Industrial water treatment optimization

Digital solutions for mining, pulp & paper and other production sites with own water treatment plants

Industrial water management covers raw water (influent water treatment), process water (boiler feed water, cooling water and other industry-specific processes), wastewater (wastewater treatment), water discharge or reuse (environmental impact).  Depending on geographic location and climate conditions some of the sites also rely on desalination plants (reverse-osmosis process).

Each of the industrial water treatment optimization solutions is designed as an independent digital layer working above any vendor’s pre-existing control layer or automation system.

Energy efficiency

Chemicals reduction

Water quality & recovery

Water treatment optimization in mining

Dewatering (Underground)
Energy savings from water pumps optimization given water flow/level, energy cost and equipment efficiency

Clarification
Improve water recovery, optimize flocculant dosing, and stabilize bed-mass as well as underflow density

Flotation
Minimizing chemical (reagent) overdosing, while maximizing ore recovery

Leaching
Improved dosing of cyanide (NaCN) and lime, leading to lower chemical opex and higher ore recovery

Water treatment optimization in pulp & paper mills

Why consider digital solutions for water management in Pulp & Paper?

1.Optimize influent water usage, ensure constant production rate and uptime for water pumping
2.Optimize energy production per unit of fuel, avoid power outages
3.Reduce water consumption through recycling of treated wash water
4.Optimize concentration of black liquor for efficient operation of recovery boiler
5.Reduce costs by recovering chemicals, increase profitability without compromising quality
6.Ensure efficient heat transfer, reduce maintenance of cooling systems
7.Optimize energy usage, reduce CO2 emissions, ensure discharge compliance
8.Optimize control of water quality and chemical dosage as customers explore more water reuse options

Influent Management Optimization

Influent Management Optimization is an APC solution that addresses the challenges associated with influent variability and overflows when operators need to constantly worry about changing conditions heavily affected by day/night, weekday/weekend cycles, weather events like heavy rains, etc. It is about reducing operator workload by automatically adjusting influent flows and composition using APC controller for faster, more accurate response to changes based on weather forecast, rain sensors and other parameters.  Automatic optimization of influent control 24/7 not only reduces the environmental impact of untreated water overflows, but also improves profitability, with 10-25% reduction in energy costs in the water intake area.  

Aeration and Pumping Optimization for Bioreactors

Aeration and Pumping Optimization for Bioreactors is an APC solution that replaces manual manipulations of variable speed drives load and valves opening with automatic, smart process adjustments which consistently move the process to its economic optimum.  Since variable speed drives will not minimize energy consumption unless valve opening is maximized, and valve opening cannot be maximized unless coordinated control is implemented, there is room for APC-based optimization. By operating bioreactors closer to multiple constraints limits, 10 –25 % energy savings are possible in the wastewater area.

Water Quality and Chemicals Optimization

Water Quality and Chemicals Optimization is an advanced dashboard with simulation capabilities. It helps managers and process engineers to achieve an optimized control of water quality and usage of chemical dosing while monitoring energy consumption and environmental impact. Its KPI calculations, forecast analysis and dynamic modelling are powered by DHI WEST software specialized in physical, biological, and chemical processes. Adoption of these powerful tools for analytics, simulations, “what-if” scenarios and model calibration is proven to deliver up to 10% savings in water-related chemicals expenditure. All while helping meet or improve targets for Total Nitrogen (TN), Ammonia and Nitrate, Total Phosphorus (TP), Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD).

APC replaces manual manipulations of multiple variables with automatic, smart process adjustments for faster, more accurate response to changes

Operates closer to multiple constraints limits with safe margins, promotes consistency at economic optimum

Related offering

Industrial steam optimization

For a more stable and reliable steam supply to the process with higher average profit
Energy Management and Optimization

For monitoring and reporting on all energy types including water and holistic optimization
Connected worker apps

For water treatment, cooling area inspection rounds and maintenance

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