Walnut Shell Filter Reuse Potential
Mike Howdeshell
Chris Catalanotto
Eric Lorge
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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Introduction / Content
Contents
Introduction
Walnut Shell Filter Basics
Off-Shore Pilot Test
On-Shore Pilot Test
Conclusion
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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What is the Walnut Shell Filter
• Vertical vessel
designed with 48 –
66 inch bed depth
of walnut shell
• Utilizes
adsorption
technology for oil
coalescing
• Backwash
technologies to
regenerate
• Available for onshore or off-shore
application
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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How Do They Work?
• Continuous pressurized bed
• Bed cycle based on time or pressure
• Media is recharged using backwash
• Oil is coalesced not adsorbed
• Used to remove SS and free oil
• Walnut shell media have equal affinity for water and oil
• Very low attrition rate
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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Typical Walnut Shell Filter Media
The Black Walnut Shell
• Excellent surface characteristics for
• Coalescence
• Filtration
• High “modulus of elasticity”
• Chemical free oil separation
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Oil Coated Nut Shells
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Advantages of a Vertical Design
Constant flux during
forward flow throughout
entire bed.

Even bed fluidization during
cleaning cycle - low chances
of stagnation – ensures
longer filter run times and
overall media longevity.

Full depth capture of oil
and particulates.

Minimum chance for
suspended solids to break
through to downstream units.

©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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Points to Consider
• 5% loss of shells per year.
• Oil is not absorbed by the shells, but
attached.
• Backwash is typically performed
every 24 hours, unless bed becomes
fouled with TSS.
• Typically 20 minute backwash cycle
• Media need to be washed prior to
placing them in service.
• Typical Loading rate = 13.5 GPM/ft 2
• Maximum Oil loading = 100 PPM oil
and 100 PPM TSS, expect 90% to
95% removal efficiency.
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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Typical Process Restrictions/Advantages
• 100 PPM inlet free oil
• 100 PPM inlet TSS
• 13.5 GPM/ft2 (33 m3/hour/m2)
typical flux rate
• 95% removal > 2 micron
• 98% removal > 5 micron
• <5 PPM free oil/TSS in effluent
• Fully automatic backwash system
• Thirty (30) minutes off line
• 1% of throughput to waste
• Backwash with raw inlet water
• No interruption of feed
• No chemicals
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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Produced Water Treatment
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Pilot Testing – BP Valhall Platform
Objectives
 Prove walnut shell media can handle North Sea
produced water
 Test efficiency of system
 Suitable for off-shore?
Bergen
Oslo
Stavanger
BP Valhall
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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Backwash Procedure Used in Test
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Pilot Study Results from the North Sea
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70
5
65
4
60
3
55
2
50
1
45
8/21/2008
Effluent oil (ppm)
Inlet oil (ppm)
Results from Pilot Testing –
Inlet and Effluent Oil Concentrations
0
8/22/2008
8/23/2008
8/24/2008
8/25/2008
8/26/2008
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Monosep™ High-flow WSF
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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Pilot Unit Characteristics
 2 vessels
 1300 lbs. black walnut shells
 Flow Range – 42 to 168 gpm
 Flux Range – 13.5 to 27 gpm/ft2
 Backwash Waste:

300 – 420 gallons
 Gas Requirements/Usage:

90 – 250 SCF total usage
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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Pilot Site Information

Located in Western US

Treatment of produced water from
oil field

Oil field production is a mixture of
98% water and 2% oil

Producing rate ~50 bpd oil (2500
bpd produced water)

