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Multi-stage flash distillation
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<p>Multi-stage flash distillation (MSF) is a <a href="/facts/Water_desalination/feP0m9wS">water desalination</a> process that <a href="/facts/Distillation/plDvUMxn">distills</a> <a href="/facts/Sea_water/fRBJjbws">sea water</a> by <a href="/facts/Flash_evaporation/e7IxEL7y">flashing</a> a portion of the water into steam in multiple stages of what are essentially <a href="/facts/Countercurrent_exchange/MzFulDv1">countercurrent heat exchangers</a>. Current MSF facilities may have as many as 30 stages. </p><p>Multi-stage flash distillation plants produce about 26% of all desalinated water in the world, but almost all of new desalination plants currently use <a href="/facts/Reverse_osmosis/U3EJPFHN">reverse osmosis</a> due to much lower energy consumption. </p>