Sliding Element Energy Recovery (SEER) for Water Purification Systems

Membrane-based water filtration processes (i.e., desalination, process water production, wastewater reclamation, beverage water production) have high energy costs, while also having an inherent waste stream that still contains usable energy. Specifically, low TDS and brackish water desalination plants in the US have an unaddressed waste stream containing an estimated 2 million MW*hr (MWh) of energy each year. In addition, there are countless smaller desalination units, such as containerized or modular systems, which also have no energy recovery option and currently waste valuable energy in the reject stream. Our patented novel energy recovery technology is designed to be a high performance solution to recuperate savings from the reject stream with an ROI of 12 months by reducing overall energy consumption up to 40%. The low CapEx and OpEx is achieved through a novel fluid passage design which reduces part count to only five unique components, and results in a device which can be serviced in minutes without removing any piping. In Phase I, Amorphic Tech will build on existing positive results to increase operational capacity: flow, pressure, efficiency. The design of the energy recovery device and the testloop will be modified to allow operations and testing up to 1000 psi. Performance will be evaluated through online monitoring and offline characterization: pressure sensors, flowmeters, conductivity probes, and tribological and wear properties. Computational fluid dynamics will be utilized to optimize the fluid passage geometry to increase efficiency through minimization of pressure losses. In Phase II we plan to move the SEER technology closer to commercial application through field testing on customer systems in (3) diverse sectors: process water production, municipal water supply, and food/beverage plant. In parallel with Phase II field testing, we will plan to complete design of a commercial product line based on size requirements from customer research performed during Phase I. In the United States alone, we estimate the device could recover $175M in annual waste energy from brackish groundwater desalination plants, process water production for power plants, and food/beverage industry. Additionally, we estimate additional market opportunities of $50 million in the areas of waste water reclamation and modular military systems. Recovering this waste stream enhances the nation’s energy security, manufacturing competitiveness, and reduces our carbon footprint by an estimated 18,000 metric tons of CO2 per year. Similar opportunities exist in the HVAC and refrigeration industries for future iterations.