- Email: [email protected]
GEA creates new group structure
membrane
TECHNOLOGY
ISSN 0958-2118 August 2015
www.membrane-technology.com
Contents
CoorsTek forms membrane sciences group – combining hydrogen and oxygen transport membrane technologies
News
U
GEA creates new group structure
– in both planar and tubular configurations – used in a growing variety of micro-reactors, oxygen sensors and solid oxide electrolysis cells, and in GTL, GTCh and molecular separation applications. Per Kristian Vestre, Group Vice President, CoorsTek Membrane Sciences, and industry veteran, added: ‘Active ceramic membranes are amongst the cleanest, most efficient and scalable ways to perform these conversions.’ CoorsTek says that the electro-catalytic membrane reactors it is testing have, for the first time, demonstrated chemical amplification in the single-step conversion of natural gas into liquid benzene, known as methane de-hydroaromatisation (MDA). ‘This breakthrough technology, using ion-transport membranes for process intensification, has the potential to revolutionise the Energy Age in much the same way the transistor did for the Information Age,’ continued Vestre. Contacts: CoorsTek Inc, 16000 Table Mountain Parkway, Golden, CO 80403, USA. Tel: +1 303 271 7000, www.coorstek.com/membrane_sciences.php
GEA creates new group structure
G
EA Group Aktiengesellschaft, which focuses on process technology and components primarily for the food industry, has created a new group structure as part of its “Fit for 2020” initiative – marking a fundamental shift both in its internal structure and organisation, and in its external customer relations. The group has formed two new business areas, designated Equipment and Solutions. It says that grouping business areas of roughly equal strength promises greater operational synergies spanning technologies and applications,
and promotes functional excellence by standardising processes. According to GEA, for its customers this means a single national organisation per country as a central point of contact covering the entire product portfolio and offering all services on a local basis. The new structure enables GEA to generate substantial savings whilst supporting further growth. In the Equipment business area GEA brings together all activities that feature standardised and (in part) customer-specific equipment. As a general rule, products are manufactured in Continued on page 16...
1 & 16
Dow’s XP Fiber increases water treatment efficiency
2
NF membrane removes sea-water sulphate from injection water
2
ZLD.eco2 process lowers the cost of zero liquid discharge
3
TFF reduces processing volumes and eliminates process constraints
3
Hyflux supplies containerised desalination systems to Saudi Arabia
4
Osmoflo’s technology produces desalinated water for Fortescue Metals
4
Suez Environnement wins reuse water treatment contract in China
4
Aquatech completes one year of operating the CSIA wastewater plant
5
Saltworks moves its manufacturing operations to larger facilities
5
Pilot project provides drinking water for hospital in Vietnam
6
Chinese steel manufacturer relies on Pall’s UF and MF technology
6
Kubota establishes water and environment R & D centre in North America
16
Feature Long-term benefits of enhanced biological monitoring strategies on membrane filtration operations
7
Regulars In Brief
3&5
Research Trends
10
Patents
12
Events Calendar
16
S-based engineering materials company CoorsTek Inc has formed CoorsTek Membrane Sciences, which specialises in ion-conducting ceramic membranes used in direct gas-to-chemicals (GTCh) and gas-to-liquids (GTL) conversion applications. The group combines the hydrogen transport membrane (HTM) and oxygen transport membrane (OTM) technologies that CoorsTek, and Ceramatec and Protia – both CoorsTek companies – have been developing over the past two decades and are now commercialising with energy and chemical producers. ‘GTL conversion, for example, transforms abundant low-value natural gas into higher value liquids such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuels,’ explained Dr Grover Coors, the group’s chief scientist. ‘The conversion process uses active ceramic membranes that either remove some of the hydrogen from natural gas molecules or introduce precise amounts of pure oxygen into the gas to produce synthesis gas, or syngas.’ The firm develops and manufactures advanced HTM and OTM ceramic membranes
CoorsTek forms membrane sciences group – combining hydrogen and oxygen transport membrane technologies 1
visit us today at:
www.membrane-technology.com
ISSN 0958-2118/15 © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved This journal and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by Elsevier Ltd, and the following terms and conditions apply to their use: Photocopying Single photocopies of single articles may be made for personal use as allowed by national copyright laws. Permission of the publisher and payment of a fee is required for all other photocopying, including multiple or systematic copying, copying for advertising or promotional purposes, resale, and all forms of document delivery. Special rates are available for educational institutions that wish to make photocopies for non-profit educational classroom use.
