A consortium of membrane element suppliers (Consortium) developed a project, funded in
part by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, to create a new element diameter standard. By establishing a standard element size that reflects
consensus by several membrane element suppliers, reverse osmosis (RO)/nanofiltration (NF) system end users will be able to
realize the maximum economic benefits of the larger diameter elements through use of
competitive element bidding in their projects. A primary component of the Consortium
project is the conduct of an economic analysis, regarded as accurate and unbiased by the
general industry, to determine cost savings from systems designed using larger diameter
elements for three broad applications (seawater, brackish groundwater and surface water
desalting or reuse). The project takes into account element and vessel manufacturability,
system design limitations, handling and capital cost reductions.
Acceptance of the results of this project by a majority of players in the water treatment
industry is key to meeting the project goals. In an attempt to accomplish this objective, the
Consortium incorporated feedback from a broad range of industry stakeholders at key stages
of the project. This was accomplished through a comprehensive survey made available to
utility staff, industry engineers, and OEMs. A website was also developed to garner
additional industry input. Significant dialogue was held with leading vessel manufacturers
to determine engineering and manufacturing issues associated with large diameter pressure
vessels, particularly for high pressure applications. The project findings, which included
development of capital and total water costs for each of the three feedwater applications
using 8-inch, 16-inch and 20-inch diameter elements, and recommendations are being widely
disseminated within the general water treatment industry. Includes 3 references, table, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 620 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 17 |
| Published : | 03/01/2005 |
