Solar still with replaceable solar absorbing liner and weight controlled feed inlet

Claim 1

A dimensionally rigid solar distillation apparatus including a frame comprising a generally flat base and a plurality of generally upright wall members extending upwardly and completely around said base and sloping from its highest to its lowest opposite wall, a cover transparent to solar heat radiation with a wetable lower surface, said apparatus having walls and base insulated against thermal transfer and the entire enclosure being water tight, said enclosure Having an exit orifice for condensate accumulating in the bottom of the enclosure, within said enclosure a dimensionally rigid evaporator tray constructed of high thermal conductive material and having a replacable water tight liner of a black, solar absorbing material said tray level in the horizontal plane of the enclosure base supported on each side by two or more hinge arms rotating around their support pins at a fixed radius, said tray capable of moving vertically on the radial path described by the rotating hinge arms, said tray having a projecting overflow tube at one end and slightly below the vertical rim of the tray, said tube displacing a flapper valve in the end wall of the enclosure when the tray is at its lowest vertical position, said overflow tube allowing excess fluid in the tray to exit the enclosure, beneath said tray and in the same plane of the tray, a heat exchanger of coiled tubing, said heat exchanger absorbing heat radiated from the evaporating tray and the ambient heat of the enclosure to heat incoming fluid to the evaporating tray, a pivoted lever to couple the vertical movement of the evaporating tray to a fluid inlet valve, said lever having an adjustable counterweight, adjustment of the counterweight controlling the level of the fluid in the tray by modulating the action of the inlet valve, said counter weight and valve action also adjustable to suit the density of the incoming fluid, an inlet into the enclosure feeding the incoming fluid into the heat exchanger, from the heat exchanger into the fluid control valve.