A review of indirect freezing desalination: Key parameters, experimental research, and numerical modeling
Seawater desalination is a key solution to global freshwater shortages. Among various methods, freeze desalination (FD) has gained attention for its low energy consumption, minimal corrosion, and reduced scaling. Indirect FD, which prevents direct contact between seawater and refrigerants, ensures h...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Desalination and Water Treatment |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1944398625000864 |
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| author | Xingxiang Xie Yangui Chen Leyang Dai Lijie Xu |
| author_facet | Xingxiang Xie Yangui Chen Leyang Dai Lijie Xu |
| author_sort | Xingxiang Xie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Seawater desalination is a key solution to global freshwater shortages. Among various methods, freeze desalination (FD) has gained attention for its low energy consumption, minimal corrosion, and reduced scaling. Indirect FD, which prevents direct contact between seawater and refrigerants, ensures higher ice purity and is more suitable for potable water production. This review examines the principles, mechanisms, and key parameters influencing the seawater freezing process. By combining experimental and modeling approaches, the potential and challenges of this low-energy technology are explored. The results indicate that factors such as freezing temperature, initial salinity, and supercooling degree significantly affect ice quality and desalination efficiency. However, experimental limitations, such as scale constraints and the difficulty of replicating real seawater conditions, impact accuracy. While current models provide qualitative insights into ice crystal growth, their quantitative predictions require further refinement. Future research should focus on enhancing experimental accuracy, optimizing phase-field models and CFD simulations to improve freezing process prediction, while optimizing system integration to reduce costs and support industrial applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-41a55c680d42468daadb66d590f5c8b6 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1944-3986 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Desalination and Water Treatment |
| spelling | doaj-art-41a55c680d42468daadb66d590f5c8b62025-08-20T02:03:19ZengElsevierDesalination and Water Treatment1944-39862025-04-0132210107010.1016/j.dwt.2025.101070A review of indirect freezing desalination: Key parameters, experimental research, and numerical modelingXingxiang Xie0Yangui Chen1Leyang Dai2Lijie Xu3Provincial Key Laboratory of Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering, Institute of Marine Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, ChinaCollege of Marine Equipment and Mechanical Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian 361021, ChinaProvincial Key Laboratory of Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering, Institute of Marine Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, China; Corresponding authors.Provincial Key Laboratory of Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering, Institute of Marine Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, China; Corresponding authors.Seawater desalination is a key solution to global freshwater shortages. Among various methods, freeze desalination (FD) has gained attention for its low energy consumption, minimal corrosion, and reduced scaling. Indirect FD, which prevents direct contact between seawater and refrigerants, ensures higher ice purity and is more suitable for potable water production. This review examines the principles, mechanisms, and key parameters influencing the seawater freezing process. By combining experimental and modeling approaches, the potential and challenges of this low-energy technology are explored. The results indicate that factors such as freezing temperature, initial salinity, and supercooling degree significantly affect ice quality and desalination efficiency. However, experimental limitations, such as scale constraints and the difficulty of replicating real seawater conditions, impact accuracy. While current models provide qualitative insights into ice crystal growth, their quantitative predictions require further refinement. Future research should focus on enhancing experimental accuracy, optimizing phase-field models and CFD simulations to improve freezing process prediction, while optimizing system integration to reduce costs and support industrial applications.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1944398625000864Freeze desalinationIndirect FDNumerical modelingExperimental optimizationIndustrial application |
| spellingShingle | Xingxiang Xie Yangui Chen Leyang Dai Lijie Xu A review of indirect freezing desalination: Key parameters, experimental research, and numerical modeling Desalination and Water Treatment Freeze desalination Indirect FD Numerical modeling Experimental optimization Industrial application |
| title | A review of indirect freezing desalination: Key parameters, experimental research, and numerical modeling |
| title_full | A review of indirect freezing desalination: Key parameters, experimental research, and numerical modeling |
| title_fullStr | A review of indirect freezing desalination: Key parameters, experimental research, and numerical modeling |
| title_full_unstemmed | A review of indirect freezing desalination: Key parameters, experimental research, and numerical modeling |
| title_short | A review of indirect freezing desalination: Key parameters, experimental research, and numerical modeling |
| title_sort | review of indirect freezing desalination key parameters experimental research and numerical modeling |
| topic | Freeze desalination Indirect FD Numerical modeling Experimental optimization Industrial application |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1944398625000864 |
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