LONG BEACH, CA – Nearly a decade of work has paid off for the city's water department, which was awarded a Notice of Allowance for Patent Protection earlier this month by the US Patent Office for its unique two-stage desalination technology, according to a city press release.
Dubbed the "Long Beach Method," the desalination technique uses 20 to 30 percent less energy than traditional reverse osmosis (RO) desalination methods by sending seawater through two nanofiltration membranes – one at 525 pounds per square inch (psi) and a second at 250 psi – the water department said.
According to the release, engineers found the first filter blocked all but 12 percent of the smallest salt molecules, while the second blocked nearly all the remaining salts, and the process was more energy-efficient than traditional desalination, which pushed seawater at 1,000 psi.
In addition to removing salt, the technology filters out metals, organic material and microorganisms, according to Ryan J. Alsop, director of government and public affairs for the water department.
The Long Beach Method has been successfully piloted using a small desalter that processes 9,000 gallons daily, and the water department is now testing the technique at a 300,000 gallon-per-day facility, the press release said.
Research on the Long Beach Method continues, and Alsop said the water department has received inquiries from other utilities interested in developing the technology.
For more information on the Long Beach desalination project, click here.
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