Portable Marine GPS - Have One GPS For The Boat And Truck

Portable marine gps units are incredibly useful for many people. For sailors and marine biologists, fishermen and ocean going vessels, the portable marine gps units are important to their safety and wellbeing in dangerous and calm waters. The portable marine gps helps those who are navigating the ship to stay clear of underwater hazards like large rocks, trees or sunken ships and helps them find there way in the dark of night or foggy mornings. Fishermen use the portable marine gps units to return to their favorite fishing hole time and time again.

There are several models of portable marine gps units that make navigation compact and easy when it comes to going from land to water and back again. Although some of the screens may be small, about 3.8", they are shiny and bright with 480 x 320 pixels of light. Some of the features of a portable marine gps are: displaying the weather forecasts along with the currents and wave temperatures, many store up to 3,000 user waypoints per route, 10,000 point automatic track lock, 15 saved tracks and alarms for anchor drag, off-course, low battery, proximity, waypoint, clock, too deep, too shallow, water temperature and temperature rate of change and arrival.

On the water, the portable marine gps units are durable and dependable, with a built-in autoroute basemap enhanced by marine chartography. They accept pre-programmed or user programmed data cards with MapSource or BlueChart g2 for off shore details. One could add the additional sonar to the marine gps units and be able to locate large objects below the waters edge. They all come with 3D mapping and distress calling capabilities in case of emergencies. On land, the portable marine gps units are just as durable and dependable as on the water. The autoroute basemap allows for street level, turn-by-turn directions and a programmable MapSource city space for in-depth views of certain cities.

The portable marine gps units utilize the sunlight and nightwatch modes to reduce the glares and improve visibility both in the noonday sun and the dark of night. Another feature is the Max anti grounding feature; embedding aerial photos of the marina and harbor entrances; and current arrows show you which way the current is running and the speed and temperature of the tides is all put into the marine gps units.

With the addition of another antenna, you have to buy a special antenna or the purchase of XM satellite radio; you can see the weather changing in real time or hear updated weather reports every five minutes. The weather is constantly changing and that threat of change is an important issue for people on the open waters or about to go into a lake, ocean or any waterways where the water can turn into an enemy instead of a friend in a matter of seconds.

A marine services article by Dougles Chan - Search Engine Guru - The best SEO company in Singapore and globally. Contact Dougles Chan @ +(65) 9388 0851 or email to dc@dougleschan.com for more information on how to make your website to be the top in Google.

Choosing Marine Carpet Easily For Your Boat

Choosing carpet for you boat can be an overwhelming experience. There are lots of different styles, types, and colors to choose from. However, with this guide, choosing your boats carpet can be simple and painless. First thing is getting to know your marine carpet:
Regular marine grade carpet is a UV stabilized piece of carpet made from polypropylene.

Polypropylene is a material which is considered an engineered plastic. Meaning that not only will your marine carpet not stain but it is also mold resistant. Another benefit of marine grade carpet is that many manufacturers include a rubberized backing. This is perfect for snap-in carpet because not only can air flow throughout the bottom of it, but also help stabilize the carpet inside the boat without the need for snaps. Marine carpet also comes without the rubberized backing for glued down applications. Marine carpet usually comes in widths of 6 ft, 8 ft, and 12 ft.

Another option many people go with is indoor outdoor carpet. This can be beneficial because it isn't labeled with the "marine" tag which often costs much more money. There are many different styles and more options of indoor outdoor compared to marine carpet. Indoor outdoor is often UV protected and mold resistant as well. However, indoor outdoor carpet usually has a plastic look compared to marine carpet. Careful when ordering indoor outdoor types for your boat as some comes with a latex backing which will break down when water is repeatedly placed onto it. Indoor outdoor carpet usually comes in widths 12 ft and 15 ft but can sometimes be found in widths of 8 ft.

Lastly, the option of placing regular home carpet on your boat is available. This type of rug is rarely UV protected as well as almost always having a latex backing. This type is available in nylon (easily stained), wool, and polypropylene as well as others. Using regular carpet should always be a last option because it will rarely last longer than a couple of months when exposed to the environment. If you want the carpet on your boat to last a long time and always looking beautiful it is best to choose a marine grade carpet. However, if the carpet is to be glued down; indoor outdoor carpet is always an option.

