Evaporator construction

Claim 1

IN MULTI-STAGE FLASH EVAPORATOR CONSTRUCTION FOR DISTILLING SEA WATER AND THE LIKE OF THE TYPE IN WHICH A SERIES OF OPERABLY CONNECTED FLASH EVAPORATOR STAGE OF PROGRESSIVELY DECREASING FLASHING TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURES ARE EACH PROVIDED WITH A FLASH CHAMBER FOR RECIEVING A MAIN STREAM OF FEEDWATER THEREIN AND FLASHING A PROTION THEREOF INTO WATER VAPOR, AND A CONDENSING CHAMBER OPERABLY CONNECTED TO THE FLASH CHAMBER FOR RECEIVING THE FLOW OF SAID WATER VAPOR FROM SAID FLASH CHAMBER AND CONDENSING THE CONDENSIBLE PART THEREOF, THROUGH CONTACT WITH A CONDENSING TUBE BUNDLE, TO FORM DISTILLATE; IN WHICH AN OUTSIDE CONDENSING MEDIUM IS DIRECTED FROM A SOURCE THEREOF THROUGH THE CONDENSING TUBE BUNDLES OF HTE LOWERST TEMPERATURE TO AN INTERMEDIATE TEMPERATURE STAGE CONDENSING CHAMBER FORMING THE CONDENSING MEDIUM THEREIN; IN WHICH THE MAIN STREAM OF FEEDWATER FLOWS AT PROGRESSIVELY DECREASING TEMPERATURES THROUGH LOWER PARTS OF THE FLASH CHAMBERS PROGRESSIVELY FROM THE HIGHEST TO THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE OF THE EVAPORATOR STAGES; AND IN WHICH AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE REMAINDER OF THE MAIN STREAM OF FEEDWATER FROM THE LOWERT TEMPERATURE STAGE FLASH CHAMBER IS RECUIRCULATED BACK INTO AND FORMS THE CONDENSING MEDIUM IN THE CONDENSING TUBE BUNDLE OF SAID INTERMEDIATE TEMPERATURE STAGE CONDENSING CHAMBER, AND THEN FLOWS PROGRESSIVELY THROUGH THE CONDENSING TUBE BUNDLES OF THE STAGES FROM SAID INTERMEDIATE TEMPERATURE STAGE TO THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE STAGE, AND ULTIMATELY FLOWS TO AND FORMS THE MAIN STREAM OF FEEDWATER IN THE FLASH CHAMBER OF THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE STAGE; THE IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING, MAKE-UP FEEDWATER INLET MEANS OPERABLY CONNECTED INTO THE FLASH CHAMBER OF THE LOWERST TEMPERATURE STAGE FOR DIRECTING MAKE-UP FEEDWATER FROM A SOURCE THEREOF INTO SAID CHAMBER ABOVE THE MAIN STREAM OF FEEDWATER THEREIN, DEAERATING TRAY MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN THE FLASH CHAMBER OF HTE LOWEST TEMPERATURE STAGE ABOVE THE MAIN STREAM OF FEEDWATER IN SAID CHAMBER AND SUBJECT TO THE FLASHING PRESSURE OF SAID CHAMBER, AND THE DEAERATING TRAY MEANS BEING CONSTURCTED AND ARRANGED IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE MAKE-UP FEEDWATER INLET MEANS AND DISCHARGING DOWNWARDLY INTO THE MAIN STREAM OF FEEDWATER OF SAID CHAMBER FOR RECEIVEING AND DEAERATING BY PARTIAL FLASHING THROUGH SUBJECTION TO THE FLASH CHAMBER FLASHING PRESSURE MAKE-UP FEEDWATER FROM SAID MAKE-UP FEEDWATER INLET MEANS AND DISCHARGING THE REMAINING DEAERATED MAKE-UP FEEDWATER DOWNWARDLY INTO AND FORMING A PART OF THE MAIN STREAM OF FEEDWATER IN SAID STAGE; WHEREBY, THE MAIN STREAM OF FEEDWATER LEAVING THE FLASH CHAMBER OF THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE STAGE IS FORMED PARTIALLY BY THE MAIN STREAM OF FEEDWATER FLOWING THERETHROUGH FROM THE NEXT HIGHER TEMPERATURE STAGE AND PARTIALLY BY THE REMAINING DEAERATED UNFLASHED MAKE-UP FEEDWATER OF SAID LOWEST TEMPERATURE STAGE, WITH AT LEAST A PORTION OF SUCH MIXTURE BEING RECIRCULATED BACK INTO THE CONDENSING TUBE BUNDLE IN THE CONDENSING CHAMBER OF THE INTERMEDIATE TEMPERATURE STAGE.