Small-scale desalination pump combines energy-recovery

A high-pressure pump innovation developed for energy-efficient reverse-osmosis (RO) desalination of sea water and brackish water will be shown at the Water Quality Association’s WQA – Aquatech USA conference in Chicago during 18-20 March 2009.

The new Pearson Pump, developed by Spectra Watermakers, combines feedwater pumping and energy recovery into a single unit.

Spectra Watermakers has for a long time been manufacturing energy-recovery systems for marine-industry small-scale RO desalination units of 150-1000 gpd (24-378 L/h). The company’s Clark Pump energy-recovery pressure-amplifier, proven over ten years and in thousands of installations, features energy efficiency that allows the application of solar and wind power to drive many of its land-based products like the “Solar Cube.” This now produces 3,000 gpd (1,135 L/h) with the Pearson Pump.

The energy-recovery feature of the Pearson Pump recycles energy entrained in the waste stream, recovering as much as 80% of the energy wasted in a conventional system. Spectra claims that this brings energy requirements down to an impressive 10 Wh/gal (2.64 kWh/m³), a major improvement.

The development of the new Pearson Pump will enable Spectra to increase the output of desalinated water by 30% in many of their existing products while also reducing their energy requirements. Because of the scalability of the pump, the next generation of Spectra land-based and marine products will be efficiently producing 12,000-30,000 gpd (45-114 m³/d) from ocean and brackish water.

Building a distributed infrastructure is less capital-intensive and can be constructed on an incremental basis. This model is more easily powered today by renewable solar and wind green technology, reducing the costs of energy transport and its associated infrastructure while also reducing its carbon footprint.

Spectra manufactures a product line that includes solar and wind-powered land-based desalination units which are now being used for military, disaster relief, village level water supply, small eco-resort and remote home applications. The introduction of their new Pearson Pump adds more water production for less energy as part of the solution.

For more information, contact Rick Wood
Tel: +1 510 812 5833 or +1 415 526 2780
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.spectralandbased.com
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