A marine services article by Dougles Chan - Search Engine Guru - The best SEO company in Singapore and globally. Contact Dougles Chan @ +(65) 9388 0851 or email to dc@dougleschan.com for more information on how to make your website to be the top in Google.

Marine Stainless Steel Applications

Introduction
Marine applications are in great demand these days. The ideal material for marine applications is stainless steel because of the fact that it resists rust better than other materials such as bronze, brass or galvanized steel. By now it is very known that stainless steels ranging from AISI 316 up to 6Mo and superduplex do not always resist seawater.

Crevice corrosion and pitting may develop sooner or later. An example of this could be that a 25Cr07Ni super duplex tubular heat exchanger in a marine vessel showed crevice corrosion within half-a-year of service.

A biofilm will develop on the metal surface in natural seawater and it will always promote the corrosivity of the water. Microbiological Induced Corrosion (MIC) often occurs in seawater. Also galvanic corrosion is a major problem found at sea.
This article describes the performance of stainless steel in marine environment. Materials selection in marine environment is rapidly gaining popularity because of the worldwide trend to concentrate major industrial facilities around sea ports in order to increase cooling capacity and save transport cost.

Localised Corrosion
Stainless steel will never corrode uniformly in marine environment. Corrosion is localized, I.e.: crevice corrosion and pitting corrosion. Localized corrosion often is being promoted by a biofilm.

Crevice corrosion is a major problem in marine environment because of the low resistivity of the water (seawater resistivity is about 0.35 Ohm•m). Even 6% Mo SS at 30°C can suffer crevice corrosion in seawater. If chlorinated, seawater below 25°C will not cause pitting corrosion to duplex stainless steel 2205 and alloys with higher PREN-value. PREN value is defined as 'Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number':

PREN = %Cr + 3.3%Mo • X%N where X = 16 for duplex and X = 30 for austenitic steels. The higher the PREN value the better the pitting resistance.

Stress corrosion cracking
Stainless steel 304 and 316 are sensitive to chloride cracking at temperatures above 60°C. Presence of oxygen is a must, which means that produced water from gas or oil production does not cause stress corrosion cracking, even at high temperature. 6% Mo and duplex stainless steel are much less sensitive to this phenomena, however under extreme conditions, I.e. high stresses and high temperature and cold deformation it may occur. Sometimes stress corrosion cracking occurs from the outside; especially longitudinal welded pipes at higher temperature are sensitive to this type of 'corrosion under insulation'.

Galvanic Corrosion
Like crevice corrosion, the low resistivity of seawater also promotes strongly galvanic corrosion. Galvanic corrosion is seen as a major concern for materials performance in marine environment. A well known example is bronze bearings in ships, where sacrificial zinc anodes need to protect the steel hull for galvanic corrosion. Also stainless steel can suffer galvanic corrosion, or it causes galvanic corrosion to other, less noble, alloys.

A marine services Singapore article by Dougles Chan - Search Engine Guru - The best SEO company in Singapore and globally. Contact Dougles Chan @ +(65) 9388 0851 or email to dc@dougleschan.com for more information on how to make your website to be the top in Google.

Top 5 Non-Chemical Cleaning Tools You Can Use

 It seems that every day you learn more and more just how dangerous and polluting cleaning solutions can be. There's more to these products than just their price tag too. These chemical based products cost you environmental pollution and long term health concerns such as asthma, allergies, bronchitis and sinusitis. Consumers are more educated now causing a growth in non-toxic products that promote environmental responsibility and a healthier lifestyle. There are a few companies that have really taken over the 'green' industry, saving you from making homemade solutions with vinegar and baking soda.

1. Seventh Generation-for 20 years their mission has been to protect you and the world naturally and effectively. They have been around the block a few times and have a product list to prove it. For disinfectants, Seventh Generation has a multi-surface cleaner, bathroom cleaner and wipes. They boast a long list of household cleaners including shower, tub and tile, carpet spot and stain, glass, toilet bowl and an all-purpose cleaner. Laundry products include concentrated and baby detergents and fabric softener. They also carry a variety of dishwashing products, household paper and supplies and feminine care products. They have been there for us for 20 years and are a name you can trust.

2. Green Works-their goal was to set a new healthy standard for cleaning products; to create a product not tested on animals, biodegradable and yet tough enough to work. Green Works offers all natural cleaners like toilet bowl cleaner, multi-surface cleaner, glass cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, dishwashing liquid and some great cleaning wipes. In addition to this they have laundry detergent for you and a stain remover. To top it off, their bottles are pretty enough to make you smile while you clean.

