Abstract
For the purpose to investigate the applicability of liquid natural gas (LNG) to direct contact freezing process, desalination of saline water by freezing process using liquid nitrogen instead of LNG was carried out. It was found that there exists a maximum limiting feed rate of liquid nitrogen to keep crystallizer in operation without troubles. The limiting feed rate is considered to be strongly affected by the heat transfer rate between liquid nitrogen and bulk slurry of saline water and ice crystals, and is expressed as a function of stirring condition.
Average diameter of ice crystal obtained was about 200-300μm.
Potable water was obtained after washing the ice crystals fixed bed by about the same volume of water. Hence if an ice counter washer is applied in this case, potable water of which salt concentration is less than 500 pap may be obtained with only a few per cent loss of potable water.
