Pilot plants or compact plants: what are they

Planta piloto y planta compacta: no son lo mismo

When new processes are developed, the chemical engineers determine the primary recipes and necessary conditions of these new processes. Generally, having the data specified in the laboratory is never enough to fabricate a well-designed plant for production. This is where the Pilot Plants come in.
With the set up of water treatment pilot plants, the engineers are able to determine the physical and chemical parameters, and also learn about the boundaries of conducive conditions that are used to carry out the complex processes.

In the water treatment pilot plants, bioreactions and chemical experiments, rheological mixing, or crystallization of the demanding media are carefully observed and investigated. That is why Pilot Plants are regarded as one of the essential constructions to be considered before the establishment of a fully-functional water treatment plant. In this article, we will discuss with you the importance of pilot plants and what are the possible goals that are needed to be determined with a pilot plant set up. Read on to know more!

What are Pilot Plants?

Pilot Plants are the production systems designed on a small-scale level. They are typically established to testify and validate the production or treatment of a particular substance before the final plant is built for the process of commercialization. Characteristically, the main motive behind the creation and operation of a pilot plant is to explore and understand a new technology before loads of money has been put into the fabrication of a fully-functional factory or a plant for getting ahead with the business.

Pilot plants are technically quite helpful, as with their establishment, the engineers can quickly determine the areas of minor errors, the parts that need to be changed, or they can have an assurance of facing no issues when the bigger project has been built. The lessons learned from a water treatment pilot plant can facilitate in the creation of data and valuable experience that brings out a result, which is more efficient, commercially viable, and even safer when created on a large-scale level.

Although commercialization is the prime objective taken into consideration when pilot projects are curated, there could be multiple factors that could be determined from these compact or experimental plants. Many complicated purposes can be easily identified from the pilot plants depending upon the
organization and its goals for the fully-completed project. Some of the factors that can be determined from a pilot plant are:

• Validation of the Technical Process
• Factors to be included when scaling up
• Validation of the economic process
• Developmental quantities while considering the requirement of the market
• Production of the samples

The minute differences in the objectives can have significant impacts on the costs, design of the main plant, operation, and scheduling of construction of the original plant. Therefore, with the establishment of a pilot plant, we can quickly determine these objectives and then proceed towards the development
of the water treatment plant on a large-scale basis.

In-depth discussion of the different factors determined from a Pilot Plant:

1-Validating the technical process:
Typically, a complex process is always divided into a series of operational units while a plant is being designed. Each functional unit is then studied and modeled separately for determining the relevant components of the large-scale plant. With the construction of a pilot plant, the engineers have the
provision for testing the control concept and the performance of the equipment as desired, once all the
operational units are connected.

This is one of the essential processes in the case of water treatment pilot plants as the pilot plants will help in determining the importance of the recycle streams and demonstrate if the impurities are being dissolved in the recycle stream or not. Also, pilot plants will help resolve any of the operational glitches from the initial stages. So when the original plant is built, all the regulations and safety codes are well taken care of.

2-Scaling Up Process:
Again one of the significant reasons for the establishment of a pilot plant is to determine the technological process before scale-up. Generally, scale-up includes a collection of information and data that are needed to be resolved before a full-scale treatment or production plant is built. While some of the aspects of the pilot plant can be directly scaled-up, others need more keen attention before we implement those aspects in the original treatment plant.

In the present scenario, pilot plants are used to bring about real-life data in the implementation of sophisticated model techniques. With the availability of the complex model-making capabilities and the computer-aided technologies, pilot plants serve a tool used for refining and testing the computational
models of the production and treatment plants. Initially, a mathematical model is created for
determining the validity of the pilot plant and also to assess its consistency by comparing it with the
results obtained from computation and the experimental observations.

Once a reliable model has been evolved, which accurately predicts the results of the operating parameters, the computational model can be relied upon as a tool for the development of a treatment
plant on a full-scale basis.

