Posts Tagged ‘Water’

Turning Air into Water

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

40 percent of the world is dealing with a water shortage. This means that over 2 billion people have to survive in barren and often unsanitary conditions, while everything crumbles around them. Nothing can survive without water. Plants dry up, cattle starve to death, and people succumb to the ailments associated with drinking unsanitary water.

The irony is that water exists all around us. Water droplets shining on leaves in the morning seem to appear out of thin air. This is where companies like EWA Technologies and Air2Water will collect water.

EWA gives a rough estimate of how much water there actually is in our atmosphere: “Air humidity, an unlimited renewable natural resource, is available to all mankind, except in few extreme climatic regions where the temperature is bellow 4oC or extreme arid zone. One cubic kilometer of air contains 10 to 40 tones of life-giving water. Nature continually recharges the atmosphere with humidity by evaporation from the world’s oceans, seas and fresh water bodies.”

Both companies use similar technologies. Air is pulled into a machine where it is condensed into water after passing through a filtration system that removes airborne particles and bacteria. Air2Water also applies UV light to the collected water to ensure that consumers won’t sip up any bacteria or viruses as well.

More than one billion people currently
lack adequate or sufficient drinking water.
(Photo: EWA Technologies Group)

EWA prides itself on using as little energy as possible in the process. By using both residual water and solar heat to power their products, the price of producing water comes to about 5 US cents per cubic meter!

EWA is focused on providing the liquid to nations hit the hardest because of economic hardships and location; like rural villages nowhere near a river and without pipelines.

EWA uses a desiccant material to attract moisture. (Silica Gel and Rice (often found in salt shakers) are examples of desiccant materials that absorb moisture from the air.) The water is then collected through processes involving wind drying, heating and vacuum. EWA has a variety of models, all using the same technology, ranging from devices that produce a few liters to larger machines that pour out a whopping 1000 liters on a daily basis. Combining a few of the larger machines could fill up a swimming pool in no time!

Water has been a topic of debate for decades. WaterAsia is hosting their 9th international conference and exhibition this month, which focuses entirely on the water industry. Companies like EWA and Air2Water are sure to make an appearance alongside representatives of breweries, power stations, oil refineries, fiber plants and countless other companies that depend on water to function. It seems like everyone could benefit from a little more water at their disposal.

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Hycrete-Cementing Building Technology

Thursday, June 5th, 2008

When it comes to improvements, it is good to start with the basics. The fundamental part of any city, road, or building is concrete. By reducing the amount of energy needed to build, and by simplifying the components of the concrete, CO2 emissions are reduced while the whole building process is made more efficient.

Voted a GoingGreen winner and covered in numerous publications ranging from Time Magazine to Gizmag, Hycrete is a company at the forefront of cement technology. Hycrete has been manufacturing products in New Jersey for 40 years, and had already made a significant impact to the building industry by bringing a class of rust inhibitors to the market in the 1950s. Its more recent claim to fame-waterproof cement technology-was developed in the mid 90s when Michael S. Rhodes, one of Hycrete’s key inventors, developed the unique moisture and corrosion blocker.

Rhodes’ accomplishments are impressive: He has worked with NASA to develop solid rocket fuels and improve the heat shield of the Apollo series.  The inventors’ interests are varied, however, and don’t stop there: Rhodes was also involved in creating products for the military, such as protective foams for submarines. At Hycrete, it was time to develop a product to shield one of the most used building materials on earth-Cement-from the elements.

The main problems associated with cement are corrosion and cracking. Hycrete describes the issue in their data sheet: “Conventional concrete absorbs water and dissolved salts through a network of capillaries and cracks. [This water weakens the cement and may cause rusting to any steel piping or internal structures. Also, water runoff is often an issue] Hycrete Elite’s hydrophobic properties shut down the capillary wicking action that carries salts to the reinforcement layer and transforms concrete into a waterproof construction material. Unlike external membranes or coatings, Hycrete Elite provides real time protection as it is mixed into concrete to provide integral waterproofing and corrosion resistance.”  Being waterproof, cement mixed with hycrete elite is perfect for rooftop gardens, parking lots, erosion control etc.

Waterproofing cement the ‘old-fashioned’ way is a major environmental issue: A popular approach is to line the entire structure with a waterproof membrane. The problem with this membrane is that it is typically composed of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are non recyclable, so when this cement needs replacing it is simply tossed into a landfill. Almost half of the building materials sitting in landfills are made up of this kind of cement. 

The soap like properties of hycrete, on the other hand, follow the ‘cradle to cradle’  philosophy and break down when returned to the soil. By being mixed into the cement rather than sprayed on top of it (though this is an option with other hycrete waterproofing products), the cement is recyclable and can be reused.  It would be nice not to have to worry about leaky roofs while watering your fruit garden on top of a high rise complex.

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Waterfree Technology - “Pee Green”

Monday, May 19th, 2008

Nobody likes to admit it, but there is one thing everyone has in common: Urination. It is just one of the many “benefits” associated with being alive, in addition to sweating, sneezing, coughing and shedding dead skin cells. The body excretes an array of substances, whether we like it or not. Excusing one’s self to relieve the bladder from part of the 800-1000ml of fluid that pass through the organ every day may be embarrassing, but the water wasted flushing away the urine is an even more controversial topic.

Toilettes and urinals use an average of 25% of a building’s water supply, while a leaky toilet adds to the problem; wasting up to 200 liters of water a day. Water free urinals are the next step in the world of resource management. Falcon Waterfree Technology, developed environmentally friendly urinal stations with the knowledge that a typical urinal wastes about 151,000 liters of water a year.

The idea of a water free urinal may sound unhygienic, but learning about the design will put any concerns to rest: Urine flows through a funnel shaped cartridge placed at the urinal’s base.  Once past the funnel, the urine is separated from the environment by a ‘sealant’ that floats on top of the urine (like oil on water) and proceeds to flow downwards, to the drain.  The air tight ring and sealant within the cartridge prevent any odors from escaping while uric waste is collected by this patented device. This ensures clean pipes and a clean smelling environment.

It is also important to note that settled water is a prime breeding ground for bacteria. Without this water there, there is no spot for the bacteria to multiply.

Falcon explains that the process “saves 100% of the water going through urinals, and therefore, 100% of the water and sewer charges. There is very little maintenance cost on a Falcon urinal as there are no moving parts and no flushometer. Drain lines remain free of calcification as no hard water is running through them. The only maintenance is an easy change of the cartridge, performed approximately three to four times per year.”

At around $300-600 per urinal, the technology pays for itself. Users of water free urinals claim to save anywhere from $100-200 per year with regards to water and maintinence costs.

It also helps to know that after using one of these hands-free and flush-free devices, no harm has come to the environment. It definitely feels good to “pee green” (catchy term used by a Falcon representative).

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GeoFlow-Taking Advantage of Wastewater

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

Irrigation canals, water wheels driven by oxen, and smooth stones meant to catch dew drops that form during colder nights have all been used to water crops. Irrigation processes are constantly evolving. In today’s world, subsurface drip irrigation is one of the most efficient ways of water dispersal.

This subsurface system wastes little water by allowing it to drip out directly onto the root zone while a miniscule amount of the liquid is lost to drain-off or evaporation. This is an attractive choice, especially when one considers that water is not always an abundant resource.

Drip irrigation doesn’t only benefit those concerned about saving on water, however. This system is also an environmentally friendly alternative to the more wasteful systems (like sprinkler or surface irrigation). Ideally,when it is an option, wastewater (or effluent) is used to grow crops and maintain grasses, in order to preserve the limited freshwater for other uses. 

GeoFlow, based in Corte Madera, California and founded in 1990 with the goals of preserving water quality and quantity, specializes in wastewater irrigation systems and explains that “since the effluent is dispersed underground where it is absorbed in the biologically active soil layer, there is no surface contamination, no ponding, no run-off problems, no bad smells.” Another added benefit is that with an underground drip system, pesticides are not washed off plants with every watering, so plants do not need to be treated as often.

With GeoFLow’s WasteFlow system, secondary reclaimed water can be used and is pumped into the drip-field and released under plants on a time-activated cycle. The drip systems provided by GeoFlow are easily installed about eight inches in the soil, where treated effluent is absorbed.

GeoFlow takes things a step further with their patented RootGuard and Ultra-fresh treated emitters. Flexible tubing carries water under the soil where it is released by evenly spaced emitters. The emitters are equipped with self-cleaning filters while the non-toxic active ingredient in RootGuard, Treflan, keeps roots from growing around the emitters. The drip lines are also coated with the anti-bacterial, Ultra-Fresh, which inhibits bacterial growth inside the tubing and the emitters. This prevents slime build up inside the tube.

A subsurface drip system does have a high initial investment cost, however, ranging from $800-1500 per acre. Fortunately, Geoflow stands behind their product, offering a 10-year warranty for root intrusion, workmanship and materials.

The fact that the system is built to last many years, saves an abundance of water and is incredibly simple to operate has enticed many to switch over to drip irrigation.

