Compound distiller

Abstract

A distiller for processing liquid influent, including a heating chamber. An evaporation arrangement can be positioned above the heating chamber and can include spaced apart evaporation surfaces forming a bottom evaporation stage, multiple intermediate evaporation stages, and an upper evaporation stage. The bottom evaporation stage can be in thermal contact with the heating chamber, and the multiple intermediate and upper evaporation stages can be sequentially positioned above the bottom evaporation stage one above another. The bottom and intermediate evaporation stages can evaporate at least a portion of the liquid influent applied thereon forming vapor and heating the stage positioned above with the vapor. A liquid delivery system can provide the liquid influent to the upper evaporation stage for initial evaporation, and transfer at least a portion of the liquid influent in the upper evaporation stage and intermediate evaporation stages downwardly in sequence to a stage below until reaching the bottom evaporation stage for sequential evaporation at each evaporation stage. A solids transfer system can move solids on an evaporation surface of the bottom evaporation stage remaining from evaporated liquid influent to the heating chamber for combustion and providing heat.