Method and apparatus for producing electrical power and distilling water by use of geothermal energy

Claim 1

A SYSTEM OPERABLE TO EXTRACT ENERGY FROM FALLING WATER AND TO OBTAIN FRESH-WATER CONDENSATE THEREFROM, COMPRISING RESERVOIR MEANS CONTAINING WATER, A DOWNWARD PASSAGE EXTENDING INTO THE EARTH RECEIVING WATER DROPPING FROM SAID RESERVOIR MEANS, HORIZONTALLY EXTENDED UPPER CHAMBER MEANS IN HOT SUBTERRANEAN ROCK AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID DOWN PASSAGE FOR COLLECTING AND HORIZONTALLY SPREADING SAID WATER, HORIZONTALLY EXTENDED UPPER AND LOWER BASINS IN THE HOT SUBTERRANEAN ROCK BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID UPPER CHAMBER MEANS, GENERALLY VERTICAL BORE HOLES IN THE HOT ROCK FOR PASSING OPENLY FALLING STREAMS OF WATER IN SUCCESSION FROM SAID UPPER CHAMBER MEANS TO SAID UPPER BASIN AND THEN TO SAID LOWER BASIN, AN UP-PASSAGE IN THE EARTH COMMUNICATING WITH SAID BASINS FOR FLOWING WATER VAPOR UPWARDLY THEREFROM, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE SURFACE LEVEL OF WATER IN THE LOWER BASIN, MEANS FOR REMOVING BRINE FROM THE WATER IN SAID LOWER BASIN, MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID UP-PASSAGE AND OPERABLE TO KEEP THE PRESSURE THEREIN REDUCED BELOW ATMOSPHERIC THEREBY PROMOTING UPWARD FLOW OF SAID VAPOR IN SAID UP-PASSAGE, AND MEANS THROUGH WHICH SAID WATER VAPOR DISCHARGING FROM SAID UP-PASSAGE AND SAID RESERVOIR WATER CIRCULATE INDEPENDENTLY AND IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION, CONDENSING SAID VAPOR AND PRE-HEATING SAID RESERVOIR WATER.

