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STW Water designs and builds RO concentrator for Texas city
NEWS Contact: Polypore International Inc, 11430 N. Community House Road, Suite 350, Charlotte, NC 28277-1591, USA. Tel: +1 704 587 8409, www.polypore.net
AVA-CO2 develops phosphorus recovery process
A
VA-CO2 Schweiz Ag, a Swiss company that focuses on ways of converting biomass into a sustainable source of energy, claims it has made a breakthrough in the field of phosphorus recovery with the development and introduction of what it refers to as the “AVA cleanphos” process. At the beginning of 2014 the firm, together with the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and Zurich University of Applied Sciences, published a study that demonstrated the advantages of hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) for sewage sludge treatment. The “AVA cleanphos” process is the result of months of research and development, and was only made possible by the AVA-CO2 HTC process. The most important innovation in AVA cleanphos is the replacement of the substrate, says the company. In contrast to other methods, AVA-CO2 does not obtain phosphorus from sewage sludge or sewage sludge ash, but directly from the HTC char. This enables a phosphorus yield of over 80% to be achieved, with less use of acid, reduced energy costs and lower investment costs, says AVA-CO2 Schweiz. AVA cleanphos also enables the production of phosphoric acid that is free from heavy metals and without the use of an additional cleaning stage – a significant difference compared with the method of recovery using sewage sludge ash. A further advantage of this technology is that sewage sludge, in the form of phosphorus-free HTC char, also can be used in the future in co-incineration as a substitute for fossil coal. AVA cleanphos is described as a simple, three-stage process that uses tested and wellknown technologies, such as acid leaching, nanofiltration (NF) and concentration. HTC char is fundamentally different from the slag produced by sewage sludge incinerators. An energy-intensive grinding system does not have to be used for preconditioning, since HTC char is not slag with corresponding vitrification. A simple grinding system, not unlike a kitchen mixer, is sufficient, which leads to considerable energy savings, explains the company. During the process, acid leaching of phosphorus from the HTC char takes place after 6
Membrane Technology
preconditioning. The phosphorus does not react during the hydrothermal carbonisation and is therefore not bound in a stable glass matrix, but is free. This permits a considerably lower use of acid for the leaching of the phosphorus, with corresponding cost-savings. This process also displays further advantages – for example, it can be used to produce highpurity phosphoric acid. Since the HTC char has a high affinity for heavy metals, only 8–10% enters into the phosphoric acid and the rest remain in the HTC char. In the case of conventional methods, over 70% of the heavy metals remain in the phosphoric acid, says the firm. In the second stage, the use of NF causes the phosphoric acid to be separated from the metal sulfates. Therefore, these (for example, aluminium or iron) can be recycled and returned to the sewage treatment plant as precipitants. In the third and last stage, the concentration of phosphoric acid is increased from 5% to 50–75% using standard technologies. Contact: AVA-CO2 Schweiz Ag, Baarerstrasse 20, 6304 Zug, Switzerland. Tel: +41 41 727 0970, www.ava-co2.com
RO keeps power station running despite challenging source water
A
two-pass reverse osmosis (RO) system, developed by Dow Water & Process Solutions (DW & PS) – a business unit of Dow Chemical Co – is helping to keep a power station in Alberta, Canada, operational despite it using challenging source water. High-quality water is of paramount importance to the power-generating sector. It helps to protect equipment and ensure that it runs efficiently and reliably. However, source water for many power plants is far from ideal. The system employed by the facility uses Dow Filmtec XFRLE-400/34i and Filmtec ECO 440i RO elements. Since their installation, the ECO elements have resulted in 30% more energy savings in the system’s second pass, whilst XFRLE technology has improved overall pressure drops and fouling, say DW & PS. The lake source-water at the power station is derived from a combination of the North Saskatchewan River, mine drainage, plant site drainage, sewage effluent and chemical neutralisation ponds. Because of the highly variable nature of the source water, the system requires thicker feed-spacer elements to reduce fouling rates, and
to lower the pressure drop in the first pass. ‘To combat this water source challenge we designed a two-pass RO system with state-ofthe-art Filmtec XFRLE elements for the first pass and Filmtec ECO 440i elements for the second pass,’ said Denise Haukkala, Technical Service, DW & PS. Together, these low-energy elements create a system that is capable of treating the power station’s high-fouling source water, and deliver high-quality permeate for the boiler feed process. These elements are optimised with low pressure drop feed-spacers to allow for lower feed operating pressures, which help reduce operating costs and counter the effects of the cool feed water temperature range (7–26°C). Filmtec ECO elements have also helped reduce chemical usage, when the plant opted not to degas the carbon dioxide with caustic in the second pass, whilst maintaining high permeate quality for continuous electro-deionisation polishing prior to feeding the boiler. Contact: The Dow Chemical Co, Dow Water & Process Solutions, Customer Information Center, PO Box 1206, Midland, MI 48642-1206, USA. Tel: +1 989 636 9086, www.dowwaterandprocess.com, www.dow.com
