Utilization of Municipal Wastewater In Thermoelectric Power Production for Freshwater Minimization

The thermoelectric power industry in the U.S. uses a large amount of freshwater. The large water demand is increasingly a problem, especially for new power plant development, as availability of freshwater for new uses diminishes in the United States. Reusing non-traditional water sources, such as treated municipal wastewater, provides one option to mitigate freshwater usage in thermoelectric power industry. The amount of freshwater withdrawal that can be displaced with non-traditional water sources at a particular location requires evaluation of the water management and treatment requirements considering the quality and abundance of the non-traditional water sources.

This paper addresses the development of software modules and accompanying databases to allow evaluation of the water management requirements and potential freshwater reduction for use of treated municipal wastewater in thermoelectric power production. This work is part of a larger NETL program focused on development of a software tool for the synthesis, design, analysis and optimization of integrated power plant and water management systems. The effect of water quality on the performance of the heat transfer equipment as well as its implications on configuration and operation in the cooling water cycle will be discussed.