Desalination plant with absorption heat pump for power station

It is known that power stations use seawater for condensation of steam from turbines. In this case the temperature of seawater in condensers increases by 10–20°C. A large quantity of heat is lost in condensers. The energy can be used for desalination of seawater in a plant, which includes a low temperature vacuum desalting installation and a heat pump. In the heat pump the temperature of seawater increases by 60–80°C and is then transported to a vacuum desalting installation. Desalting water is then utilized by the power station. This scheme of a desalination plant is widely known and has practical application. It is difficult to combine a desalting installation and a compression heat pump in one technical system. It is interesting to consider operation of a desalination plant with an absorption heat pump. This heat pump does not use much electric power for transformation of heat, but it uses steam generated by turbines of the power station. In that it does not have a compression station is the main advantage of the absorption heat pump. There are simple schemes for combination of an absorption heat pump and a desalting installation to heat (steam) source of the power station. Thermodynamic and economic data of a combined desalination plant have been calculated. The specific expenditure of heat at desalination plants with absorption heat pumps is 2–2.5 fold lower than that of other power systems. Thus, the combined desalination plants with absorption heat pumps are of great interest for designers of desalination seawater systems at power stations.

• As fresh water requirements in all world countries are constantly growing, it is necessary to equip all coastal power stations with desalination plants so that they could provide for their own needs. • The structure of the power station with the desalination plant must include the systems for heat utilization discharged from turbine condensers. These systems can work on the basis of the scheme of absorption heat pump. • The use of desalination plants with AHP at power station allows not only utilization of waste heat, but also production of additional energy in the form of natural heat from seawater. • Nowadays standard desalination and power equipment can be used for AHP application at power stations. • Application of thermal vacuum desalination plants for AHP makes it possible to lower the cost of 1 ton of desalinated water production by 2–2.5 fold.