Dear Old Nick:

"OldNick" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 22 Sep 2007 20:43:48 -0700, "N:dlzc D:aol T:com
\(dlzc\)"
wrote stuff

Fill the tubes, with a small air bubble in between.
Lift the tube at the bubble. No small feat if you
are looking to make hundreds of gallons per day,
but a one-shot expense...

and I replied:

Then how do you keep the freshwater tube so
cool? It has to be a _lot_ cooler, not so?

Likely, yes. You could use evaporative cooling (of brine) on
that side, and solar heating on the other side.

Is this a continuous or pulsed process?

I woudl assume it could be either, depending on the
sophisticatioin of your control process.

How do you maintain stasis and extract fresh water?

Ever seen a mercury barometer? The bottom end of the tube ends
in a "pan" open to atmosphere. The bottom end of both tubes can
simply be sunk... one in the ocean, and one in a wet well for a
pump station.

If you have a small air bubble, where does the
extracted fresh water go?

The air bubble expands when the vaccum is created.

etc

etc. Take your shades off, dude. It is coloring everything you
see...

It isn't the greatest thing since sliced bread. But it is
another process, and a viable one.

David A. Smith