Zero Liquid Discharge Research Articles

Zero Liquid Discharge and Water Reuse in Recirculating Cooling Towers at Power Facilities: Review and Case Study Analysis

Zero Liquid Discharge and Water Reuse in Recirculating Cooling Towers at Power Facilities: Review and Case Study Analysis

Recovering double-metal hydroxides precipitate from desalination process of saline wastewater as conditioner for excess sludge dewatering

The massively generated double-metal hydroxides (DHs) precipitate has restricted the application of the lime-aluminum precipitation method in the zero liquid discharge (ZLD) process of saline wastewater. Recovering DHs precipitate as conditioners for the dewatering of municipal sludge is a promising solution for above issue. In this study, individual use of DHs from the ZLD process, including ettringite (Ett), Friedel’s salt (FS) and their mixtures (EF), and combined use of the DHs and FeCl3 in sludge conditioning were investigated. The EF precipitate was commonly generated from the chloride precipitation process by the lime-aluminum method, and composed of 16.7% of Ett and 83.3% of FS. The dewaterability of excess sludge conditioned with FeCl3 prior to DHs was much better than opposite dosing sequence and individual use of DHs. Sludge conditioned by FeCl3 prior to EF possessed the best dewatering performance ascribing to its high fluidity, strong structure strength and uniformly dispersed mesoporous structure. The variations of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) further confirmed that EPS were largely released after FeCl3 addition and then efficiently adsorbed by the subsequently added DHs, with the highest adsorption efficiency of 60% by EF. The kinetics for EPS adsorption also suggested that EF had the highest adsorption capacity compared to FS and Ett. Overall, FeCl3 addition could form interstitial channels in flocs by penetration and release external and intracellular substances, while the latter added EF, Ett could function as uniformly skeleton material and dispersing agent to improve EPS adsorption by FS. Hence, the synergic coupling of FeCl3 and DHs as chemical conditioner is inspirable and economically beneficial to ZLD and advanced sludge dewatering process.

Pilot-scale study on seeded precipitation assisted nanofiltration for flue-gas desulfurization wastewater softening.

In order to reduce the cost of chemical softening, the seeded precipitation assisted nanofiltration (NF) process was introduced into zero liquid discharge (ZLD) of flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater treatment. A pilot-scale system was developed and run for 168 h in a coal-fired power plant. The system mainly consists of lime softening, ambient temperature crystallizer (ATC) and NF, in which the raw water treatment capacity was 1 m3/h. The results indicated that the system operated stably, the softening cost was 13.30 RMB/m3, and the electricity cost was 3.39 RMB/m3 for the FGD wastewater in this pilot system. High quality gypsum was got from the ATC unit, of which the purity was 95.8%. Through this system, the hardness removal rate was higher than 98.9% and the water recovery rate reached 96%. In addition, the pressure and permeate flux kept stable in the ultrafiltration (UF) unit and NF unit, indicating no scaling occurred in the two units during 168 h test. Thus, a feasible and cost-effective process was provided by using the seeded precipitation assisted NF to deal with the FGD wastewater.

Techno-economic assessment of zero liquid discharge (ZLD) systems for sustainable treatment, minimization and valorization of seawater brine

The challenge of brine disposal has sparked a lot of interest in advanced strategies for valorizing them through freshwater and salt recovery. This research article examines the technical and economic aspects of zero liquid discharge (ZLD) desalination systems using two different crystallization processes, namely brine crystallizer (BCr) in scenario 1 and wind-aided intensified evaporation (WAIV) in scenario 2 for sustainable treatment, minimization, and valorization of seawater brine. The results indicated that scenario 1 has a higher water recovery (99.14%) than scenario 2 (85.75%) as the crystallization process in scenario 2 (i.e., WAIV) does not recover freshwater; however, water is evaporated through WAIV technology and thus both systems have low brine volumes (<1 m3/day), achieving ZLD conditions. The total energy and cost demands of scenario 1 (22.15 kWh/m3 & US$100.5/day) are greater than those of scenario 2 (15.34 kWh/m3 & US$85.3/day). Both scenarios are viable, with profits ranging from US$180.49/day to US$225.85/day depending on whether only desalinated water or both desalinated water and solid salt are sold. The insight given in this techno-economic analysis will aid in the sustainable valorization and management of brine from several brine-generating industries.

