What is a freshwater generator?

"water, water everywhere and a drop for drinking." Old cargo ships from the years back were obliged to transmit large supplies of fresh water to keep the crew on a long voyage. The ship that ran out of drinking water would really carry a sad crew. Most commercial ships are now equipped with a fresh water generator, a type of evaporator that converts seawater into drinking fresh water.

The concept of fresh water generator is simple; Sea water evaporates by means of a heat source, separates clean water from salt, sediment and other elements. Freshwater generators often use diesel heat, although steam can also be used as a heat source. Because fresh water generators often use existing heat to start, operating costs are low.

There are two main elements in the fresh water generator, one heat exchanger evaporates seawater and another condenses a pair of fresh water into drinking water. In the capacitor element there is steam condensed via cooling, often simply by cold seawater to cool outsidethe nasty sides of the unit. If the salinity exceeds the determined level, usually between one and ten parts per million (PPM), the freshwater generator automatically returns the water to the supply line and re -perform the cycle.

The freshwater generator is increasingly used in desalination plants, usually located in coastal areas that provide the local community with fresh drinking water. They have become very common in the Middle East and are also used in some California communities. More desalination plants are likely to be built as a response to dry and concerns about the availability of water in growing cities. However, the costs associated with the desalination plants are high and the communities are considered only when a facced with a lack of water from traditional sources.