FRESH WATER GENERATOR

Presented by:
GYANENDER SINGH. (201612GME09)
MEGHKUMAR NARENDRA K. (201612GME13)
MOHSIN JIKRIYA KATLIKAR. (201612GME17)
RAJ ABHISHEK KAMLESH K. (201612GME20)
 INTRODUCTION

"Water, water everywhere, and nary a drop to drink."

Old cargo ships from years back were required to
carry large supplies of fresh water to sustain the crew
on a long voyage. A ship that had run out of drinking
water would be carrying a sad crew indeed. Today,
most commercial ships are equipped with a
freshwater generator, a type of evaporator that
converts sea water into drinkable, fresh water.
 It is a general practice to generate freshwater from
seawater onboard for domestic purposes. On an average
the crew consumes about 70 litres/person/day
(incase of passenger ships 200 litres/person/day).
Usually we used to take only a minimum quantity of
fresh water from the port for domestic services (since
we are not allowed to use the freshwater generator at
port).
DIFFERENT METHODS FOR GENERATION OF
FRESH WATER USED ON BOARD SHIP

Low pressure evaporation

Two stage multi stage flash evaporation
Reverse osmosis
 Low pressure multi stage flash evaporation methods use
the method to boil water and collect the distillate in
tanks.
This distillate is considered pure water and has a
salinity level much lower than that of sea water.
This water is further treated and used as required.
Reverse osmosis has a different concept and is different
in principle and operation.
 The concept of a freshwater generator is simple; sea
water is evaporated using a heat source, separating
pure water from salt, sediment and other elements.
Freshwater generators often use the diesel engine
jacket as a heat source, although steam can also be
used as a heat source. Because freshwater
generators often use existing heat to run, the cost of
operation is low.
FRESH WATER GENERATOR
FRESH WATER GENERATOR
 SINGLE STAGE FRESH WATER GENERATOR

A fresh water generator consists of mainly two parts viz.

Condenser and evaporator. The boiling process is done
either by a heating coil or by using the high temperature
main engine jacket water. In some fwgs, heating is also
done by superheated steam. Generally water is boiled at
100 degree celsius, but in freshwater generator it is done
at around 60-70 degree celsius.
For this purpose, eductors or air ejectors are use.
Eductors reduces the chambers pressure to such a
point that water starts boiling at a temperature of
60-70 degrees celsius. A flow meter is used to
regulate the flow of sea water into the generator.
The freshwater generated in the condenser is later
collected by a distillate pump. A salinometer is
used to check the salinity in the fresh water
generated.
 WORKING OF THE FWG
Working principle of the low pressure evaporator is that,
boiling point of water can be reduced by reducing the
pressure of the atmosphere surrounding it. By
maintaining a low pressure, water can be boiled at low
temperatures say 50 degree celsius. The source of heat
could be waste heat rejected by main engine jacket
cooling water.
Hence using energy from a heating coil, and by
reducing pressure in the evaporator shell, boiling can
takes place at about 40 to 60 degree celsius. This type of
single effect plant is designed to give better economy
than obsolete boiling evaporator.

The hot jacket water from the diesel engine is passed

through the evaporators heated nest. The sea water
enters the evaporator through the flow meter and due to
the low pressure of the chamber; it boils and gets
converted to steam.
 Generally the feed of the seawater is kept half the
stated quantity to facilitate adequate boiling of sea
water. The steam then passes through a steam separator,
in which the water particles in the steam are separated
and collected.

The steam then enters the condenser, where it cools

down to form fresh water. It is then removed from the
condenser with the help of a distillate pump. The
remainder sea water particles or the brine which gets
collected at the bottom is drawn out with the help of an
ejector pump.
STARTING OF FRESH WATER GENERATOR

Normally a junior engineer would be required to start the

water generator once the above conditions have been
achieved. Many jes are not quite familiar or comfortable
with this simple procedure, so just outlining the main
points here.

1.Check the jacket cooling water temperature outlet from

the main engine - it should be constant.

2.Open the ejector pump suction valve and discharge valve

to over board.
3. Close the vacuum breaker valve.

4. Open cooling sea water valve inlet to condenser and out

let valve.

5. Check salinometer (salinity indicator) and distillate

pump.

6. Start the ejector pump and maintain the pressure more

than 5kg/cm2.

7. Check for the vacuum inside the shell as slowly rising.

8. When the vacuum gauge reading reaches about 17mm of

mercury, open the feed water to heating tubes.
9. Check through the sight glass and maintain the water level
inside the shell.

10. Open the jacket water inlet valve fully - out let valve to be
throttled.

11. The jacket cooling water circulating through the spaces outside
the heating tubes causes vacuum to drop, shell temperature to rise
and feed water level to fall.

