An Innovative Transport Membrane Condenser for Water Recovery from Flue Gas and Its Reuse

Although water recycle and reuse is considered good environmental practice, its implementation is highly dependent upon the economics and hence can be challenging to implement. In this proposal, we present a unique opportunity to recover both water and energy from boiler flue gas, so that water recycle and reuse if driven economic considerations. Industrial boilers account for 35% of US industrial energy consumption. It is estimated that about 70 billion gallons of water per year are available in the combustion flue gas generated from these boilers. An innovative transport membrane condenser has been developed to recover the water vapor from this flue gas for boiler feed water makeup. Based upon a process feasibility study using our existing commercial ceramic membrane as a transport membrane condenser, it is estimated that about 42 billion gallons per year of ultrapure water can be recovered as boiler feed water. Thus on additional chemical treatment is required. In addition, a boiler efficiency improvement of e10% can be achieved, which yields an approximate ~500 trillion Btu/yr energy savings and ~27 million ton/yr CO2 emission reduction. In this proposal, we will focus on the development and testing of a field implementable transport membrane condenser. The successful completion of this project will produce a commercially viable true green process for water conservation and reuse along with significant and energy savings.