November 2016 - Water Market Insights 209

McIlvaine has initiated a number of LinkedIn groups to compliment the Alerts newsletters, webinars and databases included in PPAQD Decisions (all water, energy and air issues in coal-fired power plants). If you subscribe to PPAQD, you can contribute information to the intelligence system and participate in the webinars. PPAQD is free of charge to power plants around the world so it is a great way to communicate with them. The details on subscribing are found at:

Analysis of hardware and treatment options to create ultrapure water for steam generation and then to purify and move the recycled condensate. Options for filtration, ion removal, valves, pumps, instruments and chemicals are included.

Robert McIlvaine Ovivo provide their answer in a McIlvaine webinar which is recorded and available in PPAQD.
Each process step has specific reduction rates for each NOM family:
- TOC concentrations in raw water is not sufficient for an optimum design  high safety factor
- Detailed fractionation of TOC in major groups allow a precise design (if specific removal rates for each process are known)
- 80% removal can only be anticipated using conventional IX based systems
- 90-95% removal usual using RO based systems (single or twin pass RO).

McIlvaine has been reporting on various condensate polishing options at BHE plants. The need to upgrade to Pall filters from the less efficient Cuno filters was in part due to ACC contamination of the condensate. What other coal-fired power plants are using ACC?

Robert Mcilvaine Ovivo has a very large condensate removal system at a South African coal-fired power plant which also uses ACC for cooling. Let’s find out how this installation is performing.

Robert McIlvaine Here is the summary of a PEI article on the Eskom plant with Ovivo condensate polishing. You will find the complete text in PPAQD. The Eskom Medupi power plant has installed an Ovivo Condensate Polishing Plant (CPP) at all six coal-fired units. The CPP is designed to produce treated condensate with cation conductivity less than 0.1 μS/cm, chloride less than 1 μg/l (less than 1 ppb) and silica less than 5 μg/l (less than 5 ppb). The CPP treats 100 per cent of the condensate flow under normal operating conditions. This removes iron and copper corrosion products, as well as dissolved cationic and anionic impurities, while allowing ammonia ions to pass through, when operated in the ammonia cycle, maintaining a high pH to protect the condenser. The first stage of condensate polishing utilizes cartridge filters to remove most of the particulates.
Service vessels containing ion exchange resins are used to remove impurities before the water is fed back into the boiler.

Robert McIlvaine More on Eskom: Eskom chose a system with separate vessels for cation and anion resins to give maximum flexibility of operation.
The resins remove contamination in the condensate by exchanging dissolved impurities for hydrogen and hydroxide ions, as the water passes through the service vessels. The resin also acts as a filter to remove any remaining particles.
By utilizing separate vessels for resin, the anion vessel can be bypassed at those times when condensate temperatures rise higher than those recommended by the anion resin manufacturer. Failure to place the anion vessel offline during short periods when temperatures spike can shorten the longevity of the resin.
As the resin becomes exhausted, it slowly loses its capacity to exchange ions which reduces its ability to exchange contaminants. Eventually, it reaches the point when the quality of the water deteriorates. Technicians can detect such an occurrence by measuring water quality parameters such as cation conductivity.

This group consists ofNO_x generators, McIlvaine subscribers and selected experts or contributors. It covers coal-fired power, incineration, chemical, refining and other industries generating NO_x.

SCR and SNCR are proven methods for NO_x removal but their situations where a relatively small amount of NO_x needs to be removed and there are existing scrubbers. Ozone can be used for oxidizing NO_x to NO₂ and then N205. Refineries are using ozone ahead of scrubbers. Why shouldn't the power industry consider it? Utilities in Utah, Alabama and Mississippi have suddenly been required to remove more NO_x. A detailed analysis of this option is being pursued on a special website set up for BHE. Insights from this linked-in group will be conveyed to the BHE subscribers. One major question is whether to use peroxide instead of just ozone ahead of the scrubbers?

Robert McIlvaine Refineries are using ozone instead of SCR. There is the assumption that Ozone scrubbing is too expensive. If so, why are refineries using it. Is it a question of the quantity of NO_x to be removed? If so, then those power plants which only need to remove another 0.06 lbs./MMBtu are more likely candidates than those who need to remove 0.2 lbs./MMBtu or more.

