The objective of WP1 was mainly on the detection and specification of risks associated with the construction, installation and operation of the demonstration systems and lab tests as well as the compilation of standards and individual procedures for risk management and risk mitigation.
The Objective of WP 2 was dedicated to the collection of comprehensive process data to prepare the development and integration of the 4 demonstration plants. Therefore, a deep analysis of existing plant layouts and process schematics as well as an analysis of process stream compositions and energy streams was conducted within an extensive data mining phase.
The main objective of WP3 was the design of the overall acid and metals recovery process for the 4 demonstrators. Comprehensive simulation decks for mass and energy balances were created in order to design the hydraulic set up. In WP4, the adaption of the respective core technology components (MD and DD) was carried out according the particular requirements.
WP5 is dedicated to the design and construction of demo systems, which includes the CAD based detailed mechanical and hydraulic engineering, the development of control and monitoring were elaborated. Components were selected and purchased, construction drawings of the plants and their components were elaborated. The pre-commissioning of the full plant functionality was performed before the plants were transferred to the industrial sites.
In WP 6, the installation and commissioning of the demonstrator systems at the respective operation site was carried out.
The operation and monitoring of the installed demonstrator systems is the objective in WP 7. All demonstration plants were excessively tested throughout the year 2019.
Process analysis and evaluation of the results obtained during the demonstration period is the objective in WP 8. The monitored data from the plants is transferred via mobile 4G router and stored on a cloud-drive to be accessed by the relevant consortium partners.
In WP 9, the hydraulic design of the demonstrators was re-adapted and optimizedto reach the proposed specifications.
WP10 "Life Cycle Assessment and Water footprint" aims at quantifying environmental impacts and water consumption and the respective reduction potentials of the newly developed technology.
In WP11 “ReWaCEM Dissemination activities” the project web site and the logo were created. Two Leaflets have been generated and distributed to relevant steakholders.
A web-video has been performed and can be found on the ReWaCEM website and in several channels of EuroNews. Different project events as industry workshops were organized.
The objective of WP 12 is twofold: Initially the target market was studied and evaluated providing input to the consortium for adapting the product to the needs of the industry - Based on the outcomes of the market study and the results of the project a roadmap for the market introduction of the new systems was elaborated. To summarize the overall achievements it can be stated that acid recovery can effectively be done by DD, between 70-90% of the free acid can be recovered, independently from the type of the tested acids. Metal rejection was between 50-93% depending on the metal type and show-case. Acids were concentrated by factor 1.2-1.8 if no volatile compounds are present in the feed, the distillate quality was very high and distillate was reused as draw DD solution or for cleaning. Pre-treatment (particles, oils and tensides) is crucial for a successful application of such membrane processes, the availability of waste heat is crucial to achieve economic and ecologic sustainability for the thermally driven MD. Improvements in all studied ecologic impact categories were achieved for all show-cases, however, the significance of the improvements depend on the show-case. In two cases the waste water stream could be eliminated completely.