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GeoPure - Cleaning Oilfield Wastewater

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

Petroleum (crude oil) is a vital part of our society. Billions of cars are dependant on the fuel drilled out of the ground, but petroleum also constitutes the base for many industries including plastics, pharmaceuticals, pesticides and even fertilizers. Unfortunately, getting petroleum is a dirty process and until now, has involved wasting millions of gallons of water (used to force oil to the surface).

The shiny black oil is found in porous rock formations underneath the earth’s crust. These petroleum reservoirs are made up of the crude oil, the natural gases that float on top of the oil and saline water that flows underneath. Extracting the petroleum involves drilling through the crust which then allows the oil to flow upwards through pre-made tubing.

Natural pressures under the oil are not always enough to induce the black liquid to ooze and sputter upwards, and in these cases, the oil needs to be helped along. In a ‘water drive’ oil field, for example, water is injected into the pre-existing brine below the oil forcing it to the surface. The water that bubbles up with the oil must be disposed of.

GeoPure - a company specializing in oilfield wastewater purification - states that “the oil and gas industry must dispose of approximately 6.3 million barrels of water per day at a cost exceeding $2 billion annually. At the same time, the availability of fresh water for oilfield operations continues to be a concern.”

Company President, David Crowe, together with his partners at the Texas A&M University Dept. of Petroleum Engineering, launched GeoPure in September, 2006. Since then, GeoPure has licensed the technology to transform the brine produced during petroleum production into quality drinking water through a specialized pretreatment and reverse osmosis (RO) filtration process.

GeoPure has confidence in their product and the rigorous testing done at various drilling sites in Texas showed impressive results: “The RO pilot system has been put through extensive testing in the Texas A&M laboratory as well as 12 separate field locations in Texas, and results show that dissolved solid levels up to about 50,000 mg/L can be reduced to the level of fresh water. Chloride levels are low enough that the fresh water may be discharged, or used as a base for fracturing fluid, drilling fluid, or oilfield chemicals…The process uses a uniquely staged pre-filtration approach to remove suspended solids and macromolecules before the stream is fed through the final RO filtration stage. This pre-filtration approach prolongs system life and performance, and reduces cost. The RO process paves the way for surface discharge of fresh water under a TRRC permit, or the sale of fresh water to end-users.”

Voted one of the top 100 private green companies by the GoingGreen panel at the GoingGreen executive event, GeoPure’s innovative technology has left many impressed.

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Drinking Seawater No Longer A Problem with NanoH2O’s Technology

Saturday, December 29th, 2007

A man is lost at sea. This scenario rarely ends in a casualty due to starvation or shark attack, but the lack of drinking water. It is a sad irony to die of thirst when so much water surrounds you.

With today’s desalination technology, however, the next bottle of water you guzzle down may very well have originated in the ocean. Water purification research with the use of membranes and reverse osmosis has been underway since the 60’s. Contaminated water is forced through this semi-permeable membrane which allows water to pass through but all contaminants such as salt and bacteria are left behind.

Water purification plants use this technology worldwide, but the high cost of desalination has kept it from being used as much as it could be. It can cost upwards of $1,000 to desalinate an acre-foot of seawater. This is roughly the amount of water 1-3 suburban families use per year. Compared to the $200 per acre foot it costs to filter water from other sources, desalinization does seem costly.

Fortunately, NanoH2O has developed a membrane that reduces costs and increases efficiency of the reverse osmosis filtration process. According to the NanoH2O website “NanoH2O enhances current polymer-based membranes with nanostructured material that allows additional ‘degrees of freedom’ in the control of membrane properties. The result is a wide array of advantageous membrane characteristics including improved permeability while maintaining requisite salt and contaminant rejection, both passive and active fouling resistance, as well as ‘tunable’ membrane performance to address specific water chemistries.”

Developed at UCLA, these membranes are developed at the nanoscale with tunnels a molecule thick and particles incorporated into the membrane that help the osmosis process!  In an article published by UCLA, Engineering professor Eric Hoek describes the technology he helped create : “The nanoparticles are designed to attract water and are highly porous, soaking up water like a sponge, while repelling dissolved salts and other impurities,” Hoek said. “The water-loving nanoparticles embedded in our membrane also repel organics and bacteria, which tend to clog up conventional membranes over time.”

The article continues explaining that “Initial tests suggest the new membranes have up to twice the productivity — or consume 50 percent less energy — reducing the total expense of desalinated water by as much as 25 percent. ”

The entire article can be viewed at: http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/Today-s-Seawater-Is-Tomorrow-s-7410.aspx?RelNum=7410

This is promising, especially since seawater is such an abundant resource that many coastal third world countries would benefit immensely from using through this technology. Who knows, the ocean might be even more refreshing than you think.

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