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Fluid purification methods, devices, and systems

  • US 10,189,727 B2
  • Filed: 06/20/2016
  • Issued: 01/29/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A water purification system, comprising:

  • a plurality of cells, each cell of the plurality of cells including a water purification element;

    a valving network including valves and fluid conduits fluidly interconnecting said plurality of cells; and

    a controller connected to the valving network to permit the controller to operate said valves,wherein the valving network further includesa source water inlet,a drain outlet, anda product water outlet,wherein the valving network is configurable by the controller, by operation of the valves, to form selected interconnections between and among selected ones of the cells to define a flow channel from a selected one ofthe source water inlet,the drain outlet, andthe product water outlet,through said selected ones of said cells, to a selected other of said selected one ofthe source water inlet,the drain outlet, andthe product water outlet,wherein the controller is configured to, during a first time period, open and close valves of the valving networkto define a first continuous flow channel from the source water inlet, through a first filtering group of two or more of the cells in series to the product water outlet, andto define a second continuous flow channel from the product water outlet through a first regenerating group of one or more of the cells to the drain outlet, whereby the first filtering group filters water to produce product water while the first regenerating group is regenerated by a portion of the product water flowing through the one or more of the cells of the first regenerating group in a reversed flow direction,wherein the controller is further configured to, during a second time period, open and close the valves of the valving networkto define a third continuous flow channel from the source water inlet through a second filtering group of two or more of the cells in series to the product water outlet, andto define a fourth continuous flow channel from the product water outlet through a second regenerating group of one or more of the cells to the drain outlet, whereby the second filtering group filters water to produce the product water while the second regenerating group of one or more of the cells is regenerated by a portion of the product water flowing through the one or more of the cells of the second regenerating group in the reversed flow direction,wherein the first and second time periods are at different times, the second filtering group of two or more of the cells is different from the first filtering group of two or more of the cells, and the second regenerating group of one or more of the cells is different from the first regenerating group of one or more of the cells,wherein a first cell of the first filtering group receives water directly from the source water inlet and a second cell of the first filtering group receives water directly from the first cell,wherein the first cell of the first filtering group is included in the second regenerating group of one or more of the cells and the second cell of the first filtering group receives water directly from the source water inlet during the second time period, andthe cells are electronic deionization cells.

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