Collection of ENEA technology and expertise
Fluid filtering device based on a rotating valve pressure exchanger
The system consists of a rotary valve volumetric pump coupled with a piston-based energy recovery device installed on the pressurized concentrate line from cross-flow filtration. The system is designed to reduce the energy consumption associated with desalination, even in medium- or small-scale plants.
Application sectors
Problem to solve
The invention consists of an high pressure pumping system equipped with an energy recovery device, intended for reverse osmosis desalination plants. The patented device, descending by previous ENEA's patents, allows to realize water treatment plants with low energy consumption, low cost and high reliability.
Description
During ENEA's research in absorption refrigeration machines, have been patented several pumping systems based on oil gear pumps coupled with an original self-adjusting rotating valve. Such coupling has permitted to realize low cost and high reliability high pressure pumps, called "VR pumps". Basing on the original know-how developed for the technology, a new invention has been patented, which consists to link a high pressure primary pump, VR type or not, to a second VR pump acted by the pressure of the waste water coming from the desalination plant, instead by pressurized oil as usual. Such second VR pump acts on the desalination circuit like an innovative pressure exchanger.
Innovative aspects and advantages
- Easeness of scalability.
- Low cost of components.
- Suitable for medium-small scale facility.
- Pilot plants are suitable to operate with quantities representative of industrial production, effectively simulating real production processes and even enabling the prototyping of final product(s).
- The plants are versatile due to their ability to carry out complex processes using membranes with different cut-offs, architectures, and material types, as well as the capability to set various working parameters.
- They can cover a wide range of separation techniques, enabling the serial fractionation of matrices and the production of various types of products.
Technological Maturity 4-5
Strengths
- Cost
- Social/economic relevance
- Legal/regulatory content
Admissible applications
- Desalination for agricultural purposes
- application in agrivoltaics
- desalination for drinking water production for communities
- industrial desalination
Research group involved
Patent Available for Licensing
Disponibile per una licenza esclusiva
Revision date
03-06-2025
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