Current condensate recovery and treatment in large petrochemical, chemical, and thermal power enterprises

In large petrochemical, chemical, and thermal power enterprises, the treatment of steam condensate is a very important aspect. Here are some common treatment methods: 1) Using membrane technology to remove oil, iron, and organic pollutants: Membrane technology offers advantages such as high separation efficiency, small space requirements, and ease of automated control. Various membrane technologies, including microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis, can be used for the treatment of condensate; this method allows for the selection of appropriate membranes to separate different types of pollutants. 2) Iron removal is achieved through fine filtration, oil removal by resin absorption, and the removal of organic pollutants via activated carbon adsorption: Fine filtration can effectively remove suspended substances and larger particles from the condensate, resin absorption can be used to eliminate non-polar pollutants such as oils, and activated carbon, thanks to its strong adsorption capacity, can effectively remove organic pollutants from the condensate. This method is well-established and widely used. 3) A combination of membrane and adsorption beds is used for oil removal, iron removal, and organic pollutant removal: compared to single treatment technologies, this combined approach can address the complex contamination issues present in steam condensate more comprehensively. After removing some pollutants through membrane technology, an adsorption bed is used to further improve the purification effect. 4) Little to no treatment is carried out; the condensate is used at a reduced quality level, with recycled water being used for supplementation: In some cases, if the concentration of pollutants in the steam condensate is low, or if the requirements regarding the quality of boiler feedwater are not particularly high, or due to cost considerations, companies may choose not to carry out thorough treatment of the condensate, but instead use it at a reduced quality level as supplementary water for circulating cooling systems or for other purposes. In practical applications, companies generally consider various factors such as treatment efficiency, cost, and environmental impact, based on their own specific circumstances, in order to select the most suitable treatment technology. Currently, all of the aforementioned treatment methods can be found in various enterprises, but the trend is toward combined and efficient treatment technologies in order to maximize the use of resources and minimize environmental impact. .

Recycling steam condensate is a basic requirement for reducing costs and improving efficiency, yet there are significant obstacles to implementing this in practice. The recovered condensed water contains various pollutants and its quality is highly unstable, which forces people to give up on this idea.

This post was last edited by qugd on 2023-12-12 09:53. The condensate water treatment process is not complicated, but it requires corresponding investment, which makes many companies hesitant. The treatment methods available either overstate their effectiveness or involve excessive costs that are not cost-effective, thus hindering companies’ efforts to reduce costs and improve efficiency. When I was working at Hashi, I came across several projects related to the recovery and treatment of condensate; the large oil and electricity companies were able to invest in and implement such projects, but medium-sized enterprises as well as private companies did not have this same level of awareness. Condensation recovery, processing, and reuse indeed require understanding in order to be promoted.

Your discussion is very practical and also highlights the characteristics of different approaches. In fact, by selecting appropriate treatment methods based on the company’s own conditions and the characteristics of the condensate, and through thorough technical consultation and solution evaluation, steam condensate recovery and treatment can play a positive role, yielding significant energy-saving and cost-reduction benefits.

I know a heating company that operates in an industrial processing park. The various enterprises that use steam in the park all request that the heating station collect the condensate and reduce the price of the steam supplied. However, the heating station is reluctant to do so because it would require additional investment for collection purposes, and since the customers are scattered, the condensate ends up being wasted. The root cause of this issue is a lack of motivation – after all, the cost is borne by the customers themselves.

This post was last edited by qugd on 2023-12-12 09:52. Condensate recovery must be carried out by the steam supplier in order to generate momentum for it; since the steam supplier is the seller whose product is steam, which serves as a carrier of heat, recovering condensate from various steam usage points creates various issues for the steam supplier, including increased pipeline costs associated with recovery, problems related to the settlement of the residual heat in the condensate, and challenges related to the storage and handling of the recovered condensate； However, since the user is not responsible for recycling the condensate, they do not carry out any control or monitoring of its contamination, and pay no attention at all to any leaks of the condensate. The supply side and the demand side represent a contradiction; this requires consideration of monitoring and measuring the quality and quantity of the condensed liquid during its recovery, as well as implementing measures to promote or restrict certain price mechanisms in the subsequent steam supply. Referencing the wastewater treatment methods used in the park may have some practical significance. Implementing energy savings and reduced consumption is not actually that simple, especially in cases where chemical industrial parks rely on centralized steam supply, as each party has its own interests at heart.

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