General Refrigeration

Senior Marine Engineering

General Engineering Knowledge

• Evaporators
Document Title Position and Font
Cover Page Option 1

Faculty of Nautical and STEM

City of Glasgow College

Riverside Campus
21 Thistle Street, Glasgow
G5 9XB

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General Evaporators

Shell and Tube Fresh water Generator

The fresh water generator consists of the following main components:
• Evaporator section
• Separator vessel
• Condenser section
• Combined brine/air ejector
• Ejector pump
• Fresh water distillate pump
• Salinometer
• Control panel

Figure 1

The fresh water generator unit utilises jacket water from the main engine as a heating medium
and is capable of producing up to 20 tons per day of distillate.
The basic working principle is that the evaporator section boils sea water in a vacuum of
approximately 637mmHg at a temperature of 55.8°C. The vapour produced passes through a
separator and is condensed by sea water in the condenser section before being pumped to the
fresh water storage tanks. The quality of distillate is continuously monitored by a salinity
indicator which is fitted with an alarm.

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Figure 2

The cooling water for the condenser is supplied by one the main sea water cooling pumps and
the ejector pump provides a continuous supply of sea water which serves as a feed supply and
is the driving fluid supply for the brine/air ejector. The ejector creates a vacuum within the
evaporator and removes the brine from the chamber.
The evaporator shell contains a tube type heat exchanger through which hot water circulates
from the main engine jacket cooling system; this hot water heats the brine supplied to the
evaporator by the ejector pump. Due to the vacuum inside the chamber, the sea water will boil
off at the relatively low temperature created by the circulating jacket water. The vacuum of
approximately 85% is maintained by the ejector and this produces evaporation of the sea water.
Vapour produced by boiling the sea water rises to the upper chamber, via a deflector plate and
through demister pads, where any entrained sea water droplets are removed. The upper
chamber houses the tube type condenser which is supplied with sea water by the main sea
water cooling pump and condenses the vapour. The condensed vapour (distillate) is drawn off
by the distillate pump.
After the cooling sea water passes through the heat exchanger it flows as feed water to the
evaporator. During the condensation of the vapour the sea water gains some heat and therefore
increases the overall efficiency of the plant

The main engine jacket water system provides the heating medium in the lower chamber,
passing into the heating coil at approximately 80°C returning at approximately 70°C.
The flow of jacket water through the evaporator, and hence the rate of evaporation, is regulated
by means of the bypass valve. The evaporator feed water is injected with a foaming and scale
inhibiting compound via a chemical injection unit which incorporates an injection control system
to regulate the quantity of chemical injected.

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General Evaporators

The distillate produced is pumped to the fresh water storage tanks by the distillate pump. The
distillate is monitored by a salinity indicator and should the salinity rise above a set amount,
(approximately 10ppm), a solenoid valve in the discharge line is activated and the water is
diverted from the storage tank discharge line back to the lower chamber.
When the distillate salinity level drops to below the maximum allowable setting, the solenoid
valve will close and the discharge of distillate to the fresh water storage tanks will resume.
Because the fresh water generation uses the low temperature process it is important to sterilise
the water before it can be used for drinking.
A silver ion sterilisation unit and a mineraliser unit are installed in the discharge between the
FWG and the FW storage tanks.

Flat Plate Fresh Water Generator

The fresh water generator consists of the following main components:
• Flat plate evaporator section
• Separator vessel
• Flat plate condenser section
• Combined brine/air ejector
• Ejector pump
• Fresh water distillate pump
• Salinometer
• Control panel refrigerant is returned through a drier unit and filter to the cold room evaporators.

Figure 3

The freshwater generator (evaporator) utilises jacket water from the main engine as the heating
medium thus improving the thermal efficiency of the whole plant.
The working principle is that the evaporator boils sea water in a high vacuum at a temperature
of less than 45oC. The vapour produced passes through a separator, where the brine is
separated from the vapour and extracted by the combined brine/air ejector. The vapour passes
through a demister before entering the condenser section where it is condensed by seawater
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General Evaporators

before being pumped to the freshwater storage tanks. The quality of the distillate is continuously
monitored by a salinity indicator fitted with an alarm, which has an electrode fitted to the
distillate water pump discharge.

Figure 4

An ejector pump provides a continuous supply of seawater and this supply acts to cool the
vapour in order to condense it. It also serves as a feed supply to the evaporator and is the
driving fluid supply for the brine/air ejector. The ejector creates a vacuum within the evaporator
and removes the brine from the separator chamber.
The evaporator shell contains a plate type heat exchanger through which hot water circulates
from the engine jacket cooling system. This hot water heats the seawater supplied to the
evaporator as feed by the ejector pump. Due to the vacuum inside the chamber, the seawater
will boil off at the relatively low temperature created by the circulating jacket water (saturation
temperature for the pressure). The vacuum of approximately 85% is maintained by the ejector
continuing to remove the non-condensable gases released from the seawater feed. The vapour
produced rises to the upper chamber, via a deflector plate and through demister pads, where
any entrained seawater droplets are removed. The upper chamber houses the plate type
condenser, which is supplied with seawater, by the ejector pump, and condenses the vapour.
The condensed vapour (distillate) is drawn off by the distillate pump. After the cooling seawater
passes through the condenser, a proportion flows as feed water to the evaporator. As this feed
water has been preheated in the condenser the overall efficiency of the evaporator plant is
increased.
The engine jacket water system provides the heating medium in the lower chamber, passing
into the heating coil at approximately 90oC and returning at approximately 72oC. The jacket
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General Evaporators