Thermodynamics of solvent-driven water extraction from hypersaline brines using dimethyl ether

Solvent-driven water extraction (SDWE) has promising applications in hypersaline brine desalination, including zero-liquid discharge processing for industrial wastewaters, and resource recovery, such as the extraction of lithium and rare earth elements from solution mining leachates. In this study, we develop a computational thermodynamic framework to analyze the liquid–liquid extraction of water from hypersaline brines using dimethyl ether (DME), an aprotic solvent that is partially miscible with water. The high volatility of DME enables its rapid separation from water–DME mixtures after water absorption, while its low polarity minimizes the organic-phase solubility of electrolytes, such as sodium chloride (NaCl). We first build a thermodynamic model based on the LIQUAC excess Gibbs free energy model for water–DME–NaCl mixtures. Maximum likelihood estimators for water–DME–NaCl interaction parameters are calculated through the nonlinear regression of fluid phase equilibrium and osmotic coefficient data using metaheuristic global optimization techniques. A multistage counter-current liquid–liquid separator (LLS) model is then developed to explore the water recovery and brine concentration ratios achievable as a function of feed molality and DME to feed water flow rate ratio. For a saline feed with a molality of 2.0molkg−1 (over three times the salinity of seawater) our analysis demonstrates that a one-stage LLS can achieve a water recovery ratio of 0.51 with an initial DME to saline feed molar flow rate ratio of 4.0, rising to 0.63 with a second equilibrium stage. We conclude by quantifying the amount of DME required to reach zero-liquid discharge brine salinities and analyzing the impact of staging and temperature on separation performance. Our thermodynamic model enables the rapid evaluation of SDWE systems for emerging hypersaline brine desalination and valorization applications.

Enhanced anti-wetted PVDF membrane for pulping RO brine treatment by vacuum membrane distillation

Large amounts of lignin, hemicellulose, organic matter and inorganic salts are present in pulping and papermaking wastewater. Therefore, the treatment and discharge of pulping wastewater are important issues. We have designed and developed the world's first zero liquid discharge (ZLD) system for it based on pretreatment-membrane-evaporative crystallization integrated technologies. However, for the treatment of high salt reverse osmosis (RO) brine, there are still challenges that need to be addressed. In this work, the feasibility of using a membrane distillation crystallization (MDC) process to treat high saline RO brine was investigated. Two different coating materials, Hyflon AD 40H and perfluoropolyether (PFPE), were applied to improve the membrane surface hydrophobicity for stable and efficient performance. After modification, the water contact angle was up to 138.4o and 157.7o for Hyflon/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and PFPE/PVDF composite membranes, respectively. Moreover, the PFPE/PVDF membrane showed a higher repellency toward RO brine, which is better for the following MDC treatment. During the MDC progress using composite PFPE/PVDF membranes, the salt crystals precipitated and gradually accumulated. More importantly, the final NaCl purity can be up to 94%. Therefore, it is hopeful to improve of the existing ZLD system by MDC operation.

Algal treatment of membrane rejects: a unique approach towards zero liquid discharge

A major concern in membrane-based water purification system is generation of huge concentrate stream and wastage of water. A typical Reverse osmosis (RO) or Nanofiltration (NF) system generates 20–25% reject containing high amount of dissolved salts and other contaminants. Contrary to popular belief, this reject water cannot be used without removing the contaminants or cannot be discharged anywhere. Main goal of this project is to find a cheapest and green way for treatment of RO/NF reject. Algal evaporation technique was explored in laboratory scale, to find its suitability for treatment of chloride-rich membrane reject in actual scenario and based on the results obtained, a pilot plant of 48KL was established on Hooghly Met Coke division (HMC), Tata Steel. Particular species of microalgae was selected, to take up minerals from reject water. There are several types of bacteria and symbiotic algae associated with selected micro algae survive in high TDS. A unique slope roof system, connected with algae growth tank, helps in efficient evaporation of water ensuring a Zero discharge. A markedly improved performance was achieved when algal evaporation followed solar evaporation. A total evaporation of 11 L/m2/day was observed, which was almost five times faster than Solar evaporation.

