16-7-2012

1

16/07/2012

Cross-sectoral synergies in industrial water use

Joost Helsen

i-SUP conference

Bruges 7th-9th May 2012

16/07/2012 2© 2012, VITO NV

Outline

� Goals

� General approach to optimize waternetworks

� State-of-the art in the four sectors

� Synergies between sectors

� General water management

� Closing water loops: technologies

� Monitoring

� Overview in relation to general water network

� Road for the future

HJ1

Slide 2

HJ1 achtergrond toevoegen ivm synergieHelsen Joost; 6-5-2012

16-7-2012

2

16/07/2012 3© 2012, VITO NV

Goals

» General objective AquaFit4Use:

Development of new reliable cost-effective

technologies, tools and methods for

sustainable water supply, use and discharge

in paper, chemical, food and textile

» Specific objective:

Determine cross-sectoral benefits for

sustainable water loop closure

Sustainablewater use

Paper

Textile

Food

Chemical

16/07/2012 4© 2012, VITO NV

General approach to optimize water networks

» Inventory

» Processes, water sources, water treatments,…

» Water network visualization

» Water quality definition (WQD)

» Which WQ is needed for which process?

» Effects on :

» Product safety/quality

» Process water function

» Equipment, machinery and pipes

» Health and working conditions

» Evaluate mass balances:

» Measure water flows

» Monitor process effluents quality

16-7-2012

3

16/07/2012 5© 2012, VITO NV

General approach to optimize water networks

» Simulation of (parts of) water network to:

» Calculate/estimate missing data

» Evaluate effect of changes in water

quality

» Optimization of water network based on:

» Costs

» Fresh water use

» Discharge volume

» Evaluate optimised water networks:

» Lab-scale and pilot trials

» Environmental impact

» In depth economical analysis

Pinch

Sinks

Sources

Fresh WaterRe-Use

Waste Water

Reactor

Cyclone

Cooling

towerSteam Filter

Reactor

Cyclone

Cooling

towerSteam Filter

16/07/2012 6© 2012, VITO NV

Paper sector at a glance

» Quite uniform production processes

» Typically 2 continuous systems :

» Stock preparation

» Paper machine (fresh water)

» Re-use implemented on different levels:

» Direct in PM and SP

» process effluent recycle

» Recycle treated waste water

» Threats for recycling water:

» recalcitrant COD (‘slime’ formation, product quality)

» High Ca/Si levels (scaling)

» high Cl-levels (corrosion)

16-7-2012

4

16/07/2012 7© 2012, VITO NV

ETP

Fresh water

Raw material

Paper

SP

PM

K1= CODeff

CODWW1

K2= CODSP

CODWW1

COD (filtrated sample)

K1/K2= CODeff

CODSP

Fresh water use

Loop separation

Counter current arrangement

ETPWWTP

Fresh water

Raw material

Paper

SPSP

PMPM

K1= CODeff

CODWW1

K1= CODeff

CODWW1

K1= COD

COD

K2= CODSP

CODWW1

K2= CODSP

CODWW1

K2= COD

COD

COD (filtrated sample)

K1/K2= CODeff

CODSP

K1/K2= CODeff

CODSP

Fresh water use

Loop separation

Counter current arrangement

Paper sector at a glance

» Highly optimized waternetworks

» High content of dissolved matter in water

loops of SP and PM

» Optimization approach:

» Water balance

» Evaluation of K-values

» Process simulation

» Bottle necks:

» Impact water on product quality

» ‘slime’ formation

» odour control

» discharge limits

» Ca-levels (recycling water)

16/07/2012 8© 2012, VITO NV

Chemical sector at a glance

» Typical processes:

» Continuous and batch

» Very complex sequence of unit processes

» Specific contaminants for eachcompany/process

» Common elements: utilities

» Process water treatment

» Cooling water /steam production

» WWTP

» Main water consumers:

» Cooling towers

» Steam production

» Direct water re-use often implemented

16-7-2012

5

16/07/2012 9© 2012, VITO NV

Chemical sector at a glance

» Optimization strategy:

» Water balance

» Water pinch

» Process simulation

» Bottle necks:

» Salts and organics

» Reagents,by-products, catalysts

» Temperature

» Geographical limits

1,4km

16/07/2012 10© 2012, VITO NV

Food sector at a glance

» Very specific processes depending on type of food production:

milk, vegetables, cheese,…

» Drinking water quality in all processes where contact with food

is possible

» Fluid food processing:

» Pasteurization/sterilization

» Tank storage

» CIP

» Filling lines

» Vegetable processing

» Washing

» Scalding

» Blanching

16-7-2012

6

16/07/2012 11© 2012, VITO NV

Food sector at a glance

» Optimization strategy:

» Inventory of all water consuming processes

» Monitoring of water flow and contamination levels

» Reduce fresh water usage in-process (e.g. vacuum pumps)

» Minimize product losses (e.g. CIP, sterilization)

» Recycle water to non-hygienic processes (e.g. cooling towers, truck

washing)

» Bottlenecks:

» Stringent demand to use potable water

» Re-use options limited to non-critical processes (e.g. cooling towers,

transport washing, toilets,…)

16/07/2012 12© 2012, VITO NV

Textile sector at a glance

» Water source: mostly ground- or

surface water

» Typical processes:

» many batch processes

» Preparation-dyeing-printing –

finishing

» Process water treatment:

» Sand filtration

» De-ironing

» softening

» Most processes are very water-

intensive due to subsequent washing

and rinsing steps

16-7-2012

7

16/07/2012 13© 2012, VITO NV

Textile sector at a glance

» Critical parameters:

» pH

» Salts, metals

» Suspended solids

» Organics

» Colour

» Optimization of water network:

» Virtually no re-use or recycling of water

» Potential water loop narrowing via separation and treatment of

process effluents

» Main bottleneck:

» Cheap water source vs. expensive water treatment

16/07/2012 14© 2012, VITO NV

Cross sector - watermanagement

» Paper sector introduced new way of thinking:

» Dealing with highly concentrated process streams

» Intensive water re-use with little treatment

» Concept of HACCP applied in process water control:

» Determines CCP’s in industrial water loops

» WQMT or “West for Industry”: integrated, fully customizable tool to

» Define water quality demands

» Visualize and calculate water networks

» Optimize water networks in all sectors

Including a comprehensive WQ-database and model library

16-7-2012

8

16/07/2012 15© 2012, VITO NV

Cross sector – technological aspects

» Principles of hygienic design valuable for chemical processing and textile

industry to minimize:

» Water needed for washing, rinsing, cleaning activities

» contamination of waste waters

» product losses

» Cross-contamination

» Alternative CIP technologies can be transferred to chemical sector:

» (Ice) pigging

» Air swirling

» Air scouring

» Ice blasting

16/07/2012 16© 2012, VITO NV

Cross sector – technological aspects

» Treatment technologies for removing contaminants in recycled water:

» 3FM

» MBR

» Anaerobic treatment

» Denutritor

» AOP (Ozone, UV,

» NF/RO

» Evapoconcentration

» Softening (crystallization)

» FTC (CapDI)

» …

Tested and applied in all four sectors to produce water “fit for use”

16-7-2012

9

16/07/2012 17© 2012, VITO NV

Cross sector – monitoring water network

Tools for monitoring water networks and treatments:

» VIT-kit:

» fast and easy detection and quantification of specific target organisms

» VFM sensor:

» On-line measurement of reversible and irreversible fouling in MBR

» FBRM: focused beam reflectance measurement :

» Fast analysis of concentration and size of particles in a solution

» On-line sensors for:

» COD

» Total nitrogen

» Orhophosphate

» Calcium

» WEA for determining real ecological impact of final effluent

16/07/2012 18© 2012, VITO NV

Cross sector – overview

WQMT LCA Water FootprintWQMT LCA Water Footprint

WQcontrolWQcontrol

Treatment technologiesTreatment technologies

WEAWEA

Process

optimization

Local loop treatment

Monitoring VIT/VFM/FBRM/…Monitoring VIT/VFM/FBRM/…

16-7-2012

10

16/07/2012 19© 2012, VITO NV

Road for the future

» Some ideas:

» Stepping across the company border: creating water loop interfaces

and synergies:

» in industry

» with urban & agricultural water management

» Overcome the bottleneck in recycling and reuse:

Treating concentrates/complex wastewaters

» Linking water- and production processes for process efficiency

optimization

16/07/2012 20© 2012, VITO NV

Acknowledgement

Results were obtained in the project “AquaFit4use” (EU-FP7-ENV-211534)

funded by the European Commission.