With pressure from new regulations and consumers, operating with the highest levels of efficiency, reliability and safety is a top priority for utilities. With the demand for electricity slowing, capital expenditures rising and competition from new market entrants, the utility industry is in the midst of a major financial restructuring. The growth of distributed generation and diversification of power sources bring operational system challenges, including loading issues, less switching flexibility and the potential for reverse power flow, among others. In addition, an aging infrastructure and workforce is also driving the need for asset renewal prioritization and knowledge capture.
Dissolved gases like NH3, H2S or NOx in waste water lead to contamination in the sewage system and high treatment costs for municipal waste water treatment plants.
Many high-speed, wide-format ink jet printer manufacturers are now using 3M™ Liqui-Cel™ SP Series Membrane Contactors to remove air bubbles and excess gases from ink to reduce downtime and improve yields. Entrained bubbles and excess gases are often the cause of printing surface defects and ink flow interruptions that can cause printer shut-downs.
In the food and beverage industry, there is a growing awareness of environmental considerations wherever chemicals are used. In response, companies are trending towards alternative systems that operate with less chemical usage.
The oil and gas industry has utilized various deaeration technologies for many years to remove dissolved gases, particularly oxygen, from injection water. In many hydrocarbon recovery and water processes, degassing is necessary in order to minimize environmental impact, improve operating efficiency, avoid process issues and help protect system components.
Mixed bed ion exchange is often used to polish reverse osmosis (RO) permeate in many industrial water systems. This process has been utilized for several years and it is well known that the management of the dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) in the water is critical for an efficient operation. By Membrana
Electrodeionization (EDI) is a widely used water treatment process. EDI technology is an electrochemical process that uses ion selective membranes and an electrical current to continuously remove ions from water. The process uses ion exchange resin to remove the ions from the feed stream, producing pure water.
3M™ Liqui-Cel™ Membrane Contactors offer a modular skid option for off-shore oil platforms that is significantly smaller and lighter than traditional vacuum towers.
A major power plant in Thailand is using 3M™ Liqui-Cel™ Membrane Contactors to remove carbon dioxide from a DI water system. The system is an expansion project and will be used to feed a high pressure boiler. Liqui-Cel membrane contactors are being used to lower the CO₂ inlet into an Ionpure Electrodeionization (EDI) system. Carbon dioxide adds an ionic load to the EDI system, which can reduce the performance of the system. Manufactures of the EDI equipment suggest lowering the inlet CO₂ to reduce the load on the equipment and improve the water quality.
As engineers come under increasing pressure to reduce maintenance and operating costs, inefficient combination double-pass reverse osmosis and electrodeionization (RO/EDI) water treatment systems have begun to lose popularity as a means of providing ultra-pure water. Integrated membrane systems (IMS), on the other hand, combine multiple membrane-based water treatment processes into a single system. In this case study, find out how a heat and power plant in Northeast China lowered capital costs and energy use by adopting an IMS to replace its conventional water treatment system.
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