Method for producing pure water from sea water and other solutions by flash vaporization and condensation

Claim 1

IN THE SYSTEM OF FLASH EVAPORATION OF AN ORIGINAL AQUEOUS SOLUTION TO PRODUCE FRESH WATER SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF SOLUTE, THE PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES THE FOLLOWING STEPS: (A) HEATING THE SAID ORIGINAL AQUEOUS SOLUTION TO THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE IT ENCOUNTERS IN THE SYSTEM IN A PRIME HEATER WHERE HEAT IS SUPPLIED FORM AN EXTERNAL SOURCE AT THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE IN THE SYSTEM; (B) BOILING IN THE PRIME HEATER SOME PART OF THE WATER PRESENT IN THE ORIGINAL SOLUTION, TO GIVE FRESH WATER VAPOR, THE HEAT FOR SAID BOILING BEING SUPPLIED BY SAID EXTERNAL SOURCE; (C) PASSING THE SAID ORIGINAL SOLUTION DIRECTLY AFTER SAID HEATING AND SAID PARTIAL EVAPORATION INTO PLURAL STAGES AT SUCCESSIVELY LOWER PRESSURES AND BOILING POINT TEMPERATURES, CORRESPONDING TO THE RESPECTIVE PRESSURE REDUCED FROM THAT AT THE DISCHARGE OF THE SAID PRIME HEATER, TO VAPORIZE AN ADDITIONAL PART OF THE WATER IN THE ORIGINAL SOLUTION AND TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL FRESH WATER VAPORS IN THE RESPECTIVE PLURAL STAGES; (D) DIRECTING THE SAID ADDITIONAL FRESH WATER VAPOR FORMED IN THE RESPECTIVE STAGES TO RESPECTIVE CONDENSING ZONES OF SAID STAGES; (E) PASSING AN AQUEOUS STREAM AT A RELATIVELY LOWER TEMPERATURE THROUGH THE RESPECTIVE CONDENSING ZONES IN COUNTERFLOW RELATIONSHIP TO THE FLOW OR ORIGINAL AQUEOUS SOLUTION PASSING THROUGH THE STAGES; (F) CONDENSING THE ADDITIONAL FRESH WATER VAPORS FORMED IN THE RESPECTIVE STAGES TO HEAT THE AQUEOUS STREAM AT A RELATIVELY LOWER TEMPERATURE IN EACH OF THE RESPECTIVE CONDENSING ZONES; (G) CONDENSING THE SAID FRESH WATER VAPORS PRODUCED IN THE PRIME HEATER IN A CONDENSING ZONE, THE CONDENSING TAKING PLACE AT A HIGHER TEMPATURE AND PRESSURE THAN THE CONDENSING CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE IN ANY CONDENSING ZONE OF ANY OF THE SAID PLURAL STAGES, WHILE HEATING THE SAID AQUEOUS STREAM ST A RELATIVELY LOWER TEMPERATURE; AND (H) WITHDRAWING FROM THE SYSTEM AN AMOUNT OF FRESH WATER WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE TOTAL OF THE AMOUNT OF FRESH WATER VAPORS FORMED IN THE PRIME HEATER AND THE ADDITIONAL FRESH WATER VAPORS FORMED IN THE RESPECTIVE PLURAL STAGES.