What is the difference between a full scale SWRO plant and the ADC pilot system in terms of energy?
Plant size can impact the specific power consumption of SWRO systems. This has always been the case, however with the newer isobaric energy recovery technologies plant sizes from 20,000-130,000 gpd (100-500 m3/day) can be as efficient as the largest plants. At 65,000 gpd (245 m3/day) the ADC pilot system demonstrates equivalent overall efficiency compared to the largest trains, but the ADC system tends to be slightly more efficient than mid range trains sizes from 264,000 gpd to 2.6 mgd (1000-10,000 m3/day). However, with the introduction of the new “Pressure Center” designs these mid-range plant sizes will also become more efficient and comparable to the ADC system.