CALENDAR/NEWS
EVENTS CALENDAR 23–26 August 2015 IWA Specialized Conference – Biofilms in Drinking Water Systems Arosa, Switzerland Contact: Eawag, Überlandstrasse 133, Postfach 611, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland Tel: +41 58 765 5511, Fax: +41 58 765 5028 www.eawag.ch, www.iwabiofilm2015.ch
30 August 2015 ‘UF-SWRO Plant Operation, Cost and Fouling Management’ (one-day MASAR course) San Diego, California, USA Contact: MASAR Technologies Inc USA, 1688 Lost Moon Court, Tucson, AZ 85737-7069, USA Telephone: +1 520 544 5657 Email: [email protected] www.masartraining.com
30 August to 4 September 2015 IDA World Congress 2015 – Desalination and Water Reuse San Diego, California, USA Contact: International Desalination
...Continued from front page large quantities as part of large-scale series production on a standardised and modular basis. The Solutions business area brings together all project-based offerings that extensively cover customer-specific and modular solutions. The business areas tailor their products and services to specific applications and customer requirements. ‘The new structure is designed to help us develop from a very good to an outstanding company, based on a simplified, harmonised
Association, PO Box 387, 94 Central Street, Suite 200, Topsfield, MA 01983, USA Tel: +1 978 887 0410, Fax: +1 978 887 0411 http://wc.idadesal.org
7–10 September 2015
Contact: Kyle Frazier, Texas Desalination Association, 823 Congress, Suite 1010, Austin, TX 78701, USA Tel: +1 512 322 0404 Email:[email protected] www.texasdesal.com/events/2015-conference.html
Euromembrane 2015 Aachen, Germany Contact: RWTH Aachen University, Turmstr. 46, D-52056 Aachen, Germany Tel: +49 241 80 29969, Fax: +49 241 80 92252 Email: [email protected] www.avt.rwth-aachen.de/Euromembrane2015
26–30 September 2015 WEFTEC 2015 Chicago, Illinois, USA Contact: Water Environment Federation, 601 Wythe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-1994, USA Tel: +1 703 684 2441 www.weftec.org
30 September to 1 October 2015 TexasDesal 2015 – ‘Innovation and Reliability’ Austin, Texas, USA
and more streamlined organisation,’ commented Jürg Oleas, CEO, GEA. ‘This means the maximum possible focus within each unit, with clearly defined responsibilities in terms of applications, products, technologies and services. In addition, the changes will safeguard and further improve our customer focus through first-rate innovations and services, rapid decision-making processes, uniform and coordinated customer management, and much more.’
