OSMO Improvement Technology™

Pro and Titan Reverse Osmosis systems remove over 99% of salt contaminants (TDS) from brackish water sources in industrial plants. These systems operate with low energy membranes that save over 45% of energy compared to conventional membranes.

The environmental challenge

To meet the strict guidelines established by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and American Boiler Manufacturers Association (ABMA) for boiler operation and feed water quality requirements, GE saw a need to provide technologies that improve boiler Feed Water (BFW) quality. Not meeting these guidelines has caused boiler waterside deposits, increased energy requirements, possible boiler damage, and reduced quality of the steam used for critical utility and process applications.

GE's innovative solution

Improved water purity, achieved through systems like GE’s PRO/Titan Reverse Osmosis systems, have been shown to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The use of clean water will also result in less consumption of chemicals, as well as less exposure of workers to acid or caustic chemicals. GE’s PRO/Titan Reverse Osmosis systems will generate savings by reducing water demand and the amount of wastewater discharged to the environment, while helping the boiler maintain high performance.

GE’s PRO/Titan Reverse Osmosis systems for boiler feed water are expected to improve boiler efficiency by 2.7 percent when installed ahead of Water Softeners on low-pressure coal fired or natural gas fired boilers without heat recovery.

Environmental Benefits

When installed on a typical low-pressure coal fired boiler with a steam production rate of 675,000 lbs per hour and without heat recovery, GE’s PRO/Titan Reverse Osmosis systems are designed to save more than 21,000 metric tons of CO2 per year, the equivalent of removing more than 3,800 cars from U.S. roads every year for the life of the BFW system. For a gas fired boiler, GE’s PRO/Titan Reverse Osmosis systems are designed to save more than 11,800 metric tons of CO2, the equivalent of removing more than 2,100 cars from U.S. roads per year or the amount absorbed by more than 3,200 acres of Southeastern U.S. forests per year.

Costs Savings

When installed on a typical low-pressure coal or natural gas fired boiler, GE’s PRO/Titan Reverse Osmosis systems for BFW have a steam production rate of 675,000 pounds per hour, and will save 62 percent of water treatment chemicals and softener salt each year - that’s a savings of more than $402,000 per year, based on 2006 rates. Using the same rates, when installed on a 600 MW power plant’s typical high-pressure coal or natural gas fired boiler that does not have a decarbonator, GE’s PRO/Titan Reverse Osmosis systems for BFW will save more than 1,500 tons of acid and caustic chemicals per year, a savings of more than $580,000 per year.