Dr. Vijay K. Dhir, a Distinguished Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and former Dean of the of the Henry Samueli School of Engineering & Applied Science at the University of California, Los Angeles, presents “A Novel Concept for Flash Evaporation and Phase Separation for Desalination” as a part of the Distinguished Lecture Series in Energy on Monday, August 28, 2023.
A novel system combining flash evaporation and vapor separation for desalination of seawater is described. The solar-heated saltwater flows through injection tubes which are connected to injector passages installed tangentially onto a separator tube. Flashing in the injection tubes and passages occurs as a result of pressure drop. The centrifugal force from tangential injection separates vapor from liquid. Vapor is directed to a condenser to produce potable water. The separated liquid returns back to the source of heated water. With a two-stage system and seawater with a salt concentration of 2.5% by mass, collected condensate had a salt concentration of less than 0.02% which is comparable to that of tap water.