3-Determining the business as well economic process:
New products and technologies are being well-marketed for commercialization, which the investors scrutinize justifiably. The water treatment pilot plant is a standing proof of the concept used in the establishment of a full-fledged water treatment plant. And the pilot plant is efficiently used in mitigating the risks and alleviating the concerns of the investors.

A company will be able to estimate the cost of the raw materials, the yield from operating the plant, or even the production cost from a pilot plant. These numbers play a key role in determining the economic feasibility of a water treatment plant before it is constructed on a large-scale basis.

Bottom Line

In this article, we have talked about what a water treatment pilot plant is and what is the importance of establishing a water treatment pilot plant. We have briefly discussed the factors that can be clearly determined once the pilot plant has been constructed. Also, with the construction of the pilot plant, the investors, as well as the engineers, can have a better idea of what they should be expecting from the bigger project. We hope that this article has been helpful in highlighting the importance of a water treatment pilot plant.

Have you constructed a water treatment pilot plant? Well, then this is the correct time to have a chat with our experts from Keiken Engineering. Our professionals will have a look at your compact or pilot plants and determine the ways you can efficiently use energy while saving yourself from hefty bills. We will help you out in the construction of an energy-efficient water treatment plant by having a close inspection of the pilot plant that you are about to build. To hire our services, you can call us on +34 91 057 72 54 or drop us an email at info@keiken.es

Your 101 guide to activated carbon filters

Uso del carbón activo en el tratamiento y depuración del agua

Activated carbon for water filtration imparts impeccable taste, fights against odor, and reduces the level of chlorine by filtering the water. The water treatment plants use chloramines and chlorine to treat water, which, as a result, creates carcinogenic by-products. These by-products are generally contained in the water supplied to your homes, which you probably use for drinking as well. The water treated in the treatment plants is tainted with a chemical flavor that leaves an after-taste. If you use carbon filters at your home, it can clear your water off of all the organic compounds that make your water smell or taste bad.

Typically, the contaminants stick to the surface of the carbon filter, and the water that flows into your home is free of anything that could affect your health. In this article, we have stated everything that you need to know about the activated carbon filters and how they can help in serving cleaner water to your homes.

What is the activated Carbon Filters?

Carbon Filters, just like any other water filter, have barriers that capture the particles that could be contaminating your drinking water. The powers of Carbon detoxification was first discovered by the Ancient Egyptians. Even today, activated carbon for water is used to filter out the contaminants from drinking water, which further omits the chemical smell from it and makes beverages and food taste better.

How does the carbon filter function?

The Carbon Filters use the process of adsorption in order to get rid of the contaminants present in water. While in absorption, the substance soaks up particles just as a sponge does, in the process of adsorption, the particles adhere to the surface of carbon only as pieces of Velcro. The organic compounds further stick or bind to the activated carbon’s surface because contaminants and water are polar compounds, and they attract each other. The Carbon filters are highly porous in nature and have a wide surface area, which makes them competent to remove bad odors, tastes, or harmful particles dissolved in water.

Basically, the Carbon filter functions as a parking space for the pollutants dissolved in water as it flows through the filtrate. The tiny pores in activated carbon filters are measured in microns. The smaller the pore, the better the filtration process is going to be. When the rate of flow of water is slow, the contaminants get more time to adhere to the carbon filter. As a result, the water gets purified in a better manner.

What do you understand by activated carbon, and how can it help in water filtration?

Carbon, when activated by using steam or heat, is often referred to as activated carbon and is commonly used for the process of water filtration. The method of activation generally opens up the pore of the carbon filters. It increases the surface area to give carbon more capacity to withhold the contaminants that are dissolved in water. This is the reason why almost all the carbon filters are prepared from activated carbon for water filtration.

Are Carbon Filters considered to be a safe option for carbon filtration?

Carbon water filters are considered to be very safe because they are known for removing the harmful dissolved chemicals from water. They are rated explicitly for CTO removal, and the sub-micron blocks of carbon are known to remove contaminants such as cysts or lead. The Activated Carbon Blocks supplied with sub-micron ratings are known to go beyond and above to get rid of the additional particles, through the process of mechanical filtration. Typically, the mechanical filters function as screen doors, and they keep the unwanted elements from entering to the purified water. The pores of carbon blocks that are measured to be below one micron are tiny even for the cysts to pass.

