HPD R&D BROCHURE 9-24:Layout 1 - Veolia Water Solutions ...

Innovative Process Solutions
Research and
Development Capabilities

Research and Development
Direct Results
Ethanol / Biofuels Industry
HPD’s research and development center has performed
several key demonstrations of Enhanced Forced Circulation
Technology in the development of the High Efficiency
Stillage Concentration (HESC) system for the renewable
fuels industry. These tests confirmed design parameters
and concentration limits for stillage (syrup) in the
production of co-products in corn-based ethanol facilities.
The HESC system was designed as an intermediary step to
increase solids between the falling film evaporators and
gas-fired dryers for more efficient water removal in the
production of DDGS (distillers dried grain with solubles).
A critical characteristic of the process stream is the high
viscosity experienced at higher product solids. Standard
evaporative processes, such as falling film evaporation,
often experience difficulties in reaching higher total solids
(above 30%TS) due to reduced heat transfer and excessive
fouling as a result of increased stillage viscosity. The HESC
system’s unique heat transfer technology was developed to
address the need for higher concentrations in these highly
viscous streams while minimizing system fouling.
Bench-scale and pilot-scale testing confirmed that the
HESC system will achieve concentration levels
exceeding 50% total solids with minimal fouling. More
importantly, the testing demonstrated that the system
will reduce energy consumption in the process with
annual savings of over $2,000,000 in natural gas usage
for water removal in a typically sized plant.
Mining Industry: Lithium Chloride
– Argentina
HPD developed a process design for production of both
high-purity lithium chloride monohydrate and anhydrous
lithium chloride (catalyst grade). The Research and
Development Group at HPD performed an extensive
laboratory bench-scale crystallization program to determine
crystallization growth kinetics and the subsequent
equipment design to meet production requirements.
Laboratory testing resulted in an extremely accurate
prediction of achievable crystal size. More importantly, the
use of bench-scale testing allowed HPD to directly translate
the findings from the laboratory to a successful,
commercially proven crystallization system.
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Industry Leadership Through R&D
HPD maintains its market leadership in evaporation and
crystallization systems based on providing innovative process
solutions and technological excellence. This can only be
achieved by a thorough understanding of the diverse group of
industries and customers served.
Research and development plays a critical role in delivery of
the solutions that customers expect from HPD. Complex
process designs and the establishment of new technologies in
commercial applications require this high degree of
preliminary evaluation and testing.
Whether driven by specific customer requirements or
introducing new technologies to the market, HPD’s research
center provides the necessary foundation for design feasibility
and accurate process validation.
The Philip J. Stewart Technology Center,
located on the campus of HPD, is a state-ofthe-art
research and development facility,
dedicated to providing industry leading
support for evaporation and crystallization
applications.
This 50,000+ square foot complex is home
to a wide variety of tools used for the
investigation new of process designs,
testing to support customer projects, and
development of new technologies.
The comprehensive in-house capabilities,
unmatched variety of equipment, and the
breadth of experience
differentiate HPD in the
industry and directly
contribute to the success of
over 650 installations
worldwide. Decades of
extensive cataloging of
physical / chemical pilot
evaluations and critical design
data supplies an unparalleled
knowledge base for future
system designs.
“Instrumental in this project was HPD’s
pilot testing in their research facilities and
the subsequent supply of monohydrate
and bicarbonate crystallizers that serve as
the heart of the production process.”
The Philip J. Stewart Technology Center on the
HPD Campus Plainfield, IL, U.S.A.
Charlie Yates
COO and V.P.
American Soda, L.L.P.
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From the Laboratory to Commercial Success
Results from the research and testing center often allow the process engineering team to improve
or economize system designs. Testing provides HPD and the client with the technical confidence required to
commercialize a system knowing the process objectives will meet or exceed expectations. The subsequent
performance guarantees for each project then become the standard in measuring performance of the
installed system.
HPD researchers and process design engineers, as a team, collaborate on each project. This ensures all
critical aspects of the system are supported by the results from the many methods of laboratory analysis
available. This approach provides accurate and thorough information to facilitate customer approval of
large, complex projects.
Analytical Testing
The range of in-house analytical capabilities at HPD is critical to
understanding the project chemistry and its impact on the subsequent
process design. Analysis of customer samples is generally the basis
which supports all other phases of evaluation.
The following array of analytical tests are routinely performed at
HPD’s Research and Development Center:
> Atomic absorption
> Gas chromatography
> Rheometry
> Inductive coupled plasma
> Total organic carbon
> Crystal size distribution
> Polarized light microscopy
> Wet chemistry / gravimetric procedures
Bench-Scale Testing
An in-depth understanding of each customer’s chemistry is critical to ensure
that each unique system will perform as designed. HPD’s bench-scale testing
provides excellent characterization of specific chemical behavior and often
reveals the necessary information required to transition directly to a
commercial design. Some of the characteristics determined during benchscale
testing are:
> Condensate quality
> Boiling Point Rise (BPR)
> Foaming or fouling tendencies
> Crystal size and habit data
> Crystal purity versus mother liquor contaminant concentration
> Characteristics of crystal impurities
> Vapor/liquid equilibrium data
> Physical properties (specific gravity, viscosity, specific heat)
> Solubility and phase diagrams
> Crystal habit modification
> Crystallization kinetics
Bench-scale evaporator and crystallizer
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Mini-Works
HPD maintains a wide range of smaller-scale equipment that effectively
predicts fouling potential, investigates heat transfer performance, and
measures fluid dynamics. Testing at this scale is particularly useful for
greenfield projects where there is a limited amount of samples available
for full-scale evaluation or when shipping limitations are a concern.
