Reply To: Direct conversion

[JimmyT]

I read an interesting scheme for desalinating water a few years back which might play well with this technology. Rather than using distillation it uses fractional crystallization.

Basically you pump seawater up to the high Sierras during the winter and spray the water on the mountain slopes. Relatively fresh water crystallizes as ice or snow and concentrated brine drains away (back to the ocean presumably). When spring comes the ice melts and vola! Potable water. It does contain some salt, but so little that it can’t be tasted.

The high alcohol content of a couple of liquors is obtained this way too. Apple jack is one. Don’t know the other off hand. In this case the high alcohol content is poured off and saved and the relatively alcohol free ice is discarded.