Water purification system and method

• US 20070187335A1
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EMD Millipore Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Millipore Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Gaignet, Yves
• Granted Patent: US 7,931,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/739
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/283 using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/288 using composite sorbents, e.g. coated, impregnated, multi-layered
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/444 by ultrafiltration or microfiltration
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/04 for obtaining ultra-pure water
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/006 Cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/046 Recirculation with an external loop
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/20 Portable or detachable small-scale multistage treatment devices, e.g. point of use or laboratory water purification systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8593 Systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/85938 Non-valved flow dividers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/85954 Closed circulating system

Abstract

The invention concerns a water purification system (100) comprising a closed water recirculation loop (106) supplied at one point by a water inlet (101) with water to be purified, (and having) at least one outlet point of use of the purified water (102) and (further comprising) pumping means (103) and water purification means (150) on the loop respectively downstream of the inlet point and upstream of the at least one outlet point (102), in the water flow direction which system is characterized in that it includes two independent valves:

• • a first valve (130) on the loop upstream of the pumping means (103), and
  • a second valve (120) upstream of the at least one point of use outlet point (102). The invention also relates to a water purification method.

Claims

1. Water purification system (100) comprising a closed water recirculation loop (106) supplied at one point by a water inlet (101) with water to be purified, and having at least one outlet point of use of the purified water (102) and further comprising pumping means (103) and water purification means (150) on the loop respectively downstream of the inlet point and upstream of the at least one outlet point (102), in the water flow direction, which system is characterized in that it includes two independent valves:

a first valve (130) on the loop upstream of the pumping means (103), and

a second valve (120) upstream of the at least one point of use outlet point (102).

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the two valves are solenoid valves of the type with two normally closed (NC) flow paths.

3. System according to claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises a control unit for the valves that includes a user interface.

4. System according to claim 3, characterized in that the valve control unit further comprises a memory for saving data supplied by a user.

5. System according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a filter or a polishing cartridge is disposed between the or each second valve and the or each corresponding outlet point of use.

6. Method of using a water purification system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises the steps of opening the first valve, called recirculation valve, and closing the second valve, called distribution valve, to recirculate all the water treated by the treatment means.

7. Method of using a water purification system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises the steps of opening the first valve, called recirculation valve and opening the second valve, called distribution valve, to distribute purified water at a low throughput.

8. Method of using a water purification system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises the steps of closing the first valve, called recirculation valve, and opening the second valve, called distribution valve, to distribute purified water at a high throughput.

9. Method according to claim 7 or claim 8 of using a water purification system according to claim 4, characterized in that it further comprises a step of capturing a value for the volume of purified water to be delivered entered by the user on the user interface, a step of storing that value in the memory of the control unit and a step of automatically distributing the entered volume of water, wherein a fast change from a recirculation mode to a distribution mode is obtained by instantaneously opening the distribution valve and closing the recirculation valve.

10. Water purification system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises a hydraulic connector (140) that forms a distributor or manifold for the hydraulic circuit of a fluid purification system and has a purified fluid inlet and three outlets, the inlet of the connector is connected directly to the first outlet by a pipe and a second pipe is connected hydraulically to the first pipe between said inlet and said first outlet and to a third pipe having two ends forming the other two outlets of the system.

11. Water purification system according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises two parallel branches that come together downstream of the hydraulic connector.

12. Water purification system according to claim 11, characterized in that the two parallel branches are made from polyethylene, polypropylene or polytetrafluoroethylene.

13. Water purification method including the steps of:

purifying water using water treatment means, and

circulating the purified water in a recirculation line, characterized in that it further comprises at least one of the steps of;

opening a purified water distribution line connecting the recirculation line to a purified water distribution point and opening the purified water recirculation line to obtain distribution at a low throughput, and

opening the water distribution line and closing the recirculation line downstream of the water distribution line to obtain distribution at a high throughput.

14. Water purification method according to claim 13, characterized in that it further includes, independently of the foregoing steps, the step of opening the distribution line and closing the recirculation line to obtain the distribution of a predetermined volume of water.