Water sourcing issues, increased pressures for energy efficiency, and advanced boiler designs make management and treatment of boiler feed and cooling water even more important for today’s power plant operators. With increasing federal and state regulations limiting access to surface and ground water, minimizing water usage by reducing blowdowns or recirculating water become important factors in the selection of water treatment methods. Optimum treatment will help prevent chemical and flow corrosion in boiler water, steam and condensate systems and elimination of scale.  Prevention of corrosion and scale in turn helps to ensure maximum life of boilers, steam turbines, condensers, pumps, reduces maintenance expenses and allows optimal thermal performance providing greater efficiency.

There are a wide variety of water treatment systems available, but which system is most economical for a specific plant considering energy requirements, chemical costs and performance. This decision is partially dictated by the minerals and compounds in the raw water as well as the chemical and physical composition of the raw water.  In general, raw water from lakes, rivers or wells is treated by aeration, coagulation, filtration and softening all well established processes. However, shortages of natural raw water from the traditional sources, the "greening" of power plants and increasing stringent regulations on disposal of water into surface waters or even holding ponds are now forcing plants to consider reusing their process water. This adds a new dimension to the problem of properly treating water before adding it as make-up water in the boiler feed or cooling systems. The process water contains even more contaminants and many at higher concentrations than typical natural water.

The following speakers will describe the latest technologies available or under development to treat boiler feed and cooling water from natural and process sources with emphasis on chemical usage, water usage, and typical water quality that can be achieved using these technologies and discuss how to reduce the consumption of chemicals and water while achieving better water quality and lower operating costs and the economics of various treatment technologies focusing on energy use, chemical requirements, capital costs, reuse of process water and operation and maintenance costs and issues. 

Brad Buecker, Process Specialist with Kiewit Power Engineers, will provide an overview of the most common and modern makeup water production methods, including reverse osmosis, portable mixed-bed polishing and electrodeionization (EDI).  He will also briefly examine how some of these technologies are being utilized for wastewater treatment, which is becoming a very critical issue at many facilities.  The ideas outlined in the presentation are also applicable for make-up water treatment at many other industries.

Tom Muilenberg, Senior Manager for Industrial Sales at MIOX Corporation

Stephen Dominick, Regional Sales Manager for Ovivo Water USA, will present "When Water Is Scarce, Where Can You Look for Water for Your Power Plant and What Are the Methods Available to Condition It for Use?"

Bernhard Doll, Dipl.-Ing., Vice President of Marketing for Industrial Water at Pall GmbH, Germany, will discuss the "Significant Cost Savings Obtained Using Advanced Membrane Systems for Cooling Tower Water Treatment." Driven by the demand for continuous process improvements to increase plant efficiency and lower customer costs, power plants around the world are striving to upgrade conventional water treatment systems. One way they are achieving this is by employing reliable membrane technologies such as microfiltration. Case studies highlighting improvements in water quality and improved economics, especially in cooling tower blowdown water treatment and reuse will highlight the latest membrane technologies that can help power plants reduce costs, improve processes and optimize water footprint.

Bob Bartholomew, Associate at Sheppard T. Powell Associates, LLC, will discuss the causes and present methods of controlling sources of dissolved oxygen in condensate systems and in feedwater systems for heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) units. Low dissolved oxygen concentration limits in condensate and in many feedwater systems for HRSGs or conventional boilers can be difficult to maintain. He will explain how this can be accomplished.

To register for the Hot Topic Hour on December 6, 2012 at 10 a.m. (CST), click on:
http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/hot_topic_hour_registration.htm.

On Thursday at 10 a.m. Central time, McIlvaine hosts a 90 minute web meeting on important energy and pollution control subjects. Power webinars are free for subscribers to either Power Plant Air Quality Decisions or Utility Environmental Upgrade Tracking System. The cost is $125.00 for non-subscribers.

Market Intelligence webinars are free to McIlvaine market report.

To register for the Hot Topic Hour, click on:
http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/hot_topic_hour_registration.htm.

• Project to restart 50 MW Healy Progresses
• Study Says 59 GW of Coal-Fired Power in U.S. is "Ripe for Retirement"

• BHEL appears to be lowest Bidder for1320 MW Ib Valley Power Project
• E.ON may have to Close Datteln 1-3 on Schedule
• Chinese Company may build 400 MW Power Plant in Belarus

• EmberClear to build Second 300 MW Combined Cycle Plant in Good Spring
• FirstEnergy and AMP to build Eastlake Combustion Turbine Power Plant
• Alstom to provide HRSGs to 1300 MW Brunswick County

• Egat again calls for Serious Study of Gas-Supply Issue after Myanmar Quake
• Yemen, China sign Deal to build Gas-fired Power Stations
• Bangladesh Government to provide Funds for 335 MW Siddhirganj Power Plant
• Eastern Power has completed Environmental Review of Area around Lambton Power Plant for New 300 MW Power Plant
• Another Gas-fired Power Plant planned for Mount Isa area of Queensland, Australia

• CO₂ for Enhanced Oil Recovery Could add £2.7 Billion to Scotland’s Economy

• Utilities Will Finish 968 Air Pollution Projects Next Year at a Cost of $25 Billion
• $6.6 Billion Scrubber Market Next Year
• CCA announces over $5.2 Million in Burner and Emission Control Awards

• Upcoming Hot Topic Hours

For more information on the Utility Environmental Upgrade Tracking System, click on: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/energy.html#42ei.

At Power-Gen. December 11-13 in Orlando, McIlvaine will be working to help those with questions to network with the people who have the answers.  There will be some good environmental related papers. The details are listed below. Stand numbers of networking exhibitors are also provided. We are also organizing informal gatherings. McIlvaine subscribers who wish to network but are just visitors, can send us information including their availability, subjects on which they are focused and their mobile numbers.  We will be taking pictures and conducting interviews during the show. If you have any suggestions relative to subjects let us know.

An informal discussion of water issues will take place at the Ovivo stand during the cocktail hour and starting at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. In addition to the Ovivo personnel listed below, there will be input from various experts including Brad Buecker of Kiewit who is also a speaker at the conference. Robbie Waters or another representative from Menardi will be on hand to talk about filter fabrics. John Schettler of Chemtura, (Cell # 636-751-5282) will be on hand to address questions on the use of bromide use in FGD systems.

There will be a raffle prize of a golf putter for anyone who places their name card in the stand bowl during the day. The schedule and areas of expertise for Ovivo personnel are:

We are hoping to arrange a discussion on Tuesday during the cocktail reception at the Pneumafil stand to talk about air treatment prior to the gas turbine.  But since an efficient filter can reduce PM_2.5 emissions on the outlet, we would like to cover this as well.  Glen England of Environ will be giving a speech on gas turbine PM_2.5 emissions so we are hoping his schedule will permit him to participate in this discussion. When he was at GE he was co-author of a report which quantified emissions from a number of gas turbines. This paper can be reviewed at:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=gas%20turbine%20inlet%20air%20and%20impact%20on%20pm%202.5%20emissions&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CEAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyserda.ny.gov%2Fen%2FPublications%2FResearch-and-Development%2FEnvironmental%2FEMEP-Publications%2F~%2Fmedia%2FFiles%2FPublications%2FResearch%2FEnvironmental%2FEMEP%2F11_PMVarConceptModel_R1-V3.ashx&ei=JVu2UNvuAfOxygGIsoCgCA&usg=AFQjCNG3mhXKCxGl9jlPxmYdNQoW5Zqk_Q