Water scarcity, climate change and increased global energy consumption are all having an impact on technology and investment trends and leading to the implementation of more desalination projects. Anthony Bennett looks at how current and future technologies and manufacturing practices are constantly lowering the cost of desalination with every new innovation made.
14 February 2012
Residents of Elbow Cay, Bahamas rely on reverse osmosis for most fresh water, often supplied by fixed displacement axial piston pumps for new and retrofit installations. One Danfoss unit recently attained 23,000 hours of use – 15,000 more than its guarantee and is still in excellent shape. World Pumps talks to James Graham and Gary Ford.
13 September 2011
A steel producer in the United Arab Emirates planned an expansion of the existing steel plant and desalination facility. Due to the high fouling risk associated with Arabic Gulf waters, incorporating a pre-treatment technology was essential. The company chose an ultrafiltration system which combined a resilient membrane with anti-fouling properties.
02 December 2010
Seawater desalination faces a number of challenges in the USA. Nikolay Voutchkov of Water Globe Consulting, LLC, explains some of these and looks at ways they can be tackled.
30 November 2010
Salt water intrusion in the local wells meant a wastewater treatment plant in the Village of Tequesta, Florida, US, required a desalination system. After soliciting bids from a variety of engineering firms, local officials chose two RO systems which subsequently required no cleaning in the eight years since installation.
02 November 2010
Drought in Barcelona was forcing the government to transport water into the city. To provide a long-term solution, the Llobregat Desalination Plant was commissioned and built within two years. The success of this endeavor was marked with the award of the 2010 Global Water Intelligence Desalination Plant of the Year.
02 November 2010
Advances in reverse osmosis technology enable more fresh water from smaller, more efficient systems. Parker Hannifin’s Racor Filter Division Europe, looks at how the latest developments in reverse osmosis desalination technology has led to the introduction of smaller, lighter and more energy efficient systems than ever before.
02 November 2010
In this article, Anthony Bennett looks at desalination concentrate management options. These include beneficial uses and high recovery processing to minimise volumes requiring further treatment or disposal. He also looks at zero liquid discharge (ZLD) and the possible application of new and emerging technologies and applications to improve overall system recovery.
01 November 2010
The problem of biofouling has been around since the introduction of membrane technology. Rodney Komlenic proposes that it is time to take a fresh look at its causes and how to find a remedy.
06 October 2010
Ranked in the top 1% of all trade shows in North America, and the largest annual water quality exhibition in the world, this year's WEFTEC will be held on 2–6 October 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Filtration + Separation canvassed some exhibitors to find out what would be on display.
04 October 2010
In the fourth of a series of articles, Graeme Pearce looks at the issues involved in the selection of pre-treatment in seawater reverse osmosis desalination applications.
11 August 2010
In the pharmaceutical industry it is essential to eliminate pyrogens from the manufacturing process, and in particular from the water production plants they require. Claudio Maini and Luca Zonarelli of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies explain the background and the development of new systems to minimise the risks.
11 August 2010
Precoat filtration using a bulk handling system for diatomaceous earth has been introduced at a desalination plant in the USA as part of an improved pre-treatment process prior to reverse osmosis.
23 June 2010
In this article, Anthony Bennett investigates the application of small scale desalination technologies for remote commercial, industrial, military, naval, marine and offshore applications. He examines the thermal and membrane technologies available and the sizes of equipment employed from portable systems to larger containerized or skid/frame mounted plant.
15 June 2010
In an attempt to meet the demands of the high energy process, the ProDes project is promoting the use of renewable energy in desalination. Through research, and a focused set of activities, the project aims to educate professionals on the barriers to achieving RE-desalination, and how they can be overcome.
15 June 2010
A growing demand for optimal efficiency in desalination means the use of energy recovery devices has become common practice. Not only is this economical, it reduces the carbon footprint in the face of ever increasing plant size. Jeremy Martin from Energy Recovery Inc explains how these benefits are achieved.
15 June 2010
The increasing use of processing chemicals highlights the importance of chemical and corrosion resistance within the structure of the desalination plant. Addressing this one feature could prolong plant life. Kristel van Haaren, from DSM Composite Resins explains the advantages of replacing existing materials with composites such as glassfibre reinforced plastic.
15 June 2010
Developers were required to provide a Chilean mine with its own drinking water supply, due to the constraints of the desert area. The successful pilot of a seawater membrane system led to a permanent solution which provides drinking water for the mining camp and process water for the filter units.
15 June 2010
The effects of consuming arsenic in drinking water range from suppression of the immune system to an increased risk of cancer. Legislation is being created and enforced to combat contamination. Frederick W Vance and Stephen Wrigley from Dow Water & Process Solutions discuss the latest treatments for arsenic removal.
09 June 2010
In the third of a series of articles, Graeme Pearce looks at the issues involved in the selection of pre-treatment in seawater reverse osmosis desalination applications.
09 April 2010