Low sea water temperature can affect the efficiency of fresh water generation through distillation, a process that uses heat to vaporize seawater and then condense the resulting steam into fresh water. The effects of low sea water temperature on distillation include:
Reduced efficiency: Lower temperature seawater has less thermal energy, making it more difficult to vaporize. This can lead to a decrease in the amount of fresh water produced, longer distillation times, and increased energy consumption.
Increased scaling: Cold seawater can cause mineral scaling on the heat transfer surfaces, reducing the efficiency of heat transfer and making it more difficult to vaporize the seawater.
Increased fouling: Cold seawater can also cause fouling of the heat transfer surfaces, reducing the efficiency of heat transfer and the performance of the distillation system.
To mitigate these effects, ship operators may need to take steps to warm the seawater before it enters the distillation system, such as using a heat exchanger, or install additional pre-treatment systems to prevent fouling. These measures can help maintain the efficiency of fresh water generation and reduce operating costs