water is pumped into the evaporator by a booster pump, the evaporator feed water is injected
with a foaming and scale inhibiting compound via a chemical injection unit.
The distillate produced is pumped to the fresh water storage tanks by the distillate pump. The
distillate is monitored by a salinity indicator and should the salinity rise above a set amount
(approximately 10ppm), a solenoid valve in the discharge line is activated and the water is
diverted from the storage tank back to the lower chamber. When the distillate salinity level drops
to below the alarm level the distillate is directed to the storage tank
maximum allowable setting, the solenoid valve will close and the discharge of distillate to the
fresh water storage tanks will resume.
Because the fresh water generator uses the low temperature process it is important to sterilise
the water before it is used for drinking. A sterilisation unit is installed in the discharge from the
fresh water generator to the freshwater tanks.

Figure 5

No Shell Flat Plate Freshwater Generator

The AQUA freshwater generator is an optimised process which cuts seawater needs in half,
minimizes pipework and allows the installation of smaller seawater pumps. This in turn reduces
installation costs, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
The evaporator makes use of 3in1 plate technology, which enables desalination in a single plate
pack with one type of titanium plate. Since the plate pack also contains the process vacuum,
there is no outer shell and is smaller than other freshwater generators. The plate pack slides
open for easy access to the interior without an additional service area.
The use of corrosion and erosion-resistant titanium, combined with an optimized process that
inhibits natural scaling, ensures that the evaporator needs little maintenance.

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General Evaporators

Figure 6

The freshwater generator consists of a single plate pack containing a flexible number of titanium
process plates. These plates are suspended within a frame, which comprises a carrying bar,
frame plate and pressure plate. Evaporation, separation, and condensation all occur within the
same plate pack.
Among the plate pack features are gaskets with rubber flaps that indicate correct plate
assembly, as well as distance pipes that ensure proper plate alignment and correct tightening.
Connected to the plate pack is a combined system for feed water, condenser cooling water and
ejector water. The freshwater system consists of a freshwater pump and a freshwater control
sensor that ensures a stable outgoing flow.

Figure 7

The flow of feed water is taken from the flow of seawater coolant. Feed water enters the lower
(evaporator) section of the plate pack, in which the plates are warmed by the heating medium.
The heating medium is either engine jacket cooling water or a closed circuit heated by steam.
Here the water is evaporated at around 40-60°C in a vacuum of 85-95%, which is maintained by
the brine/air ejector.

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General Evaporators
The vapour produced rises between the plates into the middle (separator) section of the plate
pack, where any droplets of entrained seawater are removed. Gravity causes these droplets to
fall back into the brine sump at the bottom of the freshwater generator.
Fault Finding on Flat Plate Evaporators
Problem Cause
Low Sea Cooling water/ Too low ejector pump pressure.
Ejector pump Suction strainer blocked
flow/pressure. Valves on suction or pressure
Min pressure 300kPa pipe defect.
(43.5PSI) At inlet side of Leakage from suction pipe to
ejector. pump
Impeller/seal ring defective
Clocked up condenser plate
stack
Pump rotating in wrong
direction
Sight glass overflow. Suction pipe leakage.
Normal back pressure for
freshwater pump is 120- Mechanical seal in freshwater
160kPa (17.4-23.3PSI). pump defect.
Except for JWP 16-C40 Impeller/seal ring in freshwater
generator type where the extraction pipe detect
max back pressure is Pump rotating in wrong
80kPa (11.6PSI) direction
Valves to freshwater tank
closed.
Inlet filter for water clock
blocked
Salinity to high (more Demister not fitted correctly.
than 2.0ppm)
Front cover gasket defect or not
fitted correctly.
Insufficient brine extraction.
Electrode unit defective or dirty
Leakage in condenser section
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Action
Clean or replace pressure gauge.
Clean suction strainer
Examine and overhaul defective valves.
Repair
Check pump max clearance. See
‘Maintenance of ejector pump’
Dismantle condenser plate stack and
clean.
Interchange phases
Check suction pipe especially unions
and connections. Re-pair.
Replace Mechanical seal.
Check pump max clearance. See
‘Maintenance of Freshwater Pump’
Interchange phases
Check all valves
Clean Filter
Check that the demister is fitted against
baffle and front cover.
Replace front cover gasket.
See separate instructions for
insufficient brine extraction.
Examine electrode unit for cracks.
Check that it is fitted correctly. Clean, if
necessary.
Open the distiller and pressure test the
condenser. Max 600kPa (87PSI). If
8
General
Insufficient brine
extraction- brine levels in
sight glass higher than
20mm
Problem
Frequent refill of
freshwater expansion
tank due to loss of hot
water.
Abnormal amperage
consumption of ejector
pump motor.
Table 1
Evaporators
Ejector pump pressure too low.
Foreign bodies in ejector
nozzles.
Too high back pressure
downstream of ejector
Wrong dimension of feedwater
in orifice.
Non-return valve in brine suction
pipe of ejector defect.
Cause
Leakage in evaporator section.
Ejector nozzles defective
Wrong dimension of feedwater
inlet orifice.
Bearings in motor defective.
Contactor defective
Breaking of phases
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there is a defective plate remove
together with adjacent plate assemble
plate stack according to new plate
number with reduced assembly
measurements. Check plate gaskets
and replace, if necessary.
See instructions for ‘Low Sea cooling
water/ ejector pump flow/pressure’
Check nozzles and clean. Replace
damaged nozzles.
Examine overboard pipe and valves.
Examine orifice dimension- check tech
specification.
Examine valve and repair or replace.
Action
Open distiller and pressure test
condenser. Max. 600kPa (87PSI). If
there is a defective plate remove
together with adjacent plate assemble
plate stack according to new plate
number with reduced assembly
measurements. Check plate gaskets
and replace, if necessary.
Replace nozzles
Check dimensions on spare parts list
and replace if necessary.
Examine with stethoscope and replace
bearings, if defective.
Examine and replace contactor set, if
defective.
Max 5% difference in amperage
between phases.
9
General Evaporators

