Process for producing and maintaining purified, sterile water

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING PURIFIED STERILE WATER FROM IMPURE WATER WHEREIN SAID IMPURE WATER IS EVAPORATED AND CONDENSED, AND THE RESULTANT DISTILLATE IS COLLECTED IN A VERTICALLY DISPOSED STORAGE ZONE HAVING A PERMANENT BLANKET OF STEAM ABOVE SAID DISTILLATE, SAID STEAM BEING SUPPLIED BY EVAPORTION OF SAID IMPURE WATER, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING SUPPLYING FRESH DISTILLATE FROM EVAPORATION OF SAID IMPURE WATER AND THE CONDENSATION OF THE RESULTING VAPORS THEREOF AS SAID FRESH DISTILLATE, TO THE UPPER END OF SAID STORAGE ZONE WHICH IS ALREADY SUBSTANTIALLY FILLED WITH STEAM-BLANKETED DISTILLATE, SIMULTANEOUSLY REMOVING SOME DISTILLATE FORM SAID ZONE WHILE MAINTAINING SAID ZONE IN A SUBSTANTIALLY FILLED CONDITION, RECYCLING SAID REMOVED DISTILLATE BACK TO SAID EVAPORATION STEP FOR REPURIFICATION, THE MAJOR AMOUNT OF SAID REMOVED DISTILLATE BEING WITHDRAWN FROM SAID STORAGE ZONE AT A POINT SUBSTANTIALLY REMOVED FROM THE POINT OF DISTILLATE ENTRY INTO SAID ZONE, WHEREBY SAID REMOVED DISTILLATE IS MAINLY COMPOSED OF DISTILLATE THAT HAS RESIDED IN SAID STORAGE ZONE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.