Treatment and Disposal of Wastewaters Produced with Coalbed Methane by Reverse Osmosis

1992 ◽  
pp. 593-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. F. Simmons
Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 154
Author(s):  
Udayan Singh ◽  
Lisa M. Colosi

Development of coalbed methane (CBM) projects is critical to the achievement of climate change goals because it will help facilitate coal-to-gas transitions in Asia-Pacific countries with low conventional gas reserves. However, growth in CBM in these regions will necessitate strategic, sustainable approaches to produced water management. We posit that it may be possible to deliver synergistic water, energy, and health benefits by reusing CBM-produced waters as potable water supply in water-stressed coal-bearing regions. The goal of this study is to probabilistically evaluate life cycle costs and benefits of using reverse osmosis to treat CBM-produced water in the Damodar Valley coalfields in eastern India. Two treatment configurations are assessed, namely, centralized, and decentralized (i.e., in-home). We find that both configurations offer good cost-effectiveness based on two separately computed metrics to account for the value of health improvement benefits (i.e., disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted or monetized health benefits). We also observe that centralized systems are more cost-effective than decentralized, because they reduce capital cost and use-phase energy consumption per unit-volume treated. Average estimated values for the cost–benefit ratio are <0.5 and 1.0 for centralized and decentralized, respectively. Normalizing by anticipated health benefits, cost-effectiveness metrics are <$30/DALY for the centralized system versus <$200/DALY for the decentralized system. These results are highly sensitive to the value of statistical life and baseline water access. A related analysis taking into account both CBM-produced waters and mine waters revealed that deployment of reverse osmosis (RO) could provide drinking to approximately 3.5 million people over 20 years in the Damodar Valley region. These results have interesting implications not only for the study region but also for other CBM-producing countries experiencing chronic severe water stress.


Author(s):  
Zakiya Tabassum ◽  
Rajalakshmi Mudbidre

The exponentially multiplying population of the world demands increasing freshwater resources. Thelimited resources comprising less than 3% of the earth’s water resources are getting polluted at an alarming rate. To deal with this situation, seawater reverse osmosis is being carried out at large scales across the globe. The concentrate generated in return is two times more concentrated in terms of total dissolved solids when compared to the feed. The adverse effects of the concentrate stream on the marine ecosystem and further pollution of water cause an immediate need to treat the concentrate. In this review, the harm caused by the direct discharge of concentrate stream has been discussed and therefore volume minimization using treatment methods has been addressed. The treatment methods are mainly classified into four types; membrane-based, thermal-based, electricity-based, and chemical-based methods. Integrated methods, which have been mainly tested on a pilot scale for zero liquid discharge, have also been discussed. The treatment methods that are probable for seawater concentrate treatment falling under the above categories for other concentrate sources have also been attended to. Finally, the disposal methods employed for the discharge of the leftover concentrate have been addressed. Thermal methods are well established but require a lot of energy compared to other methods whereas chemical methods can be economic due to the profit obtained from recovered chemicals, but they are mostly employed for pretreatment. Electricity-based and membrane-based methods are emerging technologies. It was also found that seawater reverse osmosis concentrate is usually discharged directly and therefore integrated methods based on zero liquid discharge are to be implemented. To compensate for the intensive research required for zero liquid discharge to become a reality, innovative and environmentally-friendly disposal methods are available to cut the resultant footprint.


Author(s):  
H. K. Plummer ◽  
E. Eichen ◽  
C. D. Melvin

Much of the work reported in the literature on cellulose acetate reverse osmosis membranes has raised new and important questions with regard to the dense or “active” layer of these membranes. Several thickness values and structures have been attributed to the dense layer. To ensure the correct interpretation of the cellulose acetate structure thirteen different preparative techniques have been used in this investigation. These thirteen methods included various combinations of water substitution, freeze drying, freeze sectioning, fracturing, embedding, and microtomy techniques with both transmission and scanning electron microscope observations.It was observed that several factors can cause a distortion of the structure during sample preparation. The most obvious problem of water removal can cause swelling, shrinking, and folds. Improper removal of embedding materials, when used, can cause a loss of electron image contrast and, or structure which could hinder interpretation.


Author(s):  
Kriti Jain ◽  
Chirag Shah

The increasing volume and complexity of waste associated with the modern economy as due to the ranging population, is posing a serious risk to ecosystems and human health. Every year, an estimated 11.2 billion tonnes of solid waste is collected worldwide and decay of the organic proportion of solid waste is contributing about 5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions (UNEP). Poor waste management - ranging from non-existing collection systems to ineffective disposal causes air pollution, water and soil contamination. Open and unsanitary landfills contribute to contamination of drinking water and can cause infection and transmit diseases. The dispersal of debris pollutes ecosystems and dangerous substances from waste or garbage puts a strain on the health of urban dwellers and the environment. India, being second most populated country of the world that too with the lesser land area comparatively, faces major environmental challenges associated with waste generation and inadequate waste collection, transport, treatment and disposal. Population explosion, coupled with improved life style of people, results in increased generation of solid wastes in urban as well as rural areas of the country. The challenges and barriers are significant, but so are the opportunities. A priority is to move from reliance on waste dumps that offer no environmental protection, to waste management systems that retain useful resources within the economy [2]. Waste segregation at source and use of specialized waste processing facilities to separate recyclable materials has a key role. Disposal of residual waste after extraction of material resources needs engineered landfill sites and/or investment in waste-to-energy facilities. This study focusses on the minimization of the waste and gives the brief about the various initiations for proper waste management system. Hence moving towards the alternatives is the way to deal with these basic problems. This paper outlines various advances in the area of waste management. It focuses on current practices related to waste management initiatives taken by India. The purpose of this article put a light on various initiatives in the country and locates the scope for improvement in the management of waste which will also clean up the unemployment.


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Bills Walsh

This case presents the stakeholder conflicts that emerge during the development and subsequent reclamation of abandoned natural gas wells in Wyoming where split estate, or the separation of surface land and mineral rights from one another, occurs. From 1998 to 2008, the Powder River Basin of northeastern Wyoming experienced an energy boom as a result of technological innovation that enabled the extraction of coalbed methane (CBM). The boom resulted in over 16,000 wells being drilled in this 20,000 square-mile region in a single decade. As of May 2017, 4,149 natural gas wells now sit orphaned in Wyoming as a result of industry bankruptcy and abandonment. The current orphaned wells crisis was partially enabled by the patchwork of surface and mineral ownership in Wyoming that is a result of a legal condition referred to as split estate. As the CBM boom unfolded in this landscape and then began to wane, challenges emerged most notably surrounding stalled reclamation activities. This case illuminates these challenges highlighting two instances when split estate contributed to issues between landowners and industry operators which escalated to litigation.


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