Shipboard desalination is accomplished via reverse osmosis, an energy-intensive process where seawater is pressurized to high pressures, desalinated, and the resultant brine stream is depressurized for discharge overboard. The introduction of energy recovery technology to the shipboard reverse osmosis desalination unit enables reductions in energy consumption, weight, and can simplify maintenance and operations. The Fleet Readiness Research and Development Program (SEA 05T) sponsored an effort at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division to conceptualize, design, qualify, and install a design change to incorporate an energy recovery pumping skid into the seawater reverse osmosis plant on the USS Whidbey Island (LSD-41) class and USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49) class ships. A pumping skid was designed for use within the 36,000 gallon per day seawater reverse osmosis system to recover the hydraulic energy from the high pressure brine stream, enabling a significant reduction in energy usage. The pumping skid was designed and fabricated using adapted commercial technology, and was successfully qualified to meet shock, vibration, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) requirements. Endurance testing was performed on the pumping skid at a land-based natural seawater test site for 2,160 operating hours, and the skid was successfully installed on the USS Carter Hall (LSD-50) as a non-permanent change (NPC) installation. Following demonstration of energy savings (over seventy percent reduction in energy consumption compared to legacy equipment), the unit remained on the ship and operated successfully for a full seven month deployment, enabling the ship to reliably and efficiently produce potable water. This presentation will focus on the development process as well as the test results obtained during qualification and endurance testing, in addition to data and general observations of performance during shipboard at-sea operation.
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