MECHANICAL VAPOR COMPRESSION DESALINATION PLANT – EFFICIENCY INCREASING POSSIBILITIES OF PROCESS USING DROPWISE CONDENSATION

Abstract

Using ion-implanted metallic surfaces to provoke a dropwise condensation improves a convective heat transfer coefficient significantly. Thermal desalination process, especially mechanical vapor compression (MVC) could be more effective by ion-implantation technology. This paper points on a possible heat transfer area reduction using defined approach. In defined MVC plant simulation model (mathematical model and realized software), a replacing filmwise by dropwise condensation can improve both main convective heat transfer process (condensation and evaporation) by arising a condensation heat transfer coefficient and also a heat flux value (respectively). For assumed improvement factor of dropwise condensation, comparing with filmwise condensation by the same MVC plant capacity, the reduction of main heat exchanger area is within 40% and 45%.