Multi-stage Flash evaporation

Figure 8

Principle of Operation
After leaving the first stage condenser (3), the seawater flows through the brine heater (1),
where the heat input to the plant (steam or engine jacket water) causes a further temperature
increase.
The seawater leaves the brine heater (1) and enters the first flash chamber (2), reaching a brine
top temperature of approx. 80°C. At this point the pressure of the incoming seawater is
suddenly reduced, by means of an orifice, below its equilibrium vapour pressure resulting in
explosive boiling or evaporation (flashing).
The pure vapour produced is then condensed giving up its latent heat to preheat the incoming
seawater (3).
If this process is repeated over a large number of effects, at successively lower pressures and
temperatures, large distillate production rates at reasonable performance ratios can be
achieved.

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Figure 9

Flash desalination plant and Brine recycling

A flash evaporator consists of several consecutive stages (evaporating chambers) maintained at
decreasing pressures from the first stage (hot) to the last stage (cold). Sea-water flows through
the tubes of the heat exchangers where it is warmed by condensation of the vapour produced in
each stage. Its temperature increases from sea temperature to inlet temperature of the brine
heater. The sea water then flows through the brine heater where it receives the heat necessary
for the process (generally by condensing steam).

Figure 10

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the
At the outlet of the brine heater, when entering the first cell, sea water is overheated compared
to the temperature and pressure of stage 1. Thus, it will immediately "flash" i.e. release heat, and
thus vapour, to reach equilibrium with stage conditions.
The produced vapour is condensed into fresh water on the tubular exchanger at the top of the
stage. The process takes place again when the water is introduced into the following stage, and
so on until the last and coldest stage. The cumulated fresh water builds up the distillate production
which is extracted from the coldest stage.
Sea water slightly concentrates from stage to stage and builds up the brine flow which is extracted
from the last stage.
The once-through flash type evaporator uses the sea-water flow both for purposes of cooling
(sea-water is introduced into the evaporator at the sea temperature and is rejected at the brine
temperature) and production of distillate (by flashing from the outlet temperature of the brine
heater to the brine extraction temperature).
This has two consequences on plant design:
The whole sea water flow being heated to high temperature, it has to be treated with anti-scale
chemicals which increases operating costs.

As the sea water flow cannot be decreased below values allowing safe working conditions, the
stages must be designed for cold sea water operation, leading to an increased evaporator volume
and thus increased investment costs.

Figure 11

These two points have led to the separation of the two functions (cooling and production).

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The cooling sea-water flows through the condensers of the two (or generally three) last stages,
named "heat reject section".
Upon leaving the evaporator, part of the warmed water is rejected to the sea, part is used as the
make-up for the plant. Only this part of the water is chemically treated instead of the whole cooling
water.
The production is ensured by the brine recycling flow that is drawn from the last stage towards
the condensers of the other stages, named "heat gain section", and then to the brine heater.
The warmed water leaving the heat reject section may be used in cold conditions to warm up the
cooling sea-water, thus enabling the evaporator volume to be designed for a reasonably high
temperature.
Multi-Stage Flash plants with brine recycling are widely used on passenger vessels.
Once-through desalination plant should only be used for small plants (when the cost of the
chemicals is not of great importance) and in areas where the temperature of the sea-water
remains approximately constant throughout the year.

Starting an Evaporator manually

Always start the ejector/ feed pump first. Then close the vacuum breaker.
Heating an evaporator that does not have any flow of feed water through it, will boil it dry and
create hard scale on the heating surfaces.