3. Simple Green-this company originated over 30 years ago before environmentally friendly products gained their popularity. They spent three years perfecting a non-toxic, non-abrasive, biodegradable product. Simple Green is one of the few earth friendly cat-odor cleaners on the market and also offer all-purpose cleaner, motorsports cleaner and degreaser, steel and chrome cleaner, marble cleaner, deck and fence cleaner, house and siding cleaner, concrete and driveway cleaner, BBQ and grill cleaner, bike cleaner and lime scum cleaner and then of course they display a list of your everyday household cleaners. They cover the areas in cleaning that other companies haven't gotten to quite yet.

4. Nature's Source Cleaners-these are simple, plant-based cleaners that are biodegradable and natural. They offer five outstanding products with natural ingredients of brands you have already known through the years. Their Shout laundry stain remover is a natural stain remover using simple ingredients to tackle tough stains. A 'green' version of Windex leaves "nothing behind, but the shine" and their bathroom cleaner is a plant-based cleaner from the original makers of Scrubbing Bubbles and removes soap scum with the same power. Nature's Source cleaners offers an all purpose cleaner to naturally tackle grease and grime and a tough toilet-bowl cleaner that will remove your hard water deposits from the makers of Scrubbing Bubbles.

5. Grab Green-designed by a mom to create a solution to remove laundry stains from her children's clothes. Well the hard work paid off and Grab Green offers 3-in-1 laundry detergent, delicate, bleach alternative, wet dryer sheets, linen sprays, dishwashing detergent, glass cleaner, degreaser and an all purpose cleaner. This sure was a busy mom!

This world is not only your world but it is the future world of your children. Make it a healthy one.

Click here to know for safe Chemical Cleaning.

Maximizing Overall Ultrasonic Cleaning Effect

Cleaning Chemical selection is extremely important to the overall success of the ultrasonic cleaning process. The selected chemical must be compatible with the base metal being cleaned and have the capability to remove the soils which are present. It must also cavitate well. Most cleaning chemicals can be used satisfactorily with ultrasonics. Some are formulated especially for use with ultrasonics. However, avoid the non-foaming formulations normally used in spray washing applications. Highly wetted formulations are preferred. Many of the new petroleum cleaners, as well as petroleum and terpene based semi-aqueous cleaners, are compatible with ultrasonics. Use of these formulations may require some special equipment considerations, including increased ultrasonic power, to be effective.

Temperature was mentioned earlier as being important to achieving maximum cavitation. The effectiveness of the cleaning chemical is also related to temperature. Although the cavitation effect is maximized in pure water at a temperature of approximately 160°F, optimum cleaning is often seen at higher or lower temperatures because of the effect that temperature has on the cleaning chemical. As a general rule, each chemical will perform best at its recommended process temperature regardless of the temperature effect on the ultrasonics. For example, although the maximum ultrasonic effect is achieved at 160°F, most highly caustic cleaners are used at a temperatures of 180°F to 190°F because the chemical effect is greatly enhanced by the added temperature. Other cleaners may be found to break down and lose their effectiveness if used at temperatures in excess of as low as 140°F. The best practice is to use a chemical at its maximum recommended temperature not exceeding 190°F

Degassing of cleaning solutions is extremely important in achieving satisfactory cleaning results. Fresh solutions or solutions which have cooled must be degassed before proceeding with cleaning. Degassing is done after the chemical is added and is accomplished by operating the ultrasonic energy and raising the solution temperature. The time required for degassing varies considerably, based on tank capacity and solution temperature, and may range from several minutes for a small tank to an hour or more for a large tank. An unheated tank may require several hours to degas. Degassing is complete when small bubbles of gas cannot be seen rising to the surface of the liquid and a pattern of ripples can be seen.

