Method of and apparatus for distilling of liquids

In an arrangement for supplying heat to a distillation installation, a combination comprising a furnace having external walls;

• a cooling system for cooling said walls by a supply of cooling water;
• first conduit means connecting said cooling system with a heating side of the distillation installation for supplying steam generated during the cooling of said walls in said cooling system to the distillation installation;
• an auxiliary steam supply supply conduit connected with the heating side of the distillation installation for supplying auxiliary steam to the latter;
• means for effecting indirect heat exchange in said distillation installation between steam at the heating side thereof and a liquid to undergo distillation to thereby condense the steam and evaporate volatile components from the liquid;
• second conduit means connecting the heating side of the distillation installation with said cooling system of said furnace for returning the steam condensate to said cooling system in an amount which replenishes the supply of cooling water therein;
• first measuring means incorporated in said first conduit means for determining any deviation in the amount of the steam flowing therethrough from a preset reference value;
• second measuring means incorporated in said auxiliary steam supply conduit for determining the amount of auxiliary steam flowing therethrough;
• shutoff valves interposed in said first and second conduit means and in said auxiliary steam supply conduit and operative for controlling the flow of the steam through said first conduit means, the flow of the auxiliary steam through said auxiliary steam supply conduit in dependence on the deviation determined by said first measuring means to supply to the heating side of the distillation installation an amount of auxiliary steam equal to such deviation, and the return flow of the steam condensate to said cooling system of said furnace.