Water treatment system and method
First Claim
1. A method of treating a liquid, comprising:
- establishing a first liquid circuit having liquid to be treated flowing therein from a reservoir to a first compartment inlet of an electrochemical device;
establishing a second liquid circuit having a concentrating liquid flowing therein from a second compartment outlet of the electrochemical device to a second compartment inlet;
establishing a third liquid circuit having liquid to be treated flowing therein from the reservoir to the second compartment inlet; and
flushing at least one of the first liquid circuit and the third liquid circuit periodically with treated water having an LSI of less than about 2 from the reservoir in response to a rate of demand or a time of demand to inhibit scale formation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A treatment system provides treated or softened water to a point of use by removing at least a portion of any undesirable species contained in water from a water source. The treatment system can be operated to reduce the likelihood of formation of any scale that can be generated during normal operation of an electrochemical device. The formation of scale in the treatment system, including its wetted components, may be inhibited by reversing or substituting the flowing liquid having hardness-causing species with another liquid having a low tendency to produce scale, such as a low LSI water. Various arrangements of components in the treatment system can be flushed by directing the valves and the pumps of the system to displace liquid having hardness-causing species with a liquid that has little or no tendency to form scale.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of treating a liquid, comprising:
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establishing a first liquid circuit having liquid to be treated flowing therein from a reservoir to a first compartment inlet of an electrochemical device; establishing a second liquid circuit having a concentrating liquid flowing therein from a second compartment outlet of the electrochemical device to a second compartment inlet; establishing a third liquid circuit having liquid to be treated flowing therein from the reservoir to the second compartment inlet; and flushing at least one of the first liquid circuit and the third liquid circuit periodically with treated water having an LSI of less than about 2 from the reservoir in response to a rate of demand or a time of demand to inhibit scale formation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of treating water from a reservoir, comprising:
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passing at least a portion of water to be treated through a depleting compartment of an electrochemical device to produce treated water having an LSI of less than about 2; circulating a concentrating stream through a concentrating compartment of the electrochemical device; circulating at least a portion of the concentrating stream through the depleting compartment; and flushing at least one of the depleting compartment and the concentrating compartment periodically with the treated water in response to a rate of demand or a time of demand to inhibit scale formation. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification