Gasifier wastewater treatment: Phase I cooling tower assessment
The principle goal of the gasification research at UNDERC is to develop environmental data on the treatability of wastewaters from the fixed-bed gasification of lignite. Research activities are focused around the cooling tower, where the reuse of treated gasification wastewaters has not been demonstrated in this country. The objective of Phase I cooling tower testing was to evaluate the effectiveness of using minimally treated wastewater (solvent extracted and steam stripped - referred to as stripped gas liquor) as makeup to a cooling tower. Ammonia, alkalinity, phenol, and other non-hydantoin organics were removed from the cooling water by stripping and/or biological degradation. Foaming of the circulating water will be a problem using SGL as makeup and foaming control will be required. The SGL feed cooling system supported a high level of biological activity (1 to 10 million/ml). Pseudomonas aeruginosa was identified as the predominant specie in the system. Severe fouling can be expected for all carbon steel surfaces. Fouling of stainless steel was not a major problem. General corrosion rates of 10 to 24 mils/yr were measured for carbon steel in various parts of the system. Carbon steel heat exchanger tube analysis indicated pitting corrosion penetration rates of 20 to 125 mils/yr under deposits. Computer analysis also indicated a strong potential for scaling from calcium carbonate precipitation. Results from this study indicate that the use of stripped gas liquor similar to that produced by the UNDERC pilot gasifier as cooling tower makeup is limited by a number of potentially serious operating problems. This water could be used for cooling tower makeup only after additional treatment or possibly with the use of biocides, corrosion inhibitors, and other control methods. 12 references, 6 figures, 7 tables. (DMC)
- Research Organization:
- North Dakota Univ., Grand Forks (USA). Energy Research Center; Radian Corp., Austin, TX (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC21-83FE60181
- OSTI ID:
- 6844145
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/FE/60181-23; CONF-840828-2; ON: DE84007671
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International synfuels policies and technologies symposium, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 19 Aug 1984
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Use of treated gasification wastewater in a pilot cooling tower: Final report for the period ending June 30, 1986
Preliminary assessment of the use of stripped gas liquor (SGL) as cooling-tower makeup
Related Subjects
COAL GASIFICATION
WASTE WATER
WATER TREATMENT
RECYCLING
AMMONIA
BIOLOGICAL FOULING
CARBON STEELS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
COOLING TOWERS
CORROSION
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
EXTRACTION
HEAT EXCHANGERS
LIGNITE
PHENOL
REMOVAL
SCALING
STAINLESS STEELS
ALLOYS
AROMATICS
BROWN COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
COAL
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
DATA
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FOULING
FUELS
GASIFICATION
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
LIQUID WASTES
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHENOLS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STEELS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TOWERS
WASTES
WATER
010800* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Waste Management
010404 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Gasification