Zero-discharge direct-contact freezing/solar evaporator desalination complex

Abstract

A zero-discharge direct-contact freezing/solar evaporator desalination complex is proposed as an efficient system to reduce the environmental impact of concentrated rejected brine from sea water desalination plants. The proposed DCF-SE complex produces fresh water, Na, Mg and K salts, and bromine. Single- and two-stage DCF plants are investigated. Thermodynamic analysis showed that a two-stage DCF plant consumes 13.78 kWh/m3 with no heat reject at a recovery ratio of 0.8. At this recovery ratio solar evaporators of an area of about 166 km2 are sufficient to evaporate all of the rejected concentrated brine of a DCF plant with a capacity equal to that of all Arabian Gulf desalination plants. © 1992.