Treatment Equipment – Gravity
separation, VOC/H2S stripping,
WSF, carbon

Pilot duration from Tuesday, April
27, 2010 through July 9, 2010
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Pilot Flow – Typical Produced Water Treatment
Primary Separation
Secondary Separation
Tertiary Separation
- Gravity Separation
- Dissolved Air/Gas Flotation
- Walnut Shell Filter
- (not used at Western US site) - Carbon
Typical WSF applications:
• Oil and Grease influent concentrations ~ 50 ppm
• Total Suspended Solids (TSS) influent concentration ~ 10 ppm
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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Pilot Study Objectives
 Test the recovery capabilities of the internalized
backwash
 Internalized backwash system with no moving parts
 Increasing the flux rate from 13.5 gpm/ft2 to 20.25
gpm/ft2
 Not enough flow to test 27 gpm/ft2
 Particle size range removal efficiency
 Water suitable for recycle – carbon/RO treatment
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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Overall Oil Removal - Flux Rate 13.5 gpm/ft2
2
Influent and Effluent O il Concentr ation (13.5 gpm/ft )
Samples Analyzed by EPA Method 1664A
Concentration (mg/L)
300.0
250.0
Lab Inlet Total O&G (HEM)
200.0
Lab Outlet Total O&G (HEM)
150.0
100.0
Detection Limit - 1.40 mg/L
50.0
0.0
5/10/10 19:12
5/11/10 19:12
5/12/10 19:12
5/13/10 19:12
5/14/10 19:12
Date & Time
5/15/10 19:12
5/16/10 19:12
5/17/10 19:12
Confidential Inf ormat ion
© 2010 Siemens Water Technol ogies Corp.
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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Overall Oil Removal - Flux Rate 20.25 gpm/ft2
2
Influent and Effluent Oil Concentration (20.25 gpm/ft )
Samples Analyzed by EPA Method 1664A
140.0
120.0
Lab Inlet Total O&G (HEM)
Concentration (mg/L)
100.0
Lab Outlet Total O&G (HEM)
80.0
60.0
Detection Limit - 1.4 mg/L
40.0
20.0
0.0
5/18/10 22:48 5/23/ 10 22:48 5/28/10 22:48 6/2/10 22:48 6/7/10 22:48 6/12/10 22:48 6/17/10 22:48 6/22/10 22:48 6/27/10 22:48
Date & Time
Confidential Information
© 2010 Siemens Water Technologies Corp.
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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Overall TSS Removal - Flux Rate 13.5 gpm/ft2
2
Influent and Effluent Total Suspended Solids Concentration (13.5 gpm/ft )
Samples Analyzed by Standard Methods 2540D
100.0
Influent T SS
Concen tration (mg/L)
80.0
Effluent T SS
60.0
D etectio n Limit - 1.12 m g/L
40.0
20.0
0.0
5/10/10 19:12
5/11/10 19:12
5/12/10 19:12
5/13/10 19:12
5/14 /10 19:12
Date & Time
5/15/10 19:12
5/16/10 19:12
5/17/10 19:12
C onf idential I nformation
© 2010 Siem ens W ater T ec hnol ogies C orp.
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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Water Technologies
Overall TSS Removal - Flux Rate 20.25 gpm/ft2
2
Influent and Effluent Total Suspended Solids Concentration (20.25 gpm/ft )
Samples Analyzed by Standard Methods 2540D
70.0
60.0
Infl uent TSS
Effluent TSS
Concentration (mg/L)
50.0
40.0
30.0
Det ection Limit - 1.06 mg/L
20.0
10.0
0.0
5/18/10
22:48
5/23/10
22:48
5/28/10
22:48
6/2/10
22:48
6/7/10
22:48
6/12/10
22:48
Date & Time
6/17/10
22:48
6/22/10
22:48
6/27/10
22:48
Co nfide nt ial Info rmati on
© 2 010 Si eme ns Wat er Technol ogies Corp.
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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Water Technologies
Particle Size Comparisons – 13.5 gpm/ft2
Influent vs Effluent Total Particle Comparison - 5/14/10*
Total Particle Count in Influent: 280,572
Total Particle Count in Effluent: 460
Flux Rate: 13.5 gpm/ft
2
1000000
Number of Particles
99.9%
99.9%
100000
99.2%
100.0%
10000
100.0%
1000
100.0%
100.0%
100
100.0%
10
100.0%
1
0-2
3-5
6-10
11-20
21-30
31-40
41-50
51-60
>60
Size, microns
*50 minute analysis
Influent
Effluent
#'s Above = % Removal
Confident ial Inf or mat ion
© 2010 Siemens Water Technologies Cor p.
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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Particle Size Comparisons – 20.25 gpm/ft2
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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Overall Particle Comparisons
Influent vs Effluent Total Particle C omparison - 5/14/10*
Total Particle C ount in Influent: 280,572
Total Particle Count in Effluent: 460
• All particles greater than 20 microns
were removed
2
Flux Rate: 13.5 gpm/ft
1000000
•At 13.5
greater than 99% of
particles were removed
gpm/ft2
•At 20.25
greater than 95% of
particles were removed
99.9%
Number of Particles
gpm/ft2
99.9%
100000
99. 2%
100. 0%
10000
100.0%
1000
100. 0%
100
100.0%
100.0%
10
100.0%
1
0-2
3-5
6-10
11- 20
21-30
31- 40
41-50
51-60
>60
Size, microns
*50 minute a nalysis
Influent
Effluent
#'s Above = % Removal
C onfidential Inf ormation
© 2010 S iemens W ater Technologies Co rp.
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
Page 26
Water Technologies
Conclusions
1. Reliable – treated produced water at the pilot sites.
2. Robust – During US pilot, WSF encountered significant variation in
influent concentrations of oil and solids, the pilot unit was able to
recover from the encountered upset conditions.
3. On several occasions during the pilot study, the backwash system
was able to recover from upset conditions (>200 ppm oil)
4. BETX compounds were not removed by the WSF at this site.
5. 100% of particles > 20 microns were removed.
6. >96% of particles smaller than 20 microns were removed.
7. Reuse – Water sent to carbon to create RO feed quality water
©2011 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.
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Questions???
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