Desalination, 73 (1989) 313-325 313

Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam - - Printed in The Netherlands

PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE IN SCALE CONTROL

MOHAMEDABDULKAREEMAL-SOFI*,SALMANKI-IALAF** AND ADNANA/.,-OMRAN*

*P.O.B, 752, A1-Khobar 31952. Saudi Arabia, Fax 966-3-1952
**P.O.B. 2, Manama, Bahrain, Fax 973-533035

S.........................
UMMARY

Oes~llnation is b e c o m i n g the vital source of domestic water

fop the Arabian Peninsula. Reliance on desalination is
oarticularly l:;ronounced along the east coast, i.e~ Gulf Coast
of Saud! Arabia and other Guii: Coo,c,s~ratlon Council ~GCC:,
States. Todate the orlmary ~mecess d e [ ) i o y e d alc::n,::! ~ h e G u l f
is M u l t i - S t a g e Flash (MSF) evapomation.

M S F oe,.'~:ormance r e l i e s primarily on hea',; t r a n s f e r between

val::,our a n d b r i n e solution along a temperature range of 25-
i 2 1 E.'egree C. Almost all MSF evaooraI.:ers in t h i s region ape
e,oerated by brine r'ec:irculatlon to im,gr:::~ve e f f i c i e n c y and
thus reduc:e cost. Yet re,::::iPculation man,,:,la!:es hea1: transfer
with cc:,ncentrated sea water so]otleno Due to the
concentrated nature of the heat transfer medium,, s c a l i n q l i~:~
the most critical factor contrc~] ]Inc~ MSF Orocluc:tivity,
esmecially upoer half of the said temoeya'bure range.

Scale f:::~rmatien c a n n o t be eliminated, b u t it c a n b e c:::]mbated,,

It is o a n t i c u l a r l y essential to minimize scale formation on
heat tP~ns'f÷~!r surfaces i.e. tubes .'.'.nne~- surf.aces. P!iri!mum
scale presence in tubes is achie,.,ed by either fu, r m a b z o n
prr:::,ventlon or removal,,

This Darer C,:)ver'-:~ f i v e cases: A thru E. C:ase A pertairYs co a

medit!m c~:,Da,:zJt 7 e v a D o r a t c ! r of 2 - - 3 M:[GD d i s t i i l a t e ~roductlor",'.
C : a s e :{:{'; i.T..~ £, so~.ecial trial on ball cJ.,::eE,n i n g at a n c~pt;i.m:~.:::ed
low an{-lsc.alant dose rate. This tr:~al ~,,~as o n one of the,
l:4rqer caDac:[t':~ MSF ev.a,aorat:ors,, Trial B i.4a~- r ~ e p ' i : : Q p m e d o n a
5"-7 MIGD evaD(:Jrat(:H", while cases C thru E are on a [,h:lrd
grod!::) of evr~l:]c)r.:-iI~or o f 5 - - 6 M.[Gi], l : : , r o d ! . J c t ' i o n ,.::apacl.t£. In this
last group the three cas{~:~s a r e ' , ;

C is a n a n t i s e a l . : ~ ~ , n t : op'timizat'Jon tPia.i..
D i~.,:, r e l a t e , d to oen(,-'rai c, b s e r v a t : t o n s on day to day
ootimized operation of this group of evaDorat,:.~Ps
and
E is a n e t h e P antiscalant o0tlmization trial.

0011-9164/89/$03.50 © Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.

314

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c T 3 0 N_

F_'ti~>.'_~e,p_t_i 9 n.:

Scale prevention may be by depletion of some scale forming

constituents. Depletion can be achieved b y either- r e a c t i o n
o f ion e',-'change. Alternatively prevention can be by
chelating i.e. h o l d i n g in solutionq the scale forming
species. This- is d o n e b y c : h e l a t i n g a g e n t s ~'enet-ally t-eferred
to as c h e m i c a l additives. Pceventian as it nay b e d e d u c e d is
an o n l i n e task.

Sulphm-ic a c i d is t h e c o m m o n e s t acid injected into m a k e up to

r'eact w i t h c a ~ ' b o n a t e thus 9enet-ating caf-bon dioxide.
Hydr'ochloric acid could also be injected for a similar
r'eaction to b e g e t c a r b o n d i o x i d e .

There at-e f o u r geoups of organic compounds which have a

pr-oven c h e l a t i n g e f f e c t on e l e c t r i c a l l y c:ha~-ged s c a l e f o r m i n g
species present in s e a w a t e e . Pair's of t h e s e g e o u p s c a n b e
conside~'ed as kins. Polyphosphate and polyphosphonate ace
phosphoet~s based alkalines. Polycar'boxylic and polymeliac
a r e vet'v w e a k a c i d s . Polyphosphate is "the m o s t infer~io~ - o n e
of 'these cc,'mpounds as it u n d e r g o e s hydrolytic r'eaction. This
.~-eaction b e g e t s a sludge compoLlnd of phosphate, and at
t e m p e ~ - a t u r e s of o v e r 90 Deg. C., this ~-eaction is of an
appreciable magnitude, Its use in chelating is always
l:i.m i t e d to top b r i n e tempei--atures (TBT) of 8 9 - 9 1 Deg. C.