12. When all the above is stabilized to normal, steam starts rising
through the demister units and get condensed in the condenser.

13. Fresh water gets collected in the catcher plate which can be
seen through the gauge glass.
 14. When the gauge glass level is more than 3/4 th, put the
salinity indicator to 'ON' position.

15. Drain the water to the bilges or send it to the feed

system again till the salinity level comes to set value
(5-10 ppm).

16. When the salinity level comes to set value, open the
discharge valve of distillate pump to the freshwater tank
through the flow meter and start the pump.

17. The evaporation rate can be increased by throttling the

jacket cooling water outlet.
18. Check for the tank vacuum to stabilize
after some time, and ensure that the shell temperature
should not rise more than 40-45o C.

19. Observe all gauge readings of inlet and outlet

temperature of jcw.
 MAINTENANCE

Due to high boiling temperature of sea water, scales are

formed on the heating surface. The higher the boiling
temperature required the more the formation of scales
takes place. Other factors on which the formation of
scale depends are flow rate and the density of brine
formed.
Due to excessive scale deposits on heating surfaces,
greater requirement of boiling temperature arises.
Excessive scales will lead to low quality of fresh water
and also reduction in the quantity of water produced. It
will also prevent higher reduction of pressure inside the
chamber from taking place.
Scale formation can be prevented by using a technique
known as cold shocking. In this method the heating surface is
alternatively heated and cooled, which reduces the formation
of scales. Down the plant and removing the scale manually or
by chemical treatments.

The internal walls of the chamber or the shell should also

be cleaned when the overall cleaning also a routine
maintenance of the generator should be carried out by
shutting is done.

Air ejectors and eductors should also be checked for holes

or leakages, which can prevent the formation of desired
vacuum.
The distiller, feed and brine pumps should also be
properly maintained to prevent any interruption in the
flow of fresh and sea water. The processes and the
phenomena used in both plate and tube type fwgs are the
same.

A constant check should be kept on the flow meter to

prevent excessive or very less flow.

The salinometer alarm should be precisely set and given

a constant watch. This is to prevent the degrading of the
quality of fresh water produced.
REASONS FOR TREATING THE DISTILLATE

The temperature of the jacket cooling water entering the

freshwater generator is around 75-80C. So the low
operating temperature inside the evaporator cannot
sterilize the distillate properly, as some of the germs and
harmful organisms are killed only at 100C and hence
the distillate has to be treated.

There are chances of water getting infested with the

bacteria due to the colonial organisms.
Sterilization
by the addition of chlorine and electro-
katadyn process is recommended in merchant shipping
notices M1214, M1401 respectively.

The distilled water has none of the dissolved solids in

common that is present in freshwater and also it has no
taste(ie it tastes flat).

Distilled water tends to be slightly acidic as it absorbs

co2 readily. This condition will cause problems like :
corrosion, human digestive tract will be disturbed.
 SOME OF THE METHODS INCORPORATED TO
AVOID THE ABOVE PROBLEMS ARE :

1. Chlorine sterilization
2. Electro-Katadyn method
3. Ultra-violet sterilizer
 Chlorine sterilization

Distilled water (the distillate) passes initially through a

neutralizing unit which contains magnesium and calcium
carbonate. Here the carbon-di-oxide will be removed ( to
avoid acidity ). The addition of hardness salts gives taste
to water. Now water passes through the sterilizing unit
which contains a sterilizing agent. This agent (chlorine)
is carried either as constituent of sodium
hypochlorite(liquid) or as granuels of calcium chloride
dissolved in water to bring chlorine content to about
0.2ppm. The distillate is then taken through carbon filter
and dechlorination unit containing calciumcarbonate to
remove chlorine taste from the water.
 Electro-katadyn method

This method can be used as an alternative to chlorination.

In this method silver anode is used. Silver being toxic to
various risky and harmful orgaisms remains in the water.
The silver anode gives out silver ions according to the
current setting.

We can consider two cases. One when large quantity of

water has to be treated and another in which a small
quantity to be treated.
In the first case: Only a part of water is bypassed
to the unit. Here a high current setting is used so
that large amount of silver ions are injected to
the water and the bypassed water is then mixed
with the rest of the water.
In the second case: For treating low quantities of
water the low current setting is used and the
whole quantity of water is passed through the
unit (ie no water is bypassed).
 Ultra-violet sterilizer

This unit is fitted inbetween the hydrophore tanks and

the supply points(tap). The stainless steel irradiation
chamber consists of low pressure mercury vapour tubes
placed in a quartz jacket. The ultraviolet radiation
provided by the mercury vapour is used to kill all the
bacteria, viruses and any other harmful organisms
which are not trapped by the filter. It consists of a
cylindrical tube having one inlet and outlet for water so
that the water is sterilized as it passes through.
Thank you