When and where should a carbon filter be used?

The carbon filters can be used in several places. It can be put to use at the POE (Point-Of-Entry) to filter out the whole house or at POU (Point-Of-Use) to clean the water just before you drink it or use it for the purpose of cooking. Some of the shower heads make use of carbon filters to save you from breathing in chlorine gas that is generally added to water for the purpose of cleaning in the water treatment plants.The activated carbon for water filtration also plays a significant role in the process of reverse osmosis (RO) or an Ultrafiltration (UF) System. The Carbon Filters added to the UF System can offer its user with reduced chemical, lead, and organic particles’ presence in the filtered water.

If you make use of different types of water softeners to soften the water that is treated in the municipal plants, then make sure to install a carbon filter before the water softeners. That is because when chlorine is removed from the water prior to the use of water softener, the resin tends to last longer. The presence of chloramines can affect the gaskets, rubber seals, and O-Rings to deteriorate. Therefore, the removal of chemical disinfectants with the use of catalytic carbon will enable the water-using appliances to last longer.

What is the general frequency of changing your carbon filters?

You are advised to change your carbon filters every six months or a year, at least. Do not use the carbon filters any longer than a year. If you wait any longer, the condition of water you think is being purified could be in a worse state as compared to the absence of a carbon filter. If in case all the pores of the activated carbon filters are full of contaminated particles, the collected particles will start to break bonds from the carbon filters and therefore flow back into the purified water.

Bottom Line:

The activated carbon for water filtration is considered to be an excellent method to clean out the treated water from the municipal water plants. They are extensively known for their ability to get rid of chlorine or other disinfectant by-products such as –bad odors, tastes, and even trihalomethanes. There are several mechanical procedures included in the removal of the dissolved contaminants. However, if the water that you are about use for drinking or cooking purposes contains high volumes of inorganic compounds or any other suspended solid particles, then the process of Reverse Osmosis with the use of activated charcoal is going to serve the purpose.

At Keiken Technology, our job is to ensure that your factories or industries are energy-efficient. Our experts will take a survey of your industry and point out for you all the places in which you can further save the usage of energy. We have had worked with several such water filtration industries in the past and let us be honest with you our customers have been more than just satisfied with our services. So if you are looking for the set up of activated carbon for water filtration industry, then we are here to cater to your needs. To get in touch with us –email at info@keiken.es, or call at +34 91 057 72 54

How is smart technology changing the desalination concepts

Even though 71 percent of the Earth’s surface is water, there’s still the issue of water shortage among humans. Why? Well, only 2.5% is fit for human use, which is not enough to cater to the needs of 759.43 crore people (2018 report). However, researchers have found a way to make use of the rest 97% of water too. And this could be done through the process of desalination. Nowadays, to reduce the wastage of freshwater, efficient desalination plants are being set up by different industries to meet their requirements. This will mitigate the issue of water scarcity.

As compared to the earlier methods of desalination, the process has evolved a lot with the introduction of smart technology. If desalination plants are set up in different parts of the country, water scarcity will become a story of the past. And humans will no more have to hesitate while using water in their day to day lives. In this guide, we’ll be throwing light on how smart technology has altered the concept of desalination.

The role of Technology

Technology has been making all of our lives easier, and now several innovations are trying to tackle the issue of water scarcity in the most cost-effective way. So, nowadays, desalination plants involve the use of wave energy instead of electricity to create pressure in the seawater. The NIOT, National Institute of Ocean Technology juggling with OTEC. Here, the warm ocean water is put inside a chamber and is depressurized. When the pressure is low, the boiling point is also low, and steam is generated easily. It is then condensed into freshwater.

And the process of condensation happens in the deep sea. Transfer the steam through a pipe to the warm region of the sea, and you’ll get back liquid water that’s fit for drinking. Apart from that,several other technological advancements have made the process even easier. Let’s now go through some of the cost-effective methods that have gifted us with efficient desalination plants.

