R

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RD CHALLENGES FOR FURTHER COST REDUCTIONS in
DESALINATION

• Mousa Abu-Arabi and K. Venkat Reddy
• Middle East Desalination Research Center
• MENREC2 Conference
•  May 9-11, 2005
• Amman, Jordan

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Desalination production capacity

• Total capacity, by the end of 2003,
• (installed contracted) is 37,750,000 m3/day
• Country wise
• - With 20 Saudi Arabia, 18 USA, 16 UAE
• 6 Kuwait, 4.5 Spain, 2.75 Libya, etc.
• By process
• - 43 RO, 32 MSF, 24 others (MED, VC, ED, EDR)
• Feed
• - 66 seawater, 18 brackish water, 7 river
  water
• 4.5 waste water, 3.25 pure
  water, etc.
• Use - 74 municipality, 18 industry, 3.5
  power, 2

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Presentation organization

• Statistical figures of desalination capacity
  world wide
• Status of commercial desalination technologies
• History of RD in desalination
• Recent RD efforts in desalination
• RD needs in desalination
• MEDRC efforts in desalination RD
• Conclusions

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Saline Water
Fresh Water
Desalting Device
Energy
Brine
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Desalination Technology Status

• Commercial desalination technologies
• Multistage flash distillation
• Multi effect distillation
• Vapor compression
• Reverse osmosis
• Electrodialysis

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Thermal ProcessesMulti-Stage Flash (MSF)Process
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Multistage Flash Distillation

• It was invented in 1950
• First MSF plant was build in 1957 in Kuwait
• MSF is thermodynamically inefficient process
• MSF is matured and mostly used in the Middle
  East
• Developments in the technology are
• Design optimization of process and Individual
  equipment
• Unit size increased from 5 to 16 MGD
• TBT increased from 90 to 112 oC
• Improved materials of construction and
  structural aspects
• Capital cost is US 5 to 6 per installed
  gallon/day
• Desalinated water cost is US 0.8 to 1.5 per
  cubic meter

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Thermal Processes Multi Effect Distillation
(MED)Process
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Multi Effect Distillation

• It is adopted from chemical industry to
  desalination in
• 1900
• First MED plant was built in 1930 in Saudi
  Arabia
• MED is thermodynamically efficient process
  compared
• to MSF
• Developments in the technology are
• Unit size increased from 1 to 5 MGD
• Scaling problems reduced by proper design of
  condenser tube
• bundle and distribution of evaporating feed
• Now TBT is maintained at 70 oC to reduce
  scaling
• Capital cost is US 3.5 to 4.5 per installed
  gallon/day
• Desalinated water cost is US 0.7 to 1.0 per m3

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Thermal Processes Vapor Compression (VC)
Distillation
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Vapor compression

• VC plants were first used in naval vessels
  powered by
• diesel engines in 1940
• Vapor compression is generally integrated with
  MED plants.
• They are generally used for small or medium
  scale applications
• Two types of vapor compression
• Thermal vapor compression
• Mechanical vapor compression
• Developments in the technology are
• Unit size increased by 5 times now about 1 MGD
• Energy consumption is reduced it is 8-14 kWh/m3
• Now desalinated water cost is US 0.6 to 1.0
  per m3

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Reverse Osmosis

• Reverse osmosis was discovered in 18th
  century, but break through
• occurred in 1950 with the invention of
  cellulose acetate membranes
• Large capacity SWRO plant of 15 MGD was built
  in Saudi Arabia
• in 1994
• Developments in the technology are
• Long life membranes with high recovery and
  resistance to fouling
• Better membrane module designs
• Devices for energy recovery ? pressure
  exchangers
• Membrane costs are reduced compared to 10 years
  back
• Capital cost of SWRO plant is US 3.2 per
  installed
• gallon/day, US 1.93 for brackish water
• Desalinated water cost is US 0.45 to 0.8 per
  m3 for SWRO

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Membrane Processes

• Summary of Progress in SWRO Desalination

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Electrodialysis

• ED membrane was discovered in 1950
• First commercial ED plant was build in 1954
• EDR is developed in 1968
• Developments in the technology are
• Better membranes and module designs
• ED is generally applied for brackish water
  desalination
• Capital cost is US 2.42 per installed
  gallon/day
• Desalinated water cost is US 0.3 to 1.0 per
  m3 for
• brackish water desalination

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History of RD in desalination

• Major RD Programs in desalination were in the
  1960s and 70s
• this was the period for building desalination
  plants
• In the 1980s and early 1990s - gradual
  developments occurred,
• concentrating on
• Problem solving approach
• Up-scaling of plants size
• Re- development of standard designs
• RO development continued
• RD in environmental water issues
• Developments in RD were hindered due to
• Little feedback from plants to manufacturers
• Lack of communication between plant owners,
  industry,
• consultants, researchers
• Most of the work done is un-coordinated work

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Recent RD efforts in desalination

• The RD work done from 1990s till today
• Up-scaling of plants continued.
• More developments in membranes
• More concentration on scaling and fouling
• Developed pressure exchangers in RO
• RD on environmental issues continued

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Recent RD efforts in desalination (Contd)

• Presently, RD efforts are not substantial due
  to
• All the earlier bottlenecks in conducting RD
  are persisting
• Academic research institutes have insufficient
  budget plus
• they lack interest since no breakthrough
  inventions are
• possible
• Technology suppliers are not able to provide
  sufficient budget
• due to less profits and high competition.
  Limiting their RD to
• improve their technology.
• Users/governments are not allocating enough
  funds due to
• high subsidies and also no proper manpower to
  conduct
• research.

