Multi-stage flash evaporator

Claim 1

A MULTI-STAGE FLASH EVAPORATOR PLANT COMPRISING A SERIES OF HEATERS WHEREIN A STREAM OF BRINE IS HEATED, A SERIES OF FLASH CHAMBERS WHEREIN BRINE HEATED IN SAID HEATERS IS EVAPORATED, BRINE-CONVEYING MEANS BETWEEN SAID SERIES OF HEATERS AND SAID SERIES OF FLASH CHAMBERS, A STEAM BOILER CONNECTED TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID HEATERS WHEREBY SAID HEATER RECEIVES STEAM AS A HEATING MEDIUM, A MAIN GROUP OF FLASH CHAMBERS IN SAID SERIES OF FLASH CHAMBERS CONSTRUCTED TO PRODUCE VAPOR DISTILLATE OF A PURITY BELOW THE PURITY REQUIRED OF MAKE-UP WATER FOR SAID BOILER, AT LEAST ONE DIFFERENTLY-CONSTRUCTED FLASH CHAMBER NOT IN SAID MAIN GROUP HAVING A HORIZONTAL CROSSSECTION WHICH IS LARGER THAN THE HORIZONTAL CROSS-SECTION OF SAID FLASH CHAMBERS IN SAID MAIN GROUP, WATER-SEPARATION MEANS ARRANGED IN SAID ONE FLASH CHAMBER WHEREBY VAPOR DISTILLATE PRODUCED BY SAID ONE FLASH CHAMBER IS OF A PURITY SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL AT LEAST TO THE PURITY REQUIRED OF MAKE-UP WATER FOR SAID BOILER, VAPOUR-CONVEYING MEANS BETWEEN SAID MAIN GROUP OF FLASH CHAMBERS AND A MAIN GROUP OF SAID HEATERS WHEREBY FLASHED VAPOUR FROM SAID MAIN GROUP OF FLASH CHAMBERS IS CONDENSED IN SAID MAIN GROUP OF HEATERS, DISTILLATE-EXTRACTION MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID MAIN GROUP OF HEATERS FOR WITHDRAWING DISTILLATE THEREFROM AND REMOVING SAID DISTILLATE FROM SAID EVAPORATOR PLANT, VAPOUR-CONVEYING MEANS BETWEEN SAID ONE FLASH CHAMBER AND AT LEAST ONE OF SAID HEATERS NOT IN SAID MAIN GROUP OF HEATERS WHEREBY FLASHED VAPOUR FROM SAID ONE FLASH CHAMBER IS CONDENSED IN SAID ONE HEATER, AND DISTILLATE-CONVEYING MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID ONE HEATER AND SAID STEAM BOILER WHEREBY DISTILLATE FROM SAID ONE HEATER SERVES AS MAKE-UP WATER FOR SAID BOILER.