Industrial reverse osmosis system for process water treatment and water recycling

The ALMA OSMO PROCESS is an industrial reverse osmosis (RO) system for treating process water, wastewater, and for industrial water reuse applications. It is used wherever water of a defined, reproducible quality is required or where wastewater needs to be treated to such an extent that it can be reused or returned to downstream processes.

Basic principle of reverse osmosis

In reverse osmosis, water is forced under pressure through a semi-permeable membrane. This process:

• dissolved salts

• ions

• organic substances

• Micropollutants

• Germs and particles

retained to a very high degree. This results in two partial flows:

• Permeate (highly purified treated water)

• Concentrate (concentrated residues)

Special feature of the ALMA OSMO PROCESS

The ALMA OSMO PROCESS is not a standard RO system, but a customized industrial plant that is precisely tailored to:

• the composition of the process water or wastewater

• the desired water quality

• the required yield

• the operational constraints

is interpreted.

A key feature is that reverse osmosis is always considered as a complete system, including individually tailored pretreatment, membrane protection, and intelligent operation management.

Typical areas of application

• Process water treatment (e.g., for production, cooling water, boiler feed water)

• Wastewater treatment with downstream reverse osmosis

• Water reuse (water cycle closure, internal reuse)

• Reduction of fresh water consumption and wastewater volumes

• Compliance with strict quality requirements

The ALMA OSMO PROCESS is a key component for sustainable water strategies and reducing operating costs, particularly in industry.

summary The ALMA OSMO PROCESS is a customized industrial reverse osmosis system for treating process water, wastewater, and water reuse applications with individually designed pretreatment and fully automatic operation.

The ALMA OSMO PROCESS covers an exceptionally wide range of applications and is suitable for both small, specialized applications and large industrial water volumes. This allows it to be flexibly integrated into a wide variety of industrial processes.

Flow rates from small to large

Typical design areas are:

• From approx. 1 m³/h for smaller process or partial flows

• Up to 500 m³/h for large-scale industrial applications

Between these cornerstones are:

• modular extensions

• parallel RO lines

• multi-stage plant concepts

Easily achievable. This enables precise adjustment to actual water demand and avoids oversizing or undersizing.

Suitable applications

The ALMA OSMO PROCESS is suitable for, among other things:

• continuous process water treatment

• Wastewater streams with stable or fluctuating composition

• Water reuse projects with high water quality requirements

• Partial flow treatments within complex systems

• Pilot and expansion stages

Thanks to its flexible design, the system can:

• as a standalone solution

• or as part of a multi-stage water treatment concept

be used (e.g., in combination with biological pretreatment, CP plant, ultrafiltration).

Scalability and future-proofing

A major advantage of the ALMA OSMO PROCESS is its scalability:

• Capacity increase through additional modules

• Adaptation to changing water qualities

• Integration of additional pretreatment stages in response to increasing requirements

This makes the system particularly future-proof, even if production volumes, legal requirements, or internal water strategies change.

Summary
The ALMA OSMO PROCESS is suitable for flow rates of approximately 1 m³/h to 500 m³/h and can be adapted to small and large industrial applications in a modular fashion.

Pre-treatment is the decisive factor for the success of any industrial reverse osmosis plant. With ALMA OSMO PROCESS, pre-treatment is therefore always tailored to the specific process water or wastewater. The aim is to reliably protect the RO membranes from fouling, scaling, and irreversible damage while ensuring economical operation.

Why individual pre-treatment is necessary

Process water and wastewater differ greatly in terms of:

• Particle and solid content

• organic load (COD, TOC)

• biological activity

• Hardness-forming elements (Ca, Mg, Ba, Sr)

• Iron, manganese, silicate

• colloidal and biofouling-relevant substances

Standardized pretreatment often leads to:

• increased cleaning effort (CIP)

• shortened membrane service life

• unstable operation

• high operating costs

Individual pretreatment options of the ALMA OSMO PROCESS

Depending on the water quality, the following preliminary stages are used, among others:

• Ultrafiltration (UF) for the reliable separation of particles, colloids, and microorganisms

• biological pretreatment to reduce organic contamination

• Membrane biology (MBR) for high wastewater quality requirements and space constraints

• Biofiltration for stabilizing organic substances

• Flocculation filtration for removing the finest particles

• Softening to reduce hardness-forming substances and scaling risks

• Chemical-physical preliminary stages (neutralization, CP plant, flotation), if necessary

The selection is made on the basis of detailed water analyses, operating data, and target parameters.

Purpose of pretreatment

The pretreatment of ALMA OSMO PROCESS ensures:

• stable permeate quality

• long diaphragm service life

• reduced CIP frequency

• low operating costs

• high system availability

summary The pretreatment for ALMA OSMO PROCESS is individually designed using processes such as ultrafiltration, biological pretreatment, or softening to prevent fouling and scaling and ensure economical RO operation.

