BRINE SIMULATION TOOLS
Software tools have been developed for various treatment technologies to evaluate the techno-economic feasibility of treatment chains in different process industries. To perform the analysis of a desired treatment chain, these tools can be interconnected and simulated on an open source integration and simulation platform called Remote Component Environment (RCE), which has been developed by DLR and is freely available. These resources can be accessed by brine owners to simulate their case studies. The tools developed in Python and Matlab cover the following technologies:
NF: Nanofiltration
CR: Crystallization
MED: Multi-Effect Distillation
RO: Reverse Osmosis
MD: Membrane Distillation
ED: Electrodialysis
EFC: Eutectic Freeze Crystallization
IEX: Ion Exchange Resin
The technology tools and underlying process equations were documented in D5.2 Software Tool for the Simulation of selected Brine Treatment Technologies.
The goal of the simulation is to assess the economic feasibility of a treatment chain based on Circular Economy Approach. This is achieved by estimating the thermal and electrical energy consumption of each process, their capital and operating costs, and revenue from the chain’s co-products (recoverable minerals and demineralised water). The resulting costs and revenues are then expressed as levelised cost of the main product.
The brine simulation tools were used within ZERO BRINE for several case studies in cooperation with the pilot projects (coal mine in Poland, textile industry in Turkey and demineralised water plant in The Netherlands) and three replication studies in Spain, Greece and Poland.
For more information about the tools and how to get access to the simulation platform you may contact Benjamin Fuchs (DLR).