STW Water designs and builds RO concentrator for Texas city
I
n the USA, STW Resources Holding Corp has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary STW Water has been selected to carry out the custom design, engineering and construction of a reverse osmosis (RO) concentrator for Horizon Regional Municipal Utility District in Horizon City, Texas. This project is scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2015, and STW Water will maintain the system under a contract with Horizon City. The city’s existing municipal RO plant is ten years old and is capable of producing only 26 500–34 100 m3 (7–9 million gallons) of processed water per day. According to the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the facility discharges approximately 3785 m3 (1 million gallons) of brine water per day, which is unsuitable for human consumption and goes to existing evaporation ponds. Because these ponds did not evaporate at the anticipated rate, there is a need for more
January 2015
NEWS/IN BRIEF ponds, but with limited land availability, additional ponds are not a viable option. The RO concentrator is being designed and manufactured to remedy the evaporation pond issue, whilst “neutralising” potential environmental concerns. With the new system, approximately one-half of the effluent (processed water) can be utilised and half can be reclaimed back into the distribution system. It can be blended with permeate from the other RO systems, in the final tanks. The concentrator itself provides an economical alternative to land acquisition and additional ponds for other municipalities. Contact: STW Resources Holding Corp, 3424 South County Road 1192, Midland, TX 79706. Tel: +1 432 686 7777, www.stwresources.com
MO BIO launches nucleic acids purification kit
U
S-based MO BIO Laboratories Inc has launched the PowerMag Air & Water DNA/RNA Isolation Kit that is designed for automated, hands-free purification of nucleic acids from filtered air and water samples using the Eppendorf epMotiona automated pipetting system and other similar automation platforms. According to the company, which specialises in soil, water and microbial nucleic acid purification, this kit is an extension of its PowerWater line of DNA and RNA isolation kits, which are used by environmental agencies and public health departments for applications such as air and water quality monitoring. It is compatible with air and water samples collected on a variety of filter membrane types, including mixed cellulose ester, polyethersulfone, polycarbonate and nylon.
Contact: MO BIO Laboratories Inc, 2746 Loker Avenue West, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA. Tel: +1 760 929 9911, www.mobio.com
Xylem provides UF systems to supply clean drinking water in Portugal
G
lobal water technology company Xylem Inc has provided ultrafiltra-
January 2015
tion (UF) systems as part of a project to upgrade the Santa Eufemia municipal water treatment plant, north of Oporto in Portugal. As a result of the upgrade the plant has a new capacity of 24 million litres (6.3 million gallons) per day, providing clean drinking water to 80 000 people in the Guimarães and Vizela regions. Xylem has worked with Moinhos Ambiente – the company in charge of engineering, procurement and construction for the project – to provide GE’s ZeeWeed 1500 membrane modules and Lowara pumps, and process and design engineering support. The contract is worth E430 000 to Xylem. The Santa Eufemia plant treats water from the nearby Rio Ave River and is operated by Vimágua, the municipal authority for water management in the region. Plant upgrade work was required because the quality of the river water had started to deteriorate. The Santa Eufemia drinking water plant is now one of the largest installation of GE’s ZeeWeed 1500 modules in Europe and the Middle East, claims Xylem. Xylem has been a distribution partner for GE’s membrane filtration products since November 2011. It says the ZeeWeed 1500 membranes were chosen for the Santa Eufemia plant because of their ability to reliably provide water of superior quality. The UF system provided by the firm is designed with four parallel membrane trains, each incorporating 88 membrane modules. This ensures full system capacity and as it is fully automated, minimises operator intervention. Duarte Ferreira, from Xylem Portugal, commented: ‘The Santa Eufemia ultrafiltration system is one of the largest installations of GE’s ZeeWeed 1500 membranes in Europe. The Xylem systems we provided as part of this programme will ensure the smooth running of the upgraded plant, with minimal environmental impact and low maintenance.’ ‘With population and industrial growth, municipalities all around Europe are seeking to upgrade their water treatment systems and require efficient, cost-effective systems. Xylem is committed to working with these customers to solve their water challenges, offering unrivalled products and delivering on-the-ground expertise.’ Contacts: Xylem Inc, 1 International Drive, Rye Brook, NY 10573, USA. Tel: +1 914 323 5700, www.xyleminc.com GE Water & Process Technologies, 4636 Somerton Road, Trevose, PA 19053-6783, USA. Tel: +1 215 355 3300, www.gewater.com
