Correlations (updated) for predicting the flow through MSF plant interstage orifices Original Research Article

So far, very few design correlations for interstage flow in MSF plants have been published, and their validation for a broad range of conditions is absent. Based on all experimental data with small-scale MSF units that was available to us, correlations for the orifice coefficient were developed for a wide range of flow and flashing conditions, in stages without and with downstream baffles, and a draft was presented at a past IDA congress. This paper recorrelates them in a much better way. These correlations are the first to use such a large amount of data, and the first to employ appropriate dimensionless variables. While their standard error and correlation coefficient are satisfactory, we note that the data came from a variety of sources and for channel widths of at most 0.53 m. Consequently, they should be used with some caution, and further extensive well-instrumented experiments are highly recommended.