Once at the correct vacuum, and feed water flow and level have been established, slowly open
the Jacket water inlet and outlet valves, and wait for a few minutes for everything to settle down,
then start the distillate pump. Ensure the condenser temperatures, Salinity, vacuum etc. are
correct then slowly shut in the Jacket water bypass until the temp drop across the evaporator is
correct. If there is a bypass on the Condenser S.W. line adjust that, then back to the JW bypass
in a reiterative process, until everything is set up according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
(Normally the temperature drop across any heat exchanger is 8 to 12oC)

In order to produce the maximum amount of water without scaling the aim is to evaporate 1/3 of
all the feed water put into the evaporator, so correct operation of the automatic feed valve and
cleaning of the feed filter are critical to the efficient operation of the plant.
If more than 1/3 of the feed water is evaporated it will cause hard scale deposits on the heating
elements even if chemical treatment is being used. With evaporation less than 1/3 heat energy is
being wasted by dumping a larger volume of water at the evaporation temperature.

When shutting down, always slowly open the bypass valve, close the jacket water inlet and outlet
valves, allow the entire evaporator to cool down to ambient temperature, open the vacuum relief
valve, and only after the evaporator shell vacuum has fallen off, stop the ejector pump,(This
flushes out the brine and again prevents the formation of Hard Scale.) if the evaporator is below
the water line you will have to shut the feed water valves to stop Sea Water gravitating into the
shell otherwise it is not a problem to leave it open.

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Evaporator Scale
There are numerous types of evaporators all working to produce pure water with concentrated
sea-water (brine) as waste. This concentration effect can lead to the formation of damaging scales
within the evaporator. Over concentration is usually prevented by having a continuous stream of
sea-water passing through the unit thus maintaining a satisfactory dilution of the sea-water side
of the evaporator (brine). However, because of the high salt content, when the sea-water is
elevated to temperatures above 30oC scale can begin to form on the heat transfer surfaces.
Additionally as the majority of evaporators operate under vacuum there is a tendency for the
make-up water side to foam, which can give rise to carry-over and contamination of the pure water
stream.
The four scales which are principally found in evaporators are:

Calcium Sulphate (CaSO4)-1200ppm, scale formation is principally on density, it remains in

solution below 140oC and/or 96000ppm.The worst scale forming salt forming a thin hard grey
scale.

Magnesium Hydroxide Mg(OH)2 ,remains in solution below 90oC.

Magnesium Bi-Carbonate 150ppm, is soluble below 90oC and forms a soft scale, prevention is by
keeping the operating temperature of the evaporator below 90 oC.
Above 90oC it breaks down to form MgCO3 and CO2 and then Mg(OH)2 and CO2

Calcium bicarbonate Ca(HCO3)2 180ppm.

Slightly soluble, above 65oC and breaks down to form insoluble calcium carbonate forming a soft
white scale.
Scale formation is prevented by chemical treatment Ca(HCO3)2 = Ca + 2(HCO2)
2HCO3 = CO3 + H2O + CO2
o
If heated up to approximately 80 C CO3 + Ca = CaCO3
If heated above 80oC CO3 + H20 = HCO3 + OH
Mg + 2(OH) = Mg(OH)2

Hence if sea water in the evaporator is heated to a temperature below 80 oC calcium carbonate
predominates.
If it is heated above 80oC then magnesium hydroxide scale is deposited.

Sodium Chloride 32230 to 25600ppm -generally ignored

Soluble below 225000ppm forms a soft encrustation and free ions promote galvanic action. It is
unlikely to precipitate and is easily removed. crankcase pressure and oil pressure decreases then
the differential pressure switch contacts are made and the heater will operate. If the low oil
pressure is sustained then the bimetallic timing switch will open and stop the compressor. Once
the timing switch has cooled the reset button can be used to allow the compressor to be restarted
after the cause of the low oil pressure has been found and rectified.

Super saturation
This is where the concentration of dissolved salts exceed their solubility at the particular
temperature encountered and precipitation begins to occur. When deposition occurs under
these conditions heavy scale deposits can rapidly build up and lead to a loss of heat transfer

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efficiency. Scale deposition due to super saturation is often localised in areas of elevated
temperature such as heat transfer surfaces in heat-exchangers. This is because of localised
over concentration of salts with respect to the temperature of the thin water layer at the surface
of the metal. Scale deposition can therefore occur on heat-exchange surfaces even when the
conditions in the bulk of the water are not scale forming.

Methods of controlling and minimising scale

Use low pressure evaporation plant.
Operate at temperatures below 80oC so that calcium carbonate scale predominates. That is a
soft scale, easily removed and not such a poor conductor of heat.

Use magnetic treatment.

A unit consisting of permanent magnets, preceded by a filter, is installed in the evaporator feed
line. The water passes through a strong magnetic field which alters the charge on the salts so
that the amalgamation of the salt crystals, formed during precipitation in the evaporator, is
prevented and the salt then goes out with the brine.

Use flexing elements.

A heating element made of thin gauge monel metal built like a concertina may be used. The
advantage of such an element is that when pressure, and hence temperature, vary slightly the
element flexes considerably thereby cracking off scale effectively and permitting longer running
periods of the evaporator between shut downs. Care should be made not to submit the element
to over pressurisation.

Use continuous chemical treatment

Treatments
Ferrous chloride-FeCl2 keeps pH too low for Mg(OH)2 and CaCO3 to decompose to form scale.
Sodium sulphate-Na(SO4)2 or HCl and corrosion inhibitor.

Alternative: Rubber lining necessary to protect shell from acidic water.