In Brief Doctoral students studying membrane fouling receive award In the USA, the American Membrane Technology Association (AMTA) of Stuart, Florida, and the National Water Research Institute (NWRI) based in Fountain Valley, California, report that the 2014 AMTA–NWRI Fellowship for Membrane Technology has been awarded to doctoral students Ariel Atkinson of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Erin Partlan of Clemson University. This joint fellowship provides US$10 000 a year, for two years, to support graduate research that pertains to NWRI’s objectives to improve water quality, protect public health and the environment, and create safe, new sources of water, as well as AMTA’s vision statement to solve water supply and quality issues through the widespread application of membrane technology. Ecolab opens manufacturing facility in Singapore During October, Nalco Champion, part of Ecolab Inc – a US-based provider of water, hygiene and energy technologies and services to the food, energy, healthcare, industrial and hospitality markets – opened a manufacturing plant on Jurong Island, Singapore. It says the 106 000-m2 (1 140 975-ft2) site will service oil and gas companies, helping to increase delivery speeds to customers. Fujifilm starts up production line for membranes Fujifilm Manufacturing Europe Bv of Tilburg, The Netherlands, recently started up a new production line for membranes. The company says that over the past years it has developed a new technology platform, whereby different types of membranes can be produced for water and gas separation. The new production line expands the production capacity for membranes for, amongst other areas, gas separation. The platform also can be used to produce ion-exchange membranes suitable for water purification. Conwed increases RO feed-spacer production capacity Conwed, a manufacturer of plastic netting, and a supplier of filtration products, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, is expanding production capacity for reverse osmosis (RO) feed-spacers at its plant based in Genk, Belgium. It says it is focusing on the RO feed-spacer market following increasing demand for RO filters worldwide. ‘We proactively took upon ourselves the challenge of understanding how feed-spacer design evolution may impact filtration efficiency. We want to become the innovation leader in RO feed-spacer development,’ said Chris Hatzenbuhler, CEO, Conwed.
Membrane Technology
7
AVA-CO2 develops phosphorus recovery process
A
VA-CO2 Schweiz Ag, a Swiss company that focuses on ways of converting biomass into a sustainable source of energy, claims it has made a breakthrough in the field of phosphorus recovery with the development and introduction of what it refers to as the “AVA cleanphos” process. At the beginning of 2014 the firm, together with the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and Zurich University of Applied Sciences, published a study that demonstrated the advantages of hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) for sewage sludge treatment. The “AVA cleanphos” process is the result of months of research and development, and was only made possible by the AVA-CO2 HTC process. The most important innovation in AVA cleanphos is the replacement of the substrate, says the company. In contrast to other methods, AVA-CO2 does not obtain phosphorus from sewage sludge or sewage sludge ash, but directly from the HTC char. This enables a phosphorus yield of over 80% to be achieved, with less use of acid, reduced energy costs and lower investment costs, says AVA-CO2 Schweiz. AVA cleanphos also enables the production of phosphoric acid that is free from heavy metals and without the use of an additional cleaning stage – a significant difference compared with the method of recovery using sewage sludge ash. A further advantage of this technology is that sewage sludge, in the form of phosphorus-free HTC char, also can be used in the future in co-incineration as a substitute for fossil coal. AVA cleanphos is described as a simple, three-stage process that uses tested and wellknown technologies, such as acid leaching, nanofiltration (NF) and concentration. HTC char is fundamentally different from the slag produced by sewage sludge incinerators. An energy-intensive grinding system does not have to be used for preconditioning, since HTC char is not slag with corresponding vitrification. A simple grinding system, not unlike a kitchen mixer, is sufficient, which leads to considerable energy savings, explains the company. During the process, acid leaching of phosphorus from the HTC char takes place after 6
Membrane Technology
