the water of condensation, out of space C into
the top tier, box, or cell of the condeuser J, where the combined stream is equalized
in temperature by being mixed and condensed; J is the condenser arranged in
each of the Figures as before described, the hottest portion being at the top and
the coldest at the bottom, the distilled water or other liquid being led from the
former to the latter until it issues at the pipe K (which may or may not be regu-
lated by a valve) at a temperature greater than or the same as the inflowing liquid
to be distilled at E, and should its temperature be much in excess of the inflowing
liquid at E I employ another vessel containing salt or sea water, through which the
aforesaid liquid will be led to be still further reduced in temperature, and the salt 4
or sea water used for so.
.doing I use for supply at E. This secondary tank I do not
shew in my Drawings.
The eduction pipe for the distilled aërated water out of the condenser J may be.
connected with a filter (not shewn on the Drawings), so that the distilled water or
other liquid may pass through it, should I so prefer it.
Figure 6 is a vertical section, and Figure 7 an outside elevation of another
arrangement of apparatus constructed according to this Invention.
In this arrangement I combine an air pump with any of the surface condensers
illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, or with any other form of surface condenser, for the.
purpose of maintaining a perfect or an imperfect vacuum in and for removing the a
vapour out of the space C, instead of an annular steam jet or jet of any other form..

page_text: The engine for operating this air pump may be. of any description, so that I do not
illustrate it on my Drawings.
1
On the Drawing D is the connection from the engine to the air pump, made
hollow and enlarged where it is connected to the air pump, bucket, trunk, or hollow
piston rod E, and there also formed with openings D for allowing the vapour out of
space C to pass down the trunk E to the back or inside of the suction valves F on
the bucket E¹.
E is the air pump bucket, which is made hollow so as to make the pump double-
acting; F are the suction valves in the bucket made of india-rubber or other
suitable material.
G are the delivery valves at each end of pump, which may be made of material
similar to that of the suction valves.
H is the condenser, which may be of any of the forms illustrated in Figures 1
to 5, or of any other suitable form or construction.
}
J is the connection pipe connecting the upper and lower part of the condenser H
together, as well as connecting the air pump Q to them.
K is the eduction pipe for leading the distilled aerated water out of the con-
denser J, and which may then be treated in a filter, as aforesaid.
L is a brine ejector valve with atmospheric balance pipe attached (for which I
may also use a pump).
N is the supply valve, corresponding to E in Figures 1 to 5, and regulated by
float M.
Qis the air pump composed of cast iron or other suitable material placed, by
preference, between the hotter and colder portions of the condenser H amongst the
salt or sea water, or liquid of condensation (which has to be distilled) within the
external containing box, and thoroughly made fast thereto by brackets. The object
of this air pump is the same as the jet described with reference to Figures 1 to 5,
viz., to remove the vapour out of the space C arising from the water of condensa-
tion A which is being distilled, and to produce and maintain a partial vacuum
therein.
The vapor removed out of the space C at each stroke of the bucket is increased
in density and temperature by being compressed and reduced in bulk between the
valves of the air pump bucket E and the delivery valves G of the air pump until
it attains to a temperature and pressure the same as that within. the condenser,
into which it is then discharged. By preference, instead of this air pump I may
use an exhauster or blower of ordinary construction, or other appliance used, or
which may be used in exhausting vapour so as to produce and maintain a partial
vacuum.
At B the waste steam or air from the engine operating the aforesaid air pump or
other appliances enters the condensers independently at the top box or cell thereof,
and may mix or not mix with the vapour discharged therein from the air pump:
If I prefer not to mix it with the aforesaid vapour I make the condenser with a
division so as to separate between the resultant distilled liquids of the waste steam
and of the vapour out of space C, and lead them out of the condenser by separate
eduction pipes at a temperature approximately the same as the inflowing liquid of
condensation, and which is being distilled, I thus send the heat contained in the
waste steam through the plates of the condenser into the liquid to be distilled, and
yet keep the resultant liquids arising therefrom separate.
The object of maintaining a partial vacuum above the liquid to be distilled is
that the ebullition and evaporation of the said liquid will thereby ensue at a tempe-
rature so much less than the boiling temperature under atmospheric pressure as to
produce a rapid flow of heat to maintain its ebullition through the metallic plates
or tubes of the aforesaid condenser from the steam which is being continually
exhausted out of the aforesaid space, and which is raised in temperature and
increased in pressure up to or above atmospheric temperature and pressure by
being thoroughly mixed with the steam or heated air of still higher temperature
and pressure used in operating the aforesaid air pump, jet, exhauster, or blower,

page_text: and finally discharged into the steam side of the aforesaid condenser, and therein
condensed by contact with the surfaces, which surfaces are always maintained at
or about the same temperature as the distilling liquid in contact with them, and
the heat resulting from such condensation (viz., the latent heat of evaporation,
together with the heat derived from the subsequent cooling of the liquid resulting
from the said condensation) is by conduction carried through the plates or tubes, or
surfaces composing the condenser to evaporate additional quantities of the liquid
to be distilled. Thus the heat required to evaporate the liquid to be distilled,
which is latent and is contained in the vapour of the said liquid, which vapour is
in the space between the surface of the liquid and the top of the containing box, is
by means of the aforesaid air pump, jet, or blower removed from the aforesaid space
above the liquid, and again made by conduction (due to the difference of tempe-
rature caused by the vacuum) to pass through the plates or tubes of the said con-
denser, and thereby to evaporate additional quantities of the liquid to be distilled,
and thus the said latent heat or heat of evaporation is continuously circulated, and
never thrown away, lost, or wasted; and further, an additional quantity of heat
derived from the steam or heated air used in working the aforesaid air pump, jet,
exhauster, or blower is continuously added to the aforesaid heat, sufficient to main-
tain the equilibrium of the above-described method of distilling by raising the
temperature of the inflowing liquid to be distilled from its initial to its temperature
of evaporation, and also to supply all losses which may be caused by radiation.
Thus by this Invention the resultant distilled liquid is produced at the very lowest
possible cost in fuel, and in the most economical way.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this Invention, I declare
that I claim,-
Firstly. The mode of distilling water or other liquid, according to which the
latent heat of evaporation contained in the vapour produced from the water by a
"condenser" immersed therein is (less the heat lost by radiation) returned to such
"condenser," in the manner substantially as set forth.
Secondly. The employment of a hot air or steam jet appliance, or an air pump or
other suitable exhausting apparatus, in combination with a closed vessel containing
water or other liquid to be distilled, wherein is immersed a "condenser," the
exhausting apparatus drawing vapour from above the surface of the water, and
passing it with steam or hot air through the "condenser," which serves to vaporize
the water or other liquid, substantially as set forth.
Thirdly. The combination of a jet appliance or of an air pump of the construction
herein shewn and described, or of other suitable construction, with a "condenser "
of any suitable construction in a distilling apparatus, operating substantially as set
forth.
Fourthly. The construction of the "condensers" and of the air pump, substantially
as set forth...
.
Fifthly. The combination of "condenser" and exhausting apparatus forming
distilling apparatus, as illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Archibald Douglas Bryce-Douglas, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
1