SWRO and whale psychologists, Argentina

In 1983, Union Pump (now ClydeUnion) negotiated a license agreement with Canada’s Seagold Industries for a new RO energy recovery device (ERD) patented by Seagold’s Bowie Keefer. The device 'incorporated external fluid exchange, using a fluid volume exchange structure, interconnecting pumping and expansion chambers.'

Patagonia ERD. – GG Pique

At the time, FEDCO’s Eli Oklejas was Union’s chief centrifugal pump designer and responsible for the R&D lab where the new ERD was tested. 'It was a clever design, and consisted of a standard triplex plunger pump with a 'brine piston' section located between the PD pump’s fluid and drive ends. The brine section partially unloaded the plungers, which reduced power consumption. But it generated significant pressure pulsations that required pulsation dampeners at the brine inlet and discharge,' he recalled.

Nisalco, an Argentinian RO system supplier, won a SWRO project for a 662 m³/d (175,000 GPD) installation that used Union’s new ERD arrangement. According to GG Pique – who was with Fluid Systems (now Koch Membrane Systems) at the time – that first installation had an energy consumption of less than 3 kWh/m³ (11.4 kWh/kgal).

The desal plant was located at Puerto Piramides in an eco-tourist area deep in Patagonia, where the Atlantic Whales migrate each winter to bear their calves. It was situated on a small artificial ‘island’ near the seawater intake location. As can be seen in the photo (below), the bay in which the plant was located had a tidal variation of up to 3m (9.8 ft).

Although impingement and entrainment were not yet a concern of desalters, Pique explained that the plant design did take some unusual measures to mitigate its impact on marine life. 'Because of the sensitive ecological location, the Government of Argentina hired a 'Whale Psychologist' to consult with Nisalco on the design of the RO building to ensure the building’s appearance would not affect the whale migration patterns or birthing inclinations,' he said.

Veolia’s Cristina D’Ambrosio, who was with Nisalco at the time, added, 'The site manager was told what color to paint the building and the Province Authorities appointed an inspector to visit the site and make sure the colors were correct and the building was made to architectural specifications. He said it was so important because sea lions, elephant seals, southern right whales and orcas come to the area between April and October for mating and to give birth.'

Eli Oklejas went on to invent the hydraulic turbocharger and found Pump Engineering and FEDCO, where he remains the company’s president. GG Pique went on to become vice president of Veolia/USFilter, where he hired the Nisalco engineers that designed the Patagonian SWRO system. He later became president and CEO of Energy Recovery, Inc.