Method of Distilling Sea Water on Small Ships and Marine Platforms Having Internal Combustion Engine

Abstract

Abstract Vaporization and condensation are carried on in a closed chamber at pressures reduced to permit flash vaporization at temperatures available from water jacket of internal combustion main engine. Heating tubes are mounted adjacent the bottom of the closed chamber and connected to the water jacket. Condenser tubes are mounted in the top of the closed chamber and connected to cool circulating sea water. Spray nozzles are mounted above said heater tubes and connected with a supply of sea water heated by means hereinbelow described. A demister, defining a grid of vapor passageways, is mounted above the spray nozzles for detraining sea water droplets carried upward by vapor rising from the heater tubes. A collector for condensate is secured below the condenser tubes and connected to an exterior condensate line. Pressure in the closed chamber is reduced by connecting it to a low pressure area of a venturi installed in a cool sea water circulating line to the condenser tubes. A first branch of this sea water circulating line goes to a first heat exchanger that is also connected in the exterior condensate line for cooling the condensate. A second branch carries sea water, warmed by heat of condensation absorbed in the condenser tubes, to be further preheated by hot condensate which in turn is cooled in a second heat exchanger also connected in the condensate line ahead of said first heat exchanger. The preheated sea water is utilized by feeding to the spray nozzles for spraying on said heater tubes for flash vaporization of part and recirculation of the rest back to the spray nozzles and overboard. The exterior condensate line includes a pasturizer, said first and second heat exchangers, a salinity cell for testing the condensate, and a dump valve activated by said salinity cell for alternatively directing the condensate to storage and overboard in accordance with its salinity.

Inventors

• 👤 Alanson J Arnold

Bibliographic Details