The Water Energy Nexus and NSF Research Paul L. Bishop, PhD, PE, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The Water – Energy Nexus and NSF Research

Paul L. Bishop, PhD, PE, BCEE

Environmental Engineering Program Director

Humanity’s Top Ten Problems for Next 50 Years

1.

Energy

2.

Water

3.

Food

4.

Environment

5.

Poverty

6.

Terrorism & War

7.

Disease

8.

Education

9.

Democracy

• 10. Population

2

Source: Richard Smalley, Nobel laureate 2003 6.3 Billion People 2050 9-10 Billion People

The Water-Energy Nexus

3

The Water-Energy Nexus

 Water is used in almost every aspect of energy production  In 2000, thermoelectric power generation [coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear]

accounted for 39% of all freshwater withdrawals in the US

 Consumption of water for electrical energy production could more than

double by 2030 (USDOE estimate)

 Equal to the entire domestic water consumption in the US in 1995  Coal accounts for 52% of US electricity generation, and each kWh generated

from coal requires withdrawal of 25 gallons of water

 The average home uses 8,900 kWh of electricity per year = 225,000 gal of

water per home for electricity production (more than twice as much water as is consumed in the home)

 Some cleaner energy alternatives – including biofuels, tar sands and coal

with carbon sequestration – will significantly increase fresh water demands

 Water and wastewater treatment and pumping requires large amounts of

energy, which is projected to greatly increase in the future

4

The Water-Energy Nexus (cont.)

 Water and wastewater treatment and pumping requires large amounts of

energy, which is projected to greatly increase in the future

 Electricity is needed for pumping, mixing, aeration, etc.

 The baseline electricity consumption projection for fresh water by public

agencies is currently about 56 billion kWh and this is expected to increase about 35% by 2050

 Current usage is producing ~45 million tons of greenhouse gases per

year

 A California Energy Commission study found that 25% of America’s

electricity goes to moving and treating water

 Thermoelectric plants in the U.S. alone draw 136 billion gallons of water

to cool the steam used to drive turbines

 Plans for some new power plants have recently been scrapped

because of a lack of water

 Approximately 40% of electricity used by U.S. cities is at water and

wastewater facilities

5

Energy and Water are Inextricably Linked

6

Ene nergy and and pow power prod

• duc

uction

• n

requ quires es water er:

• Thermoelectric

cooling

• Hydropower
• Energy minerals

extraction/mining

• Fuel production

(fossil fuels, H2, biofuels)

• Emission

controls

Ener nergy for

• r W

Wat ater and and Water for

• r E

Ener nergy gy

Water er produc

• duction,
• n,

proce cessi ssing, di distribution and and end end- use e requi quires ener ergy gy:

• Pumping
• Conveyance and

Transport

• Use conditioning
• Surface and

Groundwater

Estimated Fresh Water Withdrawals by Sector, 2000

7

Areas of Physical and Economic Water Scarcity

8

Water Supply Sustainability Index

9

Water Supplies Are Vulnerable

10

Bringing Water to Southern California

11

Many Hours and Much Energy Spent Daily to Get Water

12

Water is a Matter of National Security

 Hillary Clinton’s World Water Day address at the National

Geographic Society, March 22, 2010

 “As pressing as water issues are now, they will become even

more important in the near future.”

 “Experts predict …that by 2025, just 15 years from now, nearly

two-thirds of the world’s countries will be water-stressed.”

 “2.4 billion people will face absolute water scarcity – the point at

which a lack of water threatens social and economic development.”

 “Access to reliable supplies of clean water is a matter of human

• security. It’s also a matter of national security. “

 “Women who gain access to sanitation, who are freed from the

burden of walking for hours each day just to locate and carry water, will find it easier to invest time and energy in their families and communities.”

13

Energy Requires Water

14

Increase in World Energy Demand Due to Population Increases

15

645 598 553 207 348 310 285 243 366 412 504 100 100 200 200 300 300 400 400 500 500 600 600 700 700

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2002 2010 2015 2020 2025 Wor

• rld Mar

arketed Ener Energy Cons

• nsumption

197 1970-2025 25 (Quadrillion

• n Btu)

Maj ajor

• r ener

energy cons

• nsumpti

tion i inc ncrea ease w will be be in n the the Emer ergi ging ec econo

• nomies

(Courtesy: GE Energy Infrastructure)

His History Projec ection

• ns

Water Demands by Energy Sector

16 Sandia National Lab

• Many

any new new tec echn hnol

• logi

gies will be be mor

• re

e wat ater er intens ensive

• Hydr

drog

• gen ec

n econom

• nomy w

will requ equire ev even en mor

• re

e wat ater er

• Cons
• nstrai

aints will gr grow

• w for
• r

ener energy gy dev devel elop

• pmen

ent and and pow power er pl plant ant siting ng

Declining Reservoir Levels Reduce Hydro Generating Capacity

17

(Courtesy: GE Energy Infrastructure)

