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Water treatment

Offers

The “Industrial Water Treatment” platform addresses the scientific and technical challenges associated with the management of industrial effluents and runoff water, in particular :

  • Emulsion separation (e.g., removal of oil from water)
  • The compatibility of water treatment technologies in the presence of additives, such as surfactants or polymers in solution for example
  • The pollution remediation of water loaded with particles or new emerging pollutants, such as microparticles, microplastics, dissolved pollutants
  • The identification, culture and isolation of microbial players in treatment bioprocesses.

Types of activity : Performance of laboratory & pilot tests. Dispersed system modeling. Expertise in complex fluid characterization, physical chemistry of interfaces, cultural and molecular microbiology, and fluid mechanics. Application to industrial cases. R&D services. Multi-partner research projects.

Schema: Water treatment

Examples of delivered projects related to industrial water treatment

Simulation numérique (CFD) de l’écoulement au sein d’un hydrocyclone
Numerical flow simulation (CFD) within a hydrocyclone 

Examples of delivered projects related to industrial water treatment
 
Design and operando evaluation of a new hydrocyclone geometry applicable to the treatment of industrial water presenting viscoelastic properties in partnership with Suez.

Hydrocarbon-contaminated water: assessing and reducing risks 

Study focusing on the impact of the various additives used in chemical EOR on the separation of produced effluents and produced water management, in conditions representative of oil fields. Qualification of water treatment processes making it possible to achieve the required specifications (Dolphin™ Joint Industry Project (JIP) led by IFPEN)

The platform's activities  

  • Development of methodological & technological solutions: optimized laboratory solutions validated on a pilot scale.
     
  • Development of methodological & technological solutions: optimized laboratory solutions validated on a pilot scale.

... based on

  • A precise understanding of phenomena (Description of the behavior of liquid/liquid, liquid/gas and liquid/solid interfaces): complementarity between experimental tests and modeling.
     
  • Monitoring of regulations governing ecotoxicity. For example: regulatory toxicity standards and tests for waste water concerning hydrocarbons and additives, BTEX, heavy metals, PAH and emerging pollutants such as microplastics, etc.

 

Efficacité du procédé de flottation sur une eau de production
              Efficiency of a flotation process applied to hydrocarbon-contaminated water
Efficacité du procédé de flottation sur une eau de production
  Efficiency of a coagulation process applied to hydrocarbon-contaminated water

Efficiency of a coagulation process applied to hydrocarbon-contaminated water
1.   The study of coalescence mechanisms and interfacial and rheological properties of dispersed systems on nano and microscopic scales.
2.   Multiphase flow modeling from the micro scale to the macroscopic scale.
3.  The understanding of the biological phenomena governing water pollution remediation. 

A multidisciplinary team and approach
-   Physical chemistry of complex fluids
-   Fluid mechanics
-   Biotechnologies 
-   Laboratory analyses

Remontée d’une goutte d’huile (vidéo et simulation numérique) et drainage du film à l’interface eau/air (graphique)
Rising oil droplet (video and numerical simulation) and film drainage at the water/air interface (graph)

Experimental resources on various scales


From the laboratory

  • Creation of emulsions and dispersed systems (two-phase) representative of industrial cases (Dispersion rig)
  • Separation processes and techniques: gravity, flocculation, coagulation, centrifugation, hydrocyclone, flotation, filtration
  • Characterization and study of interfacial (emulsion stability, film drainage, foams, etc.) and rheological (viscoelastic effect, viscoplastic effect, etc.) properties
  • Microfluidics cell. 
Banc d’essai Hydrocyclone à l’échelle laboratoire (3 l/min, 1.2 bar)
Laboratory hydrocyclone test bench (3 l/min, 1.2 bar)

... to pilote 

  • Flotation skid fitted with modular interiors (injectors, deflectors)
  • Liquid-liquid hydrocyclone skid (modular separation chamber)
  • Semi-industrial three-phase flow loop (GOwSP, Gas-Oil-water Separation Platform). Liquid flow 10 m3/h: 
    -  Gravity separator: interface monitoring and sampling possibilities
    -  In-line monitoring of dispersed flows: particle size, concentration, turbidimetry, laser velocimetry measurements, etc.
    -  Tests in representative conditions
    Assessment of the performance of different liquid/liquid, gas/liquid and liquid/solid separation technologies.
Skid Hydrocyclone à l’échelle pilote (4 m3/h, 15 bar)
Pilot-scale Hydrocyclone skid
(4 m3/h, 15 bar)

Benefiting from advanced operando measurement technique

Broad pool of analytical equipment enabling the characterization of: 

  • Fluids: gases, liquids of organic and aqueous origin, colloidal systems 
    - Study of polymers in solution (molecular mass, hydrolysis rate, concentration, etc.)
  • Solid materials: deposits, rocks, polymers, steels, etc. 
    - Spectroscopic methods, gravimetric methods (Raman, FTIR, TGA, etc.) 
    - Microscopic methods (SEM, EDS)

And a specific analysis:

  • of dispersed systems/flows: particle size, turbidimetry, in-line monitoring, monitoring of the mechanical degradation of polymers 
  • of the interfacial and rheological properties of complex fluids: film drainage, DRA effect, etc.
  • of the biological properties: biodegradability evaluation

Certification: IISO 9001 (research and innovation activities relating to sustainable systems and technologies in the fields of energy, transport and the environment)

Contact

Aurélie MOURET

Aurélie MOURET
Technical Advisor
aurelie.mouret@ifpen.fr

JIP: DOLPHIN 4 (PDF - 275 Ko) JIP DOLPHIN 4
Themes
Water: resource management and treatment