Apparatus for extracting fresh water from ocean salt water

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING FRESH WATER FROM OCEAN SALT WATER COMPRISING A SUBMARINE EXTRACTION ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AN ELONGATED COLLECTING PIPE SECTION AND A PLURALITY OF RIGID, POROUS WALLED, HOLLOW METALLIC CELLS IN THE FORM OF VANES EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM SAID COLLECTING PIPE SECTIONS, A REVERSIBLE SEMIPERMEABLE OSMOTIC MEMBRANCE COVERING EACH OF SAID CELLS AND FORMED OF A MATERIAL CAPABLE OF PASSING WATER THERETHROUGH BY SOLVENT DIFFUSION WHILE SUBSTANTIALLY PREVENTING PASSAGE OF DISSOLVED SALTS IN THE SEA WATER, MEANS FOR DISPOSING SAID EXTRACTION ASSEMBLY AT A SUFFICIENTLY LOW DEPTH IN THE OCEAN TO MAINTAIN A NATURAL HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE OF SEA WATER ON THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE MEMBRANES OF SAID CELLS IN EXCESS OF THE HYDROSTATIC HEAD OF ANY FRESH WATER WITHIN SAID CELLS AND COLLECTING PIPE SECTION PLUS THE NATURAL OSMOTIC PRESSURE OUTWARDLY OF THE MEMBRANES RESULTING FROM DIFFERENCES IN CONCENTRATION OF THE SOLUTIONS AT THE OPPOSITE SURFACES OF SAID MEMBRANES, CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING THE HOLLOW INTERIOR OF SAID CELLS WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID COLLECTING PIPE SECTION, A PIPE LINE EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF SAID COLLECTING PIPE SECTION TO AN OUTLET END ABOVE SEA LEVEL FOR FLOW OF EXTRACTED FRESH WATER FROM SAID CELLS TO THE OUTLET END, LIFT MEANS FOR LIFTING EXTRACTED FRESH WATER FROM SAID COLLECTING PIPE SECTION THROUGH SAID PIPE LINE TO THE ABOVE SURFACE LOCATION, AND MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE INTERIOR OF SAID CELLS OPEN TO SUBSTANTIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE.