Multiple Effect
Distillation
Processes for Sea
Water Desalination
The technology
IDEM / ENTROPIE is the world leader in sea water desalination through low temperature
S distillation processes such as:
Multiple Effect Distillation (MED)
Multiple Effect Distillation with Thermal Vapour Compression (MED-TVC)
Multiple Effect Distillation with Mechanical Vapour Compression (MED-MVC)
Non-heated
BASICS ON THE MED PROCESS seawater
An MED evaporator consists of several consecutive cells (or effects) maintained
Distilled
at decreasing levels of pressure (and temperature) from the first (hot) cell to the water
last one (cold). Each cell mainly consists in a horizontal tubes bundle. The top of
the bundle is sprayed with sea water make-up that flows down from tube to
tube by gravity (see sketch 1).
Produced
Heating steam is introduced inside the tubes. Since tubes are cooled externally Steam
by make-up flow, steam condenses into distillate (fresh water) inside the tubes.
At the same time sea water warms up and partly evaporates by recovering the Steam
introduced Brine
condensation heat (latent heat). Due to evaporation sea water slightly
concentrates when flowing down the bundle and gives brine at the bottom of Sketch 1
the cell. The vapour raised by sea water evaporation is at a lower temperature
than heating steam. However it can still be used as heating media for the next SEA WATER DISCHARGE
effect where the process is repeated. The decreasing pressure from one cell to
the next one allows brine and distillate to be drawn to the next cell where they 60C 50C 40C
STEAM
will flash and release additional amounts of vapour at the lower pressure. Vent
This additional vapour will condense into distillate inside the next cell. Condenser
Condensate
This process is repeated in a series of effects (Multiple Effect Distillation) SEA WATER
FEED
(see sketch 2 with 3 effects). In the last cell, the produced steam condenses on a
conventional shell and tubes heat exchanger. This exchanger, called distillate BRINE DISTILLATE
WATER
condenser is cooled by sea-water. At the outlet of this condenser, part of the Sketch 2
warmed sea-water is used as make-up of the unit, the other part is rejected to
the sea. Brine and distillate are collected from cell to cell till the last one from
Steam
where they are extracted by centrifugal pumps Thermocompressor
extracted vapour
The thermal efficiency of such evaporator can be quantified as the number of SEA WATER
DISCHARGE
kilos of distillate produced per one kilo of steam introduced in the system. Such 60C 50C 40C
Vent
number is called the Gain Output Ratio (GOR). Condenser
The GOR of the evaporator in sketch 2 can be enhanced by addition of a thermo- SEA WATER
FEED
compressor between one of the cells and the hot one. Using LP or MP steam this Condensate
static compressor will take part of the vapour raised in one of the cells and BRINE DISTILLATE
WATER
recycle it into higher pressure vapour to be used as heating media for the first
one. Sketch 3 shows the typical arrangement of an MED evaporator with Sketch 3
thermocompression (MED-TVC).Whereas the GOR of the evaporator in sketch 2
would be in the range of 3 (using LLP steam) the GOR of sketch 3 would rather
reach 6 (using LP or MP steam).
COMPRESSOR
When no steam is available, it is still possible to use the MED process with a
Mechanical Vapour Compressor (MED-MVC). In such case the vapour is recycled
from the cold cell to the hot one by means of a centrifugal compressor driven
by an electrical engine (Sketch 4). The electrical consumption of such system is
in the range of 8 to 15 kWh/m3. Due to current limitation in compressors
technology the maximum capacity of MED-MVC units is 5000 m3/day. Preheater
DISTILATE
WATER BRINE SEA WATER
Sketch 4
2
Advantages of the MED processes
MED & MED-TVC
> Very low electrical consumption (1.5 kWh/m3) compared to other thermal processes such as
Multi Stage Flash (MSF) or membrane processes (Reverse Osmosis)
> Operate at low temperature (< 70C) and at low concentration (<1.5) to avoid corrosion
and scaling
> Produce steadily high purity distillate
> Do not need complex pre-treatment of sea water and tolerant to variations of sea water
conditions
> Are highly reliable and simple to operate
> Reduce civil works cost thanks to reduced foot print
> Are simple to install with the packaged unit mounted on skids and delivered ready for use, after
simple installation
> Have a low maintenance cost (No rotating parts except low pressure pumps)
> Operate 24 hours a day with minimum supervision
> Ideal for coupling with power plants, steam can be used at any pressure from 0.35 to 40 bar abs
> Can be adapted to any heat source including hot water
> Allow very high thermal efficiencies and savings in fuel costs
> Range up to 15 MIGD (68 000m3/day)
MED-MVC
> Range up to 5000 m3/day
> Are environmentally clean: 100% electrical process (no external heat source)
> Have high energy efficiency: electrical energy consumption ranging from 8 to 15 kWh/m3
> Sea water consumption is reduced with only make up water necessary
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Characteristics of
SIDEM-ENTROPIE MED design
> Water spray through large opening nozzles or dismountable perforated plates:
Better water distribution - No risk of plugging
Allows final degasing of sea water
> Low vapour velocities:
Low pressure losses
Better quality of distillate (< 2 ppm TDS)
> Knitted stainless steel wire high efficiency demisters
> Tubes expanded in tube plates: guarantee of a constant purity of distillate
> Easy access to the evaporator internals
> High quality selected materials
> Factory assembled and tested (for capacities <2500 m3/day) on skid,
with all auxiliaries, so that installation on site is minimized
> A complete range of standard MED-TVC and MVC units is available
up to 3000 m3/day.
ENERGY SOURCES FLEXIBILITY
MED can be powered by almost any kind of heat source:
> Very low Pressure (LLP) steam (0.35 to 1 bar a): MED
> Low or medium Pressure (LP or MP) steam (over 2 bar a): MED-TVC
> Hot water sources above 60C: MED
> Electricity: MED-MVC
Steam or heat is available from:
> Steam turbines
> Gas turbine power plants (open and combined cycle)
> Diesel generators
> Heat recovery on flue gas cleaning and waste incinerators
> Heat recovery on exothermal industrial processes
> Geothermal waters
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SIDEM-ENTROPIE
standard MED materials list
EVAPORATOR CELLS
Shell and tube plate: 316 L or Duplex SS
Tubes:
Upper rows: Titanium grade 2 SW 0.4 mm th.
or 90/10 Copper Nickel 1 mm th.
Other rows: Aluminium Brass 0.7 mm th.
or Cu-Ni 90/10 0.7 mm th.
Vapour boxes: 316 L or Duplex SS
Demister: 316
Spraying plates: 316 L or Duplex SS
Spray nozzles: Polypropylene
SEA WATER, BRINE, DISTILLATE AND CONDENSATE PUMPS
Impeller: ASTM A351 CD4 MCu
(or CF3M for distillate and condensate)
Casing: ASTM A351 CD4 Mcu
(or CF3M for distillate and condensate)
CONDENSER AND PREHEATERS
Shell and tube plates: 316 L or Duplex SS
Tubes: Titanium grade 2 SW 0.4 mm th.
or 90/10 Copper Nickel 1 mm th.
Water boxes: 316 L or Duplex SS
VACUUM SYSTEM CONDENSERS
Shell & tube plates: 316 L or Duplex SS or High Grade SS
Tubes: Titanium grade 2 SW 0.4 mm th.
or 90/10 Copper Nickel 1 mm th.
Water boxes: 316 L or Duplex SS
EJECTORS
Thermocompressors: 316 L or Duplex SS
Vacuum ejectors: 316 L or Duplex SS or High Grade SS
Other materials can be proposed on case by case basis.
