Membrane Capacitive Deionization for Cooling Water Intake Reduction in Thermal Power Plants: Lab to Pilot Scale Evaluation

Wim De Schepper, Christophe Vanschepdael, Han Huynh and Joost Helsen
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Wim De Schepper: VITO nv, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Christophe Vanschepdael: ENGIE Lab, Rodestraat 125, 1630 Linkebeek, Belgium
Han Huynh: ENGIE Lab, Rodestraat 125, 1630 Linkebeek, Belgium
Joost Helsen: VITO nv, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 6, 1-18

Abstract: Cooling of thermal power stations requires large amounts of surface water and contributes to the increasing pressure on water resources. Water use efficiency of recirculating cooling towers (CT) is often kept low to prevent scaling. Partial desalination of CT feed water with membrane capacitive deionization (MDCI) can improve water quality but also results in additional water loss. A response surface methodology is presented in which optimal process conditions of the MCDI-CT system are determined in view of water use efficiency and cost. Maximal water use efficiency at minimal cost is found for high adsorption current (2.5 A) and short adsorption time (900 s). Estimated cost for MCDI to realize maximal MCDI-CT water use efficiency is relatively high (2.0–3.1 € m −3 evap ), which limits applicability to plants facing high intake water costs or water uptake limitations. MCDI-CT pilot tests show that water use efficiency strongly depends on CT operational pH. To allow comparison among pilot test runs, simulation software is used to recalculate CaCO 3 scaling and acid dosage for equal operational pH. Comparison at equal pH shows that MCDI technology allows a clear reduction of CT water consumption (74%–80%) and acid dosage (63%–80%) at pH 8.5.

Keywords: cooling tower; response surface model; water; power plant (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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