Enhanced solar still productivity using transparent walls with an integral trough and organic porous absorber material

This experimental work has been conducted to compare the performance of the modified stills with that of the conventional still. Three modified stills (S1, S2, and S3) and conventional still (S4) were fabricated, each with 0.5 m² of the basin area. S1 and S3 had transparent double glass walls with air in between acting as insulation, whereas S2 has a single transparent wall. S4 has insulated plywood walls painted black from inside. A mixture of coco peat and charcoal was used in S1, S2, and S3, whereas there was no basin material for S4. Experiments were conducted by changing the water quantity in the solar still ranging from 5 to 10 kg. Maximum distillate output of 5.46 l/m²-d was obtained for S2, whereas it was 3.80 l/m²-d for S4 for an average solar radiation intensity of 675 W/m² (24.3 MJ/m²-d). Use of transparent walls with troughs to collect condensate increased the condenser area by 78.4%. The distillate water cost per liter was estimated as Rs. 0.86 (0.013 US$) and Rs. 1.61 (0.025 US$) for S2 and S4, respectively. Energy payback time for S2 was estimated as 4 months. Theoretical and experimental values showed that there is a significant loss of incoming solar radiation due to wall shadow.     

Inherently Safer Design for low-temperature process during depressurization: An industrial case study

The exploitation of a low-quality gas field with high CO₂ concentration is more viable through liquid CO₂ produced from cryogenic distillation technology. Despite the bright potential of the technology, there are deficiencies in handling high concentration of CO₂ at low temperature and high pressure during the blowdown condition. This study focuses on the CO₂ blowdown at a cryogenic pilot plant designed to manage high concentrations of CO₂ in the feed gas, high pressures, and low temperatures. A comprehensive design review and risk assessment using Inherent Safer Design (ISD) indexes were carried out in this study. The ISD was performed to identify the current risk level, and the critical parameters that may cause solid CO₂ formation in the piping or equipment as well as to identify mitigation measures to avoid the temperature to drop below the CO₂ freezing point during blowdown. The present findings confirmed that the initial pressure and temperature, as well as CO₂ concentration are key parameters towards significant impact on blowdown conditions. Therefore, the reduction of the feed gas pressure from 80 bar to 70 bars has minimized the Joule Thomson (JT) effect during blowdown and avoided the CO₂ solid formation in the system. Moreover, the relocation of the blowdown valve at the downstream heater resulted in a higher final temperature above the CO₂ freezing point. The ISD indexes confirmed that the cryogenic facilities are inherently safer during blowdown with the mitigation measures adopted.     

Dehydration of ethanol with different salts in a packed distillation column

This work aimed the evaluation of a saline extractive distillation for the ethanol production. A thermodynamic model was used to predict the influence of the salts in the liquid–vapor equilibrium of the system water–ethanol and inside the packed column. The experiments were done in a distillation unit, with an internal diameter of 5.9 cm and a packing section with 37 cm of height, packed with raschig rings with 0.73 cm of characteristic inner made of glass. All the bottom and top samples were analyzed by refractive index. Two synthetic charges with the same composition of ethanol that are produced in the refinery (0.02 and 0.25 mol.L^-1) were distilled under atmospheric pressure. Sodium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium acetate, calcium nitrate and a mixture of sodium and potassium acetates were added to the synthetic charges and the results were compared to the experiments already done without the presence of the salts, revealing the ethanol enrichment in the top product of the distillation unit, for all the systems analyzed. Another charge from the refinery, known as load of wine without yeast, was evaluated and the results indicated the same behavior, enriching the ethanol with the application of the saline extractive distillation.     

THE ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF DUAL PURPOSE NUCLEAR DESALINATION OF GROUND WATER1

ABSTRACT: The economic feasibility of a large scale dual purpose (desalting water and power production) facility were evaluated. Although a site in the Tularosa basin of southern New Mexico was chosen as a case study for this analysis, it is believed that the approach and consequential results would be applicable to alternative sites in the Southwest. The basic project evaluated included: a) a ground water well field; b) a dual purpose, nuclear, desalination plant; c) a mineral recovery plant; and d) a reservoir for recreation and irrigation storage. Principle project outputs included electrical power, minerals, recreation, and water for either irrigated agricultural production or export to an adjoining river basin. Two alternative project designs were developed for detailed analysis. The first alternative encompassed all major project components. The results, in discounted net values used to assess the feasibility of the project, were essentially negative; that is, values were less than zero for full scale development. The net benefits ranged from $-986.57 million at a 5 percent discount rate, to $-1,137.528 million at a discount rate of 10 percent. In the second alternative, exportation of the desalted water from the Tularosa basin to two adjacent rivers was analyzed with somewhat better net benefits, ranging from $-382,527 million to $-478,612 million at the 5 and 10 percent discount rates.     

