Water reuse in the power sector: experimental evaluation of tradeoffs

I will work closely with students to (i) evaluate the performance of a bench-scale reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment system and to (ii) describe the fundamental mechanisms involved in the treatment processes. The bench-scale system will collect data online and in real-time using transducers/transmitters and LabView software. The students will learn to write LabView code, which is a visual coding software, to automate operation and data collection. They will also gain knowledge and experience in system building, physiochemical processes (as applied to water treatment), and technical writing. 

The overall goal for this project is to determine the optimal operating conditions required to maximize water reuse in the power sector during wastewater treatment. The power sector accounts for over 40% of all freshwater use in the US, so increasing water reuse is vital in securing water resources. Learnings from this project can also be broadly applied to other sectors that treat to waters to high recoveries (e.g., inland brackish water desalination, produced waters from oil and gas, and industrial waters).

For those interested in applying to the Bahena Water Reuse Lab, please respond to the following prompt: Please describe your interests in environmental engineering and water treatment. Are there any skills you have previously acquired that you can leverage in this summer experience? What skills do you hope to gain from this summer experience? (please limit response to <400 words)

Name of research group, project, or lab
Bahena Water Reuse Lab
Why join this research group or lab?

As an experimentalist, I will work closely with students to train them in hands-on experimental work. I plan to have a weekly check-in meeting to review their progress and to discuss their plans. My primary goal as their mentor is to help them build their self-efficacy as researchers. My secondary goal is to expose them to the diverse world of water treatment and how engineers can provide tangible solutions facing the environment (e.g., climate change). The work in this lab lies at the heart of the water-energy nexus: evaluating methods to reduce the energy demand of water treatment systems (potable and non-potable) and evaluating systems that can optimize water use in power facilities.

Representative publication
plata-et-al-2022-zero-liquid-discharge-and-water-reuse-in-recirculating-cooling-towers-at-power-facilities-review-and (2).pdf
Logistics Information:
Project categories
Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Sustainability
Student ranks applicable
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Student qualifications

While there are no pre-requisite courses required to participate in this research, background in chemistry and fluids may be helpful. There will also be a physical component involved in system building and experimental operation. For example, the membrane module (i.e., filter housing) is made of stainless steel and can be quite heavy (~20-25 lbs). The ability to lift the module for cleaning and the ability to apply force with a wrench to tighten fittings will be required. 

Time commitment
Spring - Part Time
Summer - Full Time
Compensation
Academic Credit
Paid Research
Number of openings
2
Techniques learned

Students in my lab can expect to learn the following:

  • LabView software (visual software for data acquisition)
  • Transducer/transmitter connection/operation
  • OLI software (chemical simulation software)
  • Bench-scale water treatment system operation
  • Data collection and automation
  • Laboratory solution preparation
Project start
Spring 2025
Contact Information:
Mentor
Sophia Bahena
sbahena@hmc.edu
Assistant Professor
Name of project director or principal investigator
Sophia Bahena
Email address of project director or principal investigator
sbahena@g.hmc.edu
2 sp. | 9 appl.
Hours per week
Spring - Part Time (+1)
Spring - Part TimeSummer - Full Time
Project categories
Engineering (+2)
EngineeringEnvironmental EngineeringSustainability