The Ultrasonic Power delivered to the cleaning tank must be adequate to cavitate the entire volume of liquid with the workload in place. Watts per gallon is a unit of measure often used to measure the level of ultrasonic power in a cleaning tank. As tank volume is increased, the number of watts per gallon required to achieve the required performance is reduced. Cleaning parts that are very massive or that have a high ratio of surface to mass may require additional ultrasonic power. Excessive power may cause cavitation erosion or “burning” on soft metal parts. If a wide variety of parts is to be cleaned in a single cleaning system, an ultrasonic power control is recommended to allow the power to be adjusted as required for various cleaning needs. Part Exposure to both the cleaning chemical and ultrasonic energy is important for effective cleaning. Care must be taken to ensure that all areas of the parts being cleaned are flooded with the cleaning liquid. Parts baskets and fixtures must be designed to allow penetration of ultrasonic energy and to position the parts to assure that they are exposed to the ultrasonic energy. It is often necessary to individually rack parts in a specific orientation or rotate them during the cleaning process to thoroughly clean internal passages and blind holes.

Conclusion

Properly utilized, ultrasonic energy can contribute significantly to the speed and effectiveness of many immersion cleaning and rinsing processes. It is especially beneficial in increasing the effectiveness of today’s preferred aqueous cleaning chemistries and, in fact, is necessary in many applications to achieve the desired level of cleanliness. With ultrasonics, aqueous chemistries can often give results surpassing those previously achieved using solvents. Ultrasonics is not a technology of the future — it is very much a technology of today.

Procedure For Starting Fresh water Generator On Ships

Fresh water is an important commodity on board ships, especially on long sea voyages. Hence the procedure for starting the fresh water generator on ships should be familiar to the senior watch-keeping engineer as they need to be started as soon as the ship enters open sea.

As a ship normally sails on long voyages, certainly drinking water is one of the most vital elements required on board. If you are thinking that this should not be a problem since the oceans contains unlimited water, read this article on the effects of drinking sea water and especially imagine the condition in areas such as the Dead Sea. Hence a provision for converting salt water to fresh water exists on ships, and the machine is known as the fresh water generator.

We have learned about the fresh water generator and its working in our previous articles, but it is a different thing to know how and when to start these water generators on a ship.

When I was a ships engineer many years ago, we had evaporators that used steam coils to heat and evaporate the seawater before it was cooled and processed to distilled water. In those days of large water-tube boilers supplying superheated steam to the main turbine, a lot of distilled water was required to make-up the boiler feed water. Today’s motor ships require much less water than the older steamships, but water is still required for drinking and domestic use.

The modern equipment we use for this is examined in the following sections; here we will see the methods and sequence involved in start-up the various components, as well as when it is safe to run the generators. The first section deals with the regulations regarding the safe processing of drinking water from seawater.

·        Regulations Regarding Safe Production of Drinking Water from Seawater

Current marine regulations regarding seawater distillation using a fresh water generator stipulate;

·        The FW generator can only be started when the ship is 12 nautical miles away from the nearest coastline.

·        The engine must be running at full sea speed at start of passage as advised from the bridge.

This will ensure all the main engine temperature and pressure parameters are normal, main engine is on sea speed and not in congested waters and all maneuvering completed

·        Start-Up Procedures

The fresh water generator should be fired up once the above regulations and requisites have been achieved; using the guidelines listed below.

1. Check the jacket cooling water temperature outlet from the main engine - it should be constant

2. Open both the ejector pump suction valve and the overboard discharge valves.

3. Close the vacuum breaker valve

4. Open main sea water feed inlet valve inlet and discharge valves to and from the generator condenser; (the seawater can also be supplied from a stand-by sea water pump; if this is to be used instead, open the pump main inlet and discharge valves and start the pump)

5. Check salinometer (salinity indicator) and distillate pump operation

6. Start the ejector seawater pump and maintain the pressure of 5kg/cm² or higher

7. Check that the vacuum inside the shell is slowly rising as the ejector removes the air from the unit.

8. When the vacuum gauge reading reaches about 17mm of mercury, slowly open the seawater feed to heating tubes.

9. Check the seawater level inside the shell through the sight glass and adjust this water level using the feed inlet valve.

10. Once the heating coils have been covered with seawater; open the jacket water inlet valve slowly to the full open position whilst throttling back the jacket water outlet valve.

11. The effect of the jacket cooling water circulating through the heating tubes causes the shell vacuum to drop, its temperature to rise and feed water level to fall.

12. When all the above is stabilized and running normally; the seawater starts evaporating and steam can be observed rising up through the demister units to be condensed by the condenser coils.

