"Brian Whatcott" wrote in message
...

You've heard all about distilling water, and you've heard all about
reverse osmosis, but you haven't heard about low-cost, low energy
stills: they are brand new.

Briefly:
Take one forty ft vertical tube filled with saline.
Take one forty ft vertical tube filled with fresh water.
Connect them with a little engineering help - at the top.

The boiling point of water at sea level pressure is about 100 deg C

The boiling point of water at the top of a sealed 40 ft column of
water is near ambient.
So, it doesn't take much heat to boil the brackish water, and have it
pass to the fresh column where it is slightly cooled to hold the near
vacuum conditions at the boiling level.

[An engineering effort of a U of Utah group I think]

Brian Whatcott Altus OK


Lame suggestion and unworkable on most boats. Ya gotta think outta the
box, man.

However, there is another way. I thought it up all by my lonesome. All
you need is a reverse osmosis membrane. You put it into a chamber that
is vented to atmosphere on the inside and to the ocean on the outside of
the membrane. You lower it into the ocean to a depth of only 500 feet
and the pressure of the water is enough to push fresh water through the
membrane into the chamber. When it gets full you haul it up and empty in
into your tanks. Reverse osmosis without any energy used to get it.
Ain't Wilbur brilliant?

Wilbur Hubbard