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R D Needs

• THERMAL SYSTEMS
• Installation Costs
• MSF is a bulky process Simplifications of MSF
  Plants is needed
• Energy
• MED has more potential for
• Lowering energy consumption
• Utilization of Waste heat energy
• Use of heat pump
• Plant Components
• Evaporator shell design
• Condenser design for large plants
• Optimization of ejector system
• Adaptation of compressors for VC distillers

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R D Needs

• Scaling and Scaling Control
• Study Transit and asymptotic fouling
  resistances
• Develop operation and control strategies to
  minimize chemical consumption
• Develop data bank of fouling constituents at
  different desalination Sites
• Raise heat transfer coefficients
• Re-examine thermal and hydraulic design
• Deaeration and decarbonation of the feed water
  to reduce non-condensable
• NC gas release, prediction methods
• Operation, control and automation concepts
• Distribution of feed water to stage in MED
• Minimization of thermodynamic losses by
  exploring
• Stage and orifice design
• Demister design
• Tube bundle design

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R D Needs

• MEMBRANE SYSTEMS
• Develop better membranes and membrane modules
  that are
• Robustness against pollutants, chemicals,
  disinfectants,
• temperature variations
• Less susceptible to concentration polarization
  and fouling
• Not affected by cleaning
• Have higher permeability and less energy demand
• Robustness at higher temperatures for hybrid
  system application
• RD is needed
• To understand the phenomena that affect the
  performance of a membrane
• Develop methods for systematic evaluation of
  problems
• Develop database of local seawater conditions as
  required for RO plant
• design

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R D Needs

• MEMBRANE SYSTEMS
• Fouling and Pre-treatment
• Understand fouling phenomena and mechanisms,
  empirical
• models
• Develop new pre-treatment methods membrane
  (MF,UF)
• Full understanding of pre-treatment methods and
  hydrodynamics
• effects in the module
• Develop standards for specification of fouling
  indices
• Develop Fouling data bank, case studies

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R D Needs

• MEMBRANE SYSTEMS
• Membrane desalination plants in the Middle East
• Number of SWRO plants are very less due to
• The large dual purpose plants started off with
  thermal systems
• Seawater TDS and concentration of organics in
  the Arabian Gulf
• extremely high
• Some initial failures of RO plants in the region
• Lack of cooperation between membrane producers,
  RO plant
• manufacturers and plant owners
• Very cheap natural gas energy
• RD is needed to tackle the peculiar scaling
  and fouling problems
• with the Gulf water

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R D Needs

• ENERGY ISSUES Energy cost is significant part of
  the
• operating cost, thus need to look at
  other sources to
• utilize
• Thermal Energy Sources, Non-Fossil Alternatives
• Gas turbine and diesel engine exhaust gases and
  industrial cooling
• waters
• Steam generator exhaust gases
• Solar thermal energy
• Waste heat in industrial complexes
• Waste energy from incinerator
• Geothermal energy
• Absorption heat pump integration
• Heat sink integration with ACs and cooling
  house systems

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R D Needs

• ENERGY ISSUES
• Process Integration
• Hybrid systems
• Utilization of aquifers
• Alternatives to avoid seasonal peaks
• Renewable Energy RD to produce economical
  thermal or
• electrical energy is needed
• Nuclear Energy RD to use low grade heat source

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MEDRC programs in desalination

• Identifies research requirements
• Facilitates research
• Develops reference materials
• Disseminates research results
• Contributes to capacity building in the region
• Provides country technical assistance

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MEDRC Contributions to desalination RD

• MEDRC sponsored 47 projects
• Number of projects topic wise
• - 19 in membrane area, mostly on scaling and
  fouling
• - 6 on energy issues
• - 7 on non-traditional processes
• - 4 on environmental issues
• - 3 on thermal processes
• - 2 on hybrid processes
• - 2 on assessment studies
• - 2 on Software packages
• - 1 on intake and out fall
• - 1 on certification programs
• 22 projects are completed and 25 are on-going
  completed project
• reports are available on the web site as
  downloadable files.
• Most of the projects have reference materials
  and results of the
• completed projects are useful to
  desalination community

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MEDRC RFP

• MEDR has Annual Public Tender for RD proposals
• Solicit projects on basic and applied research
• Unsolicited project ideas are also considered
• MENA partnership is required in every project
• 50 cost share is essential requirement
• Reference material component is required

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Information For Preparation Of Proposals

• Guidelines for the Preparation of Proposals
• Request for Proposals 2005
• - Essentials of RFP
• - Project Titles A, B and C Type priorities
• - Project Outlines for priority projects
• These documents are available on our web site
• www.medrc.org.on

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Global Rd Funding In Desalination
Compare ? Global RD funding for desalination,
20 millions annually, with ? other
expenditures of civilization   One
painting of Van Gogh (30x40 cm) at an auction
65 millions   Sponsorship of one yacht
team in the Americans Cup 25 millions
One day of Iraq war ?? ? Investing 1 cent per
m3 of desalinated water for progress in
desalination would contribute 113 millions
annually
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Conclusions

• RD efforts are not considerable due to
  non-availability of funds
• Presently, there is no scope for newly
  breakthrough technology
• that will reduce the cost of desalination
  drastically
• RD should continue on the following areas to
  improve the
• existing technologies
• Design optimization of processes and their
  equipment
• Scaling and fouling problems
• Pre-treatment methods
• Membranes and module designs
• Alternative materials of construction