Low pressure distillation plant

• The shell is kept under vacuum by an ejector system or a vacuum pump

• It is divided into two chambers- evaporating section and condensing
section
• Hot engine cooling water (JCW) flows thro coils in the evaporating
section
• SW is sprinkled over that. SW evaporates (say, 41 deg C)
• The water vapor rises and passes through demister screen
• Demister screen prevents carry over of saline droplets
 • The water vapor condenses when coming into contact with cold SW coils
in condensing chamber
• The distillate is collected, pumped out to storage tanks
• On its way, salinity is measured; if found excessive, 3/2-way valve dumps
it to bilges and activates an alarm

• The left-over salt in SW in evaporated water dissolves in unevaporated

SW and discharged overboard as Brine
• Vacuum is indicated in the vacuum gauge
 Shell – Mild steel, rubber lined to protect from corrosion
 Demister screen – Monel metal wire mesh or polypropylene
 SW, JCW coils – cupro nickel

Distillate treatment

• Why?
 Low operating temp (@40 deg C)- carry over of micro-organisms from
SW, with distillate
 FW storage tanks may become infested
 FW produced is acidic due to dissolved gases from SW. harmful to
human digestive tract
 Water tastes flat due to absence of dissolved solids

• Distillate passes through Neutralite (MgCo3, CaCo3) to remove acidity

and improve taste
• Chlorinating the water is done by adding Sodium hypochlorite liquid or
calcium chloride.
 • Chlorine content 0.2 ppm
• Carbon filter removes chlorine taste before use
• Drinking water is purified by UV sterilizer

Maintenance low pressure distillate plant

• SW contains dissolved gases

• When heating SW, air is liberated; CO2 is liberated from calcium
bicarbonate from SW and becomes calcium carbonate scale
• Other scale forming salts – calcium sulphate and magnesium compounds
(below 80 deg they do not cause problems)
 Periodic cleaning of calcium carbonate scale is necessary
(either mechanical cleaning or dosing with synthetic polymer to convert scale
into flocc which may be discharged with brine)

RO plant
 • Membrane material – polyamide or polysulphonate sheets
• Pump delivery pressure for system – 60 bar, reciprocating or gear pump
• Sea water feed to system is pretreated with sodium hexametaphosphate
to keep the membrane surfaces clean

Domestic FW tanks maintenance

• Harmful organisms in storage tanks cause health problems

 6 Monthly - Pump out storage tanks, hose down surfaces
 12 monthly – 6 Mo routine + re-coat tanks if necessary
wash with 50 ppm of chlorine solution, flush with clean FW
Dry dock – clean tank + leave 50 ppm solution for 4 hours, flush with clean FW
 Before coating the tank, always wire brush, prime
 Apply cement wash / epoxy coating
Flash evaporation process

FW Hydrophore system
• Service air - to provide cushioning effect to water so that water
discharge is smooth (not in spurts)
• Pressostat – to actuate pump starting and stopping (typical value – cut in
2.0 bar, cut out 4.5 bar)
• Mudhole – to clean periodically the internals
• Relief valve – a must for every pressure vessel