Aly Elhefny

Thermochemical modeling and performance evaluation of freeze desalination systems

  • Authors Details :  
  • Aly Elhefny,  
  • Hamidreza Shabgard,  
  • Jie Cai,  
  • Reza Kaviani,  
  • Ramkumar N. Parthasarathy

Journal title : Desalination

Publisher : Elsevier BV

Print ISSN : 0011-9164

Page Number : 117423

Journal volume : 578

195 Views Original Article

Freeze desalination (FD) is a method in which saline water is cooled below its freezing point and freshwater is separated from the brine in the form of ice crystals. FD is relatively insensitive to the salinity of the feed solution, making it suitable for desalination of high concentration brines such as the brine rejected from the seawater desalination plants. The design of the FD system and the thermochemical behavior of the brine upon freezing are critical factors in the energy performance of this method. To date, thermochemical properties of the concentrated seawater during cooling, such as the threshold of formation of ice and salt-hydrates and their corresponding cooling load of formation, are not well known. Likewise, the optimal configuration of the FD system to achieve the maximum energy efficiency has not been investigated. This work provides comprehensive data about the cooling load of freezing of concentrated brine rejected from seawater desalination plants along with the threshold of formation of ice and salt-hydrates backed-up by validation. Furthermore, the optimal configuration of the FD system is identified and the effects of the compressor isentropic efficiency and effectiveness of the system’s heat exchangers on the work consumption of the FD system were investigated.

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2024.117423

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