Claim 2

A SYSTEM OPERABLE TO EXTRACT ENERGY FROM FALLING WATER AND TO OBTAIN FRESH-WATER CONDENSATE THEREFROM, COMPRISING RESERVOIR MEANS CONTAINING WATER, A DOWNWARD PASSAGE EXTENDING INTO THE EARTH RECEIVING WATER DROPPING FROM SAID RESERVOIR MEANS, HORIZONTALLY EXTENDED UPPER CHAMBER MEANS IN HOT SUBTERRANEAN ROCK AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID DOWN PASSAGE FOR COLLECTING AND HORIZONTALLY SPREADING SAID WATER, HORIZONTALLY EXTENDED UPPER AND LOWER BASINS IN THE HOT SUBTERRANEAN ROCK BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID UPPER CHAMBER MEANS, GENERALLY VERTICAL BORE HOLES IN THE HOT ROCK FOR PASSING OPENLY FALLING STREAMS OF WATER IN SUCCESSION FROM SAID UPPER CHAMBER MEANS TO SAID UPPER BASIN AND THEN TO SAID LOWER BASIN, AN UP-PASSAGE IN THE EARTH COMMUNICATING WITH SAID BASINS FOR FLOWING WATER VAPOR UPWARDLY THEREFROM, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE SURFACE LEVEL OF WATER IN THE LOWER BASIN, MEANS FOR REMOVING BRINE FROM THE WATER IN SAID LOWER BASIN, MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID UP-PASSAGE AND OPERABLE TO KEEP THE PRESSURE THEREIN REDUCED BELOW ATMOSPHERIC THEREBY PROMOTING UPWARD FLOW OF SAID VAPOR IN SAID UP-PASSAGE, AND MEANS THROUGH WHICH SAID WATER VAPOR DISCHARGING FROM SAID UP-PASSAGE AND SAID RESERVOIR WATER CIRCULATE INDEPENDENTLY AND IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION, CONDENSING SAID VAPOR AND PRE-HEATING SAID RESERVOIR WATER.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF EXTRACTING ENERGY FROM FALLING SALINE WATER AND OF OBTAINING FRESH-WATER CONDENSATE THEREFROM, THAT INCLUDES DROPPING A SUPPLY STREAM OF SALINE WATER THROUGH A DOWN PASSAGE EXTENDING INTO THE EARTH, COLLECTING SAID DROPPING WATER IN UPPER AND LOWER ENLARGED BASINS FORMED IN SUBTERRANEAN ROCK AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE SO THAT HEAT FLOWS FROM ROCK TO SAID COLLECTED WATER, OPENLY DROPPING SAID WATER FROM SAID UPPER TO SAID LOWER BASINS IN DIVIDED AND TRANSVERSELY DISTRIBUTED STREAMS THROUGH ROCK PASSAGES INTERCONNECTING SAID BASINS, CONVERTING SAID COLLECTED WATER INTO WATER VAPOR, MAINTAINING THE LOWEST BASIN ONLY PARTLY FILLED WITH WATER SO THAT THE WATER THEREIN HAS AN EXTENSIVE FREE SURFACE ABOVE WHICH THE WATER VAPOR COLLECTS AT REDUCED PRESSURE, REMOVING CONCENTRATED BRINE FROM SAID LOWEST BASIN, CONDUCTING ONLY WATER VAPOR AT PRESSURE REDUCED BELOW ATMOSPHERIC UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASINS THROUGH AN UP-PASSAGE IN THE EARTH, HOLDING THE PRESSURE IN THE UPPER PORTIONS OF THE UP-PASSAGE REDUCED BELOW ATMOSPHERIC THEREBY TO PROMOTE UPWARD FLOW OF SAID VAPOR IN SAID UP-PASSAGE, CONDENSING SAID VAPOR AND PRE-HEATING SAID SUPPLY WATER BY CIRCULATING SAID WATER AND VAPOR IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION, WITHDRAWING THE VAPOR CONDENSATE AND SUPPLYING SALINE WATER FROM A NATURAL BODY THEREOF TO SAID DOWNPASSAGE.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF EXTRACTING ENERGY FROM FALLING SALINE WATER AND OF OBTAINING FRESH-WATER CONDENSATE THEREFROM, THAT INCLUDES DROPPING A SUPPLY STREAM OF SALINE WATER THROUGH A DOWN PASSAGE EXTENDING INTO THE EARTH, COLLECTING SAID DROPPING WATER IN UPPER AND LOWER ENLARGED BASINS FORMED IN SUBTERRANEAN ROCK AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE SO THAT HEAT FLOWS FROM ROCK TO SAID COLLECTED WATER, OPENLY DROPPING SAID WATER FROM SAID UPPER TO SAID LOWER BASINS IN DIVIDED AND TRANSVERSELY DISTRIBUTED STREAMS THROUGH ROCK PASSAGES INTERCONNECTING SAID BASINS, CONVERTING SAID COLLECTED WATER INTO WATER VAPOR, MAINTAINING THE LOWEST BASIN ONLY PARTLY FILLED WITH WATER SO THAT THE WATER THEREIN HAS AN EXTENSIVE FREE SURFACE ABOVE WHICH THE WATER VAPOR COLLECTS AT REDUCED PRESSURE, REMOVING CONCENTRATED BRINE FROM SAID LOWEST BASIN, CONDUCTING ONLY WATER VAPOR AT PRESSURE REDUCED BELOW ATMOSPHERIC UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASINS THROUGH AN UP-PASSAGE IN THE EARTH, HOLDING THE PRESSURE IN THE UPPER PORTIONS OF THE UP-PASSAGE REDUCED BELOW ATMOSPHERIC THEREBY TO PROMOTE UPWARD FLOW OF SAID VAPOR IN SAID UP-PASSAGE, CONDENSING SAID VAPOR AND PRE-HEATING SAID SUPPLY WATER BY CIRCULATING SAID WATER AND VAPOR IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION, WITHDRAWING THE VAPOR CONDENSATE AND SUPPLYING SALINE WATER FROM A NATURAL BODY THEREOF TO SAID DOWNPASSAGE.