In a flash evaporator, where is scale most likely to accumulate due to higher-than-normal temperatures?

In a flash evaporator, scale is most likely to accumulate in the saltwater feed heater due to the higher-than-normal temperatures experienced in this part of the system. The saltwater feed heater is designed to raise the temperature of the incoming seawater before it enters the evaporator. This increase in temperature can lead to precipitation and deposition of salts and minerals, particularly when the water is heated and then cooled rapidly.

As the seawater heats up, its ability to hold dissolved salts decreases, which results in these substances forming solid deposits, or scale, that can adhere to the heating surfaces. If the temperature is consistently high, it exacerbates this process, making the feed heater a prime location for scale accumulation.

In contrast, the evaporator shell typically operates at lower temperatures during the phase change from liquid to vapor. The condenser, which cools and condenses the vapor back into liquid, usually doesn't experience the same conditions conducive to scale formation. The brine separator is also less likely to accumulate scale due to its role in separating the brine from the distillate after the evaporation process.