Turn waste stream to process water stream

GEA Condensate Polisher


Condensate from evaporation plants is used as process, cooling, and rinsing water or is directly discharged into a drainage ditch.

For this purpose, the condensate must be purified. Impurities in the condensate can be removed by membrane filtration, in the particular case by reverse osmosis, and high condensate qualities can be achieved.

GEA Condensate Polisher: turning waste stream into process water stream by membrane filtration
Condensate from dairy and food evaporation plants can be purified in a condensate polisher to convert a waste stream into a water stream, using reverse osmosis. This high quality water can then be re-used as process, cooling, and rinsing water or be discharged directly into a drainage ditch.
Condensate polisher

Condensate polisher

Condensate from evaporation processes contains impurities such as chemical oxygen demands (COD), ions and other unwanted components. For re-use as process water, these impurities need to be removed. Using reverse osmosis, it is possible to produce a high-grade process water for re-use in the production facility with a low content of ions and a low conductivity level.   

The operating pressure and process design depends on the quality of the condensate and the level of purification required.  

If the capacity of the system increases, requiring higher volumes of condensate to be treated by a waste water system, the hydraulic load to the waste water system can be reduced up to factor five when installing the Condensate Polisher. The filtrate can be discharged directly if the purity requirements are met. 

Benefits of process water recovery:

  • High-quality filtrate/permeate from the polisher – purified with a low COD/BOD 
  • Re-use of filtrate/permeate/regained water in production processes e.g:
    • CIP flush water (including final flush)
    • CIP water (chemical priming)
    • Water source closed sections (PHE etc.)
    • Water for hose stations
    • Pump seal water
    • Process water (if UV or treated similar)
    • Boiler water (special application)
  • Reduction of fresh or well water consumption – up to 90% of recovery of water via polisher
  • Reduction of waste-water by reusing the water from polisher

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