Oil Shale Water Demands

 Oil shale can be mined and processed to generate oil similar to oil

pumped from conventional oil wells

 After mining, the oil shale is transported to a facility for retorting, a

heating process that separates the oil fractions of oil shale from the mineral fraction

 Both mining and processing of oil shale

involve a variety of environmental impacts, such as global warming and greenhouse gas emissions, disturbance of mined land; impacts on wildlife and air and water quality

 Oil shale extraction and processing

require 1.5-2.9 barrels of water for each barrel of oil produced

 It primarily exists in very arid areas 18

Tar Sand Water Demands

 Tar sands (oil sands) are a

combination of clay, sand, water, and bitumen, a heavy black viscous oil

 Oil sands recovery processes include

extraction and separation systems to separate the bitumen

 About two tons of tar sands are

required to produce one barrel of oil

 Tar sands extraction and processing

require 2-4 barrels of water for each barrel of oil produced

 Resulting water contains highly toxic

hydrocarbons such as napthenic acids

19

Tar ar S Sands ands Open pen Pit M t Mini ning ng, , Albe berta ta, C Canada anada

Presidential Executive Order 13514

October 5, 2009

 Sets sustainability goals for 25 Federal agencies,

focusing on making improvements in their environmental, energy and economic performance.

 36% reduction in vehicle fleet petroleum use by 2020  26% improvement in water efficiency by 2020  50% recycling and waste diversion by 2015  95% of all applicable contracts will meet sustainability

standards

 Implementation of storm water provisions  Development of guidance for sustainable Federal building

locations

20

Critical Questions

 How much water will advanced energy technologies

(hydrogen, biomass, nuclear, FutureGen) require?

 How will spatial and temporal variability of water

resources affect energy systems? Water quality?

 What impact will increased competition for water

resources have on energy policy?

 What are the interdependencies between water,

energy and other critical infrastructures (e.g., public health, emergency services, transportation, telecommunications)?

 How will environmental regulations and policy impact

the energy~water connection?

21 Source: Brookhaven National Lab

Sampling of Water-Energy Research Needs

 Integrated regional energy and water resource

planning and decision support

 Treating and reusing non-potable water in power

production

 Water needs for emerging/renewable energy resources  Improved biomass/biofuels water use efficiency  Improved water efficiency or eliminating water usage

altogether in thermoelectric power generation

 Energy efficiency for wastewater treatment and reuse  Improved water supply and demand

characterization/monitoring

 Infrastructure changes for improved energy/water

efficiency

22

23

Imp mpac act o

• f Wat

Water – Was Wastewa water Tr Treatme ment an and d Co Convey eyance on

• n

Ene nergy Deman Demands

Energy Usage for Municipal Water

24 (Courtesy: GE Energy Infrastructure)

6-18% 18% of

• f a

a city’s ener energy gy dem demand and is us used ed to

• pr

produc

• duce,

trea eat & trans ansport wat ater er

Energy Usage for Water Systems

 Approximately 13-18% of total U.S. electricity is used in the

municipal water and wastewater sector

 Equal to the output of 150 typical coal-fired power plants

 Water and wastewater treatment account for 35% of energy usage

by municipalities

 Electricity usage in the US for water and wastewater treatment and

pumping totals over $6.5 billion/year

 EPRI estimates that energy demand associated with supplying

water and its treatment will double over the next 45 years

 Advanced treatment systems may triple the energy demand per

gallon treated

 Aging pipe lines increase friction and increase the energy needed

to pump water

 Water short areas will need to pump water even greater distance

than now, bringing water to population dense urban areas

25

Water Use Cycle Energy Intensities (kWh/MG)

26

Supply & Conveyance (0-14,000) Water Treatment (100-16,000) Water Distribution (700-1,200) Recycled Water Treatment Recycled Water Distribution (400-1,200) Wastewater Treatment Wastewater Collection (1,100-4,600) Discharge (0-400) Source Source End nd-us use

• Agriculture
• Residential
• Commercial
• Industrial

Water Use Cycle Boundary

Sour

• urce:

e: Californi nia W Water er C Commission, n, 2 2005 05

Water Treatment Requires Energy

27

Treatment of future water supplies will be energy intensive

• Readily accessible

water supplies have been harvested

• New technologies are

required to reduce energy requirements to access non-traditional sources (e.g., impaired water, brackish water, sea water)

