Demand for renewable energy sources is growing day by day. There are various ways to extract heat from natural and renewable elements such as water and thermal energy.
An emerging way of extracting heat from water and water sources is to harness the thermal energy in wastewater. Other aquathermy solutions, such as thermal energy from surface water, have also gained popularity and are widely used in the utilities sector. Even though these are different applications, they have one thing in common: high-quality filtration precisely where it’s needed is essential to protect heat exchangers and pumps.
What is aquathermy?
Aquathermy is a collective term for ways to extract heat from water. The water used for this can be surface water, drinking water, process water or wastewater. The heat from the water is transferred to a heating grid by a heat exchanger.
In other words, aquathermy is a sustainable way to extract energy from natural sources and eliminates the need to use fossil fuels.
How does aquathermy work?
Aquathermy starts by drawing water from a water source, generally a river, canal or lake, but it can also be process water or a type of wastewater. Surface water, as well as wastewater, often contains natural debris such as leaves, sand, algae, etc. If this debris is not filtered from the water, it can end up clogging up and fouling the heat exchangers. These will then ultimately transfer less heat or none at all, and will have to be replaced or given a thorough clean. This is precisely what we want to prevent!
By carefully filtering the water and making sure that the water is clean when it passes through the heat exchangers, we maximise the heat exchangers’ service life. To do this, we generally use a Bernoulli filter. Bernoulli filters are self-cleaning filters that can handle large amounts of debris and dirt, removing the solids without interrupting the process. Extra useful: Bernoulli filters are low-maintenance, energy-efficient and resistant to changing water quality.
Please note that BÈTA industrie is the only supplier of original Bernoulli filters in the Netherlands
What is thermal energy from wastewater?
One form of aquathermy is thermal energy from wastewater, which extracts heat from sewage or waste process water.
Heat exchangers extract heat from the various types of wastewater and transfer it to the heating grid. As soon as the heat has been extracted from it, the water can be discharged and will reheat naturally.
What filters are used for thermal energy from wastewater?
Wastewater contains various kinds of contamination and debris that impede the proper functioning of heat exchangers. This is why effective pre-filtration is so important. Like in other applications, a Bernoulli filter offers the best filtration solution in this application.
Before the water can be returned to nature, it is advisable, but not necessary, to filter the water again. This way we can be sure that contaminants and debris will not end up in the surface water.
What is thermal energy from surface water?
Another form of aquathermy is thermal energy from surface water, which is a heating method that uses heat extracted from surface water such as rivers.
Heat exchangers are used to extract heat from the surface water and transfer it to the heat grid. After this process, the water can be returned to the river, canal or other body of water.
What filters are used for thermal energy from surface water?
Surface water drawn from a body of water may contain all kinds of debris, such as leaves, sand, shells, pebbles, algae, etc. This can damage heat exchangers. Bernoulli filters are your best option for surface water filtration. They are also built to last.
Tailored advice from BÉTA industrie specialists
Make a no-obligation appointment with one of our sustainability and liquid filtration specialists using the contact form. They will be happy to advise you on what’s possible and the best solution for your aquathermy system.