Mini-Works PIC crystallizer
(Partitioned Internal Circulation crystallizer)
Pilot Scale Testing
Design Validation with Confidence
HPD’s pilot testing capabilities provide a proving ground for each system
during project development. A wide array of large-scale evaporators and
crystallizers can be used to test and validate process solutions designed for
commercial stage production.
The pilot test setup utilizes ancillary equipment found in a full system to
replicate a commercial installation and provides thorough identification of
potential upstream and downstream issues. This unique capability is also
an excellent tool for determining possible performance enhancements and
evaluation of cost-effective approaches to the process.
Specific objectives for pilot-scale tests may include:
> Obtaining heat transfer data to ensure optimum design
> Determination of the expected fouling rate during commercial operation
> Producing sufficient amounts of commercially pure product for distribution
to potential end customers for determination of its market value
> Establish the amount of purge required to achieve the desired purity
> Verify the viscosity of solutions at various concentrations versus temperature
> Determining the impact of wash water quantity on crystal purity
> Verify product control stability
A Pilot-scale Enhanced Forced
Circulation Crystallizer is used to
fully validate heat transfer
efficiency, fouling characteristics,
and reduced energy consumption
Case Study - Research to Commercial Success
HPD’s Enhanced Forced Circulation Crystallizer, designed to address problems
associated with the concentration of highly viscous products, is one of the many
achievements from the Research and Development group.
New process designs and rigorous testing confirmed that the Enhanced Forced
Circulation technology reduced energy consumption by 50% and increased heat
transfer efficiency over 100% versus standard forced circulation designs and
maintained minimal system fouling.
This innovation has been successfully implemented through commercial
installations in the pulp and paper industry for processing black liquor and for
concentration of stillage in the generation of co-product in the ethanol market.
Pilot-scale Enhanced Forced Circulation
Crystallizer used to fully validate heat transfer
efficiency, fouling characteristics and reduced
energy consumption
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From the Laboratory to Commercial Success
Mobile Test Equipment
Pilot-scale evaporators and crystallizers are available that can be used for on-site
system testing at customer facilities. These mobile units are skid-mounted and
designed to be customized for a variety of applications. Field pilot-testing is
especially beneficial when:
> Long-term fouling is a concern
> Feed chemistry varies considerably over time
> The shipment of feed material is not feasible
> Production samples are desired for marketing purposes
> Operator training is necessary prior to commercial installation
The Field Service Group at HPD is dedicated to providing a variety of field pilot
services. These services range from equipment rental with training of customer
staff to complete 24 hour per day monitoring and operation by HPD personnel.
The Service Group will typically provide complete data analysis and interpretation
of pilot results in a formalized report.
Mobile forced
circulation crystallizer
Corporate Commitment to Research
HPD, as a part of the Veolia Water group of companies, mirrors the commitment to
research and development demonstrated throughout the organization.
Based at Maisons-Laffitte, just outside Paris, “Anjou Recherche” is the research
center for Veolia Water. It replaced the historic laboratory set up in 1889 at the
Group’s headquarters at rue d’Anjou in Paris.
Opened in 1982, it currently is staffed by 110 researchers. Research focuses
primarily on the water sector (production and distribution of drinking water)
and wastewater (treating municipal and industrial wastewater, odor control). As
a globally focused group, Veolia Water’s Anjou Research Center works in
partnership with more than a hundred ministries/government agencies, universities
and institutions in France, Germany, Great Britain, Canada and the United States.
Veolia Water's Anjou
Research Center
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Research and Development
Direct Results
Soda Ash Industry: Monohydrate
– North America
HPD performed bench-scale evaporative crystallization of
sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate from solution
mining of nacholite deposits. Crystal habit, crystal shape
and crystal size distribution were also verified.
Crystallization testworks included both bench-scale and
pilot-scale tests. Pre-concentration analysis confirmed the
decomposition rate of bicarbonate and the need for more
complete stripping upstream of the crystallization system.
Sodium carbonate crystallization confirmed commercial
system design parameters and that crystal purity
requirements could be achieved.
HPD constructed a sodium bicarbonate crystallizer
specifically for the purposes of the comprehensive testing
for the soda ash manufacturer. The new pilot-scale unit
confirmed the complex process design of sodium
bicarbonate crystallization. Critical process elements such
as operating temperature, CO 2 utilization, equipment
design parameters, and achievable crystal size and habit
were revealed utilizing the new testing equipment.
Mining Industry: Nitrates – Chile
HPD’s Research team performed bench-scale leaching and
cooling crystallization testing that aided in the final process
solution for the production of sodium and potassium
nitrate from Chilean caliche ore. The study involved a
complete process flowsheet simulation from heap leaching
caliche (nitrate ore) with sea water, solar evaporation of the
leachate, harvesting the crystallized salts from the solar
ponds, hot leaching the harvest salt with heated brine, to
cooling crystallization of sodium nitrate.
Results from the laboratory testworks confirmed the
feasibility of the process and satisfied the customer that a
commercial system could be designed and built without
further pilot testing. The commercial performance was as
projected from the test work.
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USA
23563 W. Main Street, IL Route 126
Plainfield, IL 60544
Tel.: 815-609-2000
Fax: 815-609-2044
SPAIN
Avenida de Neguri, 9 - 1˚
48992 Getxo
Tel.: +34 94 491 40 92
Fax: +34 41 491 11 40
www.hpdsystems.com
HPD.info@veoliawater.com
HPD-BR-R&D-0908