Alfa Laval Unveils One of the Most Energy-Efficient Fresh Water Generators

With the launch of AQUA in 2008, Alfa Laval introduced the most efficient process yet for freshwater generation. AQUA Blue, on show at Marintec China, is Alfa Laval’s next step in a long tradition of development within freshwater generation technology.

The AQUA technology cuts the need for seawater in half, along with the electrical energy needed for pumping it.  The AQUA Blue uses the same proven, energy-efficient desalination process as its predecessor. But it incorporates a wide range of enhancements that simplify both operation and installation.

“The AQUA technology was a revolution in freshwater generation, because it cut energy use and changed the way we look at a very well-known application,” says Alex Jönsson, Alfa Laval’s Regional Marketing Manager responsible for the product launch. “But innovation is one side of the Alfa Laval coin, and continuous development is the other. AQUA Blue takes this pioneering technology and builds on its already substantial advantages.”

The foundation of the AQUA technology, and therefore of AQUA Blue, is a unique type of titanium plate. Though plate-based freshwater generators have existed for half a century, the plates themselves have always been a modification of heat exchanger designs. Alfa Laval’s AQUA plate was the first to be specifically designed for desalination work.

The AQUA plate has a 3-in-1 construction, which means that evaporation, separation and condensation all occur within the same plate pack. First, feed water passes through the lower section, where it is evaporated in a vacuum. As the vapour rises, it then passes through the separator section, with brine falling back into the sump at the bottom of the freshwater generator. Only the clean vapour reaches the top section, where it is condensed into high-quality fresh water.

For operators and shipbuilders alike, there are advantages in the physical construction of AQUA Blue, whose plate pack slides open for easy inspection and maintenance. Because the AQUA technology maintains the vacuum within the plate pack, there is no outer shell to be opened – and no service area needed beyond the frame.

“The AQUA concept has always had advantages for installation and maintenance, and we’ve added new features to AQUA Blue that provide further ease and flexibility,” Jönsson says. “Between the new features, the optimized process and a robust construction with duplex piping, AQUA Blue is a convenient solution that will last the vessel lifetime while asking little of the crew.”

[mappress]

Press Release, December 2, 2013