Economic Analysis of Atomization Drying of Concentrated Solution Based on Zero Discharge of Desulphurization Wastewater

With the improvement of environmental protection requirements, more and more attention has been given to desulphurization wastewater with zero discharge in coal power plants. Atomization drying is part of the main zero discharge technologies at present. Economic analysis of the atomization drying of desulphurization wastewater is beneficial to the formulation of an appropriate operation scheme and to the reduction of operation costs. The economic analysis and sensitivity analysis of different operating conditions such as unit load, the handling capacity of concentrates, and the temperature of the extracted flue gas in the atomization drying process of concentrated desulfurized wastewater were carried out in this paper. The main cost of the drying process came from the influence of flue gas extraction on the overall heat transfer in the boiler, resulting in the decrease in power generation revenue, which can reach more than 80%. The operating cost of auxiliary machinery was relatively low. The cost of treatment for per ton of concentrates increased first and then decreased with the increase in temperature of the extracted flue gas, and it decreased with the increase in the handling capacity of the concentrates. The effect of a unit load on the treatment cost was also related to the temperature of the extracted flue gas, and the optimal flue gas temperature increase to higher temperatures as the unit load decreased. The minimum treatment costs per ton of concentrate ranged from CNY 143.54/t to CNY 158.77/t under different unit loads. Sensitivity analysis showed that the temperature of the extracted flue gas had the greatest impact on treatment cost, and its sensitivity coefficient was 0.0834. The ways in which to improve economic benefits were discussed.

Research on the Technology of Zero Discharge of Waste Water in Modern Coal Chemical Enterprises

Research on the Technology of Zero Discharge of Waste Water in Modern Coal Chemical Enterprises

Coal chemical industry membrane concentrates: characterisation and treatment by ozonation and catalytic ozonation processes

Environmental context Reverse osmosis (RO) is widely used for the treatment of hazardous wastewaters produced from the coal chemical industry (CCI) to achieve zero liquid discharge however the use of RO inevitably results in accumulation of refractory organic matter in the RO membrane concentrate, the treatment of which is challenging. This work provides useful insights into the organic composition of RO concentrates obtained from a range of real CCI wastewaters. The efficacy of treatment of these concentrates by ozonation processes is assessed as is the cost effectiveness of such treatment. Rationale The enactment of increasingly stringent regulations has prompted the implementation of membrane technologies such as reverse osmosis (RO) in the management of coal chemical industry (CCI) wastewaters with the goal of achieving zero liquid discharge (ZLD). However, this practice inevitably results in the production of high salinity concentrates containing refractory organic matter. Methodology In this study, we characterised the organic composition of RO concentrates obtained from the CCI using a variety of methods including liquid chromatography–organic carbon/nitrogen detection (LC-OCND) and investigated the degradability of organic compounds present in these concentrates by ozonation and catalytic ozonation processes. Results and discussion Organic analysis using LC-OCND revealed that humic-like substances and low molecular weight neutral compounds were the dominant constituents in the CCI concentrates examined. Measurement of degradability of the CCI concentrate by a pure ozonation process showed low treatment efficiency (~20% dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal) as a result of the refractory nature of the organic compounds present in the wastewater. The degradation of these organics by a catalytic ozonation process employing a commercially available Fe-oxide based catalyst was higher than that observed by pure ozonation although the extent of organics removal (DOC removal ~47%) is still low due to the refractory nature of the organics as well as the influence of salts on the catalyst performance. Techno-economic analysis of the pure ozonation and catalytic ozonation processes indicated that the total cost of implementation of the ozonation processes (homogeneous or heterogeneous) for CCI concentrate treatment is negligible compared with the overall cost of the complete ZLD process.

Salt isolation from waste brine enabled by interfacial solar evaporation with zero liquid discharge

An affordable and easy-to-fabricate solar evaporation-based crystallizer (SEC) was developed to implement interfacial brine evaporation towards zero liquid discharge (ZLD).

