A Practical Manual On Sea Water Distillation
With A Description Of The Necessary Machinery For The Process

THE DISTILLING CONDENSER. not be omitted in estimating the amount of circulation water required. Construction of the Distiller. (a) The Coils or Tubes. 22. Ihe tubes are best made of solid-drawn copper. Some makers use brass instead of copper, but whether copper or brass is used, the tubes are tinned both inside and out. 23. What has been said in a former chapter when comparing the use of the two metals, copper and brass, for the heating surfaces of the evaporator applies equally to the condensing and cooling surfaces of the distilling condenser. The preference of copper to brass is based on the two following considerations :— (1) I lie lessened liability to galvanic action in the copper tubes. (2) The higher conductivity of heat of copper tubes. With regard to (1), the galvanic action that takes place in brass tubes when used in a distiller has been very noticeable. Such action is usually manifested by the tubes becoming perforated by small holes, no larger than pin holes, through which the circulation water will enter, and of course, spoil the distilled water as soon as it is produced. Another way in which this galvanic action is manifested, is that the tube ends protruding through the gun-metal tube plate, beyond their expansion therein, have been known to waste away at the joint, so that short ends drop off into the middle chamber (M) in Fig. 18. This can only be accounted for by galvanic action. 10