In a groundbreaking study by the West Virginia University (WVU) Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, researchers have unveiled an innovative solution to reduce the water consumption of power plants. The novel approach involves the symbiotic treatment of two types of industrial wastewater – “cooling tower blowdown” from thermoelectric power plants and “produced water” generated during hydraulic fracturing in the oil and gas industry.
Hunter Barber, a chemical engineering doctoral candidate and lead author of the study, emphasized that the thermoelectric power industry is the largest consumer of water in the United States. Traditionally, power plants draw fresh water for their operations, cycle it through steam and electricity production, slightly purify it, and then return it to the water source. Barber explained that their approach aims to close this water consumption cycle by treating and recycling the water, instead of discharging it.
The cotreatment process not only produces water clean enough for reuse in power plant cooling operations but also generates valuable byproducts. Barber highlighted the significance of utilizing “produced water,” a major wastewater output from the oil and gas sector, to reduce the need for purifying chemicals in treating power plant cooling blowdown.
Co-author Lian-Shin Lin, professor and chair of the Wadsworth Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, underscored the potential of the cotreatment scheme to address the challenges posed by “produced water,” which often contains more salt than seawater. Lin emphasized that the energy industry could effectively resolve its produced water issues through this innovative approach.
The study utilized produced water from a shale gas well and cooling tower blowdown from the Longview Power Plant. Fernando Lima, associate professor of chemical engineering, highlighted the need for a comprehensive techno-economic, environmental, and process systems analysis to scale up the cotreatment concept. Such scaling would enable integration into power plants or other wastewater treatment solutions, optimizing operational costs, capital costs, and energy utilities.
The researchers employed process modeling to assess various wastewater treatment methods, considering modifications to power plant design and construction. By simulating different treatment procedures, the team demonstrated the economic and technical advantages of cotreatment for power plants.
Barber concluded by envisioning a future where power plants could benefit from becoming self-contained and no longer relying on external water sources. The study suggests that wastewater cotreatment, particularly blowdown reuse, holds significant promise in advancing the sustainability of water demands in power facilities.
Source : https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0011916423006355?via%3Dihub