Sodium polyphosphate.
A mixture of different phosphates

Prevents scale formation below 80oC

Sludge (coagulant and antifoam) conditioners can be used with potable water.

Polyelectrolytes
Prevent scale above 80oC and are safe with potable water.

Evaporator Acid Cleaning

SAF-ACID descaling compound is a special blend of sulfamic acid, wetting agent and colour
indicator. The wetting agent enhances the action of the sulfamic acid in removing deposits by its
surface-active cleaning properties. The colour indicator provides a simple means for
determining whether the strength of the SAF-ACID solution is adequate for effective, efficient
cleaning.

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Features
Concentrated liquid
Contains a corrosion inhibitor
Contains a wetting agent
Contains a color indicator
Does not require special test apparatus
Free-flowing powdered acid
Table 2
Benefits
Reduces cleaning time
Cost effective
Does not require equipment disassembly
for cleaning
Minimizes metal attack during cleaning
Can be used in most shipboard systems
Penetrates light, organic film
Quick removal of scale
Easy determination of solution strength
Easy to store and mix

Application and Use

SAF-ACID descaling compound is recommended for removing mineral scale deposits from
evaporators, heat exchanger heat transfer surfaces and boilers. It is also effective in removing
iron deposits when used in combination with salt. SAF-ACID descaling compound is effective in
removing shell growth from seawater heat exchangers. Before using SAF-ACID descaling
compound, if there is organic matter (oil) in the deposits, the equipment should be cleaned with
a heavy-duty emulsifier, liquid alkaline cleaner or heavy-duty cleaner. If the organic material is
baked on, it may require an extra initial clean with heavy-duty cleaner.
SAF-ACID descaling compound must be dissolved in fresh water before adding to cleaning
equipment. When dissolved, SAF-ACID descaling compound strength is monitored by a built-in
colour indicator. A gold colour indicates SAF-ACID solution is the appropriate strength for
descaling. As scale is dissolved and the acid strength becomes exhausted, the solution turns
from gold to green. When this occurs, the solution is no longer sufficiently acidic to efficiently
dissolve scale. The cleaning solution can be brought back to strength by the addition of
approximately 25% of the initial dose of SAF-ACID descaling compound. The additional SAF-
ACID descaling compound should turn the solution gold again while maintaining the cleaning
solution temperature at 60-70° C.

When equipment is very heavily scaled and large amounts of SAF-ACID descaling compound
are required, the solution may become saturated and will remain gold in colour because no
additional scale can be dissolved. To avoid this, not more than two subsequent acid charges
should be added. If, after the second addition of SAF-ACID descaling compound the equipment
is not clean, properly discard the solution and repeat the cleaning procedure with a fresh acid
solution. After cleaning with SAF-ACID descaling compound, drain and flush with fresh water
and rinse with a 1% solution of concentrated alkaline liquid to neutralize any acid remaining on
heat transfer surfaces.
Important Information and Precautions
Do not allow acid solution to remain in equipment for more than 24 hours.
As with all acid cleaning, be sure to remove zinc plates and rods or other sacrificial anodes
before cleaning.

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The acid cleaning process may generate flammable/hazardous gas, including hydrogen. Do not
perform hot work when acid is in circulation. • Always make sure that equipment has sufficient
ventilation to prevent the accumulation of gases.

Evaporators/Heat Exchangers
Add SAF-ACID™ descaling compound slowly to the tank of water, stirring if necessary, until the
desired quantity of acid is dissolved. Refer to the dosage chart for the amount of acid required.
Circulate the acid cleaning solution at a temperature of 60-70° C. The solution may be heated
by either the introduction of steam or the use of an immersion heater. If the equipment is badly
scaled, it may be necessary to discard the cleaning solution and make a fresh batch. Cleaning
is complete when the SAF-ACID strength holds constant for at least half an hour as indicated by
a steady gold colour. Cleaning is generally accomplished in 2-6 hours. Drain the cleaning
solution and flush the system. Refill with water and add the required amount of concentrated
alkaline liquid.
Circulate for 1/2 to 1-1/2 hours, then drain the system. Inspect the system and return to service.

Fresh water generator cleaning- Merus Ring

Figure 12

On all vessels traveling, not only along the coastline, drinking water or fresh water has to be
produced on the ship from the seawater. In this case an Alfa Laval fresh water generator was on
board, with a production capacity is 25m3 a day. Despite cleaning the generator with chemicals,
the production capacity declined over time. Once the produced volume had reached the
minimum amount of water needed on the vessel the fresh water generator had to be
disassembled. Every plate needed to be cleaned manually with chemical cleaning agents
before reassembly and commissioning.
The cleaning process not only produced costs but also means that while the cleaning work was
done no fresh water could be produced on the vessel.
The figure 13 shows what the plates in the generator look liked after some months of operation.

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General Evaporators

Figure 13

A Solution
On a ship equipped with one single generator, just as most cargo vessels, one Merus Ring was
installed on the common feed line, to treat all the feed water. Both sides of the fresh water
generator were being treated, meaning the condenser side and the evaporator side of the plates
in the heat exchanger.
In order to get a clear picture about the performance of the Merus Ring it was decided, not to
clean the heat exchanger plates, after taking the picture. The fresh water generator was
reassembled without removing the existing deposits and at the same time no more chemicals
were added for feed water treatment.
The fresh water generator was kept running over 8 months without opening. After this period of
time the vessel went to the dry dock.

