Method and apparatus for recharging a deionization vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10167206-B2
Application number	US-201615215841-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2016
Priority date	Jul 23, 2015
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

Deionization equipment and methods of using such deionization equipment are provided. The deionization equipment allows for improved efficiency in removing spent deionization resin from deionization apparatuses, and also recharging functional deionization resin into deionization apparatuses. Embodiments of the deionization equipment include a resin transfer passage that includes an upper opening, a lower opening and an intermediate opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A head adapted to be sealably attached to a vessel having an interior, the head comprising:
an outer side;
an inner side;
a first transfer port defining an inlet passage configured to pass water through the head;
a second transfer port defining an outlet passage configured to pass water from the vessel, when pressurized, through the head, the outlet passage extending from the inner side of the head to an outlet passage terminus such that, when the head is attached to the vessel, and a resin bed is present in the interior of the vessel, the outlet passage terminus is positioned in the resin bed, the outlet passage terminus configured to prevent resin from escaping the vessel during production of deionized water while allowing deionized water to escape the vessel via the outlet passage; and
a third transfer port defining a resin transfer passage configured to pass resin through the head, the resin transfer passage extending from the inner side of the head to a resin transfer passage terminus such that, when the head is attached to the vessel, and the resin bed is present in the interior of the vessel, the resin transfer passage terminus is positioned in the resin bed, the resin transfer passage comprising an upper opening, a lower opening, and an intermediate opening beyond the inner side of the head and above the lower opening.

2. The head of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate opening is located within about 50 cm from which the resin transfer passage extends from the inner side of the head.

3. The head of claim 1 , wherein the resin transfer passage comprises at least two intermediate openings.

4. The head of claim 1 , wherein the head is constructed of polyphenylene ether resin.

5. The head of claim 1 , wherein the outlet passage and the resin transfer passage extend parallel to each other.

6. The head of claim 1 , wherein the outlet passage and the resin transfer passage are operably connected to each other via a lower outlet screen in fluid communication with the outlet passage, the lower outlet screen configured to prevent resin from passing through the outlet passage while allowing water to pass through the outlet passage.

7. The head of claim 1 , wherein the inlet passage is in fluid communication with an upper inlet screen configured to prevent resin from passing through the inlet passage while allowing water to pass through the inlet passage.

8. An apparatus adapted to contain a resin bed utilized for deionizing water, the apparatus comprising:
a vessel having an inner side defining an interior;
a first transfer port defining an inlet passage configured to pass water into the interior of the vessel;
a second transfer port defining an outlet passage configured to pass water from the interior of the vessel, when pressurized, the outlet passage extending from the inner side into the interior of the vessel to an outlet passage terminus such that, when a resin bed is present in the interior of the vessel, the outlet passage terminus is positioned in the resin bed, the outlet passage terminus configured to prevent resin from escaping the vessel during production of deionized water while allowing deionized water to escape the vessel via the outlet passage; and
a third transfer port defining a resin transfer passage configured to pass resin from the interior of the vessel during a recharging cycle, the resin transfer passage extending from the inner side of the vessel into the interior of the vessel to a resin transfer passage terminus such that, when the resin bed is present in the interior of the vessel, the resin transfer passage terminus is positioned in the resin bed, the resin transfer passage comprising an upper opening, a lower opening, and an intermediate opening beyond the inner side and above the lower opening.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the vessel comprises stainless steel, high purity plastic reinforced with mineral fibers, high purity plastic reinforced with carbon steel, or a combination thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the vessel has a seamless construction.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the intermediate opening is located within about 50 cm from which the resin transfer passage extends from the inner side of the vessel.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the resin transfer passage comprises at least two intermediate openings.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the outlet passage and the resin transfer passage extend parallel to each other.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the outlet passage and the resin transfer passage are operably connected to each other via a lower outlet screen in fluid communication with the outlet passage and configured to prevent resin from passing through the outlet passage while allowing water to pass through the outlet passage.

15. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the inlet passage is in fluid communication with an upper inlet screen configured to prevent resin from passing through the inlet passage while allowing water to pass through the inlet passage.

16. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the resin transfer passage extends a length of at least half the height of the vessel.

17. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein, when a base layer of the resin bed is present in the interior of the vessel, the resin transfer passage terminus is positioned in the base layer.

18. A method of recharging a deionization apparatus, the deionization apparatus comprising a vessel having a lower portion and an upper portion, the vessel equipped with an inlet passage and a resin transfer passage extending into the lower portion of the vessel, the resin transfer passage comprising an upper opening located outside the vessel, a lower opening located inside the vessel proximate a bottom interior surface of the vessel, and an intermediate opening located inside the vessel and above the lower opening, the method comprising:
forcing spent resin from the vessel by introducing water into the vessel via the inlet passage, the water introduced under conditions sufficient to drive the resin from the vessel via the lower opening of the resin transfer passage;
optionally removing at least a portion of the water from the vessel; and
supplying functional resin to the vessel by delivering a base layer of the functional resin to the lower portion of the vessel via the lower opening of the resin transfer passage, and then filling the upper portion of the vessel by allowing the functional resin to pour onto the base layer via the intermediate opening of the resin transfer passage.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising purifying water using the deionization apparatus to achieve a resistance of 18.2 million Ohms.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the method is completed in an elapsed time of less than 20 minutes.

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Perdue Raymond H

Classifications

• B01J49/09

  of mixed beds · CPC title

• B01J47/012

  using portable ion-exchange apparatus · CPC title

• B01J49/85

  Controlling or regulating devices therefor · CPC title

• C02F2303/16

  Regeneration of sorbents, filters · CPC title

• C02F1/42 Primary

  by ion-exchange (ion-exchange in general B01J) · CPC title