The long-term stable operation of an industrial reverse osmosis plant depends crucially on the protection of the membranes. ALMA OSMO PROCESS combines chemical, mechanical, and metrological protection concepts that are precisely tailored to the respective water.

Antiscalant dosing – tailored to the water

Each ALMA OSMO PROCESS is equipped with a custom-designed antiscalant dosing station. Dosing is based on:

• Water Treatment Additives

• Salt and hardness composition

• planned yield

• Operating pressure

coordinated.

This will result in:

• Precipitation of calcium, magnesium, or barium salts

• silicate scaling

• Crystal formation on the membrane surface

reliably prevented.

CIP cleaning station (cleaning in place)

An integrated CIP cleaning station is part of the ALMA OSMO PROCESS system to restore membrane performance.

Advantages:

• chemical cleaning without removing the membranes

• short downtimes

• Targeted removal of organic, inorganic, or biological deposits

• Extension of the diaphragm service life

The CIP strategy is adapted to the respective water quality.

Comprehensive measurement and monitoring technology

The ALMA OSMO PROCESS is fully monitored by sensors. Among other things, the following are recorded:

• Pressures and differential pressures at all relevant stages

• Conductivity of raw water, permeate, and concentrate

• pH values in the partial flows

• Flow rates and yields

This continuous monitoring enables:

• Early detection of fouling or scaling

• timely initiation of countermeasures

• consistently high water quality

Result: maximum protection at minimum operating costs

Through the combination of:

• customized pre-treatment

• Antiscalant dosage

• CIP system

• intelligent measurement technology

the reverse osmosis system is permanently protected and operated economically.

summary The ALMA OSMO PROCESS protects its membranes through customized antiscalant dosing, integrated CIP cleaning, and comprehensive pressure, conductivity, and pH monitoring in all partial flows.

The ALMA OSMO PROCESS is designed as a highly flexible, modular reverse osmosis system and can be implemented in various process configurations. The aim is to optimally coordinate water yield, operational reliability, and cost-effectiveness, depending on water quality, disposal concept, and reuse objectives.

Flexible system concepts instead of standard RO

Unlike simple standard RO systems, the ALMA OSMO PROCESS is always designed as a customized complete system. Different system architectures can be implemented, including:

• Single-stage reverse osmosis for stable raw water quality

• Multi-stage reverse osmosis systems to increase total desalination

• Parallel RO lines for redundancy or high flow rates

• Modular expansion concepts for future capacity increases

Concentration stages to maximize water recovery

If minimizing concentrate volumes or reducing wastewater costs is the priority, concentrate stages can be used.

Advantages:

• significantly higher overall yields

• lower concentrate quantities

• greater cost-effectiveness with limited disposal options

Permeate stages for the highest water quality

Permeate stages can be integrated for applications with particularly high water quality requirements (e.g., process water, boiler feed water, water reuse).

Goals:

• further reduction in conductivity

• Ensuring consistent water quality

• Adaptation to sensitive production processes

Adaptation to water reuse concepts

Especially in water reuse applications, the system configuration is specifically chosen so that:

• maximum internal reuse is possible

• different quality levels can be provided

• Process water flows are supplied in a targeted manner

The ALMA OSMO PROCESS can thus be seamlessly integrated into individual water circulation concepts.

summary The ALMA OSMO PROCESS can be designed as a single-stage or multi-stage reverse osmosis system with permeate or concentrate stages, parallel lines, and modular expansion to optimize yield, water quality, and cost-effectiveness.

The ALMA OSMO PROCESS is not limited to a fixed design, but is adapted precisely to the structural, logistical, and operational requirements of the project. This allows the system to be optimally integrated into both new and existing infrastructures.

Container construction – turnkey and quick to install

The ALMA OSMO PROCESS is a reverse osmosis system in container design:

• fully pre-assembled

• piped and wired

• equipped with integrated measurement, control, and regulation technology

• Includes antiscalant dosing and CIP cleaning station

Advantages of container construction:

• Very short installation and commissioning times

• Weatherproof, climate-controlled plant operation

• High quality through prefabrication at the factory

• Ideal for water reuse projects, temporary solutions, or retrofit applications

The container solution is suitable for both stationary and mobile reverse osmosis systems.

Rack design – flexible integration into existing systems

Alternatively, the ALMA OSMO PROCESS can be supplied as a rack system, e.g.:

• for installation in existing technical rooms

• with limited height

• if containers are not possible or desired

Advantages of rack construction:

• space-saving

• High accessibility of components

• flexible arrangement within existing systems

Consistent quality – regardless of the design

Regardless of whether container or rack design:

• the process engineering concept remains identical

• All systems are fully automated.

• All pressures, conductivities, pH values, flow rates, and yields are monitored.

This means that ALMA OSMO PROCESS is fully comparable to classic stationary RO systems in both technical and operational terms – while offering significantly greater flexibility.

Summary

The ALMA OSMO PROCESS is supplied as a container unit or rack system and enables quick, flexible integration into new or existing water and wastewater treatment plants.