Evaporators

Waste heat recovery

Even with a very efficient engine, only about 50% of the heat in the fuel is converted into useful work at
the crankshaft. The remainder I potentially wasted. eat energy is lost in the cooling systems and e!haust
gas but some can be recovered whether it is worth recovering depends upon a number of factors including
the amount of energy available, the time for which it is available, capitol costs of recovery plant. "odern
highly pressure charged engines have a large amount of energy in scavenge air cooling water and this can
provide a primary heating source for bunker fuel tanks.
#acket cooling water also contains a considerable $uantity of heat this may be recovered in
fresh water evaporators provided operates at a pressure giving a corresponding saturation temperature
for water lower than the %acket water entering the heating element. &y heating the water to its saturation
temperature gasses dissolved in it are liberated. Thus there is the re$uirement for air e%ection to maintain
a low pressure.
'ny low temperature evaporator will operate over prolonged periods because scale does not
form to any great e!tent. #oints and seals do not deteriorate.
Types of plant
There are two methods for generating fresh water, (everse )smosis *()+ and distillation. (everse osmosis
is generally used were large $uantities of relatively low $uality water is re$uired. Typical e!amples of
water produced are,
Treatment Total ardness -alcium ardness .ilica .odium -hloride T/.
.ea 0ater 150 100 23 25000 25000
Evaporator 40.1 40.1 40.1 410 410
(everse )smosis 10 5 42 4550 4550
'fter /emineraliser 0 42 Trace 41 46
Distillation
The most commonly used form of shipboard freshwater generation is evaporative distillation, which uses
engine %acket cooling water or steam heat from e!haust or gas fired boilers to evaporate sea water, which
is then condensed into fresh water.
Evaporation distillers comes in two main forms, multistage flash *".7+ and multi effect *"E+
evaporators.
Simple single effect evaporator
.ingle *and "ulti8effect+ submerged tube distillation was one of the early types of fresh water generation.
It uses heat passing through submerged coils or tube bundles immersed in sea water to produce the
distillate, which when condensed becomes the fresh water.
The system above shows an evaporator typically heated by "ain Engine #acket water with
means to supply steam when the engine is shut down.
To start this evaporator
Open sea water cooling to the coiling coils
a take off line from the outlet of the cooler goes to the ejector booster pump. After shutting any
vents the booster pump is started. The vacuum in the shell should begin to drop.
A take off from the eductor booster pump is led to the shell via a flow control valve. This
should be cracked to fill the unit increasing to a design level gradually as the vacuum
increases.It should be noted that it is possible on some systems to increase feed to a point
where the eductor can no longer cope and the shell is overfilled. This should be avoided as the
possibility exists of getting saltwater on the demister this is a mesh arrangement designed to
remove wetness from the steam. Should this happen then it can take considerably longer
before the salinity of the distillate falls to an acceptable level.
Treatment chemical in the feed should now be added
!hen the water reaches working level in the shell the heating coils may be warmed through. It
should be noted that it is rarely the case the eductor is able to provide all the vacuum re"uired#
instead as the unit begins to steam# the condensing of this steam assists to pull the down the
shell pressure.
The heating should be increase as the shell pressure reduced. The maximum temperature in
the shell is governed by design and to a maximum of $%&' to reduce scaling
the salinometer may be switched on once condensate is detected in the distillate pump
suction.
the distillate pump control may be switched to auto. On some installations a recirc is fitted
which dumps the outlet from the distillate pump back to the evaporator. This may take the
form of an automatic three way valve operated by the salinometer. In addition a manual dump
to bilge may be fitted to dump the initial charge of distillate out of the unit reducing the time to
online
Single Stage (lash )vaporator
'n alternative arrangement to the shell evaporator is the flash evaporator were heating takes place
e!ternally, the hot brine enters the low pressure chamber into a weir where some of the water flashes off.
0ater overflowing the weir is either educted out or passed on to a second stage.
"ulti stage units with each stage maintained at a lower pressure allow improved efficiency
and high outputs.
*ulti Stage (lash )vaporator
' typical multi stage flash system is based upon preheating of a pressurised sea water stream, or more
typically a recycle brine stream to which the feed sea water is added, the stream is heated in the heat
input section brine heater. 7rom here the recycle stream is passed into the first stage of a series of flash
chambers. ere the pressure is released, permitting a portion of the brine stream to flash to form salt8
free vapour which is condensed to give the fresh water. In condensing the vapour gives off its latent heat
to the recycle brine stream. 7rom the first stage the flashing brine stream is passed to the second stage
which is kept at a slightly lower pressure, more vapour flashes off. In the same way the flashing brine
stream passes to the ne!t stage and so on through the plant with a portion of the vapour flashing off at
each stage. ' heat balance shows that the heat supplied in the brine heater has to be re%ected. This is
done in the last two stages of the plant which are cooled by a sea water stream which subse$uently
passes to waste.
Modern Developments
.ince the introduction of ".7, more efficient types of "E evaporators have been introduced.
+arge *ultieffect Alfa laval evaporator
In 2990 'lfa8:aval /esalt introduced its /8T; concept8a "E desalination system based on
tube type distillers, using evaporation under vacuum with the rising film principle. This means that the
inner surfaces of the tube are always covered with a then film of feed water, preventing formation of
scale.
