Optimization of a backup inland RO plant

Type:	Diploma-/Masterthesis
Area:	Simulation/Modeling
Termin:	asap
Description:	The use of the RO process in the production of drinking water from saline water sources such as brackish water is a common practice in the southern European countries, where it represents a significant part of the drinking water supply. Some of these reverse osmosis systems are also used as backup plants in order to ensure the supply of the population with drinking water in dry periods as well. These RO-plants are suffering from some characteristic problems particular for the back-up inland RO plants. In this work, such problems are to be identified and the selected ones are to be analysed and some approaches for their solutions to be developed. For the following problems are to be considered closely: 1. The additional increase of the concentration of water sources (e.g. rivers) by the RO-Plants, especially in the hot, dry periods causing increased salinity of the irrigation water for agriculture and for the environment. 2. The backup RO plants are designed for larger output quantities to serve the traditional system as backup drinking water resources in case of a water shortage. Because of the partial-load operation or stand-by operation of the power consumption, the optimum operation parameters are significantly differing from the design values of the plants. 3. The acceptance of the produced water is by the consumer by some RO very low. Within the frame of the work, the above mentioned problems at an existing inland RO-plant are tobe described in more detail. On the basis of that, an EXCEL programme will be developed for a parameter study in order to evaluate of the following possible approaches as solutions to be considered: To 1) does a further concentration of the Retentate using a ZLD (ZeroLiquidDischarge) process make sense? What techniques are used here? Is this technology state of the art? Is there more sensible approaches or methods? To 2) is it possible or useful as some parts of the plant gradually shut down to save energy? What measures should be taken for this? How much energy can be saved? How fast and at what cost, the system is back online? To 3) what options are available in order to increase the acceptance by consumers? Are those measures affordable? In order to optimize the technical and economic back-RO plants, the results from the parametric study documented as graphic and text. The findings and results will be summarized in a cost-benefit analysis. The entire work should be written in English.
Chair:	Chemical Process Engineering
Contact:	Süleyman Yüce