Theme: The Water/Energy Nexus, Cohosted by STS-AIChE.

Hybrid Meeting / In-Person Venue: The Bougainvilleas, 12126 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77077 MAP

Cost: Attendance at the Water Forum (either in-person or livestream) is free.

STS-AIChE Meeting Sponsors:

TIEEP will hold its 2022 Water Forum on Thursday, March 3, 2022, 4:00-6:00pm, in collaboration with the South Texas Section of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (STS-AIChE). The Water Forum will be followed by the Social Hour (6:00-7:00 pm), and the STS-AIChE March Dinner Meeting at 7:00pm, with guest speaker The Honorable Jason Isaac, Director of Life:Powered, a project of the Texas Public Policy Foundation to raise America’s energy IQ. Water Forum participants are invited to stay for the AIChE dinner meeting and presentation. A separate registration and payment is required for the dinner meeting. PDH certificates will be available for both the Water Forum and the STS-AIChE monthly meeting. We are excited to be offering this event in a hybrid format (in-person and livestreaming).

FORUM OVERVIEW

Water and energy are inextricably interconnected. We need water, in greater or lesser amounts, in all types of energy production and energy conversion processes, and we need energy to manage our water resources. Our water forum presenters this year bring us a number of innovations that provide new twists to the water-energy connection.

FORUM SEGMENTS

Water Conservation Technologies in Evaporative Cooling

Segment Overview:
This presentation will include discussions of Cooling Tower Basics, Water Use in Evaporative Cooling, Value of Evaporative Cooling, Make-up Water Quality, and Water Conservation Technologies as they apply to evaporative cooling.

Ken Mortensen is Senior Manager, Research and Development for SPX Cooling Technologies. He has managed several R&D and Technical Services Departments responsible for water quality, materials, processes, and physical application criteria for cooling towers and components. Ken has been with SPX/Marley for 43 years. In February, he will become President of the Cooling Technology Institute [CTI].

Ken graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and completed an MBA at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri in 2000. Ken has authored many technical papers on subjects including: Low Clog Film Fill, Use of Recycled Water in Cooling Towers, FRP and PVC Materials, and Use of Ozone Water Treatment for Cooling Water. Ken holds a number of Patents for Fire-resistant Cooling Tower Design, a number of Film Fills, Water Filtration, and Water Conservation Components. He is a registered engineer in the State of Kansas.

• Organization Website
• Presentation Slides

Floating Solar Panels

Segment Overview:
Floating Solar Panels (FPV) can reduce water evaporation and algae growth. Energy savings, as well as federal and local incentives, allow solar projects to have an attractive ROI. Join us for a discussion on FPV technology, benefits, and project development process.

Mark Rangel is EVP – Commercial Business Development and Preconstruction for Speir Commercial and Industrial. An accomplished professional with 18 years of solid experience in the engineering field, Mark has spent the last 16 years concentrating on solar technology, including extensive full project life-cycle experience. He has custom designed stand-alone and grid-tie solar energy systems for commercial/industrial and utility clients, optimizing project execution with exceptional quality control and client satisfaction being his prime goals.

The last 9 years, Mr. Rangel has focused on project development and preconstruction, including sales, capital structure for projects, securing incentives, estimating, and contracting. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas, Austin, Texas, and a certification from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners.

• Organization Website
• Presentation Slides

From Wastewater to 5,400°F Steam Plasma - Your electric splitting, cracking & heating decarbonization solution

Segment Overview:
Plasma is electrification for the Chemical Industry. It is the 4th state of matter and is an extremely power-dense all electric source of heat. Consequently, it can drive down the cost for an all-electric water splitting system, steam generator and/or process heater by use of smaller, compact, high throughput and more energy-efficient reactors. Moreover, FPL's HiTemper™ Glow Discharge Plasma Electrolysis system can produce steam/H2 from any wastewater without pretreatment. In the PlasmaWhirl® System, the steam produced from the HiTemper™ is flowed to the ArcWhirl® to produce steam plasma at temperatures > 5,400°F (3,000°C).

Todd Foret is the cofounder and CEO of Foret Plasma Labs, LLC, located in Houston. He is the sole inventor on over 125 patents Worldwide. He built the prototypes and scaled to production every modular and mobile system focusing on process electrification for water splitting, steam generation and H2 and graphite production from any carbon source.

Foret is a former US Naval Gas Turbine Engineering Officer who worked for 2 chemical companies then started his own company in 1997. He graduated from UL (Ragin' Cajuns) in 1984.

• Organization Website
• Presentation Slides