Source: EPRI

Desalination Energy Issues

28 concentrate pump concentrate heat

Membrane processes: Reverse osmosis, … Thermal processes: Distillation, …

Energy Use and Efficiency

• Energy use is ~40-60% of desal water cost

Pretreatment

• Robust, cost-effective and low

chemical used needed

Concentrate Management

• Disposal is major environmental and

economic problem for inland desal and emerging coastal desal issue

Drinking water Drinking water

The Desalination Quandary

 Desalination is usually a capital and energy-intensive process  Typically requires conveyance of the water to the desalination

plant, pretreatment of the water, disposal of the concentrate (brine) and process maintenance

 Most plants use membrane systems (RO), but these foul rapidly,

increasing head losses and pumping costs

 Thermal systems can be used, but these are energy inefficient  Solar thermal distillation may be successful in a few small areas  Singapore

 Planned to build 5 desalination plants using brackish seawater or

seawater

 However, discovered it was far cheaper to reuse wastewater (both

industrial and domestic) rather than to use desalination

 They are now successfully practicing wastewater reuse through

advanced treatment

29

Water Industry Research Needs

 Develop new treatment and pumping technologies that

are more energy efficient

 Determine reliability, life-cycle costs, ease of operation,

relative energy intensity, environmental impacts, regulatory compliance and institutional barriers to use

• f emerging treatment technologies

 Determine unit process-specific and system integrated

data regarding energy use and energy intensity for water treatment

 Development more efficient means for treatment,

transport and disposal or land application of residual wastewater biosolids, as these usually require significant amounts of energy

30

Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources Joint NSF / China Initiative

31

Tsinghang Province, China

Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region in China

UG1

Base Station Upper Station

Longest observation records in China

Glacier No. 1 in Xinjiang Province

冰面湖显现

1993 993

From 1962-2006, the area

• f Glacier #1 in Tsinghan

Province, China, has reduced by 14%

NSF Team at Glacier #1, 15,000 ft. elev.

36

Leading Edge of Glacier #1

37

Surface Albedo Factor

Stream from Glacier #1

40

Tarim River

Karez System

Karez schematic Karez wells Drawing water

Three Gorges Dam

46

Water Sustainability and Climate (WSC)

NSF Solicitation # 10-524

48

Water Sustainability and Climate

 The goal is to understand and predict the interactions between

the water system and climate change, land use, the built environment, and ecosystem function and services through place-based research and integrative models.

 Multi-directorate solicitation involving the Directorates of

Engineering, Geosciences, Biology, and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences

 Three categories:



Small exploratory or incubation grants to develop teams, identify sites, hold workshops and develop plans for establishment or operation of a study site, 1-2 years and up to $150,000.



Place-based observational and modeling studies, up to 5 years in duration and for a maximum of $5 million for each award.



Synthesis and integration grants that will only use existing data to integrate and synthesize across sites, 3-5 years in duration and for a maximum of $1.5 million for each award.

49

Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability (SEES)

 Goal: To generate the discoveries and capabilities in

climate and energy science and engineering needed to inform societal actions that lead to environmental and economic sustainability

 Approach: Integrated actions that increase U.S.

energy independence, enhance environmental stewardship and reduce energy and carbon intensity, and generate continued economic growth

 Coming in FY 2011

50

Summary

 Electricity and water are at the heart of the US

economy and way of life

 National defense, food production, human health,

manufacturing, recreation, tourism and daily household life all rely on a clean, affordable supply of both water and energy

 It is important to understand the complex

relationship between them

51

52

Questions

CBET Division: w w w .nsf.gov/ eng/ cbet/ activities/ Becom e a Review er: w w w .nsf.gov/ eng/ cbet/ review er/

NSF Research Examples

54

Water Implications of Biofuel Production in the United States

 NSF provided support for the Water Science and Technology Board

• f the National Research Council to host a colloquium addressing

the issue of impact of increased production of conventional and next-generation feedstocks on the nation’s water supply and water quality

 Findings:

 Currently, biofuels are a marginal additional stress on water supplies at

the regional to local scale

 Significant acceleration of biofuels production could cause much

greater water quantity problems depending on where the crops are grown

 Problems mainly due to N and P  Needed to encourage development of new technologies that support

cellulosic fuel production and develop both traditional and cellulosic feedstocks that require less water and fertilizer

55

Step ephe hen Par arker er – Nat ation

• nal

al Academ ademy of

• f Scienc

ences

Multiobjective Optimization Strategies for the Design of Sustainable Biofuel Processes

 Develop novel and advanced

process systems engineering tools for optimal design of biofuel plants

 Develop simultaneous

• ptimization models for the

minimization of energy and freshwater consumption

 Targets will be maximum profit,

minimum energy use, minimum freshwater use and minimum environmental impact

56

Ignac gnacio Gros

• ssman

n – Car arnegi negie-Mel ellon

• n Uni

niv.

Predicted biofuel consumption in US (Hoekman, 2009)

Biofuels and the Hydrologic Cycle

57

Rob

• bert Anex

nex – U. of Iowa

• Modeling the interplay
• f land use, climate

and the environment in future biofuel production systems

• Studying impacts of

alterations in hydrologic cycle driven by biomass feedstock production, such as changes in yield, soil erosion, stream flow and stream flow reliability.

Environmental Impacts of Next Generation Biofuels

 Goal is to quantify the water quality degradation

tradeoffs associated with second (cellulosic ethanol) and third generation (e.g., algae-produced) biofuels

 Based on a life cycle assessment (LCA) framework  Preliminary findings:

 Agricultural emissions from the U.S. Corn Belt contribute

significantly to the total amount of eutrophication in the US

 Producing 1 gallon of algae oil requires approximately 0.00020

acre land (as compared to 0.01 acre/gal of soy‐biodiesel), 0.46 L water and 18.4 m2polyethylene

 No‐till practices can significantly decrease the carbon

emissions profile

58

Amy Landi Landis – Uni

• niv. of
• f Pittsbu

burgh

EFRI-RESIN Projects

 Interdependence, Resilience and Sustainability of

Infrastructures for Biofuel Development

 Ximing Cai – Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

 The Interface of Infrastructures, Markets and Natural

Cycles – Innovative Modeling and Control Mechanisms for Managing Electricity, Water and Air Quality in Texas

 David Allen – Univ. of Texas at Austin

 Sustainable Infrastructures for Energy and Water Supply

(SINEWS)

 John Crittenden – Georgia Tech 59

RESI RESIN – Res esiliant ant and and Sus ustai ainab able Inf nfras astruc uctures es Bui uild, d, r renew enew, ex expand pand, m moni

• nitor, and

and cont

• ntrol c

critical int nter erdepe pend nden ent i inf nfrastruc uctures t to be

• be bot

both h res esilien ent and s and sus ustai aina nabl ble.

Vulnerability of Water Infrastructure to Climate Variability and Change: Implications for Sustainable Water Management

 Understand the complex and

dynamic interactions among population growth, water- energy nexus, climate change and vulnerability in a coupled human-environmental system

 What are the energy and

carbon footprints of selected water management plans?

 Utilizes a dynamic Decision

Support System (DSS)

Climate Variability And Change Population Environment Water Energy

Saj ajjad A d Ahm hmad ad – Uni

• niv. of
• f Nev

evada ada-La Las Vegas egas

Dynamic Structure and Function of Biofilms for Wastewater Treatment

 Developing a Hybrid Membrane-Biofilm Process (HMBP) where

cassettes of air-filled membrane-supported biofilms are intregrated into an activated sludge tank

 These are counter-diffusional biofilms, where the electron donor and

acceptor come from opposite sides.

 Eliminates bubbled aeration, potentially saving over 50% of the

electrical energy requirements of the treatment plant, while achieving nitrogen removal and minimizing N2O emissions

61

Rober

• bert Ner

erenb enber erg – Uni

• niv. of
• f Not
• tre

e Dam ame

Investigating a New Energy-Efficient Hybrid Ion Exchange-Nanofiltration Desalination Process

 Typical seawater RO plants require 1.5-2.5 kWh of electricity to

produce 1 m3 of treated water

 Thermal distillation requires 5-10 times more

 This project will develop a new hybrid ion exchange-nanofiltration

process that will reduce energy consumption by 2-3 times

 RO membranes will be totally

replaced by nanofiltration membranes

 The volume of brine to be

disposed will be greatly reduced

62

Arup S up Sengupt engupta – Lehi Lehigh gh Uni niv.

Development and Study of Compact Thermal Desalination Systems Driven by Solar Energy

 Develop a novel method of water desalination using solar energy  Will use seawater as the working fluid and only use solar energy  Will use a high temperature solar collector fluid (~1000 C) and will

couple steam and power generation with the thermal desalination component

 This unit will be tested at

UIUC and then installed in Cyprus

63

John

• hn Geor

eorgiadis – Un Univ

• iv. o
• f Illin

llinois is-Urba baba ba-Cham hampai aign

Energy Security is Threatened at the Energy~Water Nexus

 Water is a limited resource  Sustainable withdrawal of freshwater is a national

issue

 Energy requires water and water requires energy  Energy – Water issues require a regional perspective

64

Annual Precipitation Minus ET, Average 1934-2002

65

Groundwater Withdrawal/Available Precipitation

66

Water Supplies are Vulnerable

67

Water is a Critical Resource

68

• Fast growing demand for

clean, fresh water

• Increased demand for

environmental protection

• All regions of U.S. are

vulnerable to water shortages

• Water availability

determines:

• Electricity supply and

demand

• Electricity grid topology
• Societal and economic

infrastructure sustainability

Water Issues in the News

69

Cooling Water Withdrawal and Consumption, gal/kWh

70