Water Management for Reuse/Recycle
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sludge 5 1 Sludge , Filler backwash Re1i;ihlc cooling-sysleiii licr- fC4 foriiiiiiice dictntes water trciitiiieiit To recycle Sludge addressiiig these conditions. Coil- lhickeners ceriis iiiclude ciilciuni. iiiagiie- siuiii. ;ilkaliiiity, pIiosph;ite, sullate, iiod Cenlrale silica hecause of their scaling tendency, and suspended solids as lpotential foul;ints in lieat excliaiigers and collectioii basins. To hrne Addirioiial ciiiicerns are aiiinioniii lor /)os- ' sihle corrosinii of the copper-coiit~iiiiiiig condensers. both aninioniii and phosphate as possible niilrieiits for biologicill species, and organics as a source of foaming in Disposal Disposal cooliiig towers. Palo Verde '"Iear in Treatment of the water in the WRF pro- '' filtratioii is applied. Tliis coli- reclaims municipal wastewaler for use as ening, and vides nitrification. clarification, softening, cooling-system makeup water. Head.end sists of membrane treatment by reverse and filtration for 60,000 gpin of iiionicipel tricklino filters lohoto) reduce ammonia and osmosis to remove 99% of tlie dissolved wasiewater in six separate trains, each coli- organc conlcnl 01 trcalca scv.35~ocioii sis!iiiS of a trickling filter, two solids.com clar lication soltro.ng ana I lid on ,ctigri, ~ . tact clarifiers, and four gravity filter cells (Fig ILi Biological nitrification with trick- ling filters reduces both ammonia and organic coiiteiit. reactions with organics also providing CO2 for use in the clarifiers. These operate with sludge blankets extend- ing up into the clarification zone, which renioves suspended solids froiii upward- inoviiig product water. First-stage lime clarifiers precipitate iiiagiiesii~in.silica, phospliiate. carbonate alkalinity. and soiiie ciilciuni .;is inorganic solids. CO? and soda ash are added to the second-stage clarifiers to rciiiove the reniaining calcium as CaCO3. 1:ollowing acid and chlorine injection, eflluent froiii tlie cliirifierlsolteners is pumped through gravity filters for removal of remaining suspeiided s~litls. Periodic hickwash ol the filters aid cI.'itilier :'. underllows prodiicc some 2600 gpin 01 process wastewater. which is thick- eiietl iiiiiI/wr dewatered. A ~portioii01' the solid ciilciiiiii carlxiii;ite cahc is ~priices~ctl to priiiluce linic imd CO2 lor use iii tlic cI.aiticis: ."', iitlier iiiiirgiiiiic solids iirc dis- cl1;ir;ed. lipgriitliiig ol [lie WRI: i~illuc~it 1h11\ rclllIcCs wilslcwillcr VdLIIllcs 111 ahiN1 70 gpiii. rcc(ivcriiig over VLJ</i 01' tlic iiiciiiiiiti: iiiiiiiiciliiil WIIS~~~IIICI ior ii\c at r?ll,l Verile. (1,~ 01 IICIIIC~ scw;~gc lor IioiIcr4ec<I iiiiihciqi is iii~otlicrsic11 along ilii, iiinovii- live Ipiitli. 1~iirilierl'r(1111 :~tkiptiiiii I~cciiiisc 01 iiildcd trcii~iiiciitilciiiiiiicls. it is ~nc~crtI~cIc~s rcciiig IpriiL,iicc 111 \OIIIC pliints. Wliilc liiiiil~ XI ~ii~i~lic~,ii,~,i~~si,cliiis iit tlic <'I' Smc\ ti:iiioii ut S<II~iIiwcsici'~iI'iililic Scrvirc I4 3. SO2 scrubbing provides example of cascaded in-plant Flue gas to Stack clarifiers permits CTB use where ~calin use of water Care in design would be a problem, such as for FGI: and operation ensures opera- scrubber makeup and demister water. I tion as net waste consumer Some regions of the West, soda ash OCCUI rather than generator Mist eliminators naturally as trona. In low-alkalinity CTE trona liquor can provide an inexpensiv ME washina substitute for lime for softening. CTB has use as pump-seal water and fc flushing of bearings. but carbonate deposi . , . * Flue gas tion may be a concern if excess alkalinit is present. FGD scrubbers themselves are a large volume wastewater source, similarly pro viding high-TDS blowdown. Just as wit1 Thickener overflow to makeuD streams CTB, treatment offers an alternative to dis 1 charge. Drawing on the experience o western zero-discharge plants, easteri plants in water-short areas route bot1 scrubber blowdown and CTB to holdioj ponds with other low-quality plant wastes Subsequent solids concentration b: mechanical evaporation, membrane treat ment, or combination [methods frequentl! provides water of demineralizer-feed quali I)'. Ash-handling systems and equipmen I cleaning produce two large low-volumt waste streanis. The former vary consider. I ably, depending on fuel type and source combustion method, and other f~tors.PIC. dominant components of the waste streair are hardness, alkalinity, metal sulfates anc oxides, and silica, and the streams are ofter treated jointly with tower blowdown anc FGD wastes for reuse. Boiler-fireside cleaning wastes contair iron. nickel, chromium, and other solid: (depending on the Fuel burned and corro- sion-control additives used), and often are routed to ash ponds because of their siini- larity to ash-sluice waters. Supernatant