Desalination of seawater through progressive freeze concentration using a coil crystallizer

Abstract

In this century, the shortage of clean water supply is an issue of concern and the problem is expected to become more serious in the future. Consequently, researchers are trying to find the best solution to address this problem by introducing new desalination technologies that are able to accommodate the increasing demand for clean water. One of the new technologies introduced is desalination of seawater through freeze concentration. In this study, progressive freeze concentration (PFC) was implemented to produce pure water in the form of an ice crystal block, leaving behind higher concentration seawater using a coil crystallizer. The effect of operating parameters such as initial concentration and coolant temperature were investigated. Meanwhile, the efficiency of the system was reviewed based on the value of the effective partition constant K which is defined by the ratio of solute in ice and liquid phase. A low value of K indicates when the system is most efficient. In addition, the results for the overall heat transfer coefficient are also presented to observe the heat transfer involved in the system.