In partial load operations of a multi-stage flash evaporator (MSF) to desalt sea water, it hasbeen reported by the authors that ineffective stages appeared in the lower temperature section of theheat recovery, so that gained output ratios might be very lower than the theoretical values calculatedby the equation that could express well the full load operation.
In order to decrease number of these ineffective stages and to restrain appearance of such stages, the MSF with the reflux flow line is proposed and is simulated to obtain the informations of theeffectiveness of the reflux.
Consequently, the following characteristics of the MSF with the reflux flow line are obtained inpartial load operations. The ineffective stages decrease gradually and disappear finally when thereflux was introduced in the heat recovery section. Then, the gained output ratio recovers nearlyto the value calculated by the theoretical equation. Also, the brine levels that rise higher in partialload operations of a common MSF, drop down step by step and are kept nearly in the level designedwhen the maximum brine temperature or the recycle brine flow rate is varied slightly. Therefore, the MSF with the reflux line has better operating characteristics than the MSF without the reflux.
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