Monitoring the Performance

After installing the Merus Ring there was an astonishing increase of the production volume.
After increasing the value stabilized on the nominal capacity.
The fresh water generator was disassembled in the dry dock as planned. The purpose was
solely to see the effects on the plates. The picture shows that all plates were clean, just as
assumed from monitoring data. The only dirt visible was a brown film which could be removed
easily with a cloth.

Figure 14

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General Evaporators

There are three benefits of installing a Merus Ring.

o A time and money saver in terms of cleaning costs.
o No chemicals are needed, which is a step towards green shipping.
o No space is taken up for chemicals and cleaning utensils.

How Merus works

This water treatment is ideal as there are no side effects or environmental damage since no
chemicals used. It can effectively combat lime scale, rust and biofilm in technical pipelines and
systems.
Instead of chemical processes, physics plays a major role.

Figure 15

Changing Oscillations
Water can carry a certain number of foreign particles. If this amount is exceeded these particles
settle and can form a hard crust. An example for this is lime scale.
The reason for the behaviour of the particles in water is, among others, how the atoms of water
and lime scale move or oscillate.
If this movement is changed, the solubility of foreign substances in the fluid will increase.
The atoms move synchronously, this means that every atom oscillates in the same way. If
another oscillation is brought into the movement these two can overlay, causing interference.
Thus, two different oscillations result in a new oscillation. If an oscillation is put into the fluid
specifically this is called active oscillation.

Creating Oscillations in the Fluid

The Merus Ring creates and transmits these waves or oscillations to the fluid and is installed
around the pipe needing no direct contact with the fluid. The oscillations are be transmitted into
the fluid through the pipe wall. The Merus ring is made of treated aluminium. Existing deposits
are removed, and new deposits are prevented.

Superimposing oscillations - basics

Natural Oscillation, Active Oscillation, Resulting Oscillation

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General Evaporators

Figure 16

In Figure 16 natural and active oscillation have the same frequency but opposing amplitudes.
They are exactly superimposed and therefore cancel each other out. That is why the resulting
oscillation lays on the x-axis.

Figure 17

In Figure 17 ,natural and active oscillation tops and valleys are at the same time.
They mutually reinforce each other thus the resulting oscillation has a higher value than the
original oscillations. The two graphs are intended to show how superimpositions of oscillations
work in theory.

Loss of vacuum or the increase of pressure in the shell

The temperature of water in the water generators is about 80 °C. That is not enough for
evaporation in normal conditions. Vacuum is used to lower the pressure to the point where the
boiling point of water is less than 70 °C. If the vacuum fails or the pressure increases, the
production of fresh water is stopped. There are a few reasons.
Air leaks into the evaporator, and the air ejector is either overwhelmed or malfunctioning
Cooling water flow is reduced or the cooling water temperature is too high.

Salt water carry-over

Also known as priming, this problem occurs when the supposedly desalinated water contains
high amounts of salt. There are two basic reasons for this problem. The first reason is that salt
water levels in the generator are high, so some of the water is carried over with the vapour. The

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other reason is that the density of the brine is too high, which again causes the salt water to be
carried over with the vapour.

Increase in the level of brine

Brine is the leftover salt and water when the water is evaporated. There is a set amount of brine
which can be stored in the generator. This is regulated and removed by the air-brine ejector. If it
malfunctions, brine levels can rise to the point of breaking the generator.

Increase in the salinity of evaporated water

Contaminated sea water
increased CO2 levels in the water (this does not actually increase the levels of salt, but it
increases the conductivity of water, which is what a salinometer measures). This issue is
connected to the previous one in terms of possible cause. The primary cause of this problem is
the increase of level of brine. Some other causes include.
Why choose distillation?
High water purity, low sensitivity to inlet water quality
Comparing distillation with the most commonly chosen alternative, reverse osmosis (RO),
distillation is the clear winner in terms of distillate purity, providing water purity in the range 2–10
ppm TDS (total dissolved solids).
Distillation systems normally offer more than 90% availability, compared to RO, which offers
less than 70%. The reason is that RO is sensitive to raw water quality. Variations in salinity and
content of suspended solids and harmful elements negatively affect performance.
An RO system is also more prone to fouling and scaling than a distillation system. Frequent
cleaning is required, which is a complex, time consuming task.
Lowest energy consumption.
The electrical power consumption of these units is down to 1 kWh per m 3 distillate, compared
with 4 kWh/m3 for a sea water RO system with an energy recovery unit. RO systems without
energy recovery use up to 9 kWh/m3.
Low chemicals consumption at the pre-treatment stage,
Distillers normally require simple standard filtration and dosing with a single anti-scaling agent to
avoid scaling formation on the heat transfer surfaces.
In RO systems, however, pre-treatment is the weakest part of the process. Thorough filtration
and chemical treatment is required in order to avoid scaling and fouling due to particles and
colloids in the membrane.
Another benefit is that distillation systems can be operated by less skilled personnel while RO
systems require specialist know-how. In addition, RO typically involves the frequent costly
replacement of hardware and consumables.
Seawater desalination using thermal waste energy.
Comparison of typical operational cost depending on site specific water quality and treatment.
Water treatment has a high impact on RO cost. Although at first glance RO seems to be the less
expensive solution, it pays to look at the total picture. The somewhat higher investment for a
distillation system will rapidly be recovered through savings in operating costs. Operating costs
for RO systems range from twice as high as for distillers, up to five times as high! Also, the cost
of the full pre-treatment and after-treatment process is often not included in the price of the RO
system.