preconditioning. The phosphorus does not react during the hydrothermal carbonisation and is therefore not bound in a stable glass matrix, but is free. This permits a considerably lower use of acid for the leaching of the phosphorus, with corresponding cost-savings. This process also displays further advantages – for example, it can be used to produce highpurity phosphoric acid. Since the HTC char has a high affinity for heavy metals, only 8–10% enters into the phosphoric acid and the rest remain in the HTC char. In the case of conventional methods, over 70% of the heavy metals remain in the phosphoric acid, says the firm. In the second stage, the use of NF causes the phosphoric acid to be separated from the metal sulfates. Therefore, these (for example, aluminium or iron) can be recycled and returned to the sewage treatment plant as precipitants. In the third and last stage, the concentration of phosphoric acid is increased from 5% to 50–75% using standard technologies. Contact: AVA-CO2 Schweiz Ag, Baarerstrasse 20, 6304 Zug, Switzerland. Tel: +41 41 727 0970, www.ava-co2.com
RO keeps power station running despite challenging source water
A
two-pass reverse osmosis (RO) system, developed by Dow Water & Process Solutions (DW & PS) – a business unit of Dow Chemical Co – is helping to keep a power station in Alberta, Canada, operational despite it using challenging source water. High-quality water is of paramount importance to the power-generating sector. It helps to protect equipment and ensure that it runs efficiently and reliably. However, source water for many power plants is far from ideal. The system employed by the facility uses Dow Filmtec XFRLE-400/34i and Filmtec ECO 440i RO elements. Since their installation, the ECO elements have resulted in 30% more energy savings in the system’s second pass, whilst XFRLE technology has improved overall pressure drops and fouling, say DW & PS. The lake source-water at the power station is derived from a combination of the North Saskatchewan River, mine drainage, plant site drainage, sewage effluent and chemical neutralisation ponds. Because of the highly variable nature of the source water, the system requires thicker feed-spacer elements to reduce fouling rates, and
to lower the pressure drop in the first pass. ‘To combat this water source challenge we designed a two-pass RO system with state-ofthe-art Filmtec XFRLE elements for the first pass and Filmtec ECO 440i elements for the second pass,’ said Denise Haukkala, Technical Service, DW & PS. Together, these low-energy elements create a system that is capable of treating the power station’s high-fouling source water, and deliver high-quality permeate for the boiler feed process. These elements are optimised with low pressure drop feed-spacers to allow for lower feed operating pressures, which help reduce operating costs and counter the effects of the cool feed water temperature range (7–26°C). Filmtec ECO elements have also helped reduce chemical usage, when the plant opted not to degas the carbon dioxide with caustic in the second pass, whilst maintaining high permeate quality for continuous electro-deionisation polishing prior to feeding the boiler. Contact: The Dow Chemical Co, Dow Water & Process Solutions, Customer Information Center, PO Box 1206, Midland, MI 48642-1206, USA. Tel: +1 989 636 9086, www.dowwaterandprocess.com, www.dow.com
STW Water designs and builds RO concentrator for Texas city
I
n the USA, STW Resources Holding Corp has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary STW Water has been selected to carry out the custom design, engineering and construction of a reverse osmosis (RO) concentrator for Horizon Regional Municipal Utility District in Horizon City, Texas. This project is scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2015, and STW Water will maintain the system under a contract with Horizon City. The city’s existing municipal RO plant is ten years old and is capable of producing only 26 500–34 100 m3 (7–9 million gallons) of processed water per day. According to the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the facility discharges approximately 3785 m3 (1 million gallons) of brine water per day, which is unsuitable for human consumption and goes to existing evaporation ponds. Because these ponds did not evaporate at the anticipated rate, there is a need for more
January 2015
NEWS/IN BRIEF ponds, but with limited land availability, additional ponds are not a viable option. The RO concentrator is being designed and manufactured to remedy the evaporation pond issue, whilst “neutralising” potential environmental concerns. With the new system, approximately one-half of the effluent (processed water) can be utilised and half can be reclaimed back into the distribution system. It can be blended with permeate from the other RO systems, in the final tanks. The concentrator itself provides an economical alternative to land acquisition and additional ponds for other municipalities. Contact: STW Resources Holding Corp, 3424 South County Road 1192, Midland, TX 79706. Tel: +1 432 686 7777, www.stwresources.com
MO BIO launches nucleic acids purification kit
U
S-based MO BIO Laboratories Inc has launched the PowerMag Air & Water DNA/RNA Isolation Kit that is designed for automated, hands-free purification of nucleic acids from filtered air and water samples using the Eppendorf epMotiona automated pipetting system and other similar automation platforms. According to the company, which specialises in soil, water and microbial nucleic acid purification, this kit is an extension of its PowerWater line of DNA and RNA isolation kits, which are used by environmental agencies and public health departments for applications such as air and water quality monitoring. It is compatible with air and water samples collected on a variety of filter membrane types, including mixed cellulose ester, polyethersulfone, polycarbonate and nylon.
