The EU-funded ‘Cornerstone’ project aims to integrate innovative technologies and digital solutions into existing systems to recover pure water, energy, and dissolved substances in the paper, chemical, and steel industries. This multidisciplinary project involves 16 partners from eight European countries, including scientists, large companies, and research organizations. The project supports the goals of P4Planet, promoting circular processes and EU climate neutrality by 2050.
Industrial wastewater and waste streams are complex, requiring efficient technologies for optimal handling with minimal maintenance. At AEE INTEC's Water and Process Technology (WPT) laboratory, a membrane distillation (MD) plant for testing alternative flow behavior has been designed, assembled, and put into operation. This mobile laboratory plant uses frequency-controlled, alternative feeding of the wastewater stream to minimize limitations of MD technology, such as membrane fouling and temperature polarization, thereby potentially improving maintenance cycles and process efficiency.
The plant's operations will be digitally supported by real-time evaluation of in-line parameter monitoring and optimization algorithms within an integrated ‘smart monitoring’ concept. Initial trials with reference samples are underway to characterize the plant's applications and adjust operating parameters. The plant will begin operating with real wastewater in Q1-2025, evaluated against project goals and compared with conventional direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) methods.
AEE INTEC, January 2025
Fig: Mobile Membrane Distillation (MD) setup for direct contact hollow fibre membrane distillation of clean water for industry process water using an alternative flow behavior for minimizing fouling and scaling. Source: AEE INTEC, all rights reserved.
