Basic considerations influencing the choice of materials for thermal seawater desalination plants

✍ Scribed by R.F. Elsaesser; H.E. Hoemig

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1984
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 737 KB
• Volume: 49
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0011-9164
• DOI: 10.1016/0011-9164(84)85041-9

✦ Synopsis

Model calculations were used to ascertain in what circumstances extra investment in better materials pays off for thermal seawater desalination plants. The most important result obtained is that such expenditure is definitely worthwhile in all cases in which it allows plant lifetime to be prolonged by several years.

The study reveals that in such cases even substantially increased invest ment cost can lead to a marked reduction in production cost and for this result to be achieved it is sufficient for plant lifetime to be extended by only a few years. A plant with an investment cost nearly 50% higher produces water at lower cost than the cheaper plant if plant lifetime is increased by as little as two years; availability is improved by 1476, and annual maintenance cost is halved, the decisive factor, however, is the increased lifetime.