Optimal Design of Mechanical Vapor Compression (MVC) Desalination Process

MARIAN G. MARCOVECCHIO; PIO A. AGUIRRE; NICOLÁS J. SCENNA; SERGIO F. MUSSATI

Ischia

Congreso; 20th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering – ESCAPE20; 2010

This paper deals with the optimal design of Mechanical Vapor Compression (MVC) desalination process. Precisely, a detailed mathematical model of the process and a deterministic global optimization algorithm are applied to determine the optimal design and operating conditions for the system. The resulting model involves the real-physical constraints for the evaporation process. Nonlinear equations in terms of chemicalphysical properties and design equations (efficiencies, Non-Allowance Equilibrium, Boiling Point Elevation, heat transfer coefficients, momentum balances, among others) are used to model the process. The model has been solved by using a deterministic global optimization algorithm previously developed by the authors [7] and implemented in a General Algebraic Modeling System GAMS. The generalized reduced gradient algorithm CONOPT 2.041 is used as NLP local solver. The model was successfully solved for different seawater conditions (salinity and temperature) and fresh water production levels. The influence of the production requirements on the process efficiency as well as the algorithm’s performance is presented.