Why Power Industry is now focussing on Water Efficiency?
Power generation currently accounts for large percentage of Indian water withdrawals.
Coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear power plants use steam to power generator turbines by boiling water. Eastern states drew 86 percent of the water for thermoelectric facilities, which generated 75 percent of the electricity. Hydroelectric power, particularly in Western areas, meets a considerable amount of the electrical demand.
The water must be cooled once it has been used.
A "once-through" method is commonly employed in thermoelectric plants, in which the water is simply discharged back into the environment, either immediately or after being stored in a cooling pond. The huge volume of water withdrawn in once-through systems can harm aquatic organisms, and when the water is discharged warmer than before, this "thermal pollution" can harm ecosystems anew.
Alternatives that are more efficient
Newer systems have been created in response to the obvious limitations of once-through methods. There are four basic strategies to reduce water waste outlined below:
1: Using non-potable (or contaminated) water sources.
2: Dry or mixed cooling systems usage.
3: Increasing the thermal conversion efficiency of a plant.
4: Within the facility, water is recycled.
Withdrawals from the water supply
Several causes, some regulatory, some related to the replacement of outdated once-through cooling systems, and some related to an industrial shift away from coal and towards natural gas, have all contributed to the decrease in water withdrawals.
Natural gas combined-cycle power plants with high efficiency improve thermal conversion efficiency while also improving water efficiency.
Reuse of Water
Today, 57 percent of plants have more water-efficient cooling systems that recycle any water that isn't lost due to leakage, blowdown, drift, or evaporation.
Reclaimed wastewater is occasionally utilized in locations where appropriate water is scarce. Even the most advanced solar plants consume water and can benefit from water reuse technologies.
The electric power sector has been under pressure to consume less water, and regional governments have been under pressure to manage water resources more intensively, due to competition for limited water supplies. Energy saving is also becoming more important in the water industry, particularly in water-scarce places that require the greatest pumping, transportation, and treatment to satisfy demands.
Water Scarcity: Technological Solutions
In power plants, a range of technologies for recovering, recycling, and reusing water are already in use.
Water is treated to isolate impurities before being returned to the system for cooling or other purposes, lowering the quantity of fresh water needed for make-up at the start. A first stage in water reuse is to send cooling water blowdown to disposal ponds, from which the resulting supernatant liquid is treated and recycled back into the plant.
As a first treatment stage, slurry from flue gas controls and ash management might be sent to disposal ponds. Reverse osmosis and evaporation are two popular water treatment methods used to increase water reuse and zero liquid discharge.
Conclusion
Although water resources are limited in many parts of the nation, boosting water conservation and efficiency has the potential to alleviate these limits. This potential may be improved and the expense of realising it decreased via scientific and technical research.
Individual technologies and practises to save water and boost water usage efficiency have different relative advantages depending on where they are used; hence, establishing a toolbox of these technologies and practises for stakeholders to pick from is beneficial.
Water Requirements for your Industry
How can you use modern technology to improve your industries water efficiency?
Contact Netsol Water specialists to learn how water reuse, waste-to-energy, desalination, and other membrane technologies (such as Reverse Osmosis) might help you prepare for a future that is increasingly water-stressed.
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