Power Water Insights No

				Power Water Insights No. 5 February 3, 2012

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· The Importance of Coordinating Power Generation and Water Conservation was Confirmed at EUEC

The Importance of Coordinating Power Generation and Water Conservation was Confirmed at EUEC

Phoenix was an appropriate venue for the Electric Utility Environmental Conference this week. For the first time water was center stage at this conference. In fact, it was part of the keynote address by Chris Hobson, V.P. of Southern, when he discussed a new water research center. There were lots of good papers covering regulations and technologies. There were only a few exhibits devoted to water related technologies. However, there were a number of consulting firms with water capabilities who had stands.

Sludge generation in the United States is increasing with an increase in population, with recent estimates at 11.3 million dry tons of sewage and paper mill sludge produced per year. Municipalities and companies are under increasing pressure by the public and regulating agencies to become more energy and cost efficient in their sludge management methods, as well as reducing their overall facility GHG emissions and energy usage. A potentially viable solution to these issues can be found through the process of gasification. When properly configured, sludge gasification is capable of delivering net energy gains while reducing environmental impacts when compared to conventional management practices. In this respect, sludge can be considered a fuel source, rather than a waste stream. An assessment of the state of the art and commercial viability of sludge gasification technologies was completed based on a review of currently available data, and the pros and cons of sludge gasification and its environmental impacts, costs, and efficiency in converting sludge into usable fuels, were determined. Although promising, the review determined that the technology is still in a very early commercial stage, with a need for the development of significantly more data as new technologies are commercialized.

McIlvaine Comments: If power plants and municipal wastewater plants are co-located, the aqueous sludge can be gasified and used as a reburn fuel above the primary firing zone in the coal-fired boiler. It will add fuel value, replace some coal and reduce NO_x in direct ratio to its fuel contribution.

As more emphasis is placed on the use of recycled wastewater as a substitute for fresh water source of cooling at power plants, operational and environmental considerations have been raised. Treated wastewater often contains elevated concentrations of constituents that may be permitted in an effluent, but may cause concerns in cooling elevated levels of chlorides, sulfates, and other constituents. Further, other trace organics may be present from Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products (PPCP) as well as constituents that may not be removed in conventional or advanced wastewater treatment facilities, such as synthetic estrogen. When cooling towers use this wastewater, volatilization or emissions of these constituents have raised public concerns. This presentation documents these concerns and addresses several facilities that have encountered these issues and approaches to minimize these concerns.

McIlvaine Comments: Use of treated municipal wastewater is important in the U.S. and even more important in China and other arid countries. The following picture taken at the Golder Stand shows the author, Ivan Cooper, as the tall individual in the middle.

Kenneth Cushing, Manager – Environmental Field Services, Southern Research Institute;

Mr. Jay Wos, Southern Company, Dr. George Offen, Electric Power Research Institute

Over the next two decades, water management restrictions for electric generating units (EGUs) will continue to increase, through stakeholder pressures and new regulations. In order to successfully transition EGUs into a future that limits traditional water-intake volumes, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is collaborating with Southern Company and Georgia Power Corporation (GPC) to develop a Water Research Center (WRC). The WRC will be located at GPC’s plant Bowen near Atlanta, GA. The WRC will provide independent performance evaluations of technologies to address water withdrawal, consumption, treatment, recovery, use and reuse. Southern Research Institute will operate the test facility. Several different areas of technology evaluations are planned: Advanced Cooling Technology, Moisture Recovery, Zero Liquid Discharge, Solid Landfill, Wastewater Treatment, Carbon Capture Technology Water Effects and Water Balance Model. Currently technology assessments with various vendors are in progress and partnerships with interested EPRI-member companies are being developed. Development will progress through four phases. Determination of infrastructure needs for each focus area will be a deliverable for Phase 0. Phase 1 (facility design) is expected to begin in early 2012. Our goal is to have technologies selected, installed and operating for several focus areas by the end of 2012.

McIlvaine Comments: this center will be an important step forward for the industry. Chris Hobson, senior V.P. of Southern Company, cited the potential value of this center in his keynote address. Here is the picture of Ken at his stand.

How Using On-Site Generated Mixed-Oxidant Solution to Replace Delivered Chemicals for Cooling Tower Treatment Can Save Money and Improve Safety and Performance

This paper discusses the use of on-site generated oxidizing biocide, called Mixed Oxidant Solution, for control of biofouling and algae in cooling towers and related condensers. On-site generation uses only simple reagents (table salt) to create an effective, chlorine-based solution with superior chemical properties when compared with conventional bleach-bromine chemistry to effectively control biofilm formation and algae growth. In addition, on-site generation can be very cost-effective. In one case study the power plant saved over $150,000 per year on a single tower by replacing multiple biocides and algaecide with on-site generation. The advantages of safer chemical storage, reduction of delivery truck traffic, better performance and reduced costs will be discussed.

Rotating Membranes, Chemical Sensors, and Electro Chemical Process to Remove Heavy Metals

Carrie Smith, Director of Technology Transfer of Latitude Clean Tech and Robert Jones, Managing Director of Energy & Environmental Enterprises displayed three interesting technologies at their stand. Shown in the background is a rotating membrane system. Several instruments develop by Georgia Tech Research Institute include one for DOD water security which measures VOCs in water in real time and ammonia sensors for air or water. These are manufactured by Lumense located in Atlanta.