Robert McIlvaine Conversion of NO to NO2 - (Envitec) One tray is used in the case there is a sufficiently high concentration of NO in the inlet gas stream or sufficiently low outlet concentration limit for NO. NO is essentially insoluble in water, but it can be quickly oxidized to NO₂ by chlorine dioxide (ClO2) or ozone (O3). This can be done using a packed bed, but the reaction of NO occurs in the gas phase. The packed bed functions as a ClO2 generator and static mixer, or as a static mixer for ozone injected in the form of an aqueous solution. ClO2 can be generated by the reaction of sodium chlorite (NaClO2) with a strong acid. Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) is commonly used, but if the air being scrubbed contains enough nitric acid fumes, it may not be necessary to add much H2SO4. MostNO_x scrubbers don't have an oxidation stage. When NO_x is generated by the reaction of nitric acid with metals, it usually consists mainly of NO₂. NO is invisible, and it is much less toxic than NO₂.

Robert McIlvaine The Mt. Vernon, IN plant of GE Plastics has installed a NO_x scrubber. When such GE Plastics products as Ultem resins are produced, nitric acid is used, and emissions from this step are tightly controlled. But to address upset conditions, the company opted to install an emergency scrubber that can treat up to 66,000 ft3/min of air containing 9,600 ppm nitric acid vapor and 1,100 ppm of NO2 for 1 h.Tomeet this need, Tri-Mer Corp. has successfully adapted the design of its continuous-dutyNO_x. The Tri-Mer system used at Mt. Vernon comprises two horizontal scrubbing stages, with each stage having its own circulation system. A proprietary combination of caustic, sodium hypochlorite and a reducing agent is used.

Robert McIlvaine The Kanto Denka process (1) employs a scrubbing solution containing 0.2% hydrogen peroxide and 10% nitric acid while the Nikon process uses a 10% sodium hydroxide solution containing 3.5% hydrogen peroxide. A fourth process, the Ozawa process, scrubs NO_x by spraying a hydrogen peroxide solution into the exhaust gas stream. The liquid is then separated from the gas stream and the nitric acid formed is neutralized with potassium hydroxide. The excess potassium nitrate is crystallized out, and the solution reused after recharging with hydrogen.

Belco and Xylem are participating. Let’s discuss potential beyond refineries to other applications but also ozone in conjunction with other technologies. Comments on both subjects?

Robert McIlvaine Belco LOTOX: Marathon conducted a review of several options to reduce nitrogen oxides (NO_x) from its 52,000 barrels per day FCCU. The LOTOX technology was identified as a potentialNO_x control technology. Unfortunately, the LOTOX technology had never been used on an FCCU. Marathon needed more assurance that applying it to an FCCU would result in similar performance to that experienced in the other application. To that end, Marathon, BOC and Belco conducted a demonstration of Belco’s EDV wet scrubbing system with LOTOX technology. The demonstration was conducted October through November 2002. Following review of the results, Belco finalised its proposal to Marathon for the system and eventually concluded negotiations for the design and supply of the system for the Texas City refinery. This commercial system successfully started operating in February 2007, achieving all established goals and confirming the results of the demonstration.

Power plants generate SO₂ which can be captured and converted to disposable products or usable byproducts such as gypsum, sulfuric acid, or ammonium sulfate fertilizer. The choice for an individual plant is affected by many factors. There are 1000s of components in these systems. the corrosive and abrasive environment dictates careful selection of components as well as special operation and maintenance practices. Discussions of all of this are encouraged.

Robert McIlvaine Ozone injection creates NO₂ and N205. the N205 is more readily absorbed in the scrubber. NO₂ is also absorbed but at lower efficiency rates. Shiaw Tseng of Graymont believes that there are concerns about some the reactions which can take place. We are asking Shiaw to elaborate on this.

Filter belts are used for gypsum washing, filter presses are used for FGD wastewater. Which filter media work best on these applications?

Robert McIlvaine One of the experts on this subject is Robbie Waters of Menardi Filtex. His contact info is in the OEM networking directory. For those of you with access to BHE connect, his full profile appears in the BHE Supplier Connect Directory. You can also find him on Linkedin under Robert Waters, Nederman.

A number of solids, liquids and gases are involved in flue gas desulfurization (FGD). What are the best selections for level and pressure measurement for each unique application?

Robert McIlvaine Vega has a page devoted to FGD on its website. It includes pressure measurement in the FGD absorber pump, level measurement in the absorber sump and also the adipic acid holding tank. Adipic acid is used to improve SO₂ capture. A number of other reagents are now being considered for purposes such as prevention of mercury remissions or for separation of the mercury from the gypsum.

Dry FGD systems require level control in the lime storage bins. The pressure measurement in lime slurry injection in spray drier FGD is critical. How do Vega instruments differ from others and what are the advantages in the corrosive and abrasive environments encountered?

The smart technology developments along with software to optimize the processes offers very high ROi for coal-fired power plant operators. The insights provided by this discussion group will be reflected in the McIlvaine PPAQD Decisions program with six newsletters and thousands of pages of analysis on coal-fired power plant technology. Since this group is limited to power plants and subscribers with access to PPAQD, the discussion group will use PPAQD as a foundation of discussions.

Two approaches include investment in instruments inside the furnace to measure O2 and CO at many locations and then to adjust burners. The other approach is based on results. The system learns from various damper settings and the resultant impact on operations and adjusts each setting until the optimum results are obtained. Siemens has acquired TDL technology and is advancing the measurement approach. GE has acquired Neuco and is promoting the learning and neural network approach. What are the advantages of each?

In 2014, a new radar sensor for continuous measurement of bulk solids, VEGAPULS 69, was introduced. Is this being successfully applied in coal-fired power plants? Are other radar based level control companies also finding success in this application? With the expanded use of direct sorbent injection (DSI) there are new level control challenges.

Sales of ultrapure water hardware and consumables will exceed $4.5 billion in 2017. East Asia will be the largest purchasing region. The electronics industry will be the leading purchaser followed by coal-fired power plants. This the latest forecast in McIlvaine’s N029 Ultrapure Water: World Market.

Ultrapure water systems have many components. A number of consumables are also purchased. The largest selling products will be instruments and controls. Condensate polishing systems come in second.

1	Instruments & Controls
2	Condensate Polishing Systems
3	Construction
4	RO Systems
5	RO Membranes
6	Filtration
7	Engineering
8	Pumps & Valves
9	Storage & Piping
10	Condensate Polishing Resins
11	IE Systems
12	Degasification
13	IE Resins
14	Heaters
15	Disinfection
16	Distillation

Cleanrooms will spend just under $8.2 billion for consumable items next year. This is the latest forecast in World Cleanroom Markets. All the products which are used in a clean environment differ from standard products in that they cannot contaminate the cleanroom environment. East Asia will be the largest purchasing region followed by NAFTA.

The semiconductor industry will be the largest purchaser followed by other electronic segments. The pharmaceutical industry is relatively small, but has its own unique requirements.

1	Semiconductor
2	Other Electronics
3	Pharmaceutical
4	Flat Panels
5	Other Industries
6	Hospital
7	Cleanroom Suppliers
8	Medical Devices
9	Food
10	Aerospace
11	Bioclean

Gloves will be the leading single revenue generator although numerous miscellaneous supplies grouped together create a larger category. Cleanroom laundries will generate revenues of nearly $1.5 billion. Since laundries often rent garments, the laundry and reusable garment markets should be analyzed together.

1	Supplies
2	Gloves
3	Laundry
4	Wipes
5	Reusable Clothing
6	Disposable Clothing
7	Paper

Utility E-Alert Tracks Billions of Dollars of New Coal-fired Power Plants on a Weekly Basis

The 41F Utility E-Alert is issued weekly and covers the coal-fired projects, regulations and other information important to the suppliers. It is $950/yr. but is included in the $3020 42EI Utility Tracking System which has data on every plant and project plus networking directories and many other features.

DATE	HOT TOPIC HOUR AND DECISION GUIDE SCHEDULE *The opportunity to interact on important issues*
TBA *Markets*	Food - Analysis of 12 separate applications within food and beverage with analysis of valve, pump, compressor, filter, analyzer and chemical options; impact of new technologies such as forward osmosis.
TBA *Markets*	Municipal Wastewater - Quality of pumps, valves, filters, and analyzers in Chinese and Asian plants; new pollutant challenges; water purification for reuse.
TBA *Markets*	Mobile Emissions -Reduction in CO, VOCs, and particulate in fuels, oils, and air used in on and off road vehicles; impact of RDE and failure of NO_x traps and the crisis in Europe created by the focus on clean diesel.