Here’s a step-by-step ...

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Here’s a step-by-step approach to estimate the evaporation and design the lagoon system:

1. Basic Evaporation Calculation

Use the following general formula for evaporation:

E=(P−R)AE = \frac{(P - R)}{A}E=A(P−R)​

Where:

2. Correcting Evaporation for High TDS

High TDS affects evaporation by reducing the vapor pressure at the water surface. The reduction in evaporation can be estimated using empirical factors. For example, a brine with a high salinity (like seawater, around 35,000 mg/L TDS) typically reduces evaporation by 5-10%.

To estimate the correction for 7400 mg/L TDS, use the following approximation:

Eadjusted=E×(1−F)E_{adjusted} = E \times (1 - F)Eadjusted​=E×(1−F)

Where:

3. Relationship between TDS and EC

The Electrical Conductivity (EC) is roughly proportional to the TDS. The empirical relationship often used is:

EC(μS/cm)=TDS(mg/L)×0.67EC (\mu S/cm) = TDS (mg/L) \times 0.67EC(μS/cm)=TDS(mg/L)×0.67

So, for a TDS of 7400 mg/L:

EC≈7400×0.67=4958 μS/cmEC \approx 7400 \times 0.67 = 4958 \, \mu S/cmEC≈7400×0.67=4958μS/cm

4. Designing the Lagoon Area

Once you have the corrected evaporation rate, the lagoon area can be calculated based on the volume of brine produced and the annual water balance in the area.

The equation for the lagoon area is:

Alagoon=VbrineEadjustedA_{lagoon} = \frac{V_{brine}}{E_{adjusted}}Alagoon​=Eadjusted​Vbrine​​

Where:

Steps to Follow:

  1. Determine the local annual rainfall and evaporation rate.
  2. Calculate the raw evaporation using the basic formula.
  3. Adjust the evaporation rate for TDS using the correction factor (3-5% for 7400 mg/L).
  4. Determine the brine production rate from the RO system.
  5. Calculate the required lagoon area using the adjusted evaporation rate.

If you provide the specific environmental conditions (temperature, wind speed, etc.) and the volume of brine, I can help refine the calculation further.

1 Comment

Hi. Thanks for your reply. The info of the situation is: TDS: 7403 mg/l, brine water volume: 286 m3/day, average annual vapor: 51%, ave annual wind speed: 14 km/h, ave annual pressure: 1013 m.bar, average annual temp: 15 C. Thank you in advance

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Be careful. The evaporation rate you need is not for 7400 mg/l, but for whatever the saturation value of the pond is. As the water evaporates the TDS will increase. Eventually, the incoming flow will have a low TDS compared to the pond and the dilution achieved by the incoming flow will be negligible. The likely final concentration will be somewhere around 300,000 mg/l, approximately the saturation point of NaCl.

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