vandenberg
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5118
Registered: 6-21-2005
Location: Nopolo
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
|
|
Desal plant solutions ?
The following article some kind of solution to the residue problem a desal plant for Loreto Bay would bring??
Could the stuff be transported to Guerrero Negro, since they already have the system to take their residue, recovered from their evaporation ponds, to
a processing facility.
I realize,since this seems to be a worldwide problem, that cost is a major detractor to make this a viable alternative.
But anything seems to be better then pumping it back into the sea.
Attachment: Salt & the Environment May 2007 Archives.mht (41kB)
This file has been downloaded 199 times
|
|
|
Mexitron
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3397
Registered: 9-21-2003
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Member Is Offline
Mood: Happy!
|
|
Can't imagine the salinity increasing in the ocean from small desal plants when you think of all the dissolved minerals washing into the seas from the
world's rivers and such. But why not build the reprocessing facilities in Loreto to extract viable raw materials from the waste?
|
|
|
Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
Member Is Offline
Mood: undecided
|
|
This desal tech etc. sounds good.  Two questions. 1. How much energy does
it take? 2. What do you do with the waste?  Ever heard of a flim-flam?
|
|
|
oldhippie
Banned
Posts: 742
Registered: 6-25-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: muted
|
|
Loreto Bay does not plan to discharge the effluent into the sea, at least I hope they don't plan to. The engineering company they hired recommended
injection wells and land disposal. Even I assume they will abide by that recommendation. The article you posted stated that the GE technology will
produce 99.9% pure salt. The question is at what cost? The article also linked to another desal document further explaining the process. http://www.wcponline.com/PDF/0704Satin.pdf
The main problems with desalination in Loreto, in addition to waste disposal, is its expense and complexity. Not only are the recurring maintenance
and energy costs high, the actual maintenance process requires relatively well educated technicians and a readily available supply of the required
chemicals and parts. Without the money, expertise, and materials for regular complicated maintenance, the facilities don't work. Of course the
cost/complexity is all in relation to obtaining potable water from wells and other natural fresh water sources, which is much simpler, but don't
adequately exist in Loreto.
I think everybody knows that the Sea of Cortez is too fragil that far north from its mouth. The required dilution factor is just not there.
[Edited on 8-31-2007 by oldhippie]
|
|
|
BajaBruno
Super Nomad
Posts: 1035
Registered: 9-6-2006
Location: Back in CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Happy
|
|
Mexitron, not to mention the discharge of concentrated seawater brine from places like Diablo Canyon Nuke Plant. They discharge 2,500,000,000 gallons
a day right into Diablo Cove. I'm not saying that's a good thing, but I doubt a Loreto desal plant could match anything close to that.
Of course, in perfect world, they would use Vandenberg's solution.
Christopher Bruno, Elk Grove, CA.
|
|
|
oldhippie
Banned
Posts: 742
Registered: 6-25-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: muted
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaBruno
Mexitron, not to mention the discharge of concentrated seawater brine from places like Diablo Canyon Nuke Plant. They discharge 2,500,000,000 gallons
a day right into Diablo Cove. I'm not saying that's a good thing, but I doubt a Loreto desal plant could match anything close to that.
Of course, in perfect world, they would use Vandenberg's solution. |
There's a huge difference in the dilution factors in Diablo Cove/Pacific Ocean and Loreto Bay/Sea of Cortez.
|
|
|
Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
Member Is Offline
|
|
I disagree
"A good deal of this material is currently being pumped into deep wells, but the feasibility of this approach is questionable for the
future."
I know very little about desal but having been in the oil bidness most my life, know quite a bit about injection wells. Done correctly it's an
excellent solution. Once you properly identify where its gonna go, that's where it's gonna stay. And...there's plenty of room "down there".
|
|
|
wilderone
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3825
Registered: 2-9-2004
Member Is Offline
|
|
"Evaporation ponds often require large land areas and are only appropriate in arid climates with low land values. Like other brine concentration
techniques, they typically require impervious disposal areas to prevent contamination of fresh water supplies and soils. Deep well injection is not
permitted in many states, but those that do (such as New Mexico and Texas) require permits, monitoring wells, and completions in deep, contained
aquifers to ensure that fresh water supplies are not contaminated."
And this would be a long-term proposition - years and years of depositing chemicals and salts deep in the earth, which them form plumes and migrate.
LB says they are digging test wells now, prepatory to their applying for a permit. If the acquifer is fairly shallow, and depending on the subsurface
composition - rock fractures, thick bedrock - and not the sandy filter they hope will enable them to pump the waste into before it eventually finds
its way into the Marine Preserve, then I would think all bets are off. How could they risk contaminating the water supply?
And the "low land values" abovementioned does not mean in the middle of a small village, or on the banks of a marine preserve, or anywhere near a
vacation destination.
|
|
|
CaboRon
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3401
Registered: 3-24-2007
Location: The Valley of the Moon
Member Is Offline
Mood: Peacefull
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by oldhippie
Loreto Bay does not plan to discharge the effluent into the sea, at least I hope they don't plan to.
Even I assume they will abide by that recommendation. Not only are the recurring maintenance and energy costs high,
the actual maintenance process requires relatively well educated technicians and a readily available supply of the required chemicals and parts.
|
Dream on ...............
|
|
|
Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
Member Is Offline
Mood: undecided
|
|
The first thing that pops into my mind after reading all the dodging and weaving about power,water, sewage etc. is one question to all investors
etc.. Do you believe in the tooth fairy?
|
|
|
oldhippie
Banned
Posts: 742
Registered: 6-25-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: muted
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by CaboRon
| Quote: | Originally posted by oldhippie
Loreto Bay does not plan to discharge the effluent into the sea, at least I hope they don't plan to.
Even I assume they will abide by that recommendation. Not only are the recurring maintenance and energy costs high,
the actual maintenance process requires relatively well educated technicians and a readily available supply of the required chemicals and parts.
|
Dream on ............... |
Oh man, if they get away with dumping the very high salt content effluent and cleaning chemical filled backflushing crap into the bay.....
Isn't that too near the Marine Preserve?
Eco-terrorism may be a legit. It would be eco-anti-terrorism.
|
|
|
bancoduo
Banned
Posts: 1003
Registered: 10-3-2005
Location: el carcel publico mazatlan sin.
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaBruno
Mexitron, not to mention the discharge of concentrated seawater brine from places like Diablo Canyon Nuke Plant. They discharge 2,500,000,000 gallons
a day right into Diablo Cove. I'm not saying that's a good thing, but I doubt a Loreto desal plant could match anything close to that.
Of course, in perfect world, they would use Vandenberg's solution. |
That water is for cooling. cool water
in-warm water out. Where is the concentrated brine coming from at Diablo?
Am I missing something?
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