F'olyphosphonate does not have such a limiting T B T b u t it h a s

indicated sludging potentials partic_~lar"ly at tempera'tur.es in
e x c e s s of I I C . Deg. C. Such sludging has been ~-~elated to
excessive d o s e r a t e s as it is b e l i e v e d t h a t at e x c e s s i v e dose
r a t e t h e compot!nd f c ) t ~ o n e c h e l a t e s m o r e s c a l e "forming s p e c i e s
than designed for. Secondly i't c,an chelate species othe~ ~
t,h a n t h o s e it is intended fcu .~ e.g. c o ~ r o s i o r i p~-oduc:ts arid
electrically charged o~" even pola~'ized suspended solids
:incoming w i t h seawater,. Polymer'ic acids also s h o w similar-
chelating effects specially when dosed excessively.
Never, t h e l e s s u n d e r d o s i n g of any' one of these chemical
additives e,'-'poses t h e system to potentia], risk of scale
for'mat ion.

Additive antiscalants other than po]yphosphate based have

b e e n u s e d in MSF evapot~ators at T B T s h i g h e r t h a n 91 Deg. C.
The highest repot-ted T B T in c o n j u n c t i o n wit:h additive has
b e e n 118 Deg. C at t h e K h a l d i a h evapo~.-ato~'s in Jeddah. Both
polycarbo>'ylic and polyphosphonate basled a d d i t i v e s were used
successfully at a T B T of 113 Deg. C. As mentioned ea~"lie~-
thet-e a r e a l w a y s r i s k s r e l a t e d to d o s i n g rate. Under--dosing
l e a d s to s c a l e formation while over'--dosing is b e l i e v e d to
enh~nce sludge fot'ma'tion. Sludging potential inc:r'eases
r a p i d l y at ]'BTs of over ~ ii0 Deg. C a n d b o t h sludging and
scaling a~-e q u i t e probable. It is thus essential to
establish the optimum dose rate, with close oper-ational and
a n a l y t i c a l , m o n i t o e ~ i n g at t e m p e r a t u r e s a b o v e 110 Deg. C. Suc:h
added monitoring t-equirement is f e l t to be w o r ' t h w h i l e as t h e
hit]her a c h i e v a b l e pr'oduction per evaporator- as w e l l as p e r
t o n of s t e a m f l o w to t h e bovine h e a t e r is b e n e f i c i a l even at
higher' :m-,tiscalan't c:ost ~:~er uni'i.: ,:,L, tpc.,.to F:'urthermc]l"e
oper'a't i 7g at hi,:]her. TB!s 7 s ,::..~tpab ] e ':,'f f~ ] f i ] i l n g summer, peak
 315

r'eQuir~ements f o p water- as well as power'. This-. advantageous

situation is q u i t e p r o n o u n c e d ~ h e n M S F u n i t s a r e r e c e i v e r ' s o'f
s t e a m fr~om b a c k p~'essu~'e s t e a m turbo.-gene~-etor~ s e t s .

B. ~.m._o.x_.a_],

Scale removal is p o s s i b l e by the use of c h e m i c a l dissolving

agents. These agents are mostly used off line. Nevertheless
there are refe~ences in t h e I i t e r a t u P e to c)r~ 1 i n e c l e a n i n g a s
it is c o m m o n l y ~'efer~'ed to scale ~-emova]. med~anism.
Mechar~ical removal is al. t e r n a t i v e to c h e m i c a l cleaning. This
method is u s u a l l y employed on iineo Very raPely it is
applied as an off line task as well.

On line cleaning is d o n e b y s o f t ball circulation to s w e e p

tube inside surfaces. Ball cleaning is q u i t e effective not
only on scale but also on sludge fo~.~med in t h e c h e l a r i n g
p r'ocess. It is thus very vital at high top br'ine
tempeI'~atures ( T B T ) with additives. On "the o t h e r , hand ball
cleaning is n o t s o v i t a l at e v e n higher" ' t e m p e r a t u r e r e a c t i v e
scale prevention method due to Ic~wer" s l u d g i n g compa~ed to
additive opei.-at ion.

]"het~e is a cl(ise r e l a t i o n between sludging and sc:aling. Past

e x p e ~ ' i e n c e h a s s h o w n t h e p o s s i b i l : i t y of s l u d g e converting to
s(:ale. T h i s is f e l t t o t a k e p l a c e d u e to f l o w stagnation and
thus the development of concent~-ation cells.

