Texas Industrial Water Management Forum Process Cooling Technology Forum: Laying the Foundation Nov. 7, 2013 Texas Industries of the Future
Goals of Process Cooling Technology Forum Share information to accelerate applications Educate end-users on the state of technologies that provide process cooling and the trade-offs between energy and water use. Educate technology developers on the potential market at chemical plants and refineries and specific needs. Identify/prioritize action items to address barriers Provide initial contacts for later follow-up between end-users and technology developers
Case for Action--Economic Energy Use and Water Use Intersection Cooling water is typically the most cost-effective approach to heat rejection Water supply restrictions can drive towards alternative cooling methods (Fin Fans, Hybrid Systems) Increased sink temperature can be less efficient Higher process temperatures reduced recovery Higher refrigerant condensing higher power draw Higher steam turbine condensing pressure higher fuel use Economic impact can be significant For nominal 5 F rise, >$1 million/year energy cost Diverts capital for less efficient or retrofit systems
Water Use by Texas Industries
North American Water Risk
Focus of Process Cooling Technology Forum A robust water management strategy might involve: Reducing water waste operational excellence Installing new technologies that use less water Reusing water within the plant (with or without treatment) Developing additional fresh water supplies Upgrading non-conventional water resources with additional treatment (ex: desalinization)
Estimated Water Use by Energy-Intensive Plants* Source: Anonymous US petrochemical company *Includes refineries and ethylene plants
Estimated Water Use by Less Energy-Intensive Plants (Polymers) Source: Anonymous US petrochemical company
The Energy-Water Nexus in Chemical Manufacturing and Refining Current Practice: 67 to 92% of water used is for process cooling or steam systems Future: What happens if there is a decrease in water available for energy systems, resulting in: Increase in energy use Substitute chillers for cooling water Substitute other cooling systems for cooling towers Impacts on production Decreased production due to less efficient product recovery (not operating at optimum temperature) or Change processes to avoid energy/production penalty
What s on Your Mind? Technical Issues Water reuse Desalination Selection of process cooling technologies Discharge quality Poor water supply quality during drought Developing a detailed water balance Management Issues Impacts on future expansions Quantifying and communicating risk Little advance notice before curtailments Water is cheap until it is gone (attendees at Technology Forum, June 2013)
Technologies Presented at the Process Cooling Technology Forum Smarter Use of Existing Cooling Towers Optimization Principles-Phelps Engineering Advanced Dew Point Cooling Tower Fill-Gas Technology Institute Hybrid Cooling Wet Surface Air Coolers-Niagara Blower Thermosyphone Cooler-Johnson Controls EVAPCO Dual Coil Cooler-Hunton Specialty Dry Cooling Hudson Products Corporation (Texas IOF makes no endorsement of any technology. Presenters were invited to educate end-users on technology performance and status.)
Breakout Group Topics Existing Technology and Operations New Technologies Risk and Management Water Reuse and Use of Unconventional Sources
Topic 1: Existing Technology and Operations Strategy: Sustain process reliability under water distressed conditions through lowest cost efficiency improvements Barriers Unclear economics; not seen as a near-term problem Possible Solutions Identify cooling water misdistribution opportunities Develop macro-economics for degradation of cooling water return temperature Evaluate addition of hybrid module systems to existing systems Next Step Compile high-level installed cost information for each technology to frame cost and performance parameters
Topic 2: New Technologies Strategy: Increase understanding of available and developing technologies with respect to commercial readiness and impacts Barriers Unclear economic; short-term contingency plans do not address long-term problem Possible Solutions Common evaluation template; champion site (gutsy enduser) Verify a technology s characteristic via paper study, bench scale test, pilot, and in field at commercial scale. Next Step Compare technologies with parameters and attributes such as energy and water impacts for new and retrofit applicability.
Barriers Topic 3: Risk and Management Strategy: Develop comparable information on cost and performance of new technologies Technologies not proven in chemical plants or refineries Differing formats/metrics on new technologies Possible Solutions Process to speed demonstration of technologies in relevant applications; tool to allow an end-user to screen technologies for themselves. Develop a common evaluation template; frame the issue using multiple scenarios. Next Step Compare technologies under several water restriction scenarios for a reference plant.
Topic 4: Water Reuse and Use of Unconventional Water Sources Strategy: Increase Reuse of Plant Wastewater Barriers Resource, capital and technology constraints High system complexity (reuse impacts on discharge quality and quantity) could lead to unintended adverse consequences Potential penalty for early action Possible Solutions Look at good enough cleanup of the water to be used in another part of the plant.
