Water System Design and Operation

Membrane fouling is the main cause of permeant flux decline and loss of product quality in reverse osmosis systems, so fouling control dominates reverse osmosis system design and operation. The cause and prevention of fouling depend greatly on the feed water being treated, and appropriate control procedures must be... 

The salient features of SWRO and brackish water RO (BWRO) desalination processes that determine plant design and influence capital and operating costs are summarised below. Several RO desalination plant case studies are subsequently discussed to illustrate systems design and operation. 

Flotation is a physical process involving relative interaction of three phases solid, water, and air. An understanding of the wettability of the solid surface, physical surface, and chemical phenomena by which the flotation reagents act and the mechanical factors that determine particle-bubble attachment and removal of particle-laden bubbles, is helpful in designing and operating flotation systems successfully. 

Sometimes there is no practical, economical way to reduce deposition, protect surfaces cathodically, change design and operation, or treat existing systems chemically. A material change is required. The most economical solution usually is to coat existing structures with water-impermeable, sacrificial, or corrosion-resistant materials. 

The Trail system has shown that it is possible to design and operate a system year-round that treats high concentrations of metals. In Trail, the contaminated water is treated to the degree that from the final holding pond it is used for irrigation of trees to be planted in areas near the smelter. 

A sewer network and any corresponding treatment have traditionally been separately designed and operated. Two different and separate functions have been dealt with the sewer system must collect and convey the wastewater to the treatment plant, and the treatment plant must reduce pollution load into the receiving water according to the quality standards set. Consequently, sewers are often just considered input systems at the boundaries where they are connected with wastewater treatment plants and overflow structures that discharge untreated wastewater into watercourses during rainfall. This traditional approach to sewer performance needs considerable improvement. 

Probably the most important feature of the "wet" methanol hydrocarbon flash results in the enhanced carbon dioxide solubility in the liquid water phase. This would probably mean potentially more severe corrosion problems in the pipeline and associated equipment. The design and operation of the corrosion prevention system and program can be substantially improved. 

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