The two on line scale cont~-ol m e t h o d s g o h a n d in hated. As

discussed earlier ball cleaning is a must with high
temperat.Pe additives, lilt is t h e r e f o r e mandatory t~] c-eve~-
a n t i s ( : a l a n t s , i.e. a d d i t i v e s when evaluating mechanical on
st1.-eam b a l l c l e a n i n g .

Ball cleaning is q u i t e a n a t t r a c t i v e iY~ethc:id a s long a s it

remains effective. Effective cleaning can effect savings
e v e n at d o u b l e ball consumption a s it c a n l e a d to s i z a b l e
savinqs in a n t i s c a l a n t costs. Yet ball cleaning
effectiveness is d i f f i c u l t to define. ]his paper will
attempt to p r o p o s e cc)ntPolling parameter-s r,e q u i r e d to
evaluate the effectiveness of scale prevention and ball
c Iean inc.

The known on line parameter is bal]. l o s s e s . There are two

w a y s t h a t b a l l s (:an b e l o s t . Balls e i t h e l .~ d i s a p p e a r as they
are not r'eclaimed at t h e e n d of a c i r c : u l a t i o n c y c l e or' t h e y
c o u l d P e d u c e in size. Size Peduction ~-enders balls
ineffective in t u b e s w e e p i n g .

Disappear'ing balls can be accounted fo~.~ b y inspection and

investigation, Lost balls u s u a l l y e n d up e i t h e r at t h e l a s t
flashing c h a m b e r - ot~ e v e n p a s s i n g o u t w i t h t h e bt~ine b l o w d o w n
stream. L o s t b a l l s w h i c h e n d up in t h e l a s t f l a s h i n g chamber'
would indicate r - e c l a i m i n g sc~-een malfunction. [In t h e O t h e ~ ~
hand lost h,~!],s which ~-eac::h the .-'~ t f ~ . - ~ l l c h a n r ~ e l ~,~:i.t h the
i" i FI e b ]. c:,IA! d e bl n -" o L t ] d ] r] d :i (zi a b e ~7[ '~, ,E?i-~ ~" s e I*', i o t.,~s D V' C3b ]. e ff~ o 1:
;i. fT}t::) ]. F } C ~ e m e F ~ ~ ' s {') ]. ,:3!"~g !:he ~:~a ' i : ; h of !::)~) ] 1 iz :i. r'f[;k.! [ ~ l I] J. OFi . ~ l . ! [ Z [')
316

Iossess are partic-ularly related to screen malfunction.

There are four ways of size reduction. These in o r d e r of

descending seriousness are:

I. Splitting i.e. b r e a k a g e .
2. Shrinking.
3. Uneven wearing.
4. Uniform wearing.

The most severe ball reduction problem is s p l i t t i n q , in s u c h

c a s e s b a l l h a l v e s o r s m a l l e r p a r t s a r e f e u n d in t h e c a t c h m e n t
baskets~ A l s o f o u n d in t h e c a t c h m e n t Oaskets are reduced in
size balls. T h e n e x t t y p e ~_~f r e d u c t i o n i.e. s h r u n k b a l l s is
mainly attributable to t h e b a l l m a t e r i a l and its temperature
tolerance. L a s t is bali weac which occurs primarily d u e to
abrasion at t u b e i n l e t s a n d w i t h i n t u b e s . This phenomenon is
related to b a l l m a t e r i a l as well as system characteristics.
The main parameter effecting wear is the tube inlet end
configuration of rectangular versus flared. Wear is a l s o
related t o t h e n u m b e r of w a t e r boxes and tube sheets balls
h a v e to g o t h r o u g h . Furthermore it c o u l d b e related to t h e
length and surface smoothness of t u b e s . Diameter difference
b e t w e e n b a l l a n d t u b e .':ould a l s o contribute to ball wear.
Ball wear of u n i f o r m s h a p e a n d r a t e is q u i t e an acceptable
operating cost. But uneven or accelerated wear requires some
remedial action. Ball material could be a major problem but
there are cases where tube mouth and/or inside surfaces cause
accele~ated or uneven wear. Operating experience often
demonstrates cylinderiza-tion of balls. In su~:=h i n s t a n c e s
ball roundedness is lost. They become w o r n in t h e m i d d l e
like a cylinder~ with two hemispherical c a p s w h e r e nc~ w e a r i n g
had occurred.

Operating experience indicates that normal ball consumption

is b e t w e e n 3 0 - 6 0 balls per day (200-400 per week). The
n u m b e r o f b a l l s a n d t h e l e n g t h of c i r c u l a t i o n cycle are quite
influential oq consumption. Rates and numbers are related to
operating philosophy,, Ball materials~ density,, a n d d i a m e t e r
difference between ball and tube alse affect consumption.
Other causes are those related to the system. From
experience the number of b a l l s c a n b e s e t at b e t w e e n 3 0 - 6 0 %
c;f n u m b e r o f t u b e s . A lower percentage is i n s u f f i c i e n t while
a higher percentage c o u l d l e a d to b l o c k a g e by the presen(ze of
m o r e t h a n ,:ne b a l l in a t u b e at any one time. The higher
perr_'entage is a l s o n o t d e s i r a b l e a s wear ~ at t h e tubes mouths
would exzeed the desired level compared to wear through
tubes. Conversely the lower percentage could lead to
starvation and localized missed tube patches.

Missed patches of t h e t u b e b u n d l e c o u l d a l s o be due to t h e

brine flow regime and its velocity in the water box. It
could additionally b e d u e to low tube velocity and thence
blockage. In o t h e r w o r d s f l o w r e g i m e is a ma:~or contributor
to inefficient ball cleaning. Rat~:~ a n d t y p e o f a n t i s c a l a n t
d o s e d to t h e s e a w a t e r m a k e u p would influence sludging or
scaling depending on top brine temperature. Brine content of
suspended and dissolved matter could also cause problems,
These fact~rs interact w i t h f l o w r e g i m e to t h e p o i n t t h a t it
~ o u ! d b e iml:::,,:)ssible to i d e n t i f y whic:h is t h e c a u s e o r e-~:fect.
Ir, ~?ene~a! m l s s e 0 o r s l u d g y p a t c h e s on ~:L,b e sheets at t h e
t i m e of it,t e r r a ! inspecti!::~n ,~)re symptc~ms c!~ L,n e v e n
 317

distribution of balls and are related to:

I. Development of v o r t e x e s or eddies in w a t e r b o x e s .
2. Slow flow through t h e w a t e r b(~x.
3. Vaporization in t h e u p p e r p a r t of t h e w a t e r b o x .
4. Low tube velocity.
5. Very low circulation (number) of balls.
6. Very high circulation ( n u m b e r ) of b a l l s .
7. Heavily sludged up system.

T h e r e is a major draw back in e v a l u a t i o n of ball cleaning

effectiveness at present. This draw back is due to three
presumptuous misconceptions of r e l i a n c e on:

Circulation quantity and duration.

2~ Consumption level.

T o d a t e t h e r e is n o s o u n d w a y of v e r i f y i n ~ j o p t i m u m levels of
either circulation quantity~ r a t e o r e v e n cc,n s u m p t i o n . It is
therefore necessary to develop an optimization scheme f(~,r
t h e s e on l i n e p a r a m e t e r s . In t h e p r o c e s s ~ c~0nsumption level
n e e d s to b e correlated to total distance travelled by balls.
Furthermore correlation to number of possible impingement
s i t e s is n e e d e d . Particular attentioq must be paid to the
tube mouth.

One other variable t(i be correlated for consumption

comparison is t h e ball discharge and collection system
configuration. Such correlation w,~uld lead to better
performance evaluati(~n as well as optimized consumption.
Optimized consumption would not and should not necessarily
mean lower consumption. It could be much higher~ when
evaluated in c o n j u n c t i o n with antiscalant consumpti~]n, as the
two are cooperators (collaborants) to combat scale and sludge
b u i l d u p i n s i d e M S F e v a r ~ o r a t o r t u b e s a n d ~:.~n t u b e s h e e t s .

Off line detection, evaluation and even measurements are

~]ossible,, Water boxes and tube sheets Drovlde a lot c)f
useful information as to scale control effectiveness.
Localized scaling or slugging of tube sheet indicate a
problem. The nature of such localized observation is t h e k e y
to identification of t h e p r o b l e m .

F,:~P i n s t a n c e t o p tube scaling cou]d be related to brine

vaporization,. Top or even bottom tubes sludging could be
related to e i t h e r ball density or insufficient n u m b e r of
b a l l s in c i r c u l a t i o n ~ Mid bundle or ~ide sludging are
attributable to f l o w r e g i m e e . g . t h e d e v e l o p m e n t s of vortexes
,iP e d d i e s ~ Localized s c a l i n g of v e r y l i m i t e d areas could be
related to tube blockage due to heavy sludging, excessive
ball circulation or foreign debris e.g. shells, weeds~ w~od
pieces or flaked off iron oxides i.e. corrosion products.

CAS.
E______A .:

This cas(0 wi]l be referred to when carr./ing out comoarisens

w:ith other Cases B thi,-u E,, Y e t mosi:: c.f l:r;e a b n o r m a l i t i e s
discussed e ~ i - l i , e r we*"e c l b s e r v e d d u r . sn~:~ d.7:~,/ t o d a y o o e r : ~ l . : i , o n
of t h e 2 - 3 MIGD e v a p e r . a t o r .
318

This case, as mentioned at the very beginning~ represents a

very healthy operation leading to successful scale control.
Table 1 lists design and operating parameters of Case B.
Ball consumption rate v e r s u s n u m b e r of c y c l e s f o r C a s e B a r e
found plotted i~ F i g u r e I. This evaporator was operated with
o n e h o u r of b a l l c i r c u l a t i o n per shift i.e. three per day.
Each one hour of ball circulation is identified by
eighteen(18) cycles, thus each 378 cycle represents one week
of operation. A total of 587 balls were consumed in 7 w e e k s
as can be seen from Figure I. Figure 1 also shows ball
diameter reduction during the 7 w e e k s o f T r i a l B. In s e v e n
weeks average ball diameter reduced f r o m 2 5 d o w n t o 2 2 . 8 mm.
The latter diameter is c o n s i d e r e d to represent a discarding
limit for balls i.e. a size below which balls render no
effective sweeping function in tubes of i n s i d e d i a m e t e r s of
"2~'a mm. Antiscalant dose rate during Trial B is as low as
0.73 ppm. Trial B was designed to s t u d y b a l l c o n s u m p t i o n and
size reduction at a n o p t i m i z e d antiscalant dose rate at a TBT
of 92 De~.C° Figure 2 shows important operating parameters
measured/obtained during this trial. Recycle total dissolved
solids (TDS) w a s a r o u n d 6 3 , 1 0 0 p p m t h r o u g h o u t t h e t,-ial.

CAS_E___.__C:

Antiscalant manufacturers have investigated the possibility

of finding not only better solvents but also some compounds
that would give a dispersive action. It is felt that
dispersants will improve polymer antiscalant effectiveness.
S u c h an i m p r o v e m e n t w o u l d h a v e at l e a s t t h r e e a d v a n t a g e s . It
would lower dose rate and hence treatment cost., consequently
reducing sludginq potential as well as demister fouling.
This trial was carried out on a 5 MIGD nominal capacity (at
T B T o f 9 0 D e g . C) M S F u n i t b u t at a h i g h e r T B T of 110 Deg. C
w i t h an a n t i s c a l a n t additive, composed of poly(=arboxylate,
phosphonate and citric acid~ operates by a threshclld and
dispersive mechanism. This antiscalant was used throughout
the test period.

It c o u l d h a v e been due to its threshold and dispersive

mechanism that the dose rate was reduced d o w n to 2 . 0 p p m in
r a t i o to s e a w a t e r make-up. A low calculated fouling factor of
19 x 1 0 - 6 c o m p a r e d t~i a d e s i g n f o u l e d c o n d i t i o n f a c t o r of 2 0 0
10-6 M2 D o g ..C / W was obtained. Thus the extrapolated
duration of run between successive acid cleanings would be
2,.94 years., The test result showed a very s l i g h t d r o p of
performance ratio from the design value of 8.85 t~) 8 . 7 4
K9/2326 KJ. T h e drop co'uld be in p a r t r e l a t e d to a h i g h e r
bottom brine temperature (BBT) as well as top temperature°
In e s s e n c e t h e f l a s h r a n g e is l o w e r t h a n t h e d e s i g n value of
6 8 . 2 D e g . C at 67 D e g . C. T h i s 1 . 2 D e g . C dr'op in f l a s h r a n g e
would lower performance proportionally by 1.8%. thus
calculated performance ratio would be around 8.73 K g / 2 3 2 KJ.
Figure 3 summarizes va,~iable operating parameters
measured/obtained during this trial.

The seawater temperature was one degree below design value of

°,5 D e q o C :~t 3 4 Deg. C, a n d m a k e - u p was hi!::ihe~' t h a n de~ii(-Jn a s
 319

would be expected for 1.6% none production than design. The

bottom flash temperature is (~ne d e g r e e h i g h e r t h a n t h e d e s i g n
v a l u e o f 4 1 . 8 D e g . C. The above temperatures clearly indicate
that the higher operating cold end difference is b e l o w d e s i g n
b y 2 D e g . C. T h i s is t o b e r e l a t e d to t h e c l e a n l i n e s s of heat
transfer surfaces of t u b e s a n d their perf,~rmance. Serious
attentio-~ to the ball cleaning system is r e q u i r e d fop this
unit as daily losses were very high. Visual inspection
revealed few facts related to hal] cleaning. Ins~:~ection
revealed a p a t c h y b u i l d u p o f s l u d g e in c e r t a i n a r e a s ef t h e
heat transfer bundles at the tube sheets. It a l s o r e v e a l e d
high,'er s c a l i n g in t h e t o p t u b e rows in the brine heater.
Furthermore inspection revealed the presence of s~me 3000
b a l l s in t h e l a s t f l a s h c h a m b e r . Dividing this number by the
l e n g t h of t h e trial (one hundred days) shows that on average
over 30 (present + discharged with bl(_~w d o w n ) b a l l s p e r d a y
k;ere l o s t o u t of t h e b a l l c l e a n i n g cycle into the flashing
brine chambers~ Such high losses indicate very ooor
synchronous function of the ball collection screens. This can
also be due to system obsolescence.

Excessive l o s s of b a l l s w o u l d lead to poor cleaning, a s is

evident from the patchy sludge present and the scaling of the
top rows. Nevertheless t h e r e is a n o t h e r m a j o r c o n t r i b u t o r to
local sludging and scaling, a s it (::an be,, d u e t(~ p o o r flow
r e g i m e e . g . s~.~irls in t h e w a t e r b o x e s a n d c a v i t a t i o n .

Table No.2 gives the chemical analysis ~:~f s l u d g e f o u n d at t h e

b r i n e h e a t e r c,u t l e t . The reported result of 9.7i% phosphate
as P04 could be attributed to the ~:~resence o f e:::cess
antiscalant. T h i s is quite typical, particularly after an
optimization program, as it is c u s t o m a r y during such a trial
to s t a r t w i t h a m u c h h i g h e r d o s e rate than actually needed
( s e e f i g u r e 3). This situation7 was the case here. Seawater
dissolved cations and anions of magnesium hydroxide Mg(OH)
and calcium carbonate CaC03 constitL{ted alm(:st 62%. This
c o u l d b e a s i g n of t h e a n t i s c a l a n t ' s chelating effectiveness.
The presence of sr~me 3 4 % l o s s e s o n i g n i t i o n is attributable
to the organic constituents ~:~f t h e antiscalant~ as it
centains polycarboxylate and citric acid,. Marine bio and
living ac:tivity could also contribute to 34% loss on
ignition. Particular attention h a s to b e d r a w n to t h e j e l l y
fish and coloured, especially red, tides experienced in t h e
G u l f a r o u n d t h e t i m e o f T r i a l C.

CSE._..__._._D:
A

In t h i s c a s e on~:e a g a i n n o p a r t i c u l a r data on results ape

presented as they represent the normal operation ,::if t h a t
g r o u p of e v a p o r a t o r s undergone t r i a l s C ~ E. Y e t it is w o r t h
stating that the normal operation of t h e g r o u p h a s s h o ~ n s o ~ e
similarities t o r e s u l t s o f t r i a l s C & E Qn oI~e h a n d a n d c a s e s A
or B on the other. These simila~rities will be addressed
after presenting T r i a l E.

CE_______E:
AS

T h i s is a case of a specific t r i a l run. In this trial

a r i o t h e r c::omoc~und ~,,as u s e d to effe,::t antis(:allng. Here a
0o!ymerTc a c i d ~Jas oDtimi:;~ed dov~n c o !es:s tha,7 2 p;c,m at a T B T
e f :I08 D e g . C. T h e r e s u l t s of th1~:; tr1.:-~i :Jere (iuise slm:i l~r
320

to t h o s e o f T r i a l C c a r r i e d o u t on a n o t h e r e v a p o r a t o r of the
s a m e group~., T h r e e of t h e s e r e s u l t s are worth highlighting°
The first being the similarity in the rather high ball
consumption. The other two were the differences in l o w e r
sludged up system in Trial E when compared to Trial C.
Likewise lower demister fouling was evident at inspection
a f t e r T r i a l E. Figure 4 summarizes variable operating
i]arameters measured/obtained during this trial.

C.........................................
OMPARISONS

Post operation internal evaporator and brine heater

inspection indiceeted a lot o f s i m i l a r i t i e s b e t w e e n C a s e s A, C
& E. O n t h e o t h e r h a n d c a s e s C, D & E w e r e a l s o q u i t e s i m i l a r
in repcJrted o p e r a t i n g parameters including (but not limited
to):--

I. Minimal deterioration in f o u l i n g f a c t o r s .
2. Antiscalant dose rates.
3. Higher than designed cold end temperatures~
4. Rather" h i g h b a l l c o n s u m p t i o n r'ates.

Similarities between Cases A, C & E (more particularly A & C)

were~

I. Ball accumulation in l a s t s t a g e a s s e e n d u r i n g p o s t
operation inspe(-- t i on.
2.. Patchy sludging of t u b e s h e e t s .
3. Localized scaling of tubes in top temperatL~re
s t a g e s a s w e l l a s in t h e b r i n e heater..
4., Sludge presence in w a t e r b o x e s a n d f l a s h c h a m b e r s .
5., Appreciable demister fouling.

Ca~-~es A & B are presented as an abnormal versus normal

(healthy) operation. T h i s is d o n e t o v e r i f y that operating
abnormalities (~ould h a v e g r e a t s i m i l a r i t i e s on e v a p c : r a t o r s of
different plant site, seawater condition and even capac:ities~
T h i s is e v i d e n t from comparing three distinctly different
g r o u p s of e v a p o r a t o r s at t h e s e widely apart localities along
the Gulf Coast.

OT__________.__.I
B JEC VE S :

T h e ob.iec:tive o f scale control i!s not the (:::omp Ie t e

elimination of scale from the tube surfaces. T h e i s s u e is
n o t tc~ b e taken to task by striving towards bare tube
condition.

Experience has proved that the presence of a thin film cif

scale which does not hamper the heat transfer, efficiency, as
detected b y t h e g a i n o u t p u t r a t i o , is o f a d v a n t a g e for proper
plant operation.

Scale control by the use of antiscalants and cleaning balls

c~-mr-~ot b e e,~.aluated in t h e a b s e n c e cJf -.:~c!e:~. ~nder!:.:.tandir~g
,::~f the ~:,'rocess an!::! a '~.inble :/s~e~:i'~menk t::~,::~c(.~du~re.
 321

Optimized scale control does not necessarily mean operation

at low c h e m i c a l and ball consumption costs. Yet successful
operation at l o w r a t e s of a n t i s c a l a n t dosing and ball charge
as w e l l as consumption were achieved. Results of t r i a l s
reported here were by far less than most reported rates
elsewhere.

The ultimate objective of s c a l e ec]ntrol s h o u l d not be to

eliminate its presen(::e on h e a t t r a n s f e r a r e a b u t to a c h i e v e
the minimum film thickness which could not hamper efficient
beat transfer.

.............................................
REFERENCES:

I,, Khumayyis, D a u d S., e t . a l . ; "Economical Evaluation of

AIKhobar Phase-If 50 MIGD at T h r e e D i f f e r e n t M o d e s of
Operation"~ 2 n d W o r l d Con!.':iress or-, D e s a l i n a t i o n & Water"
Re-Use; Bermuda, Nov. 1985.

2. AI-Sofi, M e h a m e d A., et. al.~ " T h e r m a l P e r f o r m a n c e of 10

x 5.2 MIGD MSF Plants, AI-Jubail Phase-II", Ibid.

3. B u t t , F.~ et.al.; "Field T r i a l s of H y b r i d Acid-Additive

Treatment for Control of S c a l e in M S F P l a n t " ; Ibid.

4. Ai-Sofi, Mohamed A. ~ "Field Trials of H y b r i d Ac:id

Additive Treatment for Control of S c a l e in M S F P l a n t b y
F. B u t t , et.al. Review"~ IDA M a g a z i n e , December' 1987.

5. N a d a , N.; " E v a l u a t i o n of V a r i o u s A d d i t i v e s at A l - J o b a i l
Phase- I During Reliability Trials"; Desalination 50
(1984).

6. Khumayyis, D a u d S. a n d O h t a n i , M.~ "Construction and

Cemmissioning of 6 x 23v000 T/D MSF Plants, Ai-Jobail
Phase-I; IDA C o n f e r e n c - e , F l o r e n c e , M a y IC~83.

7. A l-Mudaiheem. Ahmed M. and Szostak, Ronald M.~

"Evaluation of C h e m i c a l Additives for Scale Control in
MSF Plants"; Ibid.

8. AI-Sofi, M o h a m e d A., " M S F C h e m i c a l and Fuel Consumption

in D u a l Purpose Plants": 3rd Arab Energy Conference,
Algeres, Algeria, M a y 1985.

9. Ai-Sofi, Mohamed A., e t . a l . ~ "Additive Scale Control

Optimization and Operation Modes": 3rd World Congress on
Desalination and Water Re-Use, Cannes, France, September
1987. Also Desalination, 66 (1987) 1 1 - 3 2 .

10. Sitra Plant "Trial C" repc, rt (Unpublished).

II. Sitra Plant "Normal O~:,erating Parameters" (Unpublished).

12. Sitra Plant "Trial E" re0ort (Unpublished).

13. Mokhtar, A t i f A., " 9 0 D a y s D e m o n s t r a t i o n of Belgard EV

at :!!?..33 at A ! - K h a l d i a h MSF Oesa~in~t]c.n P l a n P, J e d d a h ~
Saudi Arabia",, i2th Annu~! CcnfeYence .::..f W-.~,t~::~r S u ~ : ~ o I V
Imorovement Aes©c~at:ion (WSIA:,. O~tand-::::~ V:lorida~ LISA,.,
blay :~ 9 V).:]. ,,
322

2A_~!!=E__=_i
!7,A_SE ::_~
DESIGN AND OPERATING PARAMETERS
FOR CLEANING BALL TRIAL
AT__________________._~______________t'ZIPTIMIZED
ANTISCALANT DOSE RATE

NUMBER OF STAGES OF RECOVERY SECTION/REJECT SECTION ... 13/3

NO. OF TUBES IN EACH RECOVERY STAGE/BRINE HEATER ....... 4364/4415

TUBE INSIDE DIAMETER OF RECOVERY STAGES/B.H ........ (mm>

TUBE LENGTH RECOVERY STAGES/B.H ...................... (m) 12.186/10.58

TUBE MATERIAL RECOVERY STAGES/B.H ............... (Cu/Ni) (90/10)/(70/30)

BRINE HEATER TEMPERATURE: BRINE IN/OUT .......... ( D e g . C) 85/92

BOTTOM FLASH TEMPERATURE LAST S T A G E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ( D e g . C~, 32

FLASH RANGE ..................................... ( D e g . C) 60

ANTISCALANT DOSE RATE TO MAKE UP ................... (p~m> 0.72

TRIAL DURATION IN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (WEEKS/DAYS/HOURS) 7/49/1126

NUMBER OF RUNS PER DAY/CYCLES PER RUN .................. 3/18

TOTAL NUMBER OF CYCLES PER TRIAL ....................... 2646

TOTAL NUMBER OF INITIALLY CHARGED BALLS ................ 1500

TOTAL NUMBER OF BALL LOSSES .............................. 586

TOTAL NUMBER OF REDUCED IN SIZE BALLS ................... 914

AVERAGE DAILY BALL LOSSES .............................. 12

AVERAGE DAILY REDUCED IN SIZE BALLS ..................... 18.6

AVERAGE DAILY BALL CONSUMPTION ......................... 30.6

AVERAGE BALL LOSSES PER CYCLE .......................... 0.22

AVERAGE REDUCED IN SIZE BALLS PER CYCLE ................. 0.35

AVERAGE BALL CONSUMPTION PER CYCLE ..................... 0.57

BALL INITIAL DIAMETER ............................... ~mm) 25

BALLS DISCARD DIAMETER LIMIT ....................... (mm) 22.8

BALLS HARDNESS ........................................... MEDIUM

INITIAL BALLS SURFACE FINISH ......................... NORMAL ROUGH TYPE

TOTAL DISTILLATE PRODUCTION (CM/HR:, :iI]<,

TOTAL D!~i~TILLATE PRODUCTION ........................... , M I G D ) 5.iiii

 323

]15;.!..~.L. _-:_.J;.
~.L.~.~.~.Q!L...E!L.. ~.E!..!~_E_.H~.~.:[~E... gg.EL~,]::

=======================================================
ANALYSIS .............~'~........................................
% ANAL.YSIS --~iI~

Loss on ignition
@ 9 0 0 Deg. C. 13.6 %
@ 5 ( ) 0 Deg. C. 20.0 %

Calcium as Ca 8.8%

Magnesium as M9 6. (34%

Calc:iulm C a r b o n a t e , CaCo~ 22.0 %

Magnesium hyd~-o" ide, Mg (OH)~ 38.9 %

Phosphate~ as F'04 9. 7 1 %
324

FIGURE 1. CASE B, BALL CLEANING TRIAL

BALL REDUCTIONIN SIZE AND QUANTITYVERSUS NUMBER OF CYCLES

1500 25 .~0
\
\

N Iz,00 i \
\
24,50 A
M
U
BE
\
\
\
V
E
R
A
R 1300 G
O '% 2,',.00 E
F B
A
B t20o L
A L
L
L 23..-'0
5 D
I 1100 I
N A
,S m
Y 23.C0 rn
S
T 1ooo
E
M
22.50
900

800 22.C0

0 378
NUMBER OF CYCLES

~1160
FIGURE 2. TRIAL B. ANTISCALANT DOSE RATES OPTIMISATION
, 1150
t~ 114o
~II30
tO
~1120

ii!:l ® C. ~ ~" '~

/
9sl
ou 94
P- 93
eo 52
P
91
90
150 ~DIES~N FOULED CONDITION

'°o,1
IOQ

7-0
7"101
~ 0.9

I' ' I ' '1 '1 I ' I' I

378 756 1134 1512 t898 725e Z54~
NUMBER OF CYCLES
 325

FIGURE 3. TRIAL C. ANTISCALANT DOSE RATES OPTIMISATION

~ 14001
C~1350

~ 1300

"1
ou 11o
I-- 10g
m
i,- tO8
107
'~O 200
100 , J. DESIGN FOULED CONDITION

~, 9"0~- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1~$16N
~ PERFORI~ANCE
.... R A T,.~
IO

"°-I ~......... ,' ......... ,' ......... ~'o' ........ :o ......... 'o ......... :o' ........ ,'o......... :o' ........ ,~
/ NUMBER OF DAVS

1400 FIGURE 4. TRIAL E. ANTISCALANT DOSE RATES OPTIMISATION

~ 1300

3.01
<~ 2-5
a:

0 2.0

o ml~
~- 11o
m
p-
lO9
- 200--~ DE~-J6N FOULEDCONDITION
'0
- so,,:

4O-
~ 2o

~" 0
8-8/J ~
8~JO

~. 8-00

7.50
I , , , , , , ~ , , I , ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' i ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ~ 1 '~ . . . . . . . I . . . . . . . ~'i ~ ' F ~ ' ; ' ''i
o 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 ,~0 t.5 5o 55 60
NUMBER OF DAYS