13. Once condensed, the fresh water droplets fall downwards to be collected in the plate collector tray. This can be witnessed through the sight glass

14. When the gauge glass level on the plate collector is more than ¾ full, put the salinity indicator to 'ON' position.

15. Divert the processed water to the bilges or return it to the feed system again till the salinity level comes to the required set value of 5-10 ppm (Parts per million)

16. When the salinity level comes to set value, open the discharge valve of distillate pump to the fresh water tank through the flow meter and start the pump

17. The evaporation rate can be increased by throttling the jacket cooling water return outlet

18. Check for the tank vacuum has stabilized.

19. Observe the following gauge readings on a regular basis;

·        Inlet and outlet temperature of jacket cooling water

·        Condenser sea water inlet and out let temperature

·        Feed water level inside the shell

·        Distillate level

Notes:

·        The salinometer is designed to alarm, automatically shutting the freshwater discharge valve to the storage tank, and dumping the distillate to bilge when maximum salinity is exceeded. It is always best to check the diverter valves are all operating as these can stick due to heat/coating of salts.

·        The distillate level in gauge glass should be monitored and always maintained at half gauge glass level when the distillate pump is running

·        Remember to check the main engine jacket water cooling temperatures once the freshwater generator has settled down.

Generating Drinking Water on Ship - The Magic Machine

How is fresh water generated on a ship? Is it possible to generate drinkable fresh water from sea water?

Yes and for this purpose, a fresh water generator is used on a ship.This article will show the arrangement and working of a normal fresh water generator on a ship.

Introduction

Fresh water is of dire need on a ship. It is used for various purposes such as drinking, for preparing food, in laundry services and in many other day to day activities. In the past, people used to carry tons and tons of fresh water in barrels or in specially made tanks. This was because there were no other sources of fresh water once the ship was in sea, except rain, which was quite unpredictable.

Today in spite of means on board to generate fresh water, ships carry tons and tons of fresh water in segregated fresh water tanks. But there are many other processes in which fresh water is used and as generally the fresh water tanks provided are not sufficient, the need arises to generate fresh water onboard. Fresh water is always in dearth also because it is very difficult to keep a check on the water usage by the crew members and also the usage cannot be avoidable as water is continuously required onboard ship.

Fresh water is generated on ship by a fresh water generator, also known as evaporator. The process by which fresh water is generated is known as distillation process. Sea water is converted into fresh water by evaporating and condensing the sea water. Evaporation of the sea water is either done by boiling or by flash process. This process enables the reduction of 32,000 parts per million in sea water to 1 to 2 parts in fresh water. Fresh water generators can be tube type or plate type.

 Single stage fresh water generator

A fresh water generator consists of mainly two parts. A condenser and an evaporator. The boiling process is done either by a heating coil or by using the high temperature main engine jacket water. In some FWGs, heating is also done by superheated steam. Generally water is boiled at 100 degree Celsius, but in freshwater generator it is done at around 60-70 degree Celsius. For this purpose, educators or air ejectors are use. Eductors reduces the chamber’s pressure to such a point that water starts boiling at a temperature of 60-70 degrees Celsius. A flow meter is used to regulate the flow of sea water into the generator. The freshwater generated in the condenser is later collected by a distillate pump. A salinometer is used to check the salinity in the fresh water generated.

Working of the FWG

The hot jacket water from the diesel engine is passed through the evaporator’s heated nest. The sea water enters the evaporator through the flow meter and due to the low pressure of the chamber; it boils and gets converted to steam. Generally the feed of the seawater is kept half the stated quantity to facilitate adequate boiling of sea water. The steam then passes through a steam separator, in which the water particles in the steam are separated and collected.

The steam then enters the condenser, where it cools down to form fresh water. It is then removed from the condenser with the help of a distillate pump. The remainder sea water particles or the brine which gets collected at the bottom is drawn out with the help of an ejector pump.

Flash process- Increasing the efficiency

A liquid which is already having sensible amount of heat when introduced in a pressurized chamber, immediately gets converted to steam, i.e. in a flash, without the boiling process. Thus the phenomena can be used to acquire higher level of efficiency by controlling the exact pressure and temperature of the water, which will lead to higher energy efficiency.

Chemical Cleaning Facts - All Those Chemicals Don't Do That Much Harm, Do They?

