New large solar photocatalytic plant: set-up and preliminary results

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) 2002-04, Vol.47 (3), p.235-240
• Main Authors: Malato, S, Blanco, J, Vidal, A, Fernández, P, Cáceres, J, Trincado, P, Oliveira, J.C, Vincent, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Automation; Catalysis; Coloring Agents - chemistry; Cyanide; Dichloroacetic acid; Exact sciences and technology; Facility Design and Construction; Photochemistry; Pollution; Sewerage works: sewers, sewage treatment plants, outfalls; Solar collectors; Solar photocatalysis; Titanium - chemistry; Titanium dioxide; Ultraviolet Rays; Water Purification - methods; Water treatment and pollution
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/S0045-6535(01)00220-X

A European industrial consortium called SOLARDETOX has been created as the result of an EC-DGXII BRITE-EURAM-III-financed project on solar photocatalytic detoxification of water. The project objective was to develop a simple, efficient and commercially competitive water-treatment technology, based on compound parabolic collectors (CPCs) solar collectors and TiO 2 photocatalysis, to make possible easy design and installation. The design, set-up and preliminary results of the main project deliverable, the first European industrial solar detoxification treatment plant, is presented. This plant has been designed for the batch treatment of 2 m 3 of water with a 100 m 2 collector-aperture area and aqueous aerated suspensions of polycrystalline TiO 2 irradiated by sunlight. Fully automatic control reduces operation and maintenance manpower. Plant behaviour has been compared (using dichloroacetic acid and cyanide at 50 mg l −1 initial concentration as model compounds) with the small CPC pilot plants installed at the Plataforma Solar de Almerı́a several years ago. The first results with high-content cyanide (1 g l −1 ) waste water are presented and plant treatment capacity is calculated.