Methods and apparatus for distillation using phase change energy

An apparatus, comprising:

• a housing defining a reservoir configured to receive a volume of fluid in a substantially liquid state, at least a portion of the fluid includes a dissolved substance, the housing including a condenser portion and a boiler portion;
• a degassing system configured to degas the volume of fluid;
• a heat-transfer element disposed within an interior volume of the housing and configured to transfer a latent heat to a first portion of the volume of fluid disposed on a top surface of the heat transfer element such that a vapor pressure of the first portion is substantially equal to a pressure within the boiler portion, the latent heat being produced by a second portion of the volume of fluid within the condenser portion when the second portion contacts a bottom surface of the heat transfer element and condenses;
• and
• a compression component configured to produce a pressure differential between the boiler portion and the condenser portion to move the second portion of fluid from the boiler portion to the condenser portion.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a housing including a separation section and a condenser section, the housing defining a first reservoir and a second reservoir, the first reservoir being configured to receive a mixture of a first substance and a second substance;
• a heat-transfer element coupled to the housing and defining at least a portion of the separation section and at least a portion of the condenser section, the heat-transfer element positioned such that the mixture flows across a surface of the heat-transfer element within the separation section from the first reservoir, the heat-transfer element configured to transfer heat from the condenser section to the separation section to produce a first phase change of a portion of the first substance to separate the portion the first substance from the mixture, the heat-transfer element positioned such that a remaining portion of the mixture flows into the second reservoir;
• a compression component coupled to the separation section and configured to produce a pressure differential between the separation section and the condenser section to move the portion of the first substance from the separation section to the condenser section after the portion of the first substance is separated from the mixture;
• and
• a pump configured to pump a portion of the remaining portion of the mixture from the second reservoir into the first reservoir.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a housing having at least an inlet reservoir and a brine collection portion, the housing being configured to receive a volume of salt-water in the inlet reservoir, the housing including a condenser portion and a boiler portion;
• a heat-transfer element coupled to an interior volume of the housing, the heat-transfer element including a surface, at least a portion of which is disposed at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane such that a portion of the volume of salt-water flows on the surface of the heat-transfer element from the inlet reservoir toward the brine collection portion via a gravity-feed mechanism, the heat-transfer element configured to transfer latent heat to the salt-water such that a portion of water is boiled from the salt-water and a salt concentration of the salt-water is increased,
• the brine collection portion configured to receive the salt-water after the salt concentration of the salt-water is increased;
• a compression component configured to produce a pressure differential between the boiler portion and the condenser portion to to-move the portion of water from the boiler portion to the condenser portion;
• and
• a pump configured to pump a portion of the salt-water having an increased salt concentration from the brine collection portion into the inlet reservoir.