Controlling Feed Water Upsets with UF

Pretreatment
Andrea Lima
Content

• When/where/why should Ultrafiltration be installed

• Designing a new UF system
• Optimizing an existing UF system
• Q&A and review

2
When/where/why should Ultrafiltration be
installed
 When/Where?

No or insufficient pre-treatment to RO
systems

Aging conventional system

Coagulation/ Sedimentation/
Flocculation Clarification MMF Sand Filter

Deficient membrane systems

MF UF
 UF Presence in Industrial Water Treatment

Evaporation
Drift

Blowdown
Fresh Water Cooling Towers

Losses
Blowdown
Fresh Water Boiler Feed
Water Boilers
Treatment Wastes
Steam

Water in
Crude Oil Process
Units Waste Water
Fresh Water
Treatment
Contaminated Plant
Stormwater Discharge
Highly Variable Water feeding Demin Systems

• Feeding directly from Surface

Water
– Seasonal Variation
– Algae Bloom

• Feeding from Conventional

Treatment
– Inefficient Treatment (high
and variable SDI)
– Coagulant Overflow

• Recycle/Reuse Applications
– Variable flowrates, variable
turbidity, organics, O&G,
TSS...

6
Typical issues at RO Installations

Frequent issues

• Biofouling
• Scaling
• High SDI feed water
• Abrasion by particles
• High pressure drop
• High cleanings frequency
• Frequent down-time...

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Typical issues at RO Installations

Solved by UF
pre-treatment

Frequent RO
Issues

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Objectives of pre-treatment with Ultrafiltration

Suspended
solids

Colloids Pathogens

To
remove

high
molecular
Turbidity
weight
species,
Advantages of UF/MF vs Conventional Filtration

Some advantages of UF/MF as pretreatment of RO:

• Lower fouling in RO
membranes.
• Reduce chemical
cleaning frequencies
 longer life of RO
• Posibility to operate
the RO at higher flux
 Less Membranes &
Vessels
Examples: Media Filter X UF
Designing UF Pre-treatment Systems – New
Installations
Field data
- Minimum data required

Analyzed Item Unit Value

Turbidity NTU 75
TSS mg/l 100
TOC mg/l 12
Temperature °C 10-30

Minimum data required to run a meaningful design projection!

Field data
- Minimum and Recommended

Analyzed Item Unit Value

pH 6.3-6.7 Recommended Data:

Color 40
1. Could judge potential fouling
Turbidity NTU 75 types
TSS mg/l 100
2. Verify feed water quality for
Silica mg/l 11.9 technology applicability
Iron mg/l 0.5
3. If necessary, may recommend
Aluminum mg/l 0.3 additional pretreatment
TOC mg/l 12
COD mg/l 25
BOD mg/l 5
Temperature °C 10-30
Risks and Rewards

Rewards Risks

Where to go?

Balance is an art!
Risks and rewards

• Potential Rewards
– Cost saving on capital expenditures, skids and UF modules
– Smaller footprint and space saving
– Competitive proposal
Risks and rewards

• Potential Risks
– Higher flux will result in higher frequency of cleanings (BW, CEB and
CIP) due to TMP increasing quickly.
– Lower recovery rate
– High chemical consumption and OPEX
– Reduced throughput: may cause difficulties to deliver right amount of
water to downstream systems

Backwash Backwash
CEB
CEB
CIP
CIP

Zondervan, 2008
 Fouling is the most challenging operational
problem

Inorganic fouling/scaling

Low flow rate Particle/colloids fouling

Fouling
High TMP Microbial fouling

Organic fouling

I. Feed water quality & variation

II. UF membrane performance
III. UF system design
IV. UF system operation & maintenance
How to prevent fouling?

Qualified feed water

• Account for Seasonal Variation

• Consider Pretreatment if needed

Proper Operational Parameters

• Filtration Flux
• BW Frequency, Duration, flowrate
• Air Scour (flow, duration)

Proper Chemical Cleaning Procedures

• CEB
• CIP
Existing UF Installations
Challenge: Optimize Operation
-Possible changes on the operation
 Negative Positive
BW Operation
Aspects Aspects
• Flux • Decrease • Decrease
• Duration Recovery Fouling
• Frequency
 Negative Positive
Air Scour
Aspects Aspects
• Flow rate, • Not possible • Decrease
pressure in all UF Fouling
• Duration modules
• Frequency
 Chemical Negative Positive
Cleanings Aspects Aspects
• Type of • Higher • Decrease
chemical, Chemical Fouling
concentration Consumption
• Soaking
Period
• Frequency
 Negative Positive
CIP
Aspects Aspects
• Type of • Higher • Decrease
chemical, Chemical Fouling
concentration Consumption
• Circulation
and Soaking
Period
• Frequency
 Negative Positive
Filtration Flux
Aspects Aspects
• Change Flow • Decrease in • Decrease
rate Recovery Fouling
• Used stand-
by skids
• Modules with
higher surface
area
 Feed water Negative Aspects Positive Aspects
Quality
• Pre-treatment • Capital • Decrease
• Different Intensive Fouling
coagulant • Sustainable
Operation
• Increase
Recovery/Water
production
Possible UF Pre-treatments

Strainers
Coagulation/Flocculation
Sand Filters
Self Cleaning Filters
Media Filtration
Pre-oxidation
In-line coagulation
Granular Activated Carbon
Dissolved Air Flotation
Optimized Operation
-Expected Results

- Decrease in feed pressure and TMP

-Increase in Permeability
-Sustainable and predictable operation
Case Study
 Refinery Industry, Colombia

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Water Source: Mix of CTBD and Clarified Water

• Application: Boiler Make-up Water
• Start-Up: 2011
• Plant Capacity:
• 154 gpm – UF
• Product: DOWTM UF SFD2880 + FILMTEC™ RO

ClO2 SBS

Make up
Water
Strainer Cartridge
200 m UF Tank FILMTEC™ RO
Filter

DOW™ UF
SFD-2880
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 Andrea Lima
North America Ultrafiltration Technical Service & Development
aglima@dow.com

http://www.dowwaterandprocess.com/

Thank You!

NOTICE: Although the information and recommendations in this presentation (hereinafter "Information") is presented in good faith and believed to
be correct, The Dow Chemical Company makes no representations or warranties as to the completeness or accuracy of Information. Information is
supplied upon the condition that the persons receiving same will make their own determination as to its suitability for their purposes prior to use. In
no event will The Dow Chemical Company be responsible for damages of any nature whatsoever resulting from the use of or reliance upon
Information or the products to which Information refers. NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR OF ANY OTHER NATURE ARE MADE HEREUNDER WITH RESPECT
TO INFORMATION OR THE PRODUCT TO WHICH INFORMATION REFERS.

®™ Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow

Questions?
Most common Industrial applications

Boiler Make-up water

• From Variable Feed waters (ground, surface, reuse...)

Cooling Tower Make-up water

• From Variable Feed waters (ground, surface, reuse...)

Cooling Tower Blow-down

• Reuse

Process Water

• From Variable Feed waters (ground, surface, reuse...)

Recycle/Reuse

• Internal waste streams

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