Abstract
Multiple-effect desalination systems are attractive water desalination units for large capacity production since the brine temperature does not exceed 65 °C and there is less power consumption compared to other thermal desalination systems. The system is modeled for performance prediction as well as for the assessment of design aspects such as the total heat transfer area in the effects, the preheaters and the system down condenser. Then, the system degradation with time due to fouling is considered for both rating and design aspects. It is therefore believed that the results presented can provide guidelines for designers and engineers using multiple-effect desalination systems for specifying system sizes and/or scheduling maintenance of the existing systems.
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The support provided by KFUPM to complete this study is gratefully acknowledged.
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List of Figures
Fig. 4.1 Layout of forward feed MED plant
Fig. 4.2 Sectional view of jth effect (from 2nd effect to (n-1) effect)
Fig. 4.3 Comparison of performance ratio for different models
Fig. 4.4 Comparison of specific areas for different models
Fig. 4.5 Variation of specific area and performance ratio with steam temperature and number of effects
Fig. 4.6 Variation of specific cooling water flow rate with cooling water temperature and number of effects
Fig. 4.7 Required condenser area at cooling water temperature and number of effects for same plant performance
Fig. 4.8 Variation of overall heat transfer coefficient and required specific area with time and number of effects for same performance
Fig. 4.9 Degradation of plant performance over time for plant having different number of effects
Nomenclature
- A c
-
Condenser area (m2)
- A ej
-
Area of jth effect, j = 1 to n(m2)
- A pj
-
Area of jth pre-heater, j = 2 to n-1 (m2)
- B j
-
Brine leaving jth effect, j = 1 to n (kg/s)
- BPE j
-
Boiling point elevation in jth effect, j = 1 to n (°C)
- BPE j ′
-
Boiling point elevation of flashed vapour in jth effect, j = 2 to n (°C)
- C p
-
Specific heat of water (kJ/kg-K)
- d i
-
Internal diameter of tube (m)
- d o
-
Outer diameter of tube (m)
- D j
-
Distillate formed in jth effect, j = 1 to n (kg/s)
- ΔT j
-
Temperature difference across jth effect, j = 1 to n(°C)
- d dj
-
Distillate formed due to flashing in jth effect, j = 2 to n(kg/s)
- d fj
-
Flashed distillate in the jth flashing box, j = 2 to n(kg/s)
- g
-
acceleration due to gravity, m/s2
- η c
-
Efficiency of condenser
- η p
-
Efficiency of pre-heater
- h in
-
Heat transfer co-efficient inside the tube (kW/m2-K)
- h o
-
Heat transfer co-efficient outside the tube (kW/m2-K)
- h fgcj
-
Latent heat of condensation inside the tubes at T cj of the jth effect, j = 2 to n(kJ/kg)
- h fgcj ′
-
Latent heat of condensation of the flashed vapor at T cj ′ in the jth effect, j = 2 to n(kJ/kg)
- h fgcj ′′
-
Latent heat of condensation of the flashed vapor at T cj ′′ in the jth effect, j = 2 to n(kJ/kg)
- h fgs
-
Latent heat of steam (kJ/kg)
- h fgvj
-
Latent heat of vaporization in jth effect, j = 1 to n(kJ/kg)
- h fgvj ′
-
Latent heat of vaporization of the flashed vapour in the jth effect, j = 2 to n(kJ/kg)
- h fgvj ′′
-
Latent heat of vaporization of the flashed vapor from jth flashing box, j = 2 to n (kJ/kg)
- k w
-
Thermal conductivity of the tubes (W/m-K)
- ksw
-
Thermal conductivity of the seawater (W/m-K)
- k LC
-
Thermal conductivity in the liquid phase (W/m-K)
- LMTD c
-
Log mean temperature difference across the condenser (°C)
- LMTD pj
-
Log mean temperature difference across the jth pre-heater, j = 2 to n-1 (°C)
- m b
-
Total mass flow rate of brine (kg/s)
- m cw
-
Mass flow rate of cooling water (kg/s)
- m d
-
Total mass flow rate of distillate (kg/s)
- m s
-
Mass flow rate of steam (kg/s)
- m f
-
Feed flow rate (kg/s)
- μ sw
-
Seawater viscosity, kg/m-s
- μ L
-
Viscosity in the liquid phase, kg/m-s
- n
-
Total number of effects
- NEA j ′
-
Non equilibrium allowance within the jth effect, j = 2 to n (°C)
- NEA j ′′
-
Non equilibrium allowance for the flashing box for the jth effect, j = 3 to n (°C)
- PR
-
Performance ratio of the plant
- Pr
-
Prandtl number outside the tubes
- Pr v
-
Prandtl number inside the tubes
- q
-
Heat transfer within each effect (kW)
- q c
-
Heat transfer within the condenser (kW)
- q″
-
Heat flux (kW/m2)
- ρ sw
-
Density of seawater (kg/m3)
- ρ LC
-
Density in the liquid phase (kg/m3)
- ρ VC
-
Density in the vapor phase (kg/m3)
- r o
-
Outside radius of the tubes (m)
- r i
-
Inside radius of the tubes (m)
- Re
-
Reynolds number outside the tubes
- Re i
-
Reynolds number inside the tubes
- R fo
-
Fouling factor outside the tubes (kW/m2-K)
- R f
-
Fouling factor inside the tubes (kW/m2-K)
- sA
-
Total specific area of the system (m2/(kg/s))
- sM cw
-
Specific mass of cooling water flow rate
- t pj
-
Temperature at the outlet of the jth pre-heater, j = 2 to n-1 (°C)
- T cw
-
Temperature of cooling water (°C)
- T cj
-
Condensation temperature of the distillate in jth effect, j = 1 to n (°C)
- T cj ′
-
Condensation temperature of the flashed vapor in jth effect, j = 2 to n (°C)
- T cj ′′
-
Condensation temperature of flash distillate from the flashing box, j = 2 to n (°C)
- ΔT cj
-
Vapor condensation losses inside the tubes of jth effect, j = 2 to n (°C)
- ΔT cj ′
-
Vapor condensation losses associated with the flashed vapor within the jth effect, j = 2 to n (°C)
- ΔT cj ′′
-
Vapor condensation losses associated with the flashing box of jth effect, j = 2 to n (°C)
- T f
-
Temperature of feed (°C)
- T j
-
Temperature of brine at jth effect, j = 1 to n (°C)
- T j ′
-
Temperature of flashing brine within the jth effect, j = 2 to n (°C)
- T j ′′
-
Temperature of flashing brine in flash boxes at the jth effect, j = 2 to n (°C)
- T s
-
Temperature of steam (°C)
- T vj
-
Vapor saturation temperature in the jth effect, j = 1 to n (°C)
- T vj ′
-
Vaporization temperature of flashed vapor in the jth effect, j = 2 to n (°C)
- T vj ′′
-
Vaporization temperature of flashed vapor within the flashing box at the jth effect, j = 2 to n (°C)
- U
-
Generalized overall heat transfer coefficient (kW/m2-K)
- U c
-
Overall heat transfer coefficient of the condenser (kW/m2-K)
- U j
-
Overall heat transfer coefficient of jth effect, j = 1 to n (kW/m2-K)
- U p
-
Overall heat transfer coefficient of the pre-heaters, j = 2 to n-1 (kW/m2-K)
- V c
-
Seawater velocity inside the tubes (m/s)
- x
-
vapor phase mass fraction
- X f
-
Feed salinity (ppm)
- X j
-
Salinity of brine leaving each effect, j = 1 to n (ppm)
- X b (X n )
-
Salinity of brine leaving the last effect (ppm)
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Tahir, F., Atif, M., Antar, M.A. (2015). The Effect of Fouling on Performance and Design Aspects of Multiple-Effect Desalination Systems. In: Baawain, M., Choudri, B., Ahmed, M., Purnama, A. (eds) Recent Progress in Desalination, Environmental and Marine Outfall Systems. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19123-2_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19123-2_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
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