[TKDietz]

"A little research would show that the temperature of the 'spent steam' in not adequate to run a still."

Distillation requires a temperature in the range of 172 to 174 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the altitude and barometric pressure I think. Distillation under a vacuum requires much less heat. Steam could very well be hot enough to use for distillation. Even if it did not provide enough heat on its own it could at least provide a substantial amount of the heat such that far less added energy is required for distillation.

[UpAllNight]

--Steam could very well be hot enough to use for distillation.--

I repeat: "A little research would show that the temperature of the 'spent steam' in not adequate to run a still."

[-YYZ-]

Yeah, except that most of the heat in the spent steam already goes back into the system, pre-heating the feedwater into the steam generators, helping to increase the efficiency of the system.