Concrete Production and Curing with Recycled Wastewater: A Review on the Current State of Knowledge and Practice

A number of factors have combined to put excessive pressure on the finite available freshwater resources. These include increasing population, rapid urbanization, industrialization, changed land pattern usage and land cover, change in the overall ecological system, and increased temperature and unscientific compromises in the extraction of water are at alarming threshold putting pressure on the finite available freshwater resources. As a result, many countries have been stressed or are at the verge of being stressed. The problem is worsened day by day by prolonged drought, unchecked discharge of untreated or partially treated wastewater to the freshwater reservoirs and lack of proper water quality control measures and management. Many initiatives such as Zero Liquid Discharge of industrial wastewater into freshwater bodies such as reservoirs, lakes, and ponds, and the use of recycled wastewater for irrigation and domestic purposes have started to be embraced as measures to put a check on the fast depleting freshwater resources for sustainable socio‐economic development. The construction industry is the second largest consumer of freshwater just after agriculture. Concreting alone consumes, annually, over one trillion m3 of freshwater globally while the concept of the use of wastewater and/or recycled water in the concrete‐making processes is yet to be adopted. Hence, this paper presents a general review of the current state of knowledge and practice on concrete production and curing using recycled wastewater from industrial, commercial, and domestic activities. An extensive review of the existing literature revealed that recycled water is fit for concrete production and curing purposes. The observations made are based on the assessment of wastewater quality parameters and their impacts on some selected concrete properties such as initial setting time and compressive strength. Due to scanty research on the impacts of varying concentrations of different ingredients in any questionable water on selected properties of reinforced concrete and its durability, thus, further research is recommended.

Self-Powered Solar-Driven Zero Liquid Discharge Desalination Plant Based on Drum Film Evaporators

Self-Powered Solar-Driven Zero Liquid Discharge Desalination Plant Based on Drum Film Evaporators

Unconventional Desalination: The Use of Cyclone Separators in Hdh Desalination to Achieve Zero Liquid Discharge

Unconventional Desalination: The Use of Cyclone Separators in Hdh Desalination to Achieve Zero Liquid Discharge

Status and Development of Zero Discharge Technology for Desulphurization Wastewater from Coal-fired Power Plants

Status and Development of Zero Discharge Technology for Desulphurization Wastewater from Coal-fired Power Plants

Design of a zero liquid discharge leachate treatment system using an evapotranspiration willow bed

While zero liquid discharge (ZLD) wetlands have been successfully used for domestic wastewater treatment, adapting this technology to treat other wastewaters such as leachate could be very attractive for some industries concerned with meeting increasingly stringent environmental regulations. Leachate treatment typically implies large volume of water that are entirely dependent on rainfall and therefore highly variable both throughout the year and between years. Current design guidelines for zero discharge willow systems limit system flexibility because they are based on rough theoretical estimates of evapotranspiration. This discuss the applicability of ZLD treatment through a willow bed evapotranspiration (ET) applied to the treatment of industrial leachate that has high and variable hydraulic loading rate and low contaminant and salt concentration. We propose a base design and, through detailed and long-term hydrological modeling of such a treatment system, investigate how various design and management decisions can affect sizing, efficiency, and overall feasibility of the technology. We showed that considering ET optimization factors (e.g. fertilization and organic substrate) was essential for ZLD to be achieved over a 20-year period in northern continental humid climate and that the ratio between cumulative annual ET of the willow bed and cumulative annual rainfall should be at least 1.5. When varying the leachate collection area, it was found that a ratio of willow bed area to collection area between 0.5 and 0.7 should be expected for an optimized design in this specific climate, were land area and storage volume remain the most limiting factors. Regarding storage volume, several management options can be applied to reduce the volume of storage required. We also highlight that a risk attenuation strategy should always be included in the design of a ZLD wetland system. Our study suggests that ZLD wetlands constitute a green technology that represents a serious alternative treatment method for pretreated leachate, while offering many benefits such as low maintenance and energy costs, valorization of contaminants such as nitrogen or phosphorus through biomass production, and, most importantly, zero contaminant discharge to the environment. Finally, we propose future research opportunities and other possible applications for further development of the technology.

Evaluation of percrystallization coupled with electrodialysis for zero liquid discharge in the pulping industry

