White Papers
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Expansion Retrofit of the Via Maris Palmachim Seawater Reverse Osmosis Plant The Palmachim Desalination plant is one of the largest seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plants in Israel with a capacity of 120,000 cubic meters per day (m3/day). Built by the Via Maris Desalination Ltd. consortium, the plant consists of six parallel SWRO trains, each with a permeate production capacity of up to 20,000 m3/day. In addition its high-capacity SWRO trains, the Palmachim plant is unique because it was designed to be easily turned on, off, or slowed down. Electricity tariffs in Israel are significantly higher during the day than at night with a cost ratio of up to six to one. The plant’s flexibility allows the operators to minimize energy consumption during the day when the power cost is high by shutting down as much as 85% of the plant's capacity.  Download PDF
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Desalination and Energy Efficiency for a Uranium Mine in Namibia The authors present energy saving solutions for desalination water supply for mining applications. Detailed design data for the Uranium mining desalination plant are given. Environment and economic conscious owners and operators will learn methods of design and operation of desalination systems in mining, which can be easily extrapolated to many other industrial needs, and how to minimize the total cost of ownership of a desalination process. Download PDF
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From Pilot Plant to Full Scale Plant Expansion with Isobaric ERDs The authors provide detailed analyses of SWRO productivity, energy consumption, flexibility and reliability of the Tordera SWRO process, as well as pilot plant test results for a wide-range of process conditions. Major considerations that should be addressed in the design and operation of SWRO processes are discussed. A case is made for the inclusion of an energy analysis in pilot testing and the feasibility of implementing large-scale plant expansions through retrofits with isobaric ERDs. Download PDF
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FRP Membrane Vessel Fabrication and Safety in a Growing Market The global demand for seawater desalination using reverse osmosis is pushing the membrane pressure vessel industry to its limits of capacity. Current peaks in demand for filament-wound fiber-reinforced plastic (FWFRP) vessels has resulted in a rapid increase in production among existing suppliers and has drawn new and inexperienced suppliers into the market. The rush has lead to short-cuts, oversights and mistakes in vessel design and fabrication, subjecting users to unnecessary risk. In years past, strict adherence to pressure vessel codes and standards, as well as independent third-party inspectors, helped keep the industry safe. Now it appears that the hard lessons of the past have been forgotten and membrane pressure vessels are treated simply as commodities conveying little if any risk. Download PDF
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Permeate Recovery Rate Optimization at the Alicante Spain SWRO Plant
A high recovery rate means a high process yield. However, in a desalination process, operation at high recovery results in higher average concentrate salinities in the membrane elements, higher osmotic pressures and higher membrane feed pressures compared to operation at low recovery. In addition, supersaturation of the concentrate can result in more scaling and high membrane flux can result in more fouling. On the other hand, low recovery rate operation directly reduces process yield and can result in excess pretreatment and supply-pumping expenses. Permeate recovery rate optimization, therefore, is a critical exercise for RO process design and operation. Download PDF
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Keys to High Efficiency, Reliable Performance and Successful Operation of SWRO Processes
Isobaric energy recovery devices (ERDs) have attained nearly universal acceptance by the seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalting world. These devices are operating in the largest SWRO trains in the world and continue to be an integral component in small, containerized systems. Systems incorporating isobaric ERDs are being installed and supported on all seven continents. This has lead to an accumulation of a wealth of knowledge based on practical operating experience. Download PDF
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Retrofits to Improve Desalination Plants Removing legacy energy recovery devices (ERD) and installing modern isobaric ERDs makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of existing systems by as much as 60%. Such retrofits can also significantly increase the capacity of existing systems while adding little or no additional power requirements. These benefits can be realized at a fraction of the cost of constructing new plants. For these reasons, many owners of legacy desalination plants worldwide are upgrading their processes by incorporating isobaric ERD technology. Download PDF
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Energy Recovery Devices For High Pressure Hydraulic Applications Although most isobaric ERDs were designed for membrane desalination applications, they can potentially be applied to any high-pressure fluid application to recover pressure from a waste or reject stream and use it to pressurize another stream. The mechanics of the PX Pressure Exchanger device are described in detail in consideration of its suitability for other high-pressure hydraulic applications. Download PDF
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The New Qidfa and Al Zawrah SWRO Plants The Al Zawrah plant is scheduled to start up in early 2008 and will produce 27,300 m3/day with six SWRO trains. The plants were designed and built by Aqua Engineering. They employ ERI PX Pressure Exchanger energy recovery technology, specifically six model PX-220 devices per train, to reduce plant power consumption. The authors describe the design and performance of the New Qidfa plant, particularly those aspects associated with energy efficiency and energy recovery. Download PDF
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PX Misconceptions This memorandum is intended to clarify some specific facts about the performance and reliability of ERI’s PX Pressure Exchanger technology. Most ERI customers will find nothing new in this analysis. However, for SWRO designers and operators that have been exposed to anti-PX propaganda, we hope this memo will correct any misconceptions that may exist. Download PDF
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