Key points
Having the right water treatment solution in place for high quality process water is critical for industrial plants. Pressure is also increasing to use the resource efficiently and effectively. Here, Kalpesh Shah, Head of Sales for Process Water at Veolia Water Technologies (VWT UK), identifies the key factors that can help achieve results on all fronts.
As water softening provides the minimum level of water purity for low and medium pressure boilers, some operators do not feel it is necessary to implement further treatment.
However, this will still result in an unsatisfactory concentration level of water impurities. Over time, this is likely to lead to power generating assets being damaged, causing overall plant efficiency to be reduced and operational costs to increase.
Reverse osmosis (RO) systems can offer a significant upgrade after the initial water softening stage and can separate up to 99% of the dissolved solids and particle impurities from a water supply. As feed water enters the membrane, the water molecules are allowed to pass through while contaminants are captured and discharged. This minimises the risk of corrosion taking place in key equipment within the system.
Whilst alternative options such as deionisation are available, RO systems permit more cycles of concentration in the boiler and therefore require a lower gas usage. Considering the current situation with soaring energy prices, this is particularly important. Furthermore, by using less gas, environmental impact is reduced.
After the RO stage, continuous electrodeionisation (CEDI) can be used to polish the water to a high level of purity. A key benefit of this process is that the electric current constantly regenerates the resin beds, meaning a simpler operation and no plant downtime. Compared with alternative technologies, such as Ion Exchange (IX), CEDI has a smaller footprint and is far safer because it does not require the use of hazardous chemicals.
By implementing both RO and CEDI, operators can ensure that a high level of water quality can be continuously and reliably produced. Our demineralised water solution, TERION™, for instance, achieves conductivity levels of less than 0.1 µS/cm as well as silica of less than 10ppb and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) of 200ppb – easily meeting the water purity level required for high pressure boilers.
When it comes to specifying a water treatment solution product, plant operators should keep these three key issues in mind:
1. Energy usage, operating costs and footprint
To ensure that energy usage and associated costs can be kept as low as possible, plant operators should evaluate the efficiency of their pumps. If necessary, highly efficient pumps can be installed. Similarly, the total plant footprint as well as the installation and commissioning time can be reduced by selecting a system that offers a combination of RO and CEDI – within a single unit.
This can be achieved with products such as TERION™. A plug and play solution, it can be delivered to site pre-assembled and ready to be connected. It is also skid mounted, facilitating easy and secure transportation and storage. What’s more, each unit is also pre-tested, nullifying any worry of faulty equipment.
The specified solution should also be able to meet current volume requirements but also allow flexibility for a potential increase to help future proof the installation. TERION™ offers this benefit, producing water that has the low level of conductivity, silica, sodium TOC and potassium that is required within many industrial processes.
2. Remote monitoring technology
To maximise efficiency, a water treatment solution should be selected that is also compatible with remote monitoring technologies. This means the quality of the water can be analysed and displayed digitally. If any problems occur, automatic alerts and notifications can be sent to the plant operator and solved quickly, which will help to reduce downtime and associated costs. The added bonus of TERION™ is that it integrates easily with our Hubgrade digital services package, which uses a secure, cloud-based platform to deliver real-time monitoring and optimisation.
3. Provider support
It is worthwhile looking for a water technologies specialist that has an experienced team of engineers who can offer guidance from the initial specification right though to on-going maintenance. They will also be able to carry out an assessment of the site’s requirements and test the incoming water supply to establish specific treatment needs.
At VWT UK we are proud to offer this level of technical support and service. Furthermore, we have the ability to trial the technology using mobile assets, ensuring there is minimal disruption to site. If these assets perform well and are successful, a permanent installation can be made.
By prioritising key issues, plant operators can ensure the right water treatment solution is chosen; and one that will improve the performance and reliability of the water system. Whilst it will require initial up-front investment, the correct solution will also prove to be incredibly cost-effective in the long term, because the water will have low levels of impurities, allowing the system to run far more efficiently.
To find out more about VWT’s TERIOIN™ systems, please visit here