6–8 October 2015 World Water-Tech North America Toronto, Ontario, Canada Contact: Stephan Groves, Commercial Director, Rethink Events Ltd, 2nd Floor, Intergen House, 65–67 Western Road, Hove, BN3 2JQ, UK Tel: +44 1273 789912 Email: [email protected] www.worldwatertechnorthamerica.com
3–6 November 2015 Aquatech 2015 Amsterdam Amsterdam, The Netherlands Contact: Aquatech Project Team, PO Box 77777, 1070 MS Amsterdam, The Netherlands Tel: +31 20 549 1212 www.aquatechtrade.com/amsterdamen
The most visible indication of the changes is the group’s new Web-site, which was launched at the same time. The significantly updated and more consistent site is now clearly divided into products, applications and services. It replaces more than 200 separate group company Web-sites that had previously existed. Contact: GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, Peter-Müller-Str. 12, 40468 Düsseldorf, Germany. Tel: +49 211 91360, www.gea.com
Kubota establishes water and environment R & D centre in North America
K
ubota Corp, based in Naniwa-ku, Osaka, Japan, reports that it is establishing its first research and development base outside Japan that focuses on water and the environment. Referred to as the Kubota Water & Environment R & D Center USA, it is being set up in Canton, Ohio, with the objective of strengthening the company’s water treatment technology – especially membrane bioreactor (MBR) treatment systems. The R & D base is being built within the grounds of a sewage treatment plant in Canton. In 2013 the company received an order to supply MBR separation systems for the facility, rated at 159 000 m3 (4.2 million gallons) per day. It is being built on a site with an area of 1720 m2 (18 500 ft2). The building area totals 16
Membrane Technology
780 m2 (8400 ft2), comprising offices and an experimental unit covering 160 m2 (1700 ft2) and 620 m2 (6700 ft2), respectively. Construction of the facility, which involves an investment of $2.5 million, is scheduled to be completed in September 2015 and is set to open in December 2015. According to Kubota, there are calls for support for stronger regulation of water treatment and for the renovation, integration and abolition of treatment plants in the water treatment markets of North America and Europe. It says it is responding by developing membrane separation equipment for MBR systems that can improve the quality of treated water at medium-scale and large-scale facilities, using existing infrastructure. In addition to reinforcing Kubota’s ability to design membrane systems appropriate for the
regional climate and water quality, the base will also accumulate expertise on system operation and management. Furthermore, in addition to using this base as a site where customers can view Kubota membrane systems, it is expected to effectively raise the level of awareness and understanding of this technology. The firm says it will also promote coordination with parties, such as related companies, local governments and universities, for the purpose of developing other, new water treatment technologies. Contact: Kubota Corp, 2–47, Shikitsuhigashi 1-chome, Naniwa-ku, Osaka 556-8601, Japan. Tel: +81 6 6648 2111, www.kubota-global.net
August 2015
TECHNOLOGY
ISSN 0958-2118 August 2015
www.membrane-technology.com
Contents
CoorsTek forms membrane sciences group – combining hydrogen and oxygen transport membrane technologies
News
U
GEA creates new group structure
– in both planar and tubular configurations – used in a growing variety of micro-reactors, oxygen sensors and solid oxide electrolysis cells, and in GTL, GTCh and molecular separation applications. Per Kristian Vestre, Group Vice President, CoorsTek Membrane Sciences, and industry veteran, added: ‘Active ceramic membranes are amongst the cleanest, most efficient and scalable ways to perform these conversions.’ CoorsTek says that the electro-catalytic membrane reactors it is testing have, for the first time, demonstrated chemical amplification in the single-step conversion of natural gas into liquid benzene, known as methane de-hydroaromatisation (MDA). ‘This breakthrough technology, using ion-transport membranes for process intensification, has the potential to revolutionise the Energy Age in much the same way the transistor did for the Information Age,’ continued Vestre. Contacts: CoorsTek Inc, 16000 Table Mountain Parkway, Golden, CO 80403, USA. Tel: +1 303 271 7000, www.coorstek.com/membrane_sciences.php
GEA creates new group structure
G
EA Group Aktiengesellschaft, which focuses on process technology and components primarily for the food industry, has created a new group structure as part of its “Fit for 2020” initiative – marking a fundamental shift both in its internal structure and organisation, and in its external customer relations. The group has formed two new business areas, designated Equipment and Solutions. It says that grouping business areas of roughly equal strength promises greater operational synergies spanning technologies and applications,
and promotes functional excellence by standardising processes. According to GEA, for its customers this means a single national organisation per country as a central point of contact covering the entire product portfolio and offering all services on a local basis. The new structure enables GEA to generate substantial savings whilst supporting further growth. In the Equipment business area GEA brings together all activities that feature standardised and (in part) customer-specific equipment. As a general rule, products are manufactured in Continued on page 16...
