Water. Desalination + reuse
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/133796
RESEARCH This work focused on the characterization of developmental and standard membrane performance. Upcoming research will evaluate the hybridization of these technologies with EDR. Zero Discharge Desalination (ZDD) Research By: University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Funding Source: Reclamation Desalination & Water Purification Research (DWPR) Grant Research Period: Intermittently from 2007 to present A second-generation pilot of ZDD was tested at BGNDRF in 2012. ZDD combines reverse osmosis (RO) or nanofiltration (NF) with Electrodialysis Metathesis. Pilot testing indicated that NF membranes worked well with water high in calcium sulfate. One of the benefits in using NF compared to RO was lower energy usage. Pilot testing also indicated that ZDD energy consumption was less than Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD). Presently, a third generation demonstration unit of ZDD is being tested at BGNDRF. capacitive DeioniZation (capDi) Research by: UTEP and Voltea Funding Source: Private Research Period: 2011 Time was spent testing CapDI with brackish groundwater. Additional testing of produced water shipped to BGNDRF from northwestern New Mexico was performed. CapDI has advantages over conventional RO such as low pumping energy and the simplicity of the process. Voltea, based in Sassenheim, Netherlands, represents BGNDRF's first international client. Research was focused on energy reduction benefits of PRO. Tests using brackish groundwater and artificial seawater were conducted during the study. reverse osmosis with patenteD control Research by: Water Standard Funding Source: Private Research Period: 2012 Water Standard's technology is focused on the enhanced oil recovery market. Pilot testing at BGNDRF focused on RO and NF membrane evaluations and their patented Smart control system. Large volumes of artificial seawater were used in the testing. Water Standard brought a Southeast Asian company to the facility during testing to demonstrate the technology's capabilities. solar Distillation Research by: KII Inc Funding Source: Reclamation DWPR Grant Research Period: 2012 KII obtained a grant for research and development of the patented Suns River Solar Still (see D&WR feature November/ December 2012). The solar still used a two-stage process for producing pure water. The first stage consisted of a falling film of brackish water on a sloping floor in an enclosed greenhouse environment. Water vapor was condensed on the surface of high density polyethylene tubing containing a flow of cool brackish water. The second stage used cool nighttime desert temperatures to condense water vapor from residual hot brackish water from the daytime process. Some upcoming research for the summer will involve an enhanced evaporation study by UTEP using the BGNDRF evaporation ponds. Students from several universities developed solar distillation units as part of the annual International Environmental Design Contest at NMSU. Testing of four of these units will be conducted this summer at BGNDRF by students from the respective universities. Plans are under way for developing the infrastructure of the Agriculture Research Area of BGNDRF for a project to study the sustainable management of concentrate as an irrigation source of salt-tolerant and salt-loving crops. As can be seen from the variety of desalination research conducted at BGNDRF, there is flexibility in the types of research conducted. Though the focus of research is primarily related to brackish groundwater, research has taken place with produced water and artificial seawater. This flexibility is part of BGNDRF's management philosophy. Beyond having a facility that is flexible for a variety of research needs, management works to: create and maintain a research friendly environment in which the "red-tape" so frequently associated with the federal government is kept to a minimum; provide outstanding service to clients including maintaining flexible facility hours 7 days per week all year long; and, ensure BGNDRF's clients are safe. l Table 2. Levels of service at BGNDRF - 1National Science Foundation 2Environmental Protection Agency high recovery reverse osmosis Research by: Texas Tech University Funding Source: Texas Water Development Board Research Period: 2012 The High Recovery RO pilot was a unique small-scale system utilizing closed-system concentrate storage with recirculation. The technology has advantages over conventional RO systems by using less energy and requiring fewer membranes for high recovery. pressure retarDeD osmosis (pro) Research by: University of Nevada at Reno Funding Source: Reclamation DWPR Grant Research Period: 2012 May-June 2013 | Desalination & Water Reuse | 29 |