Tubeless, multi-effect distillation system and method

A direct-contact, spray-assisted, evaporation and condensation, DCSEC, system comprising:

• plural evaporation and condensation stages, each stage being configured to generate vapors through flash evaporation, from seawater;
• and
• a pressure-swing regeneration block configured to receive water vapor and to generate a hot vapor, which is used for heating the seawater,
• wherein a stage of the plural evaporation and condensation stages receives seawater from a previous stage of the plural evaporation and condensation stages, and the seawater from the previous stage of the plural evaporation and condensation stages is mixed with vapor from a next stage of the plural evaporation and condensation stages to generate bubbles, which are injected into an evaporator of the stage of the plural evaporation and condensation stages, and
• wherein the stage of the plural evaporation and condensation stages provides a condensate to the next stage of the plural evaporation and condensation stages.

A method for water desalination with a direct-contact, spray-assisted, evaporation and condensation, DCSEC, system, the method comprising:

• supplying seawater at plural evaporation and condensation stages, wherein a stage of the plural evaporation and condensation stages includes a tubeless evaporator, which is devoid of internal heat exchanger tubes, and a tubeless condenser, which is devoid of internal heat exchanger tubes, and the tubeless evaporator and the tubeless condenser are connected to each other through a passage;
• mixing seawater from a previous stage of the plural evaporation and condensation stages with vapor from a next stage of the plural evaporation and condensation stages to generate bubbles;
• directly spraying the bubbles into the stage of the plural evaporation and condensation stages;
• generating the vapors through flash evaporation in the stage of the plural evaporation and condensation stages;
• supplying a condensate from the stage of the plural evaporation and condensation stages to the previous stage of the plural evaporation and condensation stages;
• and
• discarding the condensate outside the system after transferring heat from the condensate to the seawater.