1 & 16
Dow’s XP Fiber increases water treatment efficiency
2
NF membrane removes sea-water sulphate from injection water
2
ZLD.eco2 process lowers the cost of zero liquid discharge
3
TFF reduces processing volumes and eliminates process constraints
3
Hyflux supplies containerised desalination systems to Saudi Arabia
4
Osmoflo’s technology produces desalinated water for Fortescue Metals
4
Suez Environnement wins reuse water treatment contract in China
4
Aquatech completes one year of operating the CSIA wastewater plant
5
Saltworks moves its manufacturing operations to larger facilities
5
Pilot project provides drinking water for hospital in Vietnam
6
Chinese steel manufacturer relies on Pall’s UF and MF technology
6
Kubota establishes water and environment R & D centre in North America
16
Feature Long-term benefits of enhanced biological monitoring strategies on membrane filtration operations
7
Regulars In Brief
3&5
Research Trends
10
Patents
12
Events Calendar
16
S-based engineering materials company CoorsTek Inc has formed CoorsTek Membrane Sciences, which specialises in ion-conducting ceramic membranes used in direct gas-to-chemicals (GTCh) and gas-to-liquids (GTL) conversion applications. The group combines the hydrogen transport membrane (HTM) and oxygen transport membrane (OTM) technologies that CoorsTek, and Ceramatec and Protia – both CoorsTek companies – have been developing over the past two decades and are now commercialising with energy and chemical producers. ‘GTL conversion, for example, transforms abundant low-value natural gas into higher value liquids such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuels,’ explained Dr Grover Coors, the group’s chief scientist. ‘The conversion process uses active ceramic membranes that either remove some of the hydrogen from natural gas molecules or introduce precise amounts of pure oxygen into the gas to produce synthesis gas, or syngas.’ The firm develops and manufactures advanced HTM and OTM ceramic membranes
CoorsTek forms membrane sciences group – combining hydrogen and oxygen transport membrane technologies 1
visit us today at:
www.membrane-technology.com
ISSN 0958-2118/15 © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved This journal and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by Elsevier Ltd, and the following terms and conditions apply to their use: Photocopying Single photocopies of single articles may be made for personal use as allowed by national copyright laws. Permission of the publisher and payment of a fee is required for all other photocopying, including multiple or systematic copying, copying for advertising or promotional purposes, resale, and all forms of document delivery. Special rates are available for educational institutions that wish to make photocopies for non-profit educational classroom use.
CALENDAR/NEWS
EVENTS CALENDAR 23–26 August 2015 IWA Specialized Conference – Biofilms in Drinking Water Systems Arosa, Switzerland Contact: Eawag, Überlandstrasse 133, Postfach 611, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland Tel: +41 58 765 5511, Fax: +41 58 765 5028 www.eawag.ch, www.iwabiofilm2015.ch
30 August 2015 ‘UF-SWRO Plant Operation, Cost and Fouling Management’ (one-day MASAR course) San Diego, California, USA Contact: MASAR Technologies Inc USA, 1688 Lost Moon Court, Tucson, AZ 85737-7069, USA Telephone: +1 520 544 5657 Email: [email protected] www.masartraining.com
30 August to 4 September 2015 IDA World Congress 2015 – Desalination and Water Reuse San Diego, California, USA Contact: International Desalination
...Continued from front page large quantities as part of large-scale series production on a standardised and modular basis. The Solutions business area brings together all project-based offerings that extensively cover customer-specific and modular solutions. The business areas tailor their products and services to specific applications and customer requirements. ‘The new structure is designed to help us develop from a very good to an outstanding company, based on a simplified, harmonised
Association, PO Box 387, 94 Central Street, Suite 200, Topsfield, MA 01983, USA Tel: +1 978 887 0410, Fax: +1 978 887 0411 http://wc.idadesal.org
7–10 September 2015
Contact: Kyle Frazier, Texas Desalination Association, 823 Congress, Suite 1010, Austin, TX 78701, USA Tel: +1 512 322 0404 Email:[email protected] www.texasdesal.com/events/2015-conference.html
Euromembrane 2015 Aachen, Germany Contact: RWTH Aachen University, Turmstr. 46, D-52056 Aachen, Germany Tel: +49 241 80 29969, Fax: +49 241 80 92252 Email: [email protected] www.avt.rwth-aachen.de/Euromembrane2015
26–30 September 2015 WEFTEC 2015 Chicago, Illinois, USA Contact: Water Environment Federation, 601 Wythe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-1994, USA Tel: +1 703 684 2441 www.weftec.org
30 September to 1 October 2015 TexasDesal 2015 – ‘Innovation and Reliability’ Austin, Texas, USA
and more streamlined organisation,’ commented Jürg Oleas, CEO, GEA. ‘This means the maximum possible focus within each unit, with clearly defined responsibilities in terms of applications, products, technologies and services. In addition, the changes will safeguard and further improve our customer focus through first-rate innovations and services, rapid decision-making processes, uniform and coordinated customer management, and much more.’
