50 years of desalination by

Reverse Osmosis
Daniel Brooke Peig
DuPont Water Solutions

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Desalination before Reverse Osmosis

Thermal Processes
Change of water status (latent
heat)
12-25kWh / m³
Corrosive seawater + high
temperatures = very high capital
costs

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Desalination by Reverse Osmosis
Features
Agua salada
Energy consumption between 3 100%

and 6kWh / m³: does not

require a change of state or Membranas Permeado
temperature increase. 40-45%

Highly modular plants with flow

rates from L / day to m³ / s Bomba de
(lower capital costs) 60 a 80 bar

Process based on membrane Concentrado

50-55%
technology

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System of
Inverse osmosis

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 Reverse Osmosis
Typical desalination plant Racks

Pre-treatment

Pressurization

Rejection
download

Capitation
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Costs in a desalination plant
The main costs in a desalination plant Proportion by type of cost
for membrane technology are its
construction and the energy for its Otros
Membrane
maintenance. That is why we are Replacement Construction of the
always looking for developments in plant
energy efficiency. 9%
Project, Engineering 6%
and Licenses 30%
7%

10%
Uptake and
Discharge

12%
26%
Electrical Energy
Pre-Treatment
Construction

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The evolution of the membranes

1st generation 2a generación 3a generación

Cellulose acetate Poliamida Eficiencia Energética
• High pressures, low rejection of • Patente FILMTEC™ de 1969 • Química de las membranas
salts. • Producción en larga escala a partir optimizada
• Small scale of production de 1977 • Mejoría hidráulica de los módulos
• Event in military systems and boats. • Resistencia a la hidrolisis • Ahorros de energía > 20%
• Capital costs at the time, made it ― Menos lavados químicos
impossible to replace thermal ― Mayor durabilidad
Módulo de membrana
processes in large-scale plants. • Mejor calidad de agua Spacer
• Reducción de los costos de of entry
fabricación a través del aumento de
Spacer
escala productiva permeate
Membr
ane
sheet
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 • Physical clarification with
Optimization of Ultrafiltration membranes
operational and • Reduction of chemicals up to 95%
• Reduction of sludge production
environmental costs • Reduction of the area in plant and
demand of operators
UltraFiltration

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Conclusions
Desalination technology is constantly evolving
Improvements will occur in all systems and sub-systems
Membranes
Pre-treatment (Ultrafiltration)
Bombs
Energy recovery
Automation Instrumentation
In recent years, we have been able to involve water production costs with values ​below
USD 0.75 / m³
Most recent technologies are not dominated by all suppliers
Intellectual property, patents, etc;
New projects, in general, do not consider technology but the total operating costs (CTO)
that include CAPEX and OPEX.

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