Process modeling and simulation of an SWRO desalination plant: case study of Gijang SWRO desalination plant in Korea

Abstract

An operator training simulator (OTS) provides the identical operating system environment with a real plant as well as the systematic accumulation of operation and maintenance (O&M) know-how in a seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant. Those properties could significantly increase a plant O&M efficiency. OTS system consists of a distributed control system server, a virtual controller, and a simulator reflecting an actual plant. This study describes the development of the plant simulator and the results from its application to Gijang SWRO desalination plant in Korea. The process models of the simulator were developed based on the previously established mathematical equations, and the process models simulate all of the unit process in the SWRO plant such as a dissolved air flotation, a dual-media filtration (DMF), an ultrafiltration (UF), and a reverse osmosis (RO) with an energy recovery device, respectively. They are the main components of the plant. All the parameters of each unit process were based on the actual design values from the plant. As a result, there was good agreement between the simulated values from the developed process models and the designed performance values of the plant. In addition, the results from the dynamic simulations like the increase of different pressure and the performance recovery by the cleaning activities at DMF, UF, and RO unit processes were well simulated with a typical decay rate according to the process time. The process models developed in this study could be the basis to develop the OTS system of Gijang SWRO desalination plant, and furthermore, it can be used for a platform in developing a digital SWRO plant after improving it more in detail.