Demonstration of Zeolite Dewatering System for EERC Produced/Blended Water Treatment

The University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (UK CAER) will develop and demonstrate a zeolite dewatering system for treating EERC produced/blended water (~170,000 ppm TDS) at up to 0.1 gal/min scale. The UK CAER technology uses zeolite membranes for water extraction at transmembrane pressures below 200 psig. In addition to size-exclusion, the zeolite membrane employs preferential dissolution of water within the matrix to shuttle water across the membrane under mild temperatures (<120 ?) and pressures (<100 psig). The influent should be pretreated for turbidity, TOC, and scaling. The proposed work will be performed within six months, with an anticipated start date of June 15, 2021. Two pathways are discussed, including (1) planned testing with a UK CAER skid demoed at the EERC facility or (2) offsite testing with blended water shipped to UK CAER, where final testing will be carried out.