De-scaling: the way to economical desalination

摘要

A method and system for effectively desalinating a feed stream is provided. In one embodiment, a feed stream is desalinated by a Brine Forward (BF) desalination system, which comprises an enabling de-scaling step combined with a plurality of multi-stage flash (MSF) trains arranged in series, wherein the de-scaling step is conducted within a MSF first train at a top temperature. With the aid of the de-scaling step, the system obviates or reduces many of the well known disadvantages of the desalination practice along with their expenditures and environmental burdens. The elimination of otherwise intractable substantial operating and silent environmental costs of such disadvantages, in itself, may over defray the de-scaling step's cost and with greater benefits to the overall system's performance and distillate production. Furthermore, all of the products from the de-scaling step are commercially viable, and if desirable or necessary, all of the de-scaling step's additives are also recyclable.