Latitudes Electro Precipitation remediation system is being offered for FGD wastewater. This electro-chemical process harnesses zeta potential to drive chemical reactions and has demonstrated removal of 98% of the arsenic, 44% of the selenium, 47% mercury and 95% total suspended solids. It is finding widespread use to treat gas shale frac flow back water.

Robert Iwanchuck, manager of air quality services and Michael Kincaid, associate principal, typify the bread of air and water experience in the corporation. Robert is an expert on the modeling of air pollutants and the implications for utilities in meeting the various national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS).

AECOM plays a major role in the thermal and geothermal power engineering market by providing clients with a broad range of services for steam cycle, gas and hydraulic turbines and internal combustion engine power plants.

RSW International, Inc., which became part of AECOM during November 2010, has been awarded a US$13.4-million contract related to the Grand Inga site in the Democratic Republic of Congo. AECOM, in partnership with Électricité de France (EDF), will conduct a feasibility study on the hydroelectricity development of the site and the associated interconnection transmission lines.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Chattanooga, TN, turned a waste disposal cost into an economic development opportunity at their 260-MW Cumberland Station. A three-party venture, involving the power plant, an adjacent gypsum-processing plant and a neighboring wallboard production facility, is a triple winner for the utility and two contractors.

Since 1993, TVA had been dumping limestone (Synthetic Gypsum) from their flue gas desulfurization system on a vacant part of their property, resulting in a 15 to 20 foot high, 80-acre mountain of gypsum. Synthetic Materials, a firm enlisted by TVA, built a gypsum recovery plant on TVA's property to dewater the gypsum produced by the FGD process and sell it to a neighboring wallboard plant, thus turning a profit on a previously unused product.

To overcome the occasional shortfalls in raw material when one or both units at the power plant were off line, Synthetic Materials purchased a raft system from Xylem Flygt to obtain additional gypsum from the 80-acre stockpile.

The raft consists of a Xylem Flygt Model 5540 submersible abrasion resistant slurry pump and a Xylem Flygt Model 4660 submersible mixer. The Xylem Flygt Model 5540 abrasion resistant pump incorporates a 20 HP submersible motor mounted on a wet end consisting of a split volute with a replaceable high chrome liner insert and a highly efficient, technologically advanced impeller specially designed for slurry pumping.

The 4660 mixer uses a state of the art direct drive motor and high chrome propeller in conjunction with an integral jetring for increased efficiency. The raft is located in a flooded pit inside the gypsum pile. The concept utilizes the submersible 4660 mixer to create gypsum slurry consisting of 20 percent solids, which is then moved by the submersible 5540 slurry pump to the cyclones for dewatering.

Because of the complex rheology of the gypsum slurry, Xylem Flygt was provided with a sample of the gypsum material to test at their state of the art mixing laboratory in Trumbull, CT. Xylem Flygt scientists were able to offer the proper mixing recommendation based on this testing, and the Xylem Flygt equipment has performed flawlessly. "The pragmatic solution boosts production and helps Synmat maintain a consistent product," says John Glasscock, president of Synthetic Materials.

The stockpile now accounts for a significant portion of the gypsum plant's input of raw material and has helped Synthetic Materials meet production goals. Gypsum processing has slim profit margins, so it needs reliable, high-input volume to boost the bottom line. "It all boils down to economics," Glasscock emphasizes. "The factors have to be such that the gypsum can be processed and delivered at a better cost than the next low cost source." Xylem Flygt provided Synthetic Materials with the cost effective solution they needed to make their process profitable.

The market for ultrapure water systems and consumables will exceed $4 billion in 2012. This is the latest forecast from the McIlvaine report: Ultrapure Water World Markets (www.mcilvainecompany.com).

The electronics industry will edge out coal-fired boilers as the biggest purchaser.

Industry			2012
Coal-Fired Power			$1,105,033
Electronics			$1,377,103
Flat Panel			$566,031
Gas Turbines			$69,360
Industrial Power			$334,482
Other Industries			$184,684
Pharmaceutical			$412,474

The definition of ultrapure water is narrow and includes boiler feed water, chip rinsing water, pharmaceutical water used in products which are injected into humans, and the slightly less pure water for soft drinks and cosmetics.

The market growth is in Asia. One reason is the rapid growth of coal-fired generating capacity in this region. Another reason is the growth of electronics including semiconductors. Nearly all the world’s flat panel displays are built in Asia.

Technologies which are in wide use include several types of membrane filtration. Reverse osmosis, degasification, microfiltration, and ultrafiltration are all practiced with membranes which differ by the aperatures or openings in each.

Continuous electrodeionization is taking away market share from conventional ion-exchange technology. There is incentive to improve the purification technologies to keep pace with the industry needs. As the line sizes in chips are reduced, the purification requirements for rinse water rise proportionately. Most of the new coal-fired power plants are using ultrasupercritical technology. The higher temperatures and pressures exacerbate the damage done by contaminants in the steam, so these systems need feed water which is even more pure than conventional plants.

Ultrapure water systems can be quite complex. For example, in a semiconductor plant there can be a whole train of purification equipment followed by reverse osmosis. The purified water is then sent to one of the etching processes. The concern that some contamination could occur in the piping dictates the installation of a membrane cartridge filter.