fluid decanted from a settling basin can be considered for use in neutralizing water^ side washwaters because of the high alka- linity introduced with cleaning solutions. Air-heater cleaning wastes are somewhat similar, but higher in metals content as a result of corrosion ol the heater elements. They are also a source of oily niatter and hydrocarbons, particularly if deposits coii- lain much soot. Air-heater washwater generates greater interest in reducing system discharges because of the volumes involved and poi- Iutioii-control requirements. This is typi- fied by the recycle system introduced at ail East Coast plant. when state regulations dictated closurc of the bottom-ash pond. Applying the closed-loop concept 10 the plant waste streams resulted in treatiiicnt systems providing niakeup walcr to the bottom ash, air-heater, and cooling-water systems. Waste systenis segregated ind- vidunlly were: m Air-heater wash system. .Oily waste removal syskiii. m Industri;ilLw;iste tieiitiiient system (lor coal-pile runo11. re!pieriint wastc. liiicr ~~~ . ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ IS Power. Ma" 1991 .’ the station’s water requirement to about removal as wet FGD, it offers greater ing wastes. boiler blowdown, makeup- 300 gpm. possibility of maintaining the station water treatment wastes, and.equipment drains are A variety of water-conserving opportu- balance (air-Dollution reeulations permit- some of the more familiar ones4All water- nities elsewhere in powerplant steamlwater and wastewater-treatment alternatives cycles can be realized through improve- -membrane treatment, softening, evapo- inents in system design and operation. Analysis for improvement ration, etc-are identified and their effects Boiler chemical cleaning (BCC) and flue- The plant water (or salt) balance is fun- on the water balance determined. Maxi- gas desulfurization (FGD) are examples. damental to an integrated analysis of plant mum and average flows are used for con- Methods leading to reduction of BCC systems required for efficient water man- tinuous-flow streams; for intermittent waste include scale and corrosion control agement, a necessity both in water-short streams, frequency and duration data must and optimized cleaning frequency. Primary regions and where wastewater discharges be added. Water-analysis data reflect all paths to these goals are improved water- are to be minimized. Its ultimate applica- possible impacts-seasonal water-supply chemistry control and frequent tube sam- tion, of course, is to zero-discharge plants. variations, plant capacity factor, etc. pling during operation, respectively. Close By examining all plant components Most important aspect is identifying monitoring of boiler cleaning to minimize involved in water use and applying accu- plant systems where recycled water can be cleaning-solution use in each procedure rate flow and chemistry data to all streams put to use. Alternative treatment options also pays dividends. entering and leaving each process step, the are evaluated and conceptual designs Flue-gas scrubbing-probably the water balance helps identify those compo- developed for those not considered imprac- largest water-consuming component- nents and systems where modifications tical. Aside from capital and operating often can he improved in several areas. promise substantial improvements in water costs, the nature of a stream determines the Foremost are mist-eliminator washing and recyclelreuse. A standard procedure in appropriateness of any treatment candi- pump seals. Mist eliminators are washed to designing utility plants in the arid West and date, so knowledge of its characteristics is prevent scaling and plugging, but this can Southwest, it is growing practice in the essential to making the best choices. be overdone. Wash intensity, frequency, East and Southeast, where utilities and Streams, treatment options and duration all play a role in water con- independent cogenerators have embraced sumption. Major improvement can come wastewater recycle and zero discharge Cooling water recirculated to evapora- from less frequent, more intense washing because of environmental restrictions or tive cooling towers contain dissolved and rather than continuous washing; wash- inaccessibility to adequate water supplies. suspended solids entering the system with down-water consumption can also be cut Among the newest zero-discharge exam- tower makeup water. Those that are not by substituting thickener overflow for an ples are the Semass waste-to-energy pro- removed by precipilation, evaporation, or outside water source, as well as by using ject in Massachusetts, Ocean State com- drift are concentrated in the recirculating more efficient hose nozzles and ensuring bined-cycle .plant in Rhode Island, and water. Conservative practice is to treat a that hoses