Method and apparatus for converting saline water to fresh water

A process for the conversion of saline water containing scale-forming compounds to fresh water, which comprises indirectly preheating the saline water;

• to the preheated saline water, passing quanta of steam which are sequentially increasing temperatures and pressures and condensing the quanta of steam in the saline water at points which are at corresponding lesser temperatures and pressures, thereby further heating the preheated saline water;
• as a result of the further heating, precipitating scale compounds in the saline water and decomposing scale-forming bicarbonates with the evolution of carbon dioxide;
• separating the precipitated scale compounds and carbon dioxide, forming post-thermal saline water;
• flash vaporizing the post-thermal saline water in stages of decreasing temperature and forming cooled, post-thermal saline water;
• compressing the flashed vapors of each said stage and passing the compressed vapors to the preheated saline water as said quanta of steam;
• and evaporating said cooled, post-thermal saline water to produce fresh water and saline water residuum.