RO system and method for disinfecting lines of the RO system
First Claim
1. A reverse osmosis (RO) system comprising an RO filter module which is subdivided by a membrane into a primary chamber and a secondary chamber, comprising a raw-water supply line leading to a ventilated supply tank, a line with an integrated pump leading from the ventilated supply tank to the primary chamber,a concentrate line leading away from the primary chamber, and a permeate supply line leading from the secondary chamber, with at least one dialysis device being connectable to the permeate supply line by way of a branch line or secondary ring line, andan adjacent permeate return line downstream of the at least one dialysis device leading back to the ventilated supply tank,wherein a circulation pump and an electrochemical ozone generator are integrated into the permeate return line,wherein a recirculation line connects the permeate return line downstream of the circulation pump and the ozone generator to the permeate supply line, with a recirculation valve integrated into the recirculation line and a return shutoff valve integrated into the permeate return line at a location downstream of the recirculation line, andwherein a permeate return-line section, terminating at one end in the permeate return line downstream of the valve arranged therein, and at an opposite end in the permeate supply line, the opposite end of the permeate return-line section branching off from the permeate supply line upstream of the termination of the recirculation line into the permeate supply line, andwherein a pressure holding valve is arranged in the permeate return-line section, so that the RO system can continue to operate even during a disinfecting mode and produces permeate without interruption and either an entire permeate volume or a proportion of the permeate flows back to the ventilated supply tank.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A circulation pump and an electrochemical ozone generator are integrated into the permeate return line of an RO system, and the permeate return line is connected in flow direction behind the circulation pump and the ozone generator by a recirculation line to the permeate supply line, which can form a closed circuit where the ozonized permeate circulates until all organic contaminants have been killed or decomposed by the ozone in that part of the line system. Valves are integrated, respectively, into the recirculation line and the permeate return line downstream of the branch of the recirculation line. During normal operation of the RO system, the recirculation line valve is connected for feeding connected dialysis devices while the permeate return line valve is open, so excessive permeate that was not taken by the dialysis devices can flow into the supply tank. Alternatively, the permeate can be discharged into an outlet.
-
Citations
9 Claims
-
1. A reverse osmosis (RO) system comprising an RO filter module which is subdivided by a membrane into a primary chamber and a secondary chamber, comprising a raw-water supply line leading to a ventilated supply tank, a line with an integrated pump leading from the ventilated supply tank to the primary chamber,
a concentrate line leading away from the primary chamber, and a permeate supply line leading from the secondary chamber, with at least one dialysis device being connectable to the permeate supply line by way of a branch line or secondary ring line, and an adjacent permeate return line downstream of the at least one dialysis device leading back to the ventilated supply tank, wherein a circulation pump and an electrochemical ozone generator are integrated into the permeate return line, wherein a recirculation line connects the permeate return line downstream of the circulation pump and the ozone generator to the permeate supply line, with a recirculation valve integrated into the recirculation line and a return shutoff valve integrated into the permeate return line at a location downstream of the recirculation line, and wherein a permeate return-line section, terminating at one end in the permeate return line downstream of the valve arranged therein, and at an opposite end in the permeate supply line, the opposite end of the permeate return-line section branching off from the permeate supply line upstream of the termination of the recirculation line into the permeate supply line, and wherein a pressure holding valve is arranged in the permeate return-line section, so that the RO system can continue to operate even during a disinfecting mode and produces permeate without interruption and either an entire permeate volume or a proportion of the permeate flows back to the ventilated supply tank.
-
7. A method for disinfecting lines of a reverse osmosis (RO) system, comprising the steps of:
-
providing, during a cleaning process of the RO system, permeate with ozone while observing a predetermined ozone concentration and circulating ozonized permeate in a permeate supply line, permeate return line, and recirculation line, while the RO system continues to operate and produces permeate without interruption and either an entire volume or at least a proportion of the permeate coming from a secondary chamber of a filter module flows to a supply tank without mixing with ozone-enriched permeate, flushing, after a predetermined time, the ozonized permeate into an outlet or to the supply tank of the RO system, effectively preventing the ozone-enriched permeate from entering the supply tank by providing a pressure holding valve in a permeate return-line section that extends between the permeate supply line and the permeate return line, the permeate return line extending to the supply tank, and by providing a return shutoff valve in the permeate return line downstream of the recirculation line. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
-
Specification