Contact: MO BIO Laboratories Inc, 2746 Loker Avenue West, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA. Tel: +1 760 929 9911, www.mobio.com
Xylem provides UF systems to supply clean drinking water in Portugal
G
lobal water technology company Xylem Inc has provided ultrafiltra-
January 2015
tion (UF) systems as part of a project to upgrade the Santa Eufemia municipal water treatment plant, north of Oporto in Portugal. As a result of the upgrade the plant has a new capacity of 24 million litres (6.3 million gallons) per day, providing clean drinking water to 80 000 people in the Guimarães and Vizela regions. Xylem has worked with Moinhos Ambiente – the company in charge of engineering, procurement and construction for the project – to provide GE’s ZeeWeed 1500 membrane modules and Lowara pumps, and process and design engineering support. The contract is worth E430 000 to Xylem. The Santa Eufemia plant treats water from the nearby Rio Ave River and is operated by Vimágua, the municipal authority for water management in the region. Plant upgrade work was required because the quality of the river water had started to deteriorate. The Santa Eufemia drinking water plant is now one of the largest installation of GE’s ZeeWeed 1500 modules in Europe and the Middle East, claims Xylem. Xylem has been a distribution partner for GE’s membrane filtration products since November 2011. It says the ZeeWeed 1500 membranes were chosen for the Santa Eufemia plant because of their ability to reliably provide water of superior quality. The UF system provided by the firm is designed with four parallel membrane trains, each incorporating 88 membrane modules. This ensures full system capacity and as it is fully automated, minimises operator intervention. Duarte Ferreira, from Xylem Portugal, commented: ‘The Santa Eufemia ultrafiltration system is one of the largest installations of GE’s ZeeWeed 1500 membranes in Europe. The Xylem systems we provided as part of this programme will ensure the smooth running of the upgraded plant, with minimal environmental impact and low maintenance.’ ‘With population and industrial growth, municipalities all around Europe are seeking to upgrade their water treatment systems and require efficient, cost-effective systems. Xylem is committed to working with these customers to solve their water challenges, offering unrivalled products and delivering on-the-ground expertise.’ Contacts: Xylem Inc, 1 International Drive, Rye Brook, NY 10573, USA. Tel: +1 914 323 5700, www.xyleminc.com GE Water & Process Technologies, 4636 Somerton Road, Trevose, PA 19053-6783, USA. Tel: +1 215 355 3300, www.gewater.com
In Brief Doctoral students studying membrane fouling receive award In the USA, the American Membrane Technology Association (AMTA) of Stuart, Florida, and the National Water Research Institute (NWRI) based in Fountain Valley, California, report that the 2014 AMTA–NWRI Fellowship for Membrane Technology has been awarded to doctoral students Ariel Atkinson of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Erin Partlan of Clemson University. This joint fellowship provides US$10 000 a year, for two years, to support graduate research that pertains to NWRI’s objectives to improve water quality, protect public health and the environment, and create safe, new sources of water, as well as AMTA’s vision statement to solve water supply and quality issues through the widespread application of membrane technology. Ecolab opens manufacturing facility in Singapore During October, Nalco Champion, part of Ecolab Inc – a US-based provider of water, hygiene and energy technologies and services to the food, energy, healthcare, industrial and hospitality markets – opened a manufacturing plant on Jurong Island, Singapore. It says the 106 000-m2 (1 140 975-ft2) site will service oil and gas companies, helping to increase delivery speeds to customers. Fujifilm starts up production line for membranes Fujifilm Manufacturing Europe Bv of Tilburg, The Netherlands, recently started up a new production line for membranes. The company says that over the past years it has developed a new technology platform, whereby different types of membranes can be produced for water and gas separation. The new production line expands the production capacity for membranes for, amongst other areas, gas separation. The platform also can be used to produce ion-exchange membranes suitable for water purification. Conwed increases RO feed-spacer production capacity Conwed, a manufacturer of plastic netting, and a supplier of filtration products, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, is expanding production capacity for reverse osmosis (RO) feed-spacers at its plant based in Genk, Belgium. It says it is focusing on the RO feed-spacer market following increasing demand for RO filters worldwide. ‘We proactively took upon ourselves the challenge of understanding how feed-spacer design evolution may impact filtration efficiency. We want to become the innovation leader in RO feed-spacer development,’ said Chris Hatzenbuhler, CEO, Conwed.
Membrane Technology
7