USA/INTERNATIONAL
Aquatherm’s novel heat exchange module can improve process efficiency and recover pure water in commercial laundry industrial applications. L&N Uniform & Costume in Santa Ana, California, and part of the Aramark family of businesses, installed the TMC Aqua module above its steam tunnel to recover heat and pure water from the intensive process. The initial installation and operation has confirmed ROI on sustainable operations for the company and long-term viability of the Aquatherm’s TMC module.
According to Aquatherm, there have been few commercially viable solutions to-date that recover pure water and heat from high-moisture and low temperature process gas streams. While there has always been a need for this type of solution within various industries, the economics have never been favourable enough to warrant investment. Low heat transfer from existing solutions and susceptibility to corrosion end up costing more to maintain than the value of the heat and water recovered.
Aquatherm’s Transport Membrane Condenser (TMC), uses technology first developed at the Gas Technology Institute based on a nanoporous ceramic membrane to extract a portion of the water vapour and its latent heat from exhaust and process gas streams for plant uses. Water vapour passes through the membrane and is then condensed in direct contact with a low-temperature water stream. Contaminants such as CO2, O2, NOx, and SO2 are inhibited from passing through the membrane by its high selectivity. The recovered water is of high quality and mineral free, and can be used as supplemental makeup water for almost all industrial processes.
TMC technology was initially developed in exhaust applications for industrial boilers.
You can read the full story about the installation at L&N Uniform & Costume in the March issue of LCNi, out soon. In the meantime, for more information on Aquatherm’s TMC technology, vist here
