Seawater RO Pilot System

Start Date: June 2000
Completion Date: September 2000
Client Contact: John McHarg, Energy Recovery, Inc.

Layne Christensen Company was contracted to retrofit an existing containerized seawater pilot system for the California-based energy recovery component manufacturer, Energy Recovery, Inc. (ERI). AMS was selected for this because of their in-depth knowledge of the featured component of the system, ERI's Pressure Exchanger energy recovery device for seawater RO systems.

Energy Recovery, Inc. invented, patented, and commercialized energy saving, energy recovery solution; the PX Pressure Exchanger (PX). The PX energy recovery device uses the principle of positive displacement and isobaric chambers to achieve extremely efficient transfer of energy from a highpressure waste stream, such as the brine stream from a reverse osmosis desalination unit, to a low-pressure incoming feed stream.

This containerized system features a positive displacement feed pump, Pressure Exchanger, multi-stage centrifugal boost pump and permeate flush tank as some of the main components. While the instrumentation used is of a very simple nature, the system is designed with durability and portability as the key elements. The system features a power monitoring system for accurate measurement of the energy used, in this case coming out to approximately 2.5kWh per cubic meter of water produced.

SOURCE: Layne Christensen