The heating medium *hot water<steam+ circulates on the outside of the tubes in the heat
e!changer. The vacuum is created by water e%ectors connected to each effect.
' controlled amount of sea feed water is led to the bottom of each effect, where it is mi!es
with the brine from the previous effect and into the tubes in the heat e!changer, where it is heated.
The generated vapours enter a separator where the brine droplets from the wet vapour are
separated. The dry vapour pass through the separator to the following effect where they condense. Th
remaining sea water which has been converted to brine, flows to the ne!t effect as feed water. The brine
is taken out and discharged overboard.
The latent heat in the vapours from the previous effect is used as a heating medium in the
following effects. The process continues until the last effect where the generated vapours condense cooled
by sea water. The condensate vapours flow from one effect to the ne!t, and are retained in a collecting
tank as distilled water.
If a low temperature evaporator is to be used for domestic purposes certain restrictions apply.
)peration is not allowed within 15 miles of the coast or 50 miles of an estuary. -hromate %acket water
treatment must never be used. The condensate must be treated in order to destroy bacteria. -are must
be taken if chemicals are used to inhibit marine growth in pipework.
Vapor Compression
The boiler section is initially filled with fresh water. 0hen the system is operating feed water is
supplied via the level control valve. ot steam is created in the boiler which passes over into the main
section. ere the steam is mi!ed with a brine spray. .ome of the steam is condensed and some of the
brine spray is flashed off. The combined steam passes over to the vapour section via a scrubber. 7low of
vapour occurs due to the action of the compressor which increases the vapour pressure increaseing its
saturation temperature. The compressed vapour has a tendency to condense out and latent heat is given
up to the brien spray in the evaporator main section.
The produced condensate is pumped via the distillate pump, a proportion is fed to a desuperheater at the
compressor inlet, a further proportion passes to the boiler section maintaining water level. 'ny e!cess is
then delivered to distillate system via a heat e!changer were it is cooled by the e!hausted brine.
' recirculation pump draws brine from the brine well, a proportion of this is fed back to the well to maintin
a level, anouther proportion passes to the brine spray. E!cess is passed out of the brine blowdown
overboard.
The above description has been formed from interpretation of a not to great drawing. If anybody has
actually sailed with this system I would be grateful for a more accurate description.
Reverse Osmosis
)smosis describes the process whereby a fluid will pass from a more dense to a less dense solution
through a semi8permeable membrane. It is very important to the water absorbtion processes of plants.
() is a process which uses a semipermeable membrane which retains both salt and impurities from sea
water while allowing water molecules to pass. 7iltration of up to 90% is possible thus making the
produced water unsuitable for boiler feed without further conditioning. Improved $uality is possible using
a two or more pass system.
'n e!periment to determine this osmotic head is shown.
The parchment paper acts as the semi8permeable membrane and allows the water molecules
to pass but not the larger salt molecules.
(everse osmosis is the process whereby a pressure greater than the osmotic head pressure is
applied to a solution of high density. 7luid is forced from the high density side to the less dense side. 7or
desalination plants the pressure is applied to sea water and the water is forced through the semi8
permeable membrane.
The semi permeable membrane which is typically made of polyamide membrane sheets
wrapped in a spiral form around a perforated tube resembling a loosely wound toilet roll.
/esign of the cartridges is therefore such that the sea water feed passes over the membrane
sheets so that the washing action keeps the surfaces clear of deposits. ' dosing chemical is also in%ected
to assist the action.
The two membranes sealed on the outer three edges, enclose porous under8layer through
which the permeate spirals to central collecting tube
=ressurised feedwater passes lengthways through the tubular spiral wound membrane
element. 7reshwater permeate travels through the membrane layers as directed along a spiral bath inot a
central perforated tube, while brine is discharged out the end of the membrane element..
The fluid could be water and the solutions sea water. ;nder normal conditions the water would
pass from the less saline soultion to the more saline solution until the salinity was the same. This process
will cease however if the level in the more saline side raises to give a difference greater than the )smotic
height.
7or practical use to allow the generation of large $uantities of water. It is necessary to have a
large surface area of membrane which has sufficient mechanical strength to resist the pressurised sea
water.. The material used for sea water purification is spirally wound polyamide or polysulphonate sheets.
)ne problem with any filtration system is that deposits accumulate and gradually blocks the filter. The sea
water is supplied at a pressure of >0bar, a relief valve is fitted to the system. The )smosis production
plant is best suited to the production of large $uantities of water rather than smaller $uantities of steam
plant feed $uality.
Pretreatment and post treatment.
.ea water feed for reverse osmosis plant is pretreated before being passed through. The chemical sodium
he!a phosphate is added to assist wash through of salt deposits on the surface of the elements and the
sea water is steriliased to remove bacteria which could otherwise become resident in the filter. -hlorine is
reduced by compressed carbon filter while solids are removed by other filters. Treatment is also necessary
to make the water drinkable.
Rochem disc tube reverse osmosis plant
The disc tube module is supposed to have the main advantage over the spiral wound type in that it avoids
the need for the difficult cleaning processes re$uired. 0ith long lasting membranes, typically 5 years and
in built cleaning system the unit will recover 60% as pure water from sea water passing through it