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Salaam,
MED technology was used earlier than MSF for desalination. The system sprays saltwater to hot tube bundles to evaporate it. However, due to scaling & fouling problem of the evaporation tubes surface, MSF took over as the preferred technology [1].
In MSF system, saltwater evaporates by flashing mechanism and the tube bundles surface is where the vapor condense. MSF is a proven technology in the Gulf area. Many MSF plants there have long service life (>30 years) and is suitable for large capacity plant. MSF is also preferred in gulf region because of ease of operation & less reliance on raw water quality [2]. MED uses nozzle spray that can clog when raw water is too turbid.
In terms of capital and running cost, MED is lower than MSF [1], [3]. And with advanced material & technology available today, MED systems have improved and are gaining popularity as well as market share [4].