Do you want to know the cleaning facts that are not widely publicised? If you’ve ever read the ingredients on the labels of your household cleaners, you’d know that they contain a number of different chemicals. You’re also probably aware that these chemicals have a distinct smell or odour. This article is intended to tell you what you probably don’t know. All the cleaning facts in this article have a direct affect on you and it should be your right to know them.

Our cleaning facts research states that there are over 75,000 chemicals licensed for commercial use in today’s world, with about 2000 new synthetic chemicals licensed each year. A large number of these chemicals are suspected carcinogens or are thought to cause a number of health problems. It may surprise you to know that only 600 of these chemicals have been adequately tested. Commercial cleaning product companies are under no legal obligation to research how their products might harm human health. What’s more, only 1% of toxins are required to be listed on the product label. This is because companies classify their ingredients as ‘trade secrets’. -Lorie Dwornick, researcher, educator and activist, 2002

Want more cleaning facts? According to the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, chemical levels in the home are up to 70 times higher than outside. It has been proven that air quality inside the average American household is 2 to 5 times more contaminated than the outside air. This is due largely to the chemicals found in commercial products such as cosmetics and cleaning products. In 1985, research by the EPA concluded that chemicals in household cleaners are about 3 times more likely to cause cancer than any other air pollutant. Did you know that in the early 1900’s, only 1 in every 8,000 Americans developed cancer. This ratio has dropped to 1 in every 3 today!

Our cleaning facts research has also alerted us to the dangers concerning our children. Over a million Americans are treated for exposure to household cleaning products. The majority of these are children under the age of 12. When you take into account the weight difference between that of a child and that of an adult, the amount of air, food and water consumed by a child is far greater than that of an adult. This means that they are exposed more to pollutants than adults. A child’s immune system is also less developed and their developing cells are more easily damaged. Pollutants in the air tend to be more concentrated towards ground level. Children breathe air which contains more pollutants simply because of their height. They also tend to spend more time playing on the floor and in contact with cleaning product residues. Those chemicals which are tested are only tested for adults. Children are not considered. Does this sound worrying? What affect is our chemical lifestyle having on our children’s health?

The chemical industry claims that very low levels of exposure to these chemicals are safe, yet there have been no exposure studies completed for the large majority of these chemicals. There is also limited information as to how these chemicals interact with each other. According to the EPA, combined chemicals are far more dangerous. Did you know that mixing Ammonia with bleach results in a toxic gas extremely lethal to humans? If you also check the ingredients of many household cleaners you will find that they often contain both ammonia and bleach.

If you remember any of these cleaning facts, remember this. Petrochemical cleaning products are absorbed easily through our skin. The chemicals travel through our blood stream and are stored in our fatty tissues. Over time, the build up of these toxic chemicals causes many health problems, including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. All this can be avoided with the use of ‘green’ products which contain no toxic chemicals and are much safer for the environment. You should also be aware that all the chemicals that you wash down your drains will inevitably end up in our rivers. The water in our rivers is put through a water treatment plant where it is mixed with even more toxic chemicals. It is then returned to us in our taps. Everything that we do to the environment we also do to ourselves!

5 interesting cleaning facts

Cleaning Fact 1: Cold water will inhibit the spread of bacteria and germs. Hot water only encourages the growth of nasty organisms.

Cleaning Fact 2: Antibacterial soaps are really not necessary in the home and may do more harm than good.

Cleaning Fact 3: Commercial dish washing detergents often leave chemical residues on your dishes that accumulate each time you wash them. Those chemicals are absorbed into your food.

Cleaning Fact 4: If a chemical kills half of a group of test animals it is labeled toxic. If the lab animals survives after being exposed to an amount greater than that listed it is labeled non-toxic. These tests are not specific to humans and do not consider long term exposure. (Lab animals often include mice which have a stronger immune system than humans.)

Cleaning Fact 5: Women who work at home are at a 54% greater risk of developing cancer than women who work away from home. A 15 year study concluded that this is a direct result of the chemicals in household products.

Check out for more information on Chemical cleaning.

Application, Features and benefits of Freshwater generator

The Freshwater generator is a major advance based on proven by expertise. Freshwater generator optimized process cuts seawater needs in half, which minimizes pipework and allows the installation of smaller seawater pumps. This in turn reduces installation costs, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Freshwater generator makes use of 3 in1 plate technology, which enables desalination in a single plate pack with one type of titanium plate. Since the plate pack also contains the process vacuum, freshwater generator has no outer shell and is smaller than other freshwater generators. The plate pack slides open for easy access to the interior without an additional service area.