6–8 October 2015 World Water-Tech North America Toronto, Ontario, Canada Contact: Stephan Groves, Commercial Director, Rethink Events Ltd, 2nd Floor, Intergen House, 65–67 Western Road, Hove, BN3 2JQ, UK Tel: +44 1273 789912 Email: [email protected] www.worldwatertechnorthamerica.com
3–6 November 2015 Aquatech 2015 Amsterdam Amsterdam, The Netherlands Contact: Aquatech Project Team, PO Box 77777, 1070 MS Amsterdam, The Netherlands Tel: +31 20 549 1212 www.aquatechtrade.com/amsterdamen
The most visible indication of the changes is the group’s new Web-site, which was launched at the same time. The significantly updated and more consistent site is now clearly divided into products, applications and services. It replaces more than 200 separate group company Web-sites that had previously existed. Contact: GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, Peter-Müller-Str. 12, 40468 Düsseldorf, Germany. Tel: +49 211 91360, www.gea.com
Kubota establishes water and environment R & D centre in North America
K
ubota Corp, based in Naniwa-ku, Osaka, Japan, reports that it is establishing its first research and development base outside Japan that focuses on water and the environment. Referred to as the Kubota Water & Environment R & D Center USA, it is being set up in Canton, Ohio, with the objective of strengthening the company’s water treatment technology – especially membrane bioreactor (MBR) treatment systems. The R & D base is being built within the grounds of a sewage treatment plant in Canton. In 2013 the company received an order to supply MBR separation systems for the facility, rated at 159 000 m3 (4.2 million gallons) per day. It is being built on a site with an area of 1720 m2 (18 500 ft2). The building area totals 16
Membrane Technology
780 m2 (8400 ft2), comprising offices and an experimental unit covering 160 m2 (1700 ft2) and 620 m2 (6700 ft2), respectively. Construction of the facility, which involves an investment of $2.5 million, is scheduled to be completed in September 2015 and is set to open in December 2015. According to Kubota, there are calls for support for stronger regulation of water treatment and for the renovation, integration and abolition of treatment plants in the water treatment markets of North America and Europe. It says it is responding by developing membrane separation equipment for MBR systems that can improve the quality of treated water at medium-scale and large-scale facilities, using existing infrastructure. In addition to reinforcing Kubota’s ability to design membrane systems appropriate for the
regional climate and water quality, the base will also accumulate expertise on system operation and management. Furthermore, in addition to using this base as a site where customers can view Kubota membrane systems, it is expected to effectively raise the level of awareness and understanding of this technology. The firm says it will also promote coordination with parties, such as related companies, local governments and universities, for the purpose of developing other, new water treatment technologies. Contact: Kubota Corp, 2–47, Shikitsuhigashi 1-chome, Naniwa-ku, Osaka 556-8601, Japan. Tel: +81 6 6648 2111, www.kubota-global.net
August 2015