Process and apparatus for converting non-potable water to potable water

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR CONVERING NON-POTABLE WATER TO POTABLE WATER WHICH COMPRISES ESTABLISHING A BODY OF WATER OF SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT VOLUME IN A CLOSED EVAPORATING VESSEL WHILE PRODUCING A VAPOR SPACE ABOVE SAID BODY OF WATER, CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING A NON-POTABLE WATER CONTAINING DISSOLVED SALTS INTO SAID BODY OF WATER, CONTINUOUSLY BURNING A FUEL BENEATH THE LIQUID LEVEL IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH SAID BODY OF WATER, CONTINUOUSLY RECIRCULATING A PORTION OF SAID BODY OF WATER FROM A POINT BELOW THE LIQUID LEVEL DIRECTLY TO A POINT ABOVE THE LIQUID LEVEL, INTRODUCING SAID RECIRCULATED WATER ABOVE SAID LIQUID LEVEL IN THE FORM OF A SPRAY SUBSTANTIALLY COVERING THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF SAID BODY OF WATER IN SAID EVAPORATING VESSEL, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING VAPORS FROM SAID VAPOR SPACE, PASSING SAID VAPORS SO REMOVED TO A SEPARATE ZONE EXTERNALLY OF SAID EVAPORATING VESSEL, CENTRIFUGALLY SEPARATING LIQUIDS AND SOLIDS FROM SAID VAPORS IN SAID LAST NAMED ZONE, THEREAFTER CONTINUOUSLY CONDENSING THE VAPORS FROM WHICH SAID LIQUIDS AND SOLIDS HAVE BEEN SEPARATED, AND RECOVERING THE RESULTANT CONDENSATE AS SUCH.