DESALTING SALINE WATER FOR IRRIGATION A CASE STUDY,COACHELLA AREA,CALIFORNIA1

ABSTRACT .A case study was performed to evaluate potential applications of desalted saline water for agriculture using 2 distillation type processes and 2 membrane type processes. The investigation determined the costs and benefits associated with desalting saline water at concentrations of 1,500, 900, 400, 200, and 50 ppm. Benefits from desalting are generated by shifts to more profitable crops, reduced costs for drainage, and reduction in fertilizer and labor requirements with better quality water. Costs are based on the project features such as desalting plants, raw water diversion facilities, storage reservoirs, conveyance and distribution systems, brine disposal, blending facilities, and gypsum addition systems. Hydrologic studies determined the crop irrigation requirements, water demand schedules, desalted water storage requirements, brine disposal requirements, and size of facilities required. Reconnaissance design layouts were made for producing desalted water using a combination of 14 schemes. The study also included a review of irrigation practices. The benefit-cost ratios range from 0.4 to 1.0 for 1,500 ppm irrigation water to 0.8 to 1.0 for 50 and 200 ppm water. Investment costs per acre are high, ranging from $12,900 to $20,900. Irrigation benefits are based on the increase in production from a desert condition with no water supply to the irrigation conditions studied.     

Revised emergency vacuum relief device sizing for atmospheric distillation systems

Conventional vacuum relief methodologies are usually protective responses; that is, they accomplish their purpose by substitution of an inert gas (usually nitrogen) for the process gases removed by an external vacuum source, or for condensable vapour collapsed by an internal process mechanism (e.g. condensation). While this approach is theoretically possible for all potential vacuum scenarios, it becomes practically impossible to implement for installations where a rapid phase change can impart near-instantaneous system pressure reductions. The procedure outlined in this paper takes a preventive approach: eliminate the source of vacuum generation before the safe lower system pressure limit is reached. For distillation and other refluxing systems, this vacuum source is usually the main overhead condenser, which is designed to collapse large volumes of condensable vapour. To eliminate the vacuum source requires elimination of the system's ability to rapidly condense vapour. This goal is accomplished by introduction of inert gas directly into the condensing system to ‘blanket’ the heat transfer surface and stop condensation. The procedure determines the rate, amount and location for introduction of inert gas. The required design data include: (i) system starting pressure, (ii) maximum allowable system vacuum, (iii) volume of the condensing system, and (iv) normal system condensing rate. By determining the rate at which the condenser removes vapour volume from the system, and designing an inert gas delivery system to meet or exceed this rate, the vacuum generation potential of the system is effectively eliminated using a much smaller quantity of inert gas than with the more traditional volume substitution methods.     

从水溶液中分离回收醋酸方法的评述

评述了从水溶液中分离回收醋酸的普通精馏法、共沸精馏法、酯化法和溶剂萃取法，具体分析了各种方法 特点及适用范围。建议在工业上对较高浓度的醋酸用低沸点溶剂萃取－共沸精馏联合法，对低浓度醋酸溶液采用有机胺溶剂萃取法进行分离。     

老化油处理技术研究进展

老化油是石油工业生产过程中产生的含大量化学药剂、水、黏土及无机盐的状态稳定的复杂乳液,其产生量大、处理难度高。介绍了老化油的来源、成分、数量、对生产的危害、特点及处理难点,总结了老化油现有的处理方法,包括物理法、化学法、生物法及组合工艺,分析了各种方法的优缺点,并对老化油的管理和研究方向提出了建议。     

挥发酚的蒸馏损失

回收率实验表明,苯酚经预蒸馏后平均回收率在95%左右,损失率达5%.现提出应用经验系数0.95来修正蒸馏过程带来的损失,结果令人满意.     

苯甲酸重副产物的脱色处理

为了有效去除苯甲酸重副产物中含有的交联大分子和碳化物等有色杂质,降低有用组分资源化处理的难度,分别采用吸附和蒸馏两种方法对苯甲酸重副产物进行脱色处理。实验结果表明：大孔树脂、硅藻土、活性炭等作脱色剂不能有效去除苯甲酸重副产物中的有色杂质;在真空度0．093～0．095MPa、蒸馏温度220～240℃条件下进行蒸馏脱色,当温度出现回落时停止蒸馏,平均馏出率为66．99％;蒸馏脱色得到的轻组分颜色呈黄色,可满足中和、酸化、结晶、回收苯甲酸的要求;釜残物可作为燃料通过焚烧利用其热能。