1. Reverse Osmosis

In the process of osmosis, when you soak a raisin, it absorbs the water and swells up. The water percolates through the raisin. Water from the thinner medium transfers to a denser medium. Well, exactly the opposite occurs in the process of reverse osmosis. Here, the liquid is transferred from a denser medium to a thinner medium. In this case, the liquid is seawater, which doesn’t move freely on its own.

The ocean water has to be squeezed or pressurized to pass through the membrane.Electricity is the one and only way to pressurize it. Thus, the water flows in a reverse direction leaving all the salts behind. All this happens in a plant called RO (Reverse Osmosis) desalination. It costs somewhere around 0.05 cents/l, which is very cheap. Why not invest a little amount of money for your industry instead of using up the freshwater sources meant for human use?

2. Electrodialysis

In the 1960s, ED was introduced for mainly commercial use, around ten years prior to RO. It had a cost-effective approach for desalting brackish water and supplied it for public use. Not just that, it was designed for catering to the needs of biochemical and environmental industries, as well as for the production of table salt. This is why it comes under the umbrella of the most efficient desalination plants.

In this process, electrochemical separation takes place in which electrically charged ions change membranes driven by the electrical difference. Most of the dissolved salts present in seawater are ionic, and they’re either negatively or positively charged. They rush towards the electrodes having an opposite charge.

3. Solar, wind and wave power

With the constant evolvement of technology, now desalination plants are set up in a way to derive power from solar or wave energy. The combination of solar and wave energy is the best source of power for a desalination plant. Water has several entrepreneurial scopes.

In this case, wave energy converters or WECs are used to pressurize seawater and drive the water directly to the RO desalination system. The main benefit is the need for electricity in this process is next to nothing. Gone are the days when electricity was compulsory to run a desalination plant, thanks to the wave energy converters!

In reverse osmosis, solar energy plays a greater role and eradicates the need for electricity.The best part is, it can work 24/7. By using solar, wind, or wave energy, the expenses for converting the water is reduced by around 70 percent. These efficient desalination plants have become a constant source of freshwater.!

4. Nuclear powered desalination plants

When it comes to seawater desalination, nuclear power has also got something to offer. The extreme heat energy produced during the split of nuclei’s atoms can be obtained easily, and it would work round-the-clock. Although it’s quite inexpensive, the only thing that’s delaying its adoption is the problem of human settlements.

Since there’s always an alternative, a small nuclear desalination plant can be put up in the suburbs. Instead of using a cable to extract power for desalination, a tanker should be set for carrying water from shore to the desalination plant and produce clean water. Not just that,it can also be hidden underwater for a submarine to generate freshwater for months.

Conclusion

There’s ample opportunity when it comes to the introduction of technologies for the functioning of efficient desalination plants. A drastic change has been brought into our lives by technological advances. A few years back, no one even imagined that ocean water could be used for human use.However, our questionable imaginations are now being converted into reality. Most of the industries, plants, etc. are currently setting for desalination plants for commercial use. They’re cutting their ties from the freshwater sources and helping in saving them for human consumption.World leaders are now advocating the use of freshwater from desalination plants for domestic purposes too. Now that you’re aware of how desalination plants work and how they benefit us, we hope you’d switch from your traditional source of freshwater to desalination plants.

Call To Action

Are you thinking of setting up a desalination plant for commercial use? If so, then Keiken Engineering is your one-stop solution. Our company was established with the aim of providing organizations with supplies and support about water. We strive to offer a variety of advanced solutions and products
for water treatment, energy efficiency, desalination, project management, and other such solutions.We assure you to tackle big projects with the utmost ease and guarantee economic success. As we hold extensive experience in the industry, you wouldn’t be disappointed at any cost. If you’ve got further queries, contact us via mail at info@keiken.es or call us at +34910577254 (Madrid),+34936811650 (Barcelona). Also, you can fill the online application form available on our website.