In June this year, the WIN 2026 (Water in Industry) conference hosted by the Internation Water Association took place in Delft, Netherlands. UNIHA contributed by presenting how we were using process simulation for the selection of complex industrial water treatment processes.
The case presented was a greenfield project where the production of cooling water from surface water was required. A technoeconomic study was performed to compare potential treatment solutions in terms of investment cost, byproduction and electric and chemical consumption. Four different treatment schemes were developed and compared, using a novel model library for the simulation environment IPSE (https://simtechnology.com/, Linked-In Posts by SimTech).
The schemes varied from basic treatment to minimum (MLD) and zero liquid discharge (ZLD, ZLD_dry).
The study confirmed the high cost for ZLD processes. However, such process might be inevitable if no disposal routes for liquid byproducts were available.
The simulation tool allowed quick setup of the treatment process flowsheets and the calculation of the underlying energy and mass balances.
Generally speaking, such tool provides valuable service for the design and selection of complex water treatment processes, taking both economic and ecological targets into account.
