A fluid vapor distillation apparatus. The apparatus includes a source fluid input, and an evaporator condenser apparatus. The evaporator condenser apparatus includes a substantially cylindrical housing and a plurality of tubes in the housing. The source fluid input is fluidly connected to the evaporator condenser and the evaporator condenser transforms source fluid into steam and transforms compressed steam into product fluid. Also included in the fluid vapor distillation apparatus is a heat exchanger fluidly connected to the source fluid input and a product fluid output. The heat exchanger includes an outer tube and at least one inner tube. Also included in the fluid vapor distillation apparatus is a regenerative blower fluidly connected to the evaporator condenser. The regenerative blower compresses steam, and the compressed steam flows to the evaporative condenser where compressed steam is transformed into product fluid. The fluid vapor distillation apparatus also includes a control system.

A reboiler in fluid communication with a fractionator column in an offshore low temperature process removing carbon dioxide from natural gas has a vessel volume. A carbon steel tubing bundle is disposed within the vessel volume. Each tube in the bundle has an outer surface with a porous granular metal layer deposited thereon. The granular metal layer comprises a pore size distribution which promotes bubble nucleation during vaporization of a nearly pure liquid carbon dioxide stream.

A reboiler in fluid communication with a fractionator column in an offshore low temperature process removing carbon dioxide from natural gas has a vessel volume. A carbon steel tubing bundle is disposed within the vessel volume. Each tube in the bundle has an outer surface with a porous granular metal layer deposited thereon. The granular metal layer comprises a pore size distribution which promotes bubble nucleation during vaporization of a nearly pure liquid carbon dioxide stream.

The present invention describes a device for distributing incoming fluid or for collecting fluid being discharged from a column forming part of an assembly of N columns in series intended to be used in a simulated moving bed separation process. The present device can be used to very substantially reduce the non-selective volumes at each column, while at the same time providing the flow with good synchronicity.

A system of fluid sterilization of fluid of vessel is provided, such as sterilization of ballast water for a water vessel. The system incorporates a heating section to heat pressurized fluid above prescribed thresholds for temperature, pressure, and duration (e.g., dwell time) to achieve desired levels of sterilization, including a heat exchanger to both (a) preheat fluid prior to entering the heating section and (b) cool outflow of the heating apparatus, in which fluid travels through the apparatus by operating valves forward and aft of the heating section in a controlled sequence to facilitate flow through the system while maintaining prescribed pressure and temperature profiles. The system operates within prescribed ranges of pressure and temperature to achieve the desired level of sterilization without need of maintaining a fixed temperature or a fixed pressure within any portion of the system, including the heating section.

Water distillation device, comprising: a body having a lateral wall and defining a cavity suitable for allowing the distillation of an amount of water to distill, wherein in said cavity are defined a distillation chamber and a condensation chamber, wherein the condensation chamber comprises a collection portion designed to collect at least temporarily distilled water, a heater, configured to heat the amount of water to distill present, in use, in the distillation chamber, a cooler, configured to cause a condensation of a distillation steam deriving from the heating of the water to distill through the heater, wherein the cooler is a refrigerator evaporator, the heater is a refrigerator condenser and wherein the water distillation device comprises a refrigerator compressor connected to the refrigerator evaporator and to the refrigerator condenser, said refrigerator compressor being configured to compress a gas directed within said refrigerator condenser determining, in use, a heating of the latter sufficient to cause a boiling of the water to distill, said refrigerator evaporator being configured to allow an expansion of the gas previously compressed by the refrigerator compressor determining, in use, a cooling of the distillation steam sufficient to cause a condensation of the distillation steam in the collection portion, the water distillation device comprising an intermediate duct connected in correspondence of an its own ending with the refrigerator condenser and in correspondence of an its own second ending with the refrigerator evaporator, said intermediate duct being configured and specifically designed to transport a fluid and/or gas outflowing from the refrigerator condenser toward the refrigerator evaporator, the water distillation device comprising a pre-cooling system for the gases outflowing from the refrigerator condenser, configured to cool at least a part of the intermediate duct, said pre-cooling system comprising an active cooler configured to subtract heat from said at least a part of the intermediate duct.

Water distillation device, comprising: a body having a lateral wall and defining a cavity suitable for allowing the distillation of an amount of water to distill, wherein in said cavity are defined a distillation chamber and a condensation chamber, wherein the condensation chamber comprises a collection portion designed to collect at least temporarily distilled water, a heater, configured to heat the amount of water to distill present, in use, in the distillation chamber, a cooler, configured to cause a condensation of a distillation steam deriving from the heating of the water to distill through the heater, wherein the cooler is a refrigerator evaporator, the heater is a refrigerator condenser and wherein the water distillation device comprises a refrigerator compressor connected to the refrigerator evaporator and to the refrigerator condenser, said refrigerator compressor being configured to compress a gas directed within said refrigerator condenser determining, in use, a heating of the latter sufficient to cause a boiling of the water to distill, said refrigerator evaporator being configured to allow an expansion of the gas previously compressed by the refrigerator compressor determining, in use, a cooling of the distillation steam sufficient to cause a condensation of the distillation steam in the collection portion, the water distillation device comprising an intermediate duct connected in correspondence of an its own ending with the refrigerator condenser and in correspondence of an its own second ending with the refrigerator evaporator, said intermediate duct being configured and specifically designed to transport a fluid and/or gas outflowing from the refrigerator condenser toward the refrigerator evaporator, the water distillation device comprising a pre-cooling system for the gases outflowing from the refrigerator condenser, configured to cool at least a part of the intermediate duct, said pre-cooling system comprising an active cooler configured to subtract heat from said at least a part of the intermediate duct.

Water distillation device, comprising: a body defining a cavity suitable for allowing the distillation of an amount of water to distill, wherein in said cavity are defined a distillation chamber and a condensation chamber, and wherein the condensation chamber comprises a collection portion designed to collect at least temporarily distilled water, a heater, configured to heat the amount of water to distill present, in use, in the distillation chamber, a cooler, configured to cause a condensation of a distillation steam deriving from the heating of the water to distill through the heater,
wherein the body comprises a head portion and a main portion, said distillation chamber being realized in substantial correspondence of the main portion,
the water distillation device comprising a junction portion angularly joining the head portion with said main portion,
the head portion comprising a three ways element in turn comprising a first way, a second way and a third way, wherein said first way faces on said junction portion, and wherein said third way houses said cooler and substantially defines the condensation chamber and a collection portion for the distilled water.

Water distillation device, comprising: a body defining a cavity suitable for allowing the distillation of an amount of water to distill, wherein in said cavity are defined a distillation chamber and a condensation chamber, and wherein the condensation chamber comprises a collection portion designed to collect at least temporarily distilled water, a heater, configured to heat the amount of water to distill present, in use, in the distillation chamber, a cooler, configured to cause a condensation of a distillation steam deriving from the heating of the water to distill through the heater,
wherein the body comprises a head portion and a main portion, said distillation chamber being realized in substantial correspondence of the main portion,
the water distillation device comprising a junction portion angularly joining the head portion with said main portion,
the head portion comprising a three ways element in turn comprising a first way, a second way and a third way, wherein said first way faces on said junction portion, and wherein said third way houses said cooler and substantially defines the condensation chamber and a collection portion for the distilled water.

A Salinity Gradient Solar Pond has saturated salt water in the bottom of the pond and nearly fresh water at the top, with a gradient zone between the top and bottom. Due to this salinity stratification the upward diffusion of salt is a natural consequence in SGSP's. This upward diffusion of salt has been found to range 60-80 gr/m.sup.2/day (Tabor, H.; Solar Ponds, Solar Energy, v. 27 (3), pp. 181-194, 1981 and v. 30 (1), pp. 85-86, 1983). Controlling the salinity gradient in SGSP systems is vital to their reliable operation. One proposed method for controlling the salinity gradient is the so called Falling Pond method, where water is extracted from the saturated bottom layer by some means and returned to the nearly fresh upper layer. This action creates a downward velocity in the pond's layers which can be matched to counter the upward diffusion of salt, thereby maintaining the pond's gradient stationary in space.