Power generation is a water intensive process with most of the water used for condenser cooling. The degree of water reuse in the cooling towers is limited by dissolved solids in the water, primarily calcium hardness and silica. Most of the wastewater produced by power plants is cooling tower blowdown. Silica concentrations frequently limit the cycles of concentration in the cooling tower circulating water.

Off line settling and scrubber evaporation ponds are common ways for power plants to process large water volumes without a direct surface water discharge. Mechanical evaporation systems are common ways to lower pond water volume as well.

SMI Mechanical Evaporators provide a solution to the problem of meeting the practicality of zero discharge associated with evaporation and offer a cost effective way to lower water volumes of contaminated water sources.

Mechanical evaporation systems can be used to lower existing pond volumes, thus allowing enhanced evaporation without re-engineering, re-permitting, and enlarging existing ponds. SMI Evaporation Machines can rapidly increase the evaporation process, with up to 14 times more efficiency than space taken by the same area of pond. SMI Evaporation Machines are relatively compact, reliable and efficient and can be transported to different sites as necessary. They can be a low cost addition to enhance evaporation on existing containment ponds or to minimize new pond surface area.

We offer complete process water solutions, from initial site analysis to remote centralized computer control systems. Learn more about SMI’s processed water evaporation technologies.