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Title: Water management and reuse of coal conversion process condensates. Summary final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6876706

This report summarizes the results of a three-part investigation to assess certain aspects of water management and wastewater reuse for coal conversion facilities. The first part of the study examined zero discharge-oriented water management strategies for solvent refined coal (SRC) liquefaction facilities. This work showed that the use of wastewater as cooling tower makeup is one of the most significant means of reducing both aqueous discharges and fresh water consumption. Conceptual process water balances were developed which showed that wastewater reuse as cooling tower makeup with sidestream softening could result in appreciable reduction in raw water withdrawal, as well as reduced flow to an evaporator and reduced waste brine flow. There are various problems associated with reuse of process wastewater as cooling tower makeup water, including the need to evaluate chemical speciation and chemical reactions in wastewater being employed as makeup water. For this reason, the next part of the study was directed towards measurement of calcium sulfate solubility in wastewater. A cooling tower chemical equilibrium and process model demonstrated the feasibility for reuse of SRC-1 wastewater as providing makeup to an evaporative cooling tower. This part of the study was focused towards evaluation of cooling loop operation with attention given to problems of chemical scaling and cooling water treatment. It is recommended that additional conceptual and experimental studies be performed to evaluate wastewater reuse in cooling towers with the objective of minimizing the flow rate of treatment sludges and blowdown, and to evaluate combinations of sidestream and makeup wastewater treatment. 52 references, 9 figures, 15 tables.

Research Organization:
Carnegie-Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (USA). Dept. of Civil Engineering
DOE Contract Number:
FG22-80PC30262
OSTI ID:
6876706
Report Number(s):
DOE/PC/30262-3; ON: DE84015497
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English