PFI:AIR - TT: Increasing Water Recovery from Nanofiltration and Reverse Osmosis using Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis and Electrochemically Promoted Fluidized Bed Crystallization

该PFI：AIR技术翻译项目的重点是翻译电化学水处理工艺，该工艺将在纳滤（NF）和反渗透（RO）水净化过程中提高水回收率并减少废盐水的产生。 电化学预处理工艺将使大规模的内陆脱盐使用RO和NF。 目前，由于盐水处理的高成本，大规模的RO和NF在非沿海地区并不常见。 将盐水生产量减少一个数量级将使内陆RO和NF具有成本效益。 这将使经污水处理的废水和微咸地下水都能用作饮用水或工业用水的来源。 这两个新的水源将缓解该国干旱地区因缺水而对经济发展造成的限制。 该项目将导致一个概念验证的操作流化床结晶反应器使用通过双极膜电渗析产生的基础解决方案。 与仅去除颗粒污染物的RO和NF商业化预处理工艺相比，拟议工艺可去除溶解的污染物和大于5 µm的颗粒。 与传统的RO和NF预处理工艺相比，这将大大减少膜污染并提高水回收率。拟议技术的几个关键方面需要在商业化之前进行概念验证测试。 其中包括确定：1）系统操作参数如何影响膜污染成分的去除; 2）与操作双极膜电渗析反应器相关的长期操作和维护成本;以及3）微米级矿物固体对专门设计的NF模块的浓缩物侧的影响。 测试将在水和能源可持续技术中心（WEST）使用经化学处理的废水进行，该中心与皮马县阿瓜努埃沃废水处理厂位于同一地点。 实验和测试将由毕业生和本科生研究人员进行，他们还将参加由Tech Launch Arizona和Innovate UA赞助的商业化研讨会。该项目涉及研究合作伙伴EconoPure Water Systems，LLC和HDR Engineering。 EconoPure是一家原始设备制造商，生产独特的NF模块，可处理10 µm大的颗粒。 EconoPure将提供设备和系统设计专业知识，以及商业化援助。 HDR是一家咨询公司，为工业和市政客户提供水和废水处理的工程和设计服务。 HDR将根据他们对真实的世界应用的理解，对这种治疗技术进行客观、独立的评估。 作为技术发展的保证，HDR将帮助识别潜在客户，并将通过与水研究基金会（WRF），水再利用研究基金会（WRRF）和水环境研究基金会（WERF）的合作参与获得技术示范项目。

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating an electrochemical water treatment process that will increase water recovery and decrease waste brine production during nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) water purification. The electrochemical pretreatment process will enable large-scale inland desalination using RO and NF. Currently, large-scale RO and NF are not commonly practiced in non-coastal areas due to the high costs of brine disposal. Decreasing the volume of brine production by one order of magnitude will make inland RO and NF cost-effective. This will enable both municipally treated wastewater and brackish groundwater to be used as sources of potable or industrial water. These two new sources of water will obviate water scarcity imposed restrictions on economic development in arid regions of the country. The project will result in a proof-of-concept for operating a fluidized bed crystallization reactor using base solutions produced via bipolar membrane electrodialysis. In contrast to commercialized pretreatment processes for RO and NF that only remove particulate contaminants, the proposed process removes both dissolved contaminants and particulates larger than 5 µm. This will greatly reduce membrane fouling and increase water recovery compared to conventional pretreatment processes for RO and NF. Several key aspects of the proposed technology require proof-of-concept testing before commercialization. These include determining: 1) how system operating parameters affect removal of membrane fouling constituents; 2) the long-term operation and maintenance costs associated with operating the bipolar membrane electrodialysis reactor; and 3) the impact of micron-sized mineral solids on the concentrate side of a specially designed NF module. The testing will be performed using municipally treated wastewater at the Water and Energy Sustainable Technologies (WEST) Center that is co-located with the Pima County Agua Nuevo wastewater treatment plant. The experiments and testing will be performed by gradate and undergraduate researchers who will also participate commercialization workshops sponsored by Tech Launch Arizona and Innovate UA.The project engages research partners EconoPure Water Systems, LLC, and HDR Engineering. EconoPure is an original equipment manufacturer producing unique NF modules that can be operated with particulates as large as 10 µm. EconoPure will be providing equipment and system design expertise, as well as commercialization assistance. HDR is a consulting firm that provides engineering and design services to industrial and municipal clients for both water and wastewater treatment. HDR will provide an objective, independent evaluation of this treatment technology based on their understanding of real world applications. As the technology's development warrants, HDR will help identify potential customers, and will also be involved in obtaining technology demonstration projects through collaborations with the Water Research Foundation (WRF), the Water Reuse Research Foundation (WRRF), and the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF).