Water production facility and method of replacing ion exchange resin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12509369-B2
Application number	US-202318171757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2023
Priority date	Feb 21, 2022
Publication date	Dec 30, 2025
Grant date	Dec 30, 2025

Abstract

An ultrapure water (UPW) production facility includes a polisher filled with an ion exchange resin, an inflow line, an inflow valve connected to the inflow line and upstream of the polisher, an outflow line, an outflow valve connected to the outflow line and downstream of the polisher, a first drain line connected to the polisher, a first drain valve connected to the first drain line and downstream of the polisher, a second drain line branched from the outflow line, a second drain valve connected to the second drain line, a discharge line branched from the second drain line, a discharge valve connected to the discharge line, wherein the inflow valve, the outflow valve, the first drain valve, the second drain valve, and the outflow valve are automatic valves.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A water production facility comprising:
a polisher configured to be filled with an ