Patent ID: 7476298

Claim:
A multiple-effect still comprising: a horizontal shell encompassing a plurality of effects, wherein said horizontal shell comprises a main shell body, access means for providing access into main shell body, and a cover over said access means, means for temporarily sealingly fastening said cover to said main shell body, a series of vertical compound baffle means sealingly fastened to said horizontal shell for dividing said horizontal shell into a series of pressure-tight chambers, wherein each of said pressure-tight chambers along with its associated apparatus constitute an effect of said still and wherein each of said compound baffle means comprises a fixed baffle component and a removable baffle component, means for sealing joining said fixed baffle component to said removable baffle component, a distillation apparatus fastened to said removable baffle component, wherein said distillation apparatus includes an evaporation surface and a condensation surface and a pressure chamber isolated from the pressure-tight chamber in which it is located, a port in the compound baffle means to allow the passage of evaporate between the isolated pressure chamber and the pressure-tight chamber of an adjacent effect, means for applying distilland to said evaporation surface, means for removing accumulated, unevaporated distilland from the shell, and means for removing condensate from the shell, wherein said access means is configured to permit passage of the removable baffle and the associated distillation apparatus fastened to it.