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Why choose plate technology?

High thermal efficiency.
Why choose plate distillers and not the more traditional shell-and-tube units?
Plate distillers occupy only a fraction of the space of shell-and-tube distillers. They offer much
higher thermal efficiency in relation to their volume and weight.
Minimum scaling.
In shell-and-tube distillers, scale formation adversely affects the heat transfer process,
increases energy consumption, and reduces capacity.
The heat transfer surfaces are in Grade 1 Titanium.
Plate type distillers can be cleaned effectively.
Plate type distillers can be cleaned easily and effectively, without opening the plate stack, by in-
line chemical cleaning (CIP), or, if required, they can be opened and cleaned manually.

Figure 18

Plate-type distillers are designed to provide a controlled falling film. A controlled falling film is
continuously in contact with the entire heat transfer surface. This ensures full wetting of surfaces
and minimizes the risk of deposit build-ups and dry spots, which in turn, avoids scaling and
maintains a high thermal efficiency.
Another factor is the short residence time of the media in the unit, which gives a faster process
response to load changes and less scaling.
The performance of shell-and-tube evaporators gradually decreases due to irreversible scaling
and fouling. Due to their design, cleaning these units is a difficult, time-consuming task and,
unlike with plate distillers, it does not return them to their original design capacity.
Flexible design, low material costs
Plate-type distillers can be designed for any capacity and can be expanded to provide more
capacity if needed. Compared to shell-and-tube distillers, material costs are low, even in
applications where titanium is required for corrosion resistance.

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Reverse Osmosis
vapour In the Reverse Osmosis process, water at high pressure passes through very fine
membranes that allow only the water molecules to pass through.
The plant basically consists of two phases.

Figure 19

The first phase is a pre-treatment plant where filtration and coagulation removes the solids and
suspended particles, chlorination and other chemicals removes the biological organisms and
chemical addition controls the pH and hardness. The second phase is the membrane filtration.

Sea water at high pressure is pumped to the filters. Each of the filter consists of a special
membrane wrapped around an inner tube. The pressure forces the water molecules through the
membranes to the inner tube. A 60 % yield of fresh water is possible in RO systems. The
remaining sea water carries away the collected salts and is returned back into the sea.
Increasing the number of filter modules increases the capacity of the plant. A third stage
consisting of another set of membrane filters may be required if the quality of the product has to
be further improved.
The main energy requirement in a RO system is for the pumps required to pressurise the water
to the membranes.

Figure 20

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Pre-Treatment Processes
A very cost-effective way to avoid biological fouling of the membranes is seawater chlorination.
Unfortunately, chlorine oxidizes the membrane material, therefore only 1000 ppm can be
tolerated.
A common dichlorination process is the injection of sodium bisulphite or metabisulfite, classified
as a chlorine scavenger. Another solution is the use of a granulated activated carbon.
Natural Organic Materials, particles and colloids can be removed by so-called "conventional
treatment" consisting of coagulation followed by deep media filtration for low turbidity water.
Additional steps such as flocculation and sedimentation are added in case of very turbid shallow
seawater.
The non-conventional pre-treatment for Natural Organic Materials, particles and colloids is
ultrafiltration.
An anti-scalant solution should be dosed before the reverse osmosis membranes to disperse
calcium carbonate and sulphates precipitates in order to avoid scaling.
Fine filtration (5-micron) is required as a last step before the RO membranes to prevent any
debris, sand particles or piping material to damage the membranes.

Fouling Cause Appropriate Treatment

Biological Fouling Bacteria. Microorganisms, viruses,
protozoan
Particle Fouling Sand, clay (turbidity, suspended solids)
Colloidal Fouling Organic and inorganic complexes,
colloidal particles, micro-algae.
Organic Fouling Natural organic matter (NOM): humic
and fulvic acids, biopolymers
Mineral Fouling Calcium, Magnesium Barium, or
strontium sulfates and carbonates
Oxidant Fouling Chlorine, Ozone and KMnO4
Table 3
Chlorination
Filtration
Coagulation +Filtration
Optional:
flocculation/sedimentation
Coagulation +Filtration +
Activated carbon adsorption
Coagulation + Ultrafiltration
Antiscalant dosing
Acidification
Oxidant scavenger dosing:
Sodium (meta)bilsulfite
Granulated Activated Carbon

Reverse Osmosis Membrane Troubleshooting and Cleaning

Reverse Osmosis membranes must be rinsed and chemically cleaned periodically, when
stopped or when performances decrease by 10-15%.

Post service rinse

Seawater flows tangentially along the membrane, creating a salt concentration gradient along
the membranes’ length, the last element having the most concentrated brine bulk.
When the RO is stopped or in stand-by, natural osmosis will happen between the permeate side
and the concentrate side containing high salinity brine. This can damage the feed spacers by
creating a vacuum in the permeate line, as water will naturally flow back to the concentrate side,
driven by osmotic pressure.
To avoid this natural damaging osmosis to happen, seawater and brine are flushed off the
membranes after service by permeate water taken from the permeate tank (before chlorination)

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and pushed in the membrane by a low pressure pump (i.e., feed pump, distribution pump or
specific cleaning pump)
Membrane chemical cleaning
Seawater flows tangentially along the membrane, creating a boundary layer on the membrane
surface.
Membranes have to cleaned typically when:
o Normalized Permeate flow varies by 10-15%
o Normalized Feed pressure varies by 10-15%
o Normalized Permeate conductivity varies by 10-15%
o Pressure drop between feed and concentrate varies by 10-15%
Normalized values consider temperature and salinity variations in feed water.

Figure 21

The Cleaning In Place (CIP) station, depending on the plant size includes a chemical tank with
mechanical or manual stirrer, a CIP pump and a fine filter to avoid debris to enter the
membranes. The chemical tank size depends on the number of membranes to be cleaned at
the same time.
Alkaline and Acid Cleaning solutions are recirculated around the membranes for at least 30
minutes.
Fault Finding
Permeate Salinity Permeate Flow Pressure Drop Possible Cause
Rapid Increase Rapid Decrease Rapid Increase Metal oxide fouling
Marked Increase Gradual Decrease Gradual Increase Mineral scaling
Slight Increase Gradual Decrease Gradual Increase Colloidal fouling
Normal to Increased Decreased Normal to Increased Polymerized Silica
Decreased Marked decrease Marked Increase Biological Fouling
Decreased Decrease Normal to Increased Organic Fouling
Increased Increased Increased Chlorine Damage

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Increased Increased Normal to decrease Abrasion damages

Increased Normal to Increased Normal to decrease O-ring leaks at inter-
connectors or adapters
Increased Normal to Increased Normal to decrease Glue line leaks due to
permeate back pressure
Table 4

Reverse Osmosis (RO) Membranes

The spiral wound membrane element is the mainstay of the RO industry.
This design consists of multiple “leaves” wound around a central “core” tube. As shown below,
each leaf consists of a permeate channel spacer enveloped by the membrane.
The membrane itself is a special thin film composite (TFC) membrane. This composite consists
of three layers. The first layer is the work horse of the RO element. It is a barrier layer only 0.2
microns thick made of a polyamide polymer. This ultrathin layer is where the salts are separated
from the water. The barrier layer is cast upon a nonwoven polyester web (120 microns thick) for
structural support. A polysulfone layer (40 microns thick) coats the polyester layer to provide a
smooth foundation for the barrier layer as well as allow swift permeation of the purified water.
When viewing membrane flat sheet, the polyamide layer is the “shiny” side of the membrane
and the polyester layer is the “dull” side.

Figure 22

Each membrane leaf is created by gluing two membrane sheets together with the permeate
spacer in between. A single glue line is run along three sides of the permeate spacer to form a
pocket. The open end of this pocket is sealed to the core tube (also known as the permeate
tube) which has perforations running up and down the tube. A feed-brine spacer is inserted
between each of the leaves and the leaves are rolled around the core tube. The larger the
diameter of the RO element (e.g. 2.5” vs. 4”), the greater the number of membrane leaves rolled
around the tube.

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Figure 23

Regardless of whether the element diameter is 1.8”, 2.5”, 4” or 8”, the internal structure of the
element remains the same.
After the element is rolled, it is wrapped in tape to hold the membrane leaves securely in place.
A brine seal is added to one end of the element and (for elements with diameters greater than
2”) anti-telescoping devices (ATD) are added to each end of the element. Most commercial
elements (2.5” and 4” diameter elements), have a shell made with ABS added to the element
after taping to provide further strength and protection.
During the RO system operation, feed water is pumped to the end face of the RO element. The
brine seal around the element ensures that the feed water does not bypass the element
completely. Instead the water flows through the feed-brine spacer which separates the
membrane leaves. This spacer, made of polypropylene netting ranging in thickness of 28 to 34
mil, provides channelling for the flow of the feed water and concentrate. The channels are
designed to promote turbulence of the feed water thereby reducing the settling of salts in the
water upon the surface to the membrane.

Figure 24

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Due to the pressure created by the pump, a portion of the feed water, up to 20% is pushed
across the membrane leaves into the permeate spacers and is collected into the permeate core
tube. Most of the salts (i.e. brine) remain behind and the now “concentrated” water exits the
other side of the RO element.
The permeate spacer (also known as permeate carrier or tricot) is a polyester fabric typically 10
to 16 microns thick with the ability to quickly whisk water away from the membrane.

Figure 25

The anti-telescoping device, as the name implies, prevents the leaves of the element from
“telescoping” (i.e. being pushed out) on the brine (concentrate) end of the element due to the
pressure drop of the water from the feed end of the element to the brine end.

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