Water integration in industrial zones: a spatial representation with direct recycle applications

This work introduces a representation of spatial aspects within industrial zones, which can be applied to problems involving any type of water integration strategies. The representation is flexible and takes into consideration the respective plant locations, and any barriers that exist in between. Moreover, industrial city corridors that are allocated for water transport have also been accounted for. This allows effective water integration and matching among available water streams using a spatially constrained approach that utilizes the shortest path options available. The proposed representation has been illustrated using direct recycling integration strategies, which in turn are commonly recognized to employ the simplest techniques for water integration, as a first instance. A case study involving several water using and producing processes that belong to a group of plants all operating in a common industrial zone have been carried out as a demonstration, for which several different scenarios were studied. In doing so, cost-effective water network designs that involve attractive wastewater reuse schemes among adjacent and nearby processing facilities have been identified, while considering spatial constraints for water transport.