Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A simplified model of direct-contact heat transfer in desalination system utilizing LNG cold energy

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Frontiers in Energy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

With the increasingly extensive utilization of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in China today, sustainable and effective using of LNG cold energy is becoming increasingly important. In this paper, the utilization of LNG cold energy in seawater desalination system is proposed and analyzed. In this system, the cold energy of the LNG is first transferred to a kind of refrigerant, i.e., butane, which is immiscible with water. The cold refrigerant is then directly injected into the seawater. As a result, the refrigerant droplet is continuously heated and vaporized, and in consequence some of the seawater is simultaneously frozen. The formed ice crystal contains much less salt than that in the original seawater. A simplified model of the direct-contact heat transfer in this desalination system is proposed and theoretical analyses are conducted, taking into account both energy balance and population balance. The number density distribution of two-phase bubbles, the heat transfer between the two immiscible fluids, and the temperature variation are then deduced. The influences of initial size of dispersed phase droplets, the initial temperature of continuous phase, and the volumetric heat transfer coefficient are also clarified. The calculated results are in reasonable agreement with the available experimental data of the R114/water system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gu Y, Ju Y L. LNG-FPSO: Offshore LNG solution. Frontiers of Energy and Power Engineering in China, 2008, 2(3): 249–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Gu Y, Ju Y L. Effect of parameters on performance of LNG-FPSO offloading system in offshore associated gas fields. Applied Energy, 2010, 87(11): 3393–3400

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Li Q Y, Ju Y L. Design and analysis of liquefaction process for offshore associated gases. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2010, 30 (11): 2518–2525

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Gao T, Lin W S, Gu A Z, Gu M. Coalbed methane liquefaction adopting a nitrogen expansion process with propane pre-cooling. Applied Energy, 2010, 87(7): 2141–2147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Li Q Y, Wang L, Ju Y L. Liquefaction and impurity separation of oxygen bearing coal-bed methane. Frontiers of Energy and Power Engineering in China, 2010, 4(3): 319–325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Maxwell D, Zhu Z. Natural gas prices, LNG transport costs, and the dynamics of LNG imports. Energy Economics, 2011, 33(2): 217–226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Xing Y, Liu M. Status quo and prospect analysis on LNG industry in China. Natural Gas Industry, 2009, 29(1): 120–123

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  8. Shi G H, Jing Y Y, Wang S L, Zhang X T. Development status of liquefied natural gas industry in China. Energy Policy, 2010, 38(11): 7457–7465

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Lin W S, Zhang N, Gu A Z. LNG (liquefied natural gas): A necessary part in China’s future energy infrastructure. Energy, 2010, 35(11): 4383–4391

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Zhang N, Lior N. A novel near-zero CO2 emission thermal cycle with LNG cryogenic exergy utilization. Energy, 2006, 31(10,11): 1666–1679

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Cravalho E, McGrath J, Toscano W. Thermodynamic analysis of the re-gasification of LNG for the desalination of seawater. Cryogenics, 1977, 17(3): 135–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Antonelli A. Desalinated water production at LNG-terminals. Desalination, 1983, 45(1–3): 383–390

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  13. Sideman S, Shabtai H. Shabtai, H. Direct-contact heat transfer between a single drop and an immiscible liquid medium. Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 1964, 42(3): 107–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Sideman S, Taitel Y. Direct-contact heat transfer with change of phase: Evaporation of drops in an immiscible liquid media. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 1964, 7(11): 1273–1289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Sideman S, Isenberg J, Isenberg J. Direct-contact heat transfer with change of phase: Bubble growth in three-phase systems. Desalination, 1967, 2(2): 207–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Sideman S, Hirsch G. Direct-contact heat transfer with change of phase. III: Analysis of the transfer mechanism of drops evaporating in immiscible liquid media. Israel Journal of Technology, 1964, 2(2): 234–241

    Google Scholar 

  17. Tochitani Y, Mori Y, Komotori K. Vaporization of single liquid drops in an immiscible liquid, Part I: Forms and motions of vaporizing drops.Warme-und Stoffubertragung, 1977, 10(1): 51–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Tochitani Y, Nakagawa T, Mori Y, Komotori K. Vaporization of single liquid drops in an immiscible liquid, Part II: Heat transfer characteristics. Warme-und Stoffubertragung, 1977, 10(2): 71–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Raina G, Grover P. Direct contact heat transfer with change of phase: Theoretical model. AIChE Journal. American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 1982, 28(3): 515–517

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Raina G, Grover P. Direct contact heat transfer with change of phase: Theoretical model incorporating sloshing effects. AIChE Journal. American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 1985, 31(3): 507–509

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Raina G, Wanchoo R, Grover P. Direct contact heat transfer with phase change: Motion of evaporating droplets. AIChE Journal. American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 1984, 30(5): 835–837

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Battya P, Raghavan V, Seetharamu K. Parametric studies on direct contact evaporation of a drop in an immiscible liquid. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 1984, 27(2): 263–272

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Sideman S, Hirsch G, Gat Y. Direct-contact heat transfer with change of phase: Effect of the initial drop size in three-phase heat exchangers. AIChE Journal. American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 1965, 11(6): 1081–1087

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Sideman S, Gat Y. Direct contact heat transfer with change of phase: Spray-column studies of a three-phase heat exchanger. AIChE Journal. American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 1966, 12(2): 296–303

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Seetharamu K, Battya P. Direct contact evaporation between two immiscible liquids in a spray column. Journal of Heat Transfer, 1989, 111(1): 780–785

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Mori Y. An analytic model of direct-contact heat transfer in spraycolumn evaporators. AIChE Journal. American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 1991, 37(4): 539–546

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Kiatsiriroat T, Thalang K, Dabbhasuta S. Ice formation around a jet stream of refrigerant. Energy Conversion and Management, 2000, 41(3): 213–221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Kiatsiriroat T, Vithayasai S, Vorayos N, Nuntaphan A, Vorayos N. Heat transfer prediction for a direct contact ice thermal energy storage. Energy Conversion and Management, 2003, 44(4): 497–508

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Byrd L, Mulligan J. A population balance approach to direct-contact secondary refrigerant freezing. AIChE Journal. American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 1986, 32(11): 1881–1888

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Core K, Mulligan J. Heat transfer and population characteristics of dispersed evaporating droplets. AIChE Journal. American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 1990, 36(8): 1137–1144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Song M, Steiff A, Weinspach P. The analytical solution for a model of direct contact evaporation in spray columns. International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, 1996, 23(2): 263–272

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Song M, Steiff A, Weinspach P. Parametric analysis of direct contact evaporation process in a bubble column. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 1998, 41(12): 1749–1758

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  33. Song M, Steiff A, Weinspach P. Direct-contact heat transfer with change of phase: A population balance model. Chemical Engineering Science, 1999, 54(17): 3861–3871

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Marchal P, David R, Klein J, Villermaux J. Crystallization and precipitation engineering-I: An efficient method for solving population balance in crystallization with agglomeration. Chemical Engineering Science, 1988, 43(1): 59–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Qingqing Shen, Wensheng Llin, Anzhong Gu & Yonglin Ju

Authors
  1. Qingqing Shen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wensheng Llin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Anzhong Gu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yonglin Ju
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yonglin Ju.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Shen, Q., Llin, W., Gu, A. et al. A simplified model of direct-contact heat transfer in desalination system utilizing LNG cold energy. Front. Energy 6, 122–128 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-012-0175-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-012-0175-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation