1. Seawater Desalination Progress In Kuwait:
• KUWAIT has population of 2.2 M people in 2005 .
• The limited sources of fresh water and the geographical position of Kuwait forced
towards the use of seawater desalination as the main sources of drinking water.
• 1953 Kuwait has sea water desalination plant with 0.1 MIGD
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rs• Since desalination was started, a total of 88 distillers are installed in Kuwait with different design and different capacities.
• Recently there are 48 MSF seawater desalination units installed.
Number of MSF distillers installed in kuwait (1953-2004)
0.5 12
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Figure (3): MSF Installed Capacity per Unit In Kuwait, MIGD/Unit
The MSF distiller in Kuwait pass through number of development during the five decades Including:
• The capacities of individual units.and others parameters .
• construction material. Such materials include:
1. 316L stainless steel for flash chambers instated of carbon steal.
2. Titanium alloys instated of cupper nickel for tubes.
3 .antiscalants chemicals: polymers as ploymalike, and polyphosphnic, instead
of acid and Shuwaikh mix.
Kuwait Ministry of energy – electricity and water (MOE-E&W) has spent more
than US $ (2.8) Billion until 2005 .
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Figure (1): Accumulated Cost of Installed Desalination Plants in Kuwait (Millions US $)
The MSF distiller unit in service located in five distillation plants:
1. Shuwaikh, 2. Shuaiba South, 3. Doha East, 4. Doha West, 5. Az-Zour South
• Distillation units in Kuwait are multi stage flash (MSF) .
• All these station are dual purposes except Shuwaikh station.
• The total capacity of the distillation stations is 315.6 MIGD.
Table (1): Distillers in service at MOE-E&W.
Station Tech. No. Of Units
Capacity (MIGD)TOTAL
Shuaiba South power generation and water desalination plant. MSF 6 30
42
18
110.4
115.2
315.6
Doha East power generation and water desalination plant. MSF 7
Shuwaikh distillation plant. MSF 3
Doha West power generation and water desalination plant. MSF 16
Az-Zour south power generation and water desalination plant. MSF 16
Total - 48
315.6 MIGD
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Total Capacity For MSF Distillers In Kuwait (MIGD)
0.1MIGD
2. DISTILLER LIFETIME :
• the capital investment depreciation was calculated accordingly the lifetime.
• In the past, the normal lifetime of distiller is 10-15 years.
• Recently The maximum lifetime of MSF is 20-25 years.
• In KUWAIT the oldest unit still in service, has been over 33 years .
Table (2): Distillers Commission Year
Station Units Age (years)
Running Hours
A1,A2,A3,A4 33
A5, A6 3142284
53325
11080
115894
120611
A1,A2,A3 28A4,A5,A6,A7 27
Shuwaikh distillation plant D1,D2,D3 24D1A,D1B 23
D3A,D3B,D4A,D4B,D5A, 22D5B,D6A,D6B,D8A 21
D7A,D7B,D8B 18D1,D2,D3,D4,D7,D8 19
D5,D6 8D9,D10,D11,D12 5
Az-Zour south power generation and water
desalination plant
Doha West power generation and water desalination plant
Doha East power generation and water desalination plant
Shuaiba South power generation and water
desalination plant
Shuwaikh distillation plant
Unit No. Running Hours
D1 2837
D2 4866
D3 3377
Unit No. Running Hours
A1 4423
A2 7691
A3 5695
A4 6313
A5 7117
A6 7744
Shuaiba South power generation and water desalination plant
Doha East power generation and water desalination plant
Unit No. Running Hours
A1 6529
A2 6756
A3 7310
A6 7895
A4 7745
A5 8443
A7 8647
Doha West power generation and water desalination plant
Unit No. Running Hours
D1A 6378
6640
7623
8009
5760
D3B 7424 D7B 6441
D4A 7600 D8A 7961
8639
D1B
D2A
D2B
D3A
D4B
Unit No. Running Hours
D5A 8284
D5B 8354
D6A 6348
D8B 7793
D6B 6058
D7A 6582
Az-Zour South power generation and water desalination plant
Unit No. Running Hours
D1 8120
8014
7794
7386
7599
D6 7676 D14 7584
D7 7005 D15 6759
7826
D2
D3
D4
D5
D8
Unit No. Running Hours
D9 7309
D10 7274
D11 7022
D16 7795
D12 7696
D13 7751
3.FACTORS EXTENDED MSF DISTILLER LIFETIME:
• Design :
Distiller design is the first step to attend very high reliability and availability for the unit. The special design features of the MSF distillation in Kuwait will meet distillers performance guarantees and it will provide adequate service during the life of the plant and allow for flexibility in operation.
• Operation :
Good Controlling of operation parameter will adequate corrosion allowance and scale formation were higher efficiency is attaining. Feed water salinity, temperatures, production will consider on operation mode. With different conditions operation should be according to the manufacture instructions.
• Maintenance :
Maintenance included cleaning, repairing, painting, welding, rubber lining . for all part of distiller as heat exchanger tubes, water boxes, flash chambers, instruments, pipelines, pumps, compressors . Distiller maintenance is divided into two parts Programmed Maintenance and Emergency Maintenance.
Case - Study
4.Shuaiba south distillation plant Rehabetation project:
•Shuaibia south distillation plant consist of six distillers commissioned during 1972-1975
•To extended distillers life, a Rehabetation project for all units carried out on 24 October 2005 and planed to be finished within three years.
:
section Main item
Distiller outer shell Remove all cladding and insulation, inspection, replace the roofplates and insulation, sand blast the entire external surface , apply epoxy.
Water boxes and brine heater Replace heat rejection water boxes, inspect heat gain section WB, sand blasting for internal and external surfaces, painting, replace all tubes for brine heater and stage 1-2-3-23-24-25, (titanium for HRS & brine heater),(ALBrass & Cu-Ni for HGS), hydrojet clean and acid for others, replace insulation.
Distiller internal Replace the demisters, inspection, blasting internal surfaces, replace the corroded floor and division plates where thickness reduction 25%, replace distillate trough for unit(5&6), painting.
Pipes and filters Replace seawater inlet,outlet and recirculation pipes,(stainless steel 316L), fix high performance stainless steel 316L debris filter, inspection pipes, painting, sandblasting, renew cooling water system, replace insulation. Renew all supports for lines.
pumps Redesign and modify lubricating system, replace condensate pump set, distillate pump, complete overhaul remaining pumps, civil work for foundation.
ejectors Retube all ejector condensers for A1with titanium tubes.
Control valves Replace the pneumatic control valves with its actuators.
Motorized valves Replace the motorized valves with new ones.
Chemical injection system Supply & installed pumps and agitators, design fabricate supply and install two interconnected carbon steel rubber lined, replace all half inch pipes.
Steel structure and civil work Inspection, modify the bottom walkway structure, repair the concrete foundation
COMMENTS:
• A - Sea water desalination is the main sources of fresh water in KUWAIT
B - Multi stage flash MSF in KUWAIT has developmed and greatly improved overfifty years .
C - Good design , operational and maintenance run the distillers smoothly andextend their life time.
D - For running units , decision need to continue run the units with modification toincrease their life times and improve the effeciency , or to shut down and buildnew desalination plants with longer life times .
• E - To cover the demand for water in the future, Kuwait will have to:
•Continue the program of inspection and maintenance for all distillers.•Construct new desalination plant.•Continue water conservation programmes.