Research
The Texas Water and Energy Institute is supported by distinguished researchers and faculty from The University of Texas Permian Basin and other institutions and industry partners.
Research areas include:
- Characterization of produced water using advanced instrumentation
- Testing and performance evaluation of water treatment technologies
- Data analytics and machine learning
- Plasmonic metasurface nanostructure-enabled solar energy harvesting for steam generation and water purification
- Micro-heat exchanger
- Renewable energy-based water treatment technology for reuse and recycle of produced water and wastewater
- Social analysis of utilizing brackish or produced water for irrigation on food and forage crops surface
- Optimal scheduling of fracking operations
- Sustainability
- Water-Energy Nexus.
Potential Research Topics:
- Data Sharing and development of common standards for FPW
- Development and access to FPW databases and clearinghouses for information to match generators of FPW with potential users
- Optimization of FPW management strategies
- FPW fit-for-purpose treatment technology development
- Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG)
- Chemistry of FPW and potential long-term impact of chemical constituents
- Extraction of high concentration of dissolved minerals with economic values
- Cost-benefit analysis of FPW as a usable byproduct
- Policy - water rights, liability, regulations, and legal issues
- Social issues and public acceptance of drinking treated FPW
- Produced water life cycle analysis
- Water Efficiency, conservation strategies and recycling
- FPW quality, Interrelationships of the biological, chemical, and physical properties
- Monitoring and remote sensing of FPW flow using advanced technologies for contaminant detection
- Mathematical modeling and simulation of FPW systems
- Methodologies for estimating the costs of developing the infrastructures required for treatment of FPW
- Studies of biological, chemical, and radiological contaminants in water
- Interdependent relationships between FPW and energy
- Energy calculations and assessment for coupled energy/water systems