Ensuring reliable operation of water systems in energy processes

In geothermal power plants, hot water is taken from geothermal sources at high pressure and then quickly depressurized to a lower pressure in a special container (flash vessel). The sudden pressure drop evaporates some of the water into steam (flash steam). The steam rises upward and is conveyed to a turbine, which is driven in order to generate electricity.

Wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) is a widely used method for removing sulfur oxides (SOx), particularly sulfur dioxide (SO₂), from flue gases in coal-fired power plants, waste-to-energy facilities, and other industrial combustion processes. In these plants, a limestone or lime suspension in the absorber absorbs the sulfur dioxide.

Large-scale heat pumps that are used, for example, in the district heating supply are increasingly drawing on surface water from rivers, lakes, or the sea as a sustainable heat source. In order to optimally utilize the available heat, as much energy as possible is taken from the water in the evaporator. Operation close to freezing point is particularly attractive from an energy point of view, but it also increases the risk of icing on the heat transfer surfaces.

Lakes, rivers, and seawater harbor great potential as a heat source for large industrial heat pumps. The natural temperature of the water is raised to a useful level by a heat pump and can then be used for district heating grids or industrial processes.

Mine water offers significant potential as a sustainable heat source in former mining areas. Disused mines are often at a relatively constant temperature throughout the year, which makes them a reliable option for heat recovery.

Waste water contains untapped heat. In municipal wastewater plants, it is not only part of water treatment but also a valuable energy source. With the right technologies, this heat can be harnessed and used for district heating grids or industrial processes.

Cooling water is more than just a process material. In power plants and large industrial plants, it protects critical components, ensures the transfer of heat, and directly affects efficiency, availability, and operating costs. Power plants move the largest cooling water flows in the world.

Seawater desalination plants – whether on land or as a floating solution on a barge – involve high investment costs and complex technical requirements. Regardless of whether they work using heat (MSF, MED, MEH) or membrane technology (RO, reverse osmosis), their profitability depends on maximum availability, a long service life for the core components, as well as low energy and chemical consumption.

Thermal seawater desalination plants that operate according to the multi-stage flash (MSF) or multi-effect distillation (MED) principle play a key role in the supply of drinking water. These methods are characterized by a multi-stage distillation process in which the number of evaporator effects is a key factor determining the energy use and thus the profitability of the plant.

In many arid regions of the world, the scarcity of water is getting worse. At the same time, these areas often do not have the infrastructure for a continuous supply of drinking water. However, where there is sunshine and industrial waste heat in abundant supply, local seawater and brackish water desalination opens the door to securing the drinking water supply independently and in the long term.