Full Description

A consortium of membrane element suppliers (Consortium) developed a project, funded inpart by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, to create a new element diameter standard. By establishing a standard element size that reflectsconsensus by several membrane element suppliers, reverse osmosis (RO)/nanofiltration (NF) system end users will be able torealize the maximum economic benefits of the larger diameter elements through use ofcompetitive element bidding in their projects. A primary component of the Consortiumproject is the conduct of an economic analysis, regarded as accurate and unbiased by thegeneral industry, to determine cost savings from systems designed using larger diameterelements for three broad applications (seawater, brackish groundwater and surface waterdesalting or reuse). The project takes into account element and vessel manufacturability,system design limitations, handling and capital cost reductions. Acceptance of the results of this project by a majority of players in the water treatmentindustry is key to meeting the project goals. In an attempt to accomplish this objective, theConsortium incorporated feedback from a broad range of industry stakeholders at key stagesof the project. This was accomplished through a comprehensive survey made available toutility staff, industry engineers, and OEMs. A website was also developed to garneradditional industry input. Significant dialogue was held with leading vessel manufacturersto determine engineering and manufacturing issues associated with large diameter pressurevessels, particularly for high pressure applications. The project findings, which includeddevelopment of capital and total water costs for each of the three feedwater applicationsusing 8-inch, 16-inch and 20-inch diameter elements, and recommendations are being widelydisseminated within the general water treatment industry. Includes 3 references, table, figures.

Product Details

Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 03/01/2005 Number of Pages: 17File Size: 1 file , 620 KB