Process for the conversion of salt water to fresh water

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PREPARING FRESH WATER FROM SALT WATER IN A SYSTEM HAVING FREEZING, WASHING AND MELTING ZONES IN A VERTICAL ALIGNMENT SUFFICIENT TO ALLOW WATER-INSOLUBLE PARTICLES TO FLOW BY GRAVITY THROUGH SAID ZONES WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING SALT WATER INTO A FREEZING ZONE, INTRODUCING INTO SAID FREEZING ZONE WATER INSOLUBLE PARTICLES HAVING A VAPOR PRESSURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THAT OF SALT WATER AND WHICH ARE COOLED BELOW THE FREEZING POINT AT WHICH ICE CRYSTALLIZES FROM SALT WATER, INTRODUCING INTO SAID FREEZING ZONE AN IMMISCIBLE LIQUID REFRIGERANT TO REMOVE HEAT FROM THE FREEZING ZONE AND CAUSE DEPOSITION OF ICE FROM THE SALT WATER ON SAID PARTICLES, SAID PARTICLES HAVING A DENSITY GREATER THAN WATER TO PERMIT THE PARTICLES HAVING A DENSITY GREATER THAN WATER TO PERMIT THE PARTICLES WHEN COATED WITH ICE TO SETTLE IN WATER, ALLOWING SAID PARTICLES TO CONTINUOUSLY SETTLE BY GRAVITY THROUGH THE SALT WATER IN SAID FREEZING ZONE THROUGH A WASHING ZONE WHICH IS OF HIGHER PRESSURE THAN SAID FREEZING ZONE AND IN WHICH FRESH WATER IS ADDED TO DISPLACE SALT WATER ADHERING TO SAID PARTICLES, MELTING THE ICE COATING FROM SAID PARTICLES AND RECOVERING THE FRESH WATER.