Multistage Flash Evaporator Control in PDE Representation

:Conventionally, a multi-stage flash evaporation (MSF) process is modelled with a large system of nonlinear ODEs accounting for the pressure head, salinity and brine temperature changes spatially and temporarily. This paper demonstrates that the ODE system can be represented with PDEs as a simpler system and controlled efficiently with boundary controls that maximize the distillate production rate of MSF process. In PDE representation a whole desalination plant that includes brine recirculation can be modelled and controlled simpler than in ODE representation.