The use of corrosion and erosion-resistant titanium, combined with an optimized process that inhibits natural scaling, ensures that freshwater generator needs little maintenance. The system has been fully tested both on and off shore, and is designed to last the lifetime of the ship.

Application

Freshwater generator uses vacuum distillation to convert seawater into high-quality freshwater for domestic and process utilization. By providing a constant supply of low-salinity water and continuously controlling the water quality, it eliminates the need for bunker water.

Freshwater generator is designed for automatic operation in periodically unmanned engine rooms and other automated operations. Jacket water, steam injection or a Hot Water Loop can all be used as heating media.

Features and benefits

• Half the seawater flow

  Compared to other freshwater generators only half the seawater is needed, which means smaller seawater pumps can be used. Optimized distribution prevents dry spots and inhibits the natural scaling process.

• Lower costs and emissions

  The reduction in seawater pumping needs has a corresponding effect on the consumption of electrical energy. Less fuel has to be burned, which reduces both operating costs and CO2 emissions.

• 3-in-1 plate technology

  Freshwater generator incorporates the evaporation, separation and condensation processes into a single type of titanium plate. Desalination is handled within a single plate pack that also contains the process vacuum. No outer shell is necessary.

• Simple, compact installation

  With no outer shell and no additional service area, Freshwater generator has a minimal weight and footprint. Assembly can be handled on site and installation is simplified by the ability to use smaller seawater pumps and pipes. 
  
  Since Freshwater generator is not sensitive to roll and pitch motions of ships, it can also be installed in any direction on board a ship.

• Easy operation and maintenance

  Freshwater generator offers start-and-forget operation, which saves time for the crew. Maintenance intervals are long and the plate pack slides open for easy access to the interior.

• Long product lifetime

  High-grade materials that resist corrosion and erosion, including titanium for the plates and other wetted parts, ensure that Freshwater generator will last as long as a ship.

• Low-salinity water

  The fresh water supplied has a lower content of salt and other dissolved solids than that supplied by other freshwater generators. It can be used directly by the steam boilers.

• Continuous quality control

  Salinometer-equipped control system continuously monitors the quality of the outgoing fresh water.

Capacity range

The series covers a capacity range from 3.1 to 60 m3/24 h, depending on the heating medium and cooling water temperatures. An freshwater generator can be dimensioned to suit any jacket water temperature from 55-95°C at any cooling water temperature.

Basic equipment

The freshwater generator consists of a single plate pack containing a flexible number of titanium process plates. These plates are suspended within a frame, which comprises a carrying bar, frame plate and pressure plate. Evaporation, separation and condensation all occur within the same plate pack.

Among the plate pack features are gaskets with rubber flaps that indicate correct plate assembly, as well as distance pipes that ensure proper plate alignment and correct tightening.

Connected to the plate pack is a combined system for feed water, condenser cooling water and ejector water. The freshwater system consists of a freshwater pump and a freshwater control sensor that ensures a stable outgoing flow.

Additional equipment

• Combined cooling and ejector water pump with electric motor
• Control panel with motor starters and salinometer
• Anti-scale chemical dosing unit for feed water

Optional equipment

• Steam heating system with direct steam injection
• Equipment for steam boosting and hot water loop system
• Extended control panel with motor starters and salinometer
• Freshwater pH adjustment equipment
• Freshwater disinfection equipment
• Connections according to DIN, JIS and ANSI standards
• Cleaning-in-Place (CIP) unit

How it works

Freshwater generator flow of feed water is taken from the flow of seawater coolant. Feed water enters the lower (evaporator) section of the plate pack, in which the plates are warmed by the heating medium. The heating medium is either engine jacket cooling water or a closed circuit heated by steam. Here the water is evaporated at around 40-60°C in a vacuum of 85-95%, which is maintained by the brine/air ejector.

The vapour produced rises between the plates into the middle (separator) section of the plate pack, where any droplets of entrained seawater are removed. Gravity causes these droplets to fall back into the brine sump at the bottom of the freshwater generator.

Only clean freshwater vapour reaches the top (condenser) section of the plate pack, which is cooled by a flow of seawater. Here the vapour is condensed into fresh water, which is pumped out of the freshwater generator by the freshwater pump.