Evaporative Pond Liquids Preheating and Spraying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Evaporative ponds used in soda ash production face challenges in increasing evaporation rates, particularly during off-seasons, due to low ambient temperatures and clogging issues with spraying devices when using aqueous solutions containing sodium carbonate and other soluble salts.
Innovation Solution
A method involving heating the pond liquor with low temperature heat or waste heat and spraying it into the evaporative pond using a spraying device, maintaining an operating temperature at least 10°C above ambient air temperature, to enhance evaporation rates and reduce clogging by maintaining unsaturated conditions and using waste heat from steam generators or soda ash plants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If spraying devices are used to increase evaporation surface area, then evaporation rate is improved, but spraying devices clog due to fast scaling when water evaporates from aqueous solutions containing sodium carbonate and soluble salts
Solution Approach 1:
The pond liquor is preheated in a heat exchanger before being sprayed into the evaporative pond. This preliminary heating action increases the temperature of the liquor to at least 10°C above ambient air temperature, which prevents rapid cooling and crystallization of sodium carbonate and other salts during spraying, thereby preventing clogging while maintaining high evaporation rates
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the temperature parameter of the pond liquor by heating it before spraying. By maintaining the liquor temperature at least 10°C above ambient air temperature during spraying, the solution remains unsaturated and prevents salt crystallization that would cause clogging of spraying devices
2Duration of action of moving object
If conventional evaporative ponds are used during off-seasons with low ambient temperatures, then evaporation continues at reduced rates, but the evaporation period is limited and surface area requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the temperature parameter of the pond liquor by preheating it in a heat exchanger using waste heat or low temperature heat sources. This allows evaporation to proceed at effective rates during off-seasons when ambient temperatures are low, thereby extending the evaporation period and reducing the need for additional surface area
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts waste heat or low temperature heat that would otherwise be discarded into a useful resource for preheating the pond liquor. This transforms a harmful waste product into a beneficial heating source that enables extended evaporation operation during off-seasons
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method doubles the evaporation period during off-seasons, increases evaporation rates per surface unit, reduces clogging, and decreases carbon footprint by utilizing waste heat, while maintaining uniform concentrations and improving convective processes in the pond.
Implementation Method 1
feeding part of the pond liquor to a heat exchanger, heating the pond liquor in the heat exchanger with heat
Implementation Method 2
feeding the heated pond liquor into a spraying device, spraying the heated pond liquor into an open area of the evaporative pond
Implementation Method 3
so as to evaporate at least part of the water of the pond liquor when sprayed
Implementation Method 4
enhance the evaporation rate with wind and unsaturated air of the pond liquor
Data Source
AI summary
A method for increasing the evaporation rate of an evaporative pond containing pond liquor comprising water and at least 1% by weight of sodium carbonate, said evaporative pond being in contact with an ambient air at an ambient air temperature of more than 0° C., the method comprising the following steps: feeding part of the pond liquor to a heat exchanger; heating the pond liquor in the heat exchanger with heat and producing a heated pond liquor; feeding the heated pond liquor into a spraying device at an operating temperature of at least 10° C. above the ambient air temperature; and spraying the heated pond liquor into an open area of the evaporative pond with the spraying device, so as to evaporate at least part of the water of the pond liquor when sprayed.