2010-03-11

Gunter Pauli is the author of 'Blue Economy'

CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY
Save energy, removes chemicals and generates 250,000 jobs in 10 years
Published 10-03-10 By Gunter Pauli
The global market for water treatment and potable water production is one of the safest investments. Water is essential for society and industry.
Access to safe water is increasingly difficult with increasing population and per capita consumption, which raises problems of supply. The water used to be a common good and free, but in recent decades has become a profitable business with secure cash flow and rising costs for consumers.
The global market for water and wastewater treatment reached 200,000 million (146,337 million) in 2009, and continues to expand. China leads the market with an annual growth of about 17%. The field of wastewater treatment is valued at 40,000 million dollars and covers 13,000 companies worldwide.
It's a stable business that contracts are governed by long-term service. The traditional model of water treatment is the deposition and oxidation, which are based on the extraction of solid and air-injection, filtration and chemical treatment. The annual volume of chemicals used in the U.S. exceeds 10 million tonnes. As water demand increases, so does the use of chemicals.
The field of wastewater treatment is valued at 40,000 million
The consumption of bottled water, which is often just filtered, desalinated, and sometimes increased an average of 12% annually over the past decade, with an approximate value of 22,000 million dollars. One of the niches of the fastest growing market is the conversion of salt water into drinking water by reverse osmosis plant that treats dirty or salty water through a membrane.
The capital investment in this technology amounts to 2,200 million dollars, but is expected to increase another 50% over the next four years.
It is this context that we must rely to assess the arrival of an extraordinarily simple innovation: the vortex. The vortex has the ability to dramatically increase efficiency in water treatment.
The spiral movement could one day remove chemicals and membranes, and alter the current cash flows, which seemed safe. The vortex technology platform is based on the observation of progressive natural cleansing dirty water along the river course. The continuous circular movement of air injected and extracted water, braking and stimulating bacterial activity.
Two Swedish inventors, mathematician Curt Hallberg Morten Overson and his colleague, first his remarks translated into a mathematical model and then created a simple device that emulates the movement of water in a vortex with predictable results. They then created Watreco AB, based in Malmö. Watreco AB was elected the Swedish environmental technology in the year 2009. But it's more than a green company because it changes the business model of water in most applications.
The strength of the vortex lies in the predictability of the laws of physics. The scientific principles are simple: the vortex rotates on its axis, the pressure inside pushes the particles toward the margins and expels the water through the center. The core of the vortex enters a separate chamber where it produces salt-free water and air. Without chemicals and without membranes.
Investors included the extensive possibilities of application and sought the obvious first entry in the market. The ice-making became the initial test. The vortex generator showed clear results: energy savings and crystalline ice. The water contains air dissolved in microscopic bubbles. The vortex eliminates air, which acts as an insulator, so water freezes more quickly.
The circular motion of air injected and extracted water, affecting bacterial activity
The air is crystalline ice without and unbreakable. Thus, when used in ice hockey tracks, advertising remains visible throughout the season, increasing revenue from it. In the absence of air, bacteria generally present in the ice, such as E.coli and salmonella, do not proliferate. The Scandinavian ice rinks majors have adopted this technology.
The second niche market that generated cash flows to Watecro AB were the golf courses. Today, a golf course may need up to 3.7 million liters of water a day. To save water, surfactants are added that facilitate a more rapid penetration into the ground.
If the water has been treated previously with vortex machine is not necessary to add chemicals and save between 20% and 30% water. This is the first case in which vortex innovation deletes the use of chemicals. A third niche is the removal of algae in stagnant water, which usually are treated with chemicals like chlorine.
While the hockey rink and the golf courses are only niche markets, the experience prepared Hallberg and his team for growing markets such as industrial water treatment and desalination. The Spanish test units installed in the Canary Islands showed that treatment of salt water allows the elimination of air, ending the problem of biofilms.
Biofilms are formed in the membranes and reduce the efficiency of production of drinking water. This forces the closing of the reverse osmosis plant every fortnight to discuss the system with chemicals and remove biofilms. This increases costs (due to chemicals) and reduces efficiency (the lockout-serviceable). Without air in the water, bacteria do not have the energy to eat, and if not used chemicals, the life expectancy of the membrane increases.
These are just two new applications of the vortex system. In future articles we will present more opportunities. However, what we know today confirms that less capital is needed, it saves more energy, chemicals can be discontinued and current investments generate higher returns.
The challenge for industry is that their successful integration into the existing facilities requires a new core competency: a fluid dynamics. Now, are General Electric and Nitto Denko those who have to demonstrate their creativity. Meanwhile, entrepreneurs from around the world can develop a competitive model that generates new jobs.
Gunter Pauli is the author of 'Blue Economy'
See the whole article.

2010-01-18

New track record in Königssee, Rennrodel

Two times Albert Demtschenko was beaten the track record in the World Cup in rennrodel, Königssee.
This was the first time in history a World Cup was runned with Realice.

See results from Königssee