Energy optimisation of existing SWRO (seawater reverse osmosis) plants with ERT (energy recovery turbines): Technical and thermoeconomic assessment

Retrofits to improve desalination plants

Operation of the RO Kinetic ® energy recovery system: Description and real experiences

Sea water desalination by reverse osmosis: the true needs for energy

Orders & Contracts

A comprehensive review of energy consumption of seawater reverse osmosis desalination plants

SWRO process simulator

Reverse osmosis (RO) technology requires high energy input in order to extract freshwater from seawater. Improvements in RO technology have led to seawater RO (SWRO) becoming the dominant form of large scale desalination around the world. However, the specific energy consumption (SEC) of SWRO remains substantially higher than that for surface water treatment and indirect potable recycling, making SWRO less cost effective than other alternatives for producing potable water. Furthermore, where non-renewable energy sources are used to supply SWRO energy demand, higher levels of greenhouse gas are emitted compared with lower energy alternatives. The purpose of this paper is to review the RO process configurations currently available and their impact on reducing SWRO energy consumption. This paper highlights the main factors contributing to SWRO energy consumption and presents some of the commonly adopted approaches to reducing SEC in SWRO plants. The use of energy recovery devices (ERDs) in SWRO is explored and the relative effectiveness of the various types of ERDs in reducing SEC presented.

Analysis of the influence of the configuration in ERD retrofit in two-stage SWRO trains

Performance model for reverse osmosis

In Republic of Korea, seawater engineering and architecture of high efficiency reverse osmosis (SEAHERO) research and development (R&D) program started from 2007 to lead the top seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plant technologies for desalination with the fund of US $165 million for 6 years including test-bed plant construction. There are three technical strategies for SEAHERO R&D program called 3L, which represents large scale, low fouling, and low energy, respectively. Large scale means design, construction, and operation of the largest unit SWRO train [daily water production rate = 8 MIGD (36,000 m3/day)] in the world. Low-fouling strategy targets the decrease of RO membrane fouling by 50%. The specific target for low energy is total energy consumption of whole SWRO plant (including intake, pretreatment, SWRO systems, and so on) less than 4 kWh/m3. The core parts for SWRO plant, such as 16 in. diameter RO membrane and energy recovery device, were developed and will soon be introduced to a test-bed including the largest unit SWRO train. The next step of SEAHERO is real field scale test-bed application of the unit technologies developed for the past 4 years (2007–2010) such as strategic pretreatment, energy-saving technology, and reliable system monitoring.

Mixing phenomena in an isobaric energy recovery device (ERD) of a seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination system are investigated experimentally and numerically using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The ERD, which recovers energy from high-pressure brine discharged from RO membranes, is one of the most important mechanical devices in a SWRO desalination system. In this ERD, seawater is introduced into a vertical chamber from the top, and then high-pressure brine is introduced into the chamber from the bottom. The high-pressure brine pressurizes the seawater through direct liquid-to-liquid contact, transferring high-pressure energy of the brine to the seawater. This enables a sharp reduction in the electric energy consumption, typically 50%, of high-pressure pumps used to elevate seawater pressure for RO membranes. The energy recovery efficiency of the present ERD is over 98%, which is extremely high compared to a conventional turbine-type energy recovery device, such as a Pelton turbine, which has a system energy recovery efficiency of 60 to 80%. The possible weakness of the present ERD is the amount of mixing between brine and seawater around the direct contact surface, because mixing phenomena increase the salinity of seawater supplied to RO membranes. A higher pressure is required to keep the same amount of permeate from the membrane, which results in an energy loss in the system. To minimize mixing, a set of unique flow distributors was invented and placed at both ends of the pressure exchange chamber, which stabilizes the contact surfaces and suppresses excessive mixing. Mixing phenomena in the pressure-exchange chamber are investigated experimentally in detail with PIV and numerically with CFD, and the effectiveness of the flow distributors is clarified.

Developmental impediment and prospective trends of desalination energy recovery device

Pilot tests of fluid-switcher energy recovery device for seawater reverse osmosis desalination system

Technical review, evaluation and efficiency of energy recovery devices installed in the Canary Islands desalination plants

Energy recovery by pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) in SWRO–PRO integrated processes