We evaluated percrystallization at laboratory scale to determine its suitability as core technology for achieving Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) in a Kraft effluent desalination process. Compared with conventional evaporation/crystallization techniques, percrystallization allows to operate at room temperature and with barely pressurized fluids, using relatively unexpensive membranes and vacuum to allow evaporation of aqueous brine solutions. For further comprehension of the technology before experimentation, a computational fluid dynamics model was developed, showing how temperature affects the performance of percrystallization in terms of transmembrane flux. Additionally, we performed experiments with single and double salt solutions (NaCl and NaCl/Na2SO4) and concentrated industrial effluent from a Kraft pulp mill (brine from the effluent desalination with electrodialysis). Percrystallization of the concentrated industrial effluent was successfully achieved at laboratory scale, showing no signs of fouling on the membrane surface. However, high energy consumptions (above 3000 kWh/ton of evaporated water) were measured. Theoretical power consumptions of an optimized industrial percrystallization system were therefore computed. Percrystallization showed a more efficient performance compared with similar membrane systems, such as vacuum membrane distillation, but higher energy consumptions than conventional ZLD technologies (mechanical vapor compression), having an estimated energy consumption of around 110–150 kWh/ton of removed water, depending on the feed fluid temperature. Nevertheless, percrystallization could be suitable for ZLD applications where low-cost heating (e.g., solar) is available, since the vacuum energy demand is only 32–140 kWh/ton. Alternatively, it could be applied to low scale processes where the temperature of the solution must remain low (e.g., less than 40 °C).

Studies on the fouling behavior and cleaning method of pervaporation desalination membranes for reclamation of reverse osmosis concentrated water

Schematic diagram of two stages of membrane fouling. • Desalination performance of PV membrane to industrial reverse osmosis concentrate is first reported. • The produced water meets the discharge standard. • Chemical softening pretreatment is necessary to mitigate fouling. • Membrane flux is recovered 98% after chemical washing. Pervaporation (PV), as a cost-efficient concentrating process, has been studied for Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) of desalination. Although high water flux and excellent salt rejection have been reported for many PV membranes. The desalination performance, fouling behavior, and cleaning protocol for treating real reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) generated from industrial plants have never been studied. Meanwhile, understanding the fouling behavior and cleaning method in the treating process is crucial for the development of suitable PV desalination membranes. In this study, we used a lab-made PV membrane to treat industrial ROC with a high chemical oxygen demand (COD) value and high salt concentrations. The results showed that conductivity and COD of the produced water were below 20 μs/cm and 70 mg/L, respectively, which fulfilled the discharge standard. However, the membrane fouling problem was not trivial. To address the fouling issue, a chemical softening method was adopted to remove the calcium salts of the ROC, and a membrane cleaning method was developed to regenerate the water flux. As a result, a long-term water flux of 31.27 kg/m 2 ·h with a flux recovery rate of 98% were realized. This highlights the potential of PV desalination technology for ROC reclamation.

A novel zero-liquid discharge desalination system based on the humidification-dehumidification process: A preliminary study

As a byproduct of desalination plants, brine is increasingly becoming a threat to the environment, and the design of zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) systems is gaining increasing attention. Existing ZLD systems are limited by a high energy intensity and high plant costs of their crystallizers. This study proposes a novel crystallization method based on the humidification-dehumidification (HDH) process, which exhibits the advantages of a low energy consumption, low component costs and a reduced scaling and fouling potential. A simple experimental setup is first designed to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system. Brine concentration and salt crystallization are successfully achieved with air heated to 40 °C as the heat source. Afterwards, a thermo-economic analysis is conducted for the whole system. The specific thermal energy and electricity consumption levels are found to range from 700-900 and 5-11 kJ, respectively, per kg of feed brine. The energy consumption is 56% lower than that of a conventional evaporative crystallizer, and the initial plant cost is reduced by 58%.

MoSe2 Nanoflowers for Highly Efficient Industrial Wastewater Treatment with Zero Discharge.

Water pollution is one of the leading causes of death and disease worldwide, yet mitigating it remains a challenge. This paper presents an efficient new strategy for the processing of wastewater utilizing an accessible redox reaction with MoSe2 nanoflowers, which shows a strong oxidizing ability and permits the decomposition of dye molecules in dark environments without the need for an external power source. This reaction can treat wastewater at a decomposition rate above 0.077 min−1, even when interacting with organic pollutants at concentrations up to 1500 ppm. Theoretical calculations by Dmol3 simulation elucidates that the reactions proceed spontaneously, and the kinetic constant (k obs) for this redox reaction with 10 ppm RhB dye is 0.53 min−1, which is 65 times faster than the titanium dioxide photocatalytic wastewater treatment. More importantly, the residual waste solution can be further utilized as a precursor to reconstruct the MoSe2 nanoflowers. To demonstrate the effectiveness and reusability, the treated effluent is directly used as the sole source of irrigated water for plants with no adverse effect. This method offers an eco‐friendly and more accessible way to treat industrial wastewater with zero‐discharge.