High efficiency ion exchange system for removing contaminants from water
First Claim
1. A process for continuously removing perchlorate ion contaminant from perchlorate ion-contaminated water comprising:
- with a controller, feeding said contaminated water through a first manifold to individually-valved first headers each directly adjacent to a first opening into each of a first subset of a plurality of immobile vessels, each containing between said first opening and a second opening an ion exchange resin bed capable of binding perchlorate contaminant from the contaminated water and yielding reduced perchlorate level water and a perchlorate-contaminated resin bed, with a controller, removing reduced perchlorate level water through the second opening from each of the vessels in the first subset, and passing said reduced perchlorate level water through a second individually-valved header directly adjacent to the second opening and through a second manifold to a reduced perchlorate level water discharge;
with a controller, feeding regenerant solution to an individually-valved header directly adjacent to a first or second opening on one or more additional vessels making up a second subset of the plurality each such vessel containing a perchlorate-contaminated resin bed, with a controller, passing the regenerant solution over the perchlorate-contaminated resin bed so that the regenerant displaces the perchlorate contaminants off of the perchlorate-contaminated resin bed to yield a regenerated resin bed and spent regenerant solution which is removed from the other opening on the vessel and through another individually-valved header directly adjacent to this opening, with a controller, feeding rinse water to an individually-valved header directly adjacent to a first or second opening on one or more additional vessels making up a third subset of the plurality each such vessel containing a regenerated resin bed, and with a controller, passing the rinse water over the regenerated resin bed to yield a rinsed, regenerated resin bed and used rinse water which is removed from the other opening on the vessel and through the individually-valved header directly adjacent to this opening.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The disclosed invention is a fixed bed ion exchange water purification system. It employs a combination of electronically controlled process steps and specific systems configurations to duplicate the effects of moving resin beds from one operation position to another as is required in moving bed ion exchange water purification systems. The invention combines features of single fixed bed ion exchange systems with those of a moving bed system. The invention applies to the treatment of water having typical industrial and drinking water concentrations of various ions.
14 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A process for continuously removing perchlorate ion contaminant from perchlorate ion-contaminated water comprising:
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with a controller, feeding said contaminated water through a first manifold to individually-valved first headers each directly adjacent to a first opening into each of a first subset of a plurality of immobile vessels, each containing between said first opening and a second opening an ion exchange resin bed capable of binding perchlorate contaminant from the contaminated water and yielding reduced perchlorate level water and a perchlorate-contaminated resin bed, with a controller, removing reduced perchlorate level water through the second opening from each of the vessels in the first subset, and passing said reduced perchlorate level water through a second individually-valved header directly adjacent to the second opening and through a second manifold to a reduced perchlorate level water discharge;
with a controller, feeding regenerant solution to an individually-valved header directly adjacent to a first or second opening on one or more additional vessels making up a second subset of the plurality each such vessel containing a perchlorate-contaminated resin bed, with a controller, passing the regenerant solution over the perchlorate-contaminated resin bed so that the regenerant displaces the perchlorate contaminants off of the perchlorate-contaminated resin bed to yield a regenerated resin bed and spent regenerant solution which is removed from the other opening on the vessel and through another individually-valved header directly adjacent to this opening, with a controller, feeding rinse water to an individually-valved header directly adjacent to a first or second opening on one or more additional vessels making up a third subset of the plurality each such vessel containing a regenerated resin bed, and with a controller, passing the rinse water over the regenerated resin bed to yield a rinsed, regenerated resin bed and used rinse water which is removed from the other opening on the vessel and through the individually-valved header directly adjacent to this opening. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A process for continuously removing perchlorate contaminant from perchlorate-contaminated water comprising:
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a) with a controller continuously feeding perchlorate-contaminated water through a first manifold to individually-valved first headers each directly adjacent to a first opening into each of a first subset of a plurality of immobile vessels, each containing between said first opening and a second opening an ion exchange resin bed capable of binding perchlorate contaminant from the perchlorate contaminated water and yielding reduced perchlorate level water and a perchlorate contaminated resin bed, the vessels in said first subset having been in service for varying periods of time and thus having varying degrees of perchlorate contamination of their resin beds, b) with a controller continuously removing reduced perchlorate level water through the second opening from each of the vessels in the first subset, and passing said reduced perchlorate level water through a second individually-valved header directly adjacent to the second opening and through a second manifold to a reduced perchlorate level water discharge, c) with a controller periodically halting the feeding of step a) and the removing of step b) to and from the vessel in the first subset of vessels having the most highly perchlorate contaminated resin bed thereby withdrawing that vessel from purification service, d) with a controller feeding regenerant solution to an individually-valved header directly adjacent to an opening on the vessel withdrawn from service in step c) and passing the regenerant solution over the perchlorate-contaminated resin bed so that the regenerant displaces the perchlorate contaminants off of the perchlorate-contaminated resin bed to yield a regenerated resin bed and spent regenerant solution, e) with a controller removing spent regenerant solution from another opening on the vessel and through an individually-valved header directly adjacent to this opening, f) with a controller halting the feeding of step d) and the removing of step e) once a desired degree of regeneration has been attained thereby withdrawing that vessel from regeneration service, g) with a controller feeding rinse water to an individually-valved header directly adjacent to an opening on the vessel withdrawn from service in step f) and passing the rinse water over the regenerated resin bed so that the rinse water displaces regenerant solution from the regenerated resin bed to yield a rinsed regenerated resin bed and used rinse water, h) with a controller removing used rinse water from another opening on the vessel and through an individually-valved header directly adjacent to this opening, and i) with a controller halting the feeding of step g) and the removing of step h) once a desired degree of rinsing has been attained. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A process for continuously removing perchlorate contaminant from perchlorate-contaminated water comprising:
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a) with a controller continuously feeding perchlorate-contaminated water downflow through a first manifold to individually-valved first headers each directly adjacent to a first opening into each of a first subset of a plurality of vertical immobile vessels, each containing between said first opening and a second opening an ion exchange resin bed capable of binding perchlorate contaminant from the contaminated water and yielding reduced perchlorate level water and a perchlorate-contaminated resin bed, the vessels in said first subset having been in service for varying periods of time and thus having varying degrees contamination of their resin beds, b) with a controller continuously removing reduced perchlorate level water through the second opening from each of the vessels in the first subset, and passing said reduced perchlorate level water through a second individually-valved header directly adjacent to the second opening and through a second manifold to a treated water discharge, c) with a controller periodically halting the feeding of step a) and the removing of step b) to and from the vessel in the first subset of vessels having the most highly perchlorate contaminated resin bed thereby withdrawing that vessel from perchlorate removal service, d) with a controller feeding regenerant brine solution to an individually-valved first header directly adjacent to an opening on the vessel withdrawn from service in step c) and passing the regenerant solution over the perchlorate-contaminated resin bed so that the regenerant displaces the perchlorate contaminants off of the resin bed to yield a regenerated resin bed and spent regenerant solution containing perchlorate, e) with a controller removing spent regenerant solution from another opening on the vessel and through an individually-valved header directly adjacent to this opening, f) with a controller halting the feeding of step d) and the removing of step e) once a desired degree of regeneration has been attained thereby withdrawing that vessel from regeneration service, g) with a controller feeding rinse water on to an individually-valved second header directly adjacent to an opening on the vessel withdrawn from service in step f) and passing the rinse water over the regenerated resin bed so that the rinse water displaces regenerant solution from the regenerated resin bed to yield a rinsed regenerated resin bed and used rinse water, h) with a controller removing used rinse water from another opening on the vessel and through an individually-valved header directly adjacent to this opening, and i) with a controller halting the feeding of step g) and the removing of step h) once a desired degree of rinsing has been attained, and reinstalling the vessel having the rinsed regenerated resin bed produced in step g) in service in the first subset of vessels. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A process for continuously removing perchlorate contaminant from perchlorate-contaminated water comprising:
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a) with a controller continuously feeding perchlorate-contaminated water through a first opening of each of a first subset of a plurality of immobile vessels, each containing between said first opening and a second opening a resin bed capable of binding perchlorate contaminant from the perchlorate-contaminated water and yielding reduced perchlorate level water and a perchlorate-contaminated resin bed, the vessels in said first subset having been in service for varying periods of time and thus having varying degrees perchlorate contamination of their resin beds, b) with a controller continuously removing reduced perchlorate level water through the second opening from each of the vessels in the first subset, and passing said reduced perchlorate level water to a reduced perchlorate level water discharge, c) with a controller periodically halting the feeding of step a) and the removing of step b) to and from the vessel in the first subset of vessels having the most highly contaminated resin bed thereby withdrawing that vessel from perchlorate removal service, d) with a controller feeding regenerant brine solution comprising salt and make up water to an opening on the vessel withdrawn from service in step c) and contacting the regenerant solution with the perchlorate-contaminated resin bed so that the regenerant displaces the perchlorate contaminants off of the perchlorate-contaminated resin bed to yield a regenerated resin bed and spent regenerant solution containing perchlorate, e) with a controller removing spent regenerant solution from the vessel f) with a controller halting the feeding of step d) and the removing of step e) once a desired degree of regeneration has been attained thereby withdrawing that vessel from regeneration service, g) with a controller feeding rinse water solution to an opening on the vessel withdrawn from regeneration service in step f) and contacting the rinse water solution with the regenerated resin bed so that the rinse water displaces regenerant solution from the regenerated resin bed to yield a rinsed regenerated resin bed and used rinse water, h) with a controller removing used rinse water from the vessel containing the rinsed regenerated resin bed of step g), i) with a controller halting the feeding of step g) and the removing of step h) once a desired degree of rinsing has been attained, j) reinstalling the vessel having the rinsed regenerated resin bed produced in step i) in service in the first subset of vessels, and k) using the used rinse water removed in step h) as make up water in the regenerant brine solution. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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Specification