Tag: Seawater
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Maltese desalination test-bed shows SalTec energy-recovery advantages
Throughout the desalination industry, plant operators are looking for long-term solutions with lower lifecycle cost because of the link between water costs and energy costs. In order to meet operators’ demands and requirements, equipment manufacturers are investing considerable resources in the development of new technologies that will reduce energy costs. The Water Services Corporation in…
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Intake and pretreatment considerations for Coquina Coast
While the attention of US desalination watchers has been focused primarily on Carlsbad and Huntington Beach on America’s west coast, on the east coast, plans for a similar-sized seawater desalination plant have been moving forward with much less fuss. The Coquina Coast Seawater Desalination Alternative Water Supply Project proposes a 50-80 MGD (189,000 m /d…
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ADC baselines SWRO desalination system performance
The Affordable Desalination Collaboration (ADC) has completed a major milestone in its test program that profiles the state-of-the-art performance for seawater reverse-osmosis (SWRO) technology. This testing ran over two years and involved operating seven sets of standard 8-in diameter membranes in seven-element pressure-vessels. The ADC demonstration plant was designed to produce between 48,100 to 75,600…
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Leveraging nanotechnology for next generation seawater desalination
NanoH2O advanced membranes for reverse osmosis (RO) desalination represent a new material that enhances current polymer-based membranes with the benefits of nanotechnology. These nanocomposite RO membranes represent a step-change in productivity through improved permeability while maintaining requisite salt and contaminant rejection. Since the original publication of this concept, further development and optimization of this membrane…
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Should we build any more MSF plants?
Multi-stage flash (MSF) evaporator technology was for a long time the most popular technology for large seawater desalination plants. However, MSF has had to face strong competitors in recent years. Reverse osmosis (RO) and multi-effect distillation (MED) are squeezing MSF out of the market. Is there really a future for MSF? This article looks at…
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Depth Exposed Membrane for Water Extraction (DEMWAX™)
DXV Water Technologies has designed a novel membrane system that uses natural pressure, a very low recovery rate and gravity flow of feedwater past the membrane surface, resulting in an elegant, efficient system. Since the invention of the reverse-osmosis (RO) membrane researchers have tried to harness natural water-pressure, but past attempts mimic onshore processes with…
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Carlsbad project plan for green SWRO
The largest and most advanced seawater desalination project under development in the USA today is the 189,000 m³/d plant in Carlsbad in southern California. This project is collocated with the Encina coastal power generation station, which currently uses seawater for once-through cooling. The Carlsbad seawater desalination project is developed as a public-private partnership between Poseidon…
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San Francisco study proves impaired source still feasible
The Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD), near San Francisco, USA, has been exploring seawater desalination to provide a drought-proof supplement to its over-extended water supply. Desalination of San Francisco Bay water presents challenges for pretreatment due to the frequent changes in water quality from the ebb and flow of the tides and winds, seasonal changes…
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UF Pretreatment For Cold Seawater RO
The main obstacle to the use of UF membranes for SWRO pretreatment has always been the high operating cost. This paper describes operational experience of pilot projects using a new membrane designed for the lowest whole-life cost while enabling the most difficult seawater to be treated using membrane desalination. This article shows how the project…
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Gold Coast’s twin intake/outfall tunnels save space and environment
A key part of the anti-drought strategy in Queensland, Australia, has been the construction of a 125,000 m³/d seawater reverse-osmosis desalination plant, located at Tugun on the Gold Coast, due to start producing water in November 2008. This plant will supply up to 20% of the average demand for the Brisbane/Gold Coast Region. The Gold…