Method and apparatus for rendering brine solution potable

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF RENDERING A BRINE SOLUTION POTABLE THE STEPS OF PASSING A BRINE SOLUTION TO A FREEZER VESSEL, EVACUATING THE FREEZER VESSEL TO A PRESSURE WHICH CAUSES FLASH FREEZING OF THE BRINE SOLUTION THEREBY PRODUCING A MIXTURE OF ICE AND BRINE IN THE FREEZER VESSEL, GRAVITATIONALLY PARTIALLY SEPARATING THE ICE FROM THE MIXTURE, PASSING THE PARTIALLY SEPARATED ICE TO A CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR AND WASHER, CONDENSING RELATIVELY PURE WATER FROM WATER VAPOR REMOVED FROM THE FREEZER VESSEL UPON EVACUATION THEREOF, PASSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE CONDENSED WATER VAPOR OVER THE ICE IN THE CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY ROTATING THE CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR TO WASH AND SEPARATE THE ICE THEREIN FROM BRINE REMAINING OF THE SURFACE AND IN THE INTERSTICES OF THE ICE, COLLECTING THE WASHED AND SEPARATED ICE AND MELTING THE COLLECTED ICE TO PRODUCE POTABLE WATER.