Topic 4: Water Reuse and Use of Unconventional Water Sources Strategy: Education on New(er) Technologies and Approaches Barriers to Use of Unconventional Water Sources (sea water, brackish water or brine water) High pipeline costs; Need to address upgrades to metallurgy as well as minimizing particulate drift; Need full-scale implementation data Possible Solutions Cooperation to share pipeline costs More information needed on proven technology using sea water with information on metallurgy, reliability of the equipment in this service and how to retrofit to a closed loop system. Next Step Organize additional Forums on these topics
End-User Interest in Technologies to Address Process Cooling Needs 80% 70% 71% 65% 60% 53% 50% 40% 41% 30% 24% 24% 20% 10% 0% Recycling, Treatment and Reuse of Water Hybrid Cooling New CoolingTower Fill Cooling Tower Optimization Dry Cooling Other Technologies
Focus of Today s Program: Understanding the Options for Reuse and Treatment of Unconventional Sources A robust water management strategy might involve: Reducing water waste operational excellence Installing new technologies that use less water Reusing water within the plant Developing additional fresh water supplies Upgrading unconventional water resources with additional treatment (ex: desalinization)
For more information or to participate in future Forums, contact: Kathey Ferland Texas Industries of the Future The University of Texas at Austin 512-232-4823 kferland@mail.utexas.edu http://texasiof.ceer.utexas.edu/ All presentations from Process Cooling Technology Forum available at Texas IOF website at http://texasiof.ceer.utexas.edu/docs_pres/conferences.htm
Addendum Summary of Breakout Group Topics
Topic 1: Existing Technology and Operations Strategy: Sustain process reliability under water distressed conditions through lowest cost efficiency improvements Barriers Possible Solutions Economics are not clear. Develop economics for each site on process temperature rise. This will provide justification to help drive implementation Problem not perceived as near term, so planning is weak Therefore not a high priority for resources and implementation Equipment or technology costs are not readily available Identify low cost efficiency improvements Improve process reliability under water distressed conditions Identify cooling water misdistribution opportunities and resulting fouling and water treatment chemistry improvements Develop macro- economics for degradation of cooling water return temperature to the process such as manufacturing dollars per 1 ºF loss in temperature Addition of hybrid module systems to existing cooling infrastructure can optimize cooling load between conventional and more efficient systems, as well as allow flexibility during cooling tower maintenance downtimes Next Step: Compile high level installed cost information for each technology so that the most effective retrofit solution may be chosen for a specific objective
Topic 2: New Technologies Strategy: Increase understanding of available and developing technologies with respect to commercial readiness and impacts Barriers Possible Solutions Cheapest cooling solution is today s cooling towers Benefits of implementing a premium system unclear (timing, magnitude, scope ) Short-term contingency plans do not address issue long term Not all solutions are proven or available for contingency or quick deployment Unknowns Applicability Cost Scale up Reliability Develop a common evaluation template, populate data as available Needs a champion site (gutsy end user). EPC traditionally need proven and revert to existing 1. Paper study 2. Real test (bench scale) 3. Pilot 4. Field at commercial scale Consider consortium approach Next Step: Tabulate technologies with parameters and attributes Energy impact Water impact New vs. retrofit applicability Magnitude cost Applicability Stage
Topic 3: Risk and Management Strategy: Develop comparable information on cost and performance of new technologies Barriers Possible Solutions Technologies are not demonstrated and proven in chemical plants/refineries. Confusing presentation of information on different technologies makes their evaluation or comparison difficult. Case study comparing technologies on the same parameters, with example plant input. Process to speed demonstration of technologies in chemical plant/refinery applications. Tool to allow an end-user to screen technologies for themselves. High level screening. Default inputs, which can be modified by end user if they have the data. Need to frame this issue in terms of the probability of the following: future water restrictions, the percent and duration of water restrictions, lost revenue from production decreases and costs of temporary water supplies/treatment.
Topic 4: Water Reuse and Use of Unconventional Water Sources Strategy: Education on New(er) Technologies and Approaches 1. Reuse of Wastewater in Plant Barriers Resource, capital and technology constraints High system complexity (reuse impacts on discharge quality and quantity) could lead to unintended adverse consequences Potential penalty for early action
Barriers Topic 4: Water Reuse and Use of Unconventional Water Sources Strategy: Education on New(er) Technologies and Approaches 2. Use of sea water, brackish water or brine water Possible Solutions Pipeline costs high Need to address upgrades to metallurgy as well as minimizing particulate drift Need full-scale implementation data, not just a pilot study Cooperation on pipeline installation between several companies in order to bring the cost of transporting water down. More information needed on proven technology using sea water with information on metallurgy, reliability of the equipment in this service and how to retrofit to a closed loop system.
Topic 4: Water Reuse and Use of Unconventional Water Sources 3. Reuse of Wasted Water Barriers Possible Solutions Water is cheap and alternate supply sources may adversely impact the quality, requiring more and unknown costs Look at good enough cleanup of the water to be used in another part of the plant. Ex: Evaluate all blow downs for use as cooling tower makeup. To do this the cycles of conductivity need to be monitored closely and may need conductivity analyzers installed.