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Industrial references
he high purity of produced water (<2 ppm TDS) allows for direct use in industrial
T applications, with or without minor polishing. These industrial applications include the
production of boiler feed water, process water and water for closed loop cooling systems for
the following industries:
> Cement Plants > Methanol Plants
> Petrochemical Complexes > LNG Plants
> Oil Refineries > Sugar Refineries
> Mining Applications and > Power Plants
Mineral Processing Plants > Chemical Plants
MVC Process
> Client: JV Kellogg, Technicas Reunidas & JGC
> Site: Damietta (Egypt)
> Number of cells: 1
> End user: Segas Egypt LNG
> Contract date: September 2002
Capacity: 2 x 216 m3 product water per day
MED-TVC Process
> Client: Technip & Snamprogetti
> Site: Oman
> Number of cells: 2
> Top brine temperature: 70C
> End user: Omifco fertilizer complex
> Contract date: September 2003
Capacity: 3 x 2 400 m3/d
MED-TVC Process
> Client: Man Ferrostaal
> Site: GL2Z Arzew (Algeria)
> Number of cells: 2
> End user: Sonatrach
> Application: Petrochemical
Capacity: 1 440 m3/day
> Contract date: 2003
6
n the case where potable water is required, the pure product water can be blended with
I raw water in order to achieve adequate potable water at low price. If necessary a
remineralisation plant can be included in the package.
MED-TVC Process
> Client: Technip
> Site: Coke Calcining Plant in Bahrain
> Number of cells: 4
> GOR: 7.5
> Application: distillate for boiler feed and
potable water
> End user: Aluminium of Bahrain
Capacity: 4 x 12 300 m3/d > Year of contract: June 1999
MED-TVC Process
> Client: Hitachi
> Site: Peru
> Number of cells: 2
> Top brine temperature: 70C
> Application: Power station
> End user: Enersur
> Contract date: December 1997 Capacity: 2 x 1 300 m3/day
MED-TVC Process
> Client: YANBU CEMENT Co
> Site: YANBU CEMENT Complex (Saudi Arabia)
> Number of cells: 4
> Top brine temperature: 66C
> Application: Cement factory
> End user: Yanbu cement
Capacity: 2 x 2 500 m3/day
> Contract date: December 1994
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Municipal references
he low electrical consumption, the high reliability and simplicity of operation together
T with its ability to be efficiently combined with power production make MED a first choice
for large desalination plant producing drinking water for municipal applications.
The following references are a few examples of MED successes over the past few years.
MED-TVC Process
> Client: TPL Italia
> Site: Trapani (Sicily)
> Number of cells: 12
> End user: Sicilacque, for Sicily Region
> Contract date: 1990
> Particulars: the largest MED plant in the
world when built in 1992. GOR 16,3.
Capacity: 4 x 9 000 m3/day
MED-TVC or MED Process
> Client: AQUALECTRA
(formerly KAE)
> Site: Curacao Island
Capacity: 12 000 m3/day
> Number of cells: 12
> Contract date: 1994
> Particulars: In winter the unit is driven by 2,45 bar abs LP steam at the thermocompressor
nozzle (GOR 13,4). In summer it is fed by 0,35 bar abs LLP steam to cell 1 (GOR 9,8).
8
MED-TVC Process
> Client: General Electric Company of
Libya (GECOL)
> Site: Tobruk (Libya)
> Number of cells: 6
> Contract date: 1997
> Particulars: The first large MED plant
in Libya for municipal application.
GOR 9,75.
Capacity: 3 x 13 330 m3/day
MED-TVC Process
> Client: Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity
Authority (ADWEA)
> Site: Umm Al Nar Power Station (Abu Dhabi)
> Number of cells: 6
> Contract date: 1998
> Particulars: Fed with 2,75 bar abs LP steam
recovered from the power plant. A steam
transformer is used to keep distillate free from
any hydrazine contamination. GOR 7,9. Capacity: 2 x 16 500 m3/day
MED-TVC Process
> Client: Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority
(SEWA)
> Site: Layyah Power Station (Sharjah UAE)
> Number of cells: 5
> Contract date: 1999
> Particulars: Combined with the power plant,
these units are fed with MP steam at 16 bar
Capacity: 2 x 22 700 m3/day
abs through a steam transformer. GOR 8,4.
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Municipal references
MED-TVC Process
> Client: Total Tractebel EPC
Company
> Site: Taweelah Power and
Desalination Plant (Abu Dhabi -
UAE)
> Number of cells par unit: 6 Capacity: 14 x 17 143 m3/day
> Contract date: 2000
> Particulars: Fed with 2,75 bar abs LP steam recovered from the power plant through steam
transformers (GOR 8). The largest MED plant in the world with 240 000m3/day.
MED-TVC Process
> Client: Sharjah Electricity and Water
Authority (SEWA)
> Site: Layyah Power Station (Sharjah
UAE)
> Number of cells: 5
> Contract date: January 2005
> Particulars: Combined with the power
plant this unit is fed with MP steam at
16 bar abs through a steam transformer
(GOR 8,4). The largest MED unit in the
world with a compact design that al-
lows this 8 MIGD MED-TVC unit to fit
Capacity: 1 x 36 368 m3/day into the space allocation of a 5 MIGD
MSF plant.
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The future of MED technology
&D efforts towards
R the increase of MED
units capacities have
resulted in the key
technologies being
available for large plant
such as 15 MIGD per
single unit.
The basic design beside
shows the outlook of
15 MIGD MED-TVC unit LP Steam @ 3 bar abs GOR 9.5 such plant:
In addition MED-TVC allows unparalleled flexibility when combined with power plants thanks to
the HYBRID MED concept. This concept provides two types of MED units:
The MED-TVC2 can be fed with two types of steam pressure depending on the load factor of the
power plant. When electrical demand is high a lot of LP steam is available, when it is low the
steam extracted from the turbines is a limited quantity of MP steam.
The MED-MTVC units can be driven by LP steam during high electrical demand, and with elec-
trical power when electrical demand is low. Such unit provides a mechanical vapour compres-
sion system to be installed in parallel with the LP thermocompressor.
An HYBRID MED system can use both types of units or one only, in all cases it brings very impor-
tant savings on the production cost of fresh water.
HYBRID MED in summer mode
MVC
TVC 1
LP
LP TVC 2 TVC
steam
steam
MED TVC 2 MED MTVC
Typical GOR 9 Typical GOR 9
TVC : Thermal Vapour Compressor MVC : Mechanical Vapour Compressor (Industrial Fans System)
HYBRID MED in winter mode
kWh MVC
MP TVC 1
steam TVC 2 TVC
MED TVC 2 MED MTVC
Typical GOR 10 Typical consumption 14 kWh/m3
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SIDEM and ENTROPIE are part of VEOLIA WATER SOLUTIONS &
TECHNOLOGIES, one of the world's leader in the design and
construction of water treatment facilities for municipal and industrial
applications, with more than 1.5 billion turnover, and present in
more than 50 countries with more than 6 000 employees.
collaboration scheme
SIDEM ENTROPIE
Large municipal plants Industrial units
CUSTOMERS WHO TRUST US
Abu Dhabi Water and Mitsubishi (Japan)
Electricity Authority (UAE) OCP (Morrocco)
Alstom (France) QAFCO (Qatar)
Aluminium of Bahrain QP (Qatar)
(Bahrain)
Rasgas (Qatar)
Aqualectra (Curacao)
Saipem (France)
ENTROPIE SAS Aramco (KSA)
Saline Water Conversion
Chiyoda (Japan) Corporation (KSA)
Electricit de France (France) Sharjah Electricity and Water
Endesa (Spain) Authority (UAE)
Enersur (Peru) Shell (Holland)
Federal Electricity and Water Snamprogetti (Italy)
Authority (UAE) Sonatrach (Algeria)
Fisia Babcock (Germany)
03/2006 - All photographs, drawings and diagrams are property of ENTROPIE and SIDEM
Sonelgaz (Algeria)
Fluor Daniel (USA) Suez Energy International
ENTROPIE SAS Foster Wheeler (UK) Sumitomo Corporation (Japan)
Gecol (Libya) Technicas reunidas (Spain)
Groupe chimique tunisien Technip (France)
(Tunisia)
Teda (China)
International Power (UK)
Total (France)
JGC (Japan)
Union Fenosa (Spain)
Kellogg (UK)
United Sugar (KSA)
National Petrochemical
Company (Iran) Yanbu Cement (KSA)
Man Ferrostaal (Germany)
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Tel: +33 (0)1 49 95 76 76
Fax: +33 (0)1 49 95 76 95
e-mail: [email protected]
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Tel: +33 (0)1 56 35 35 00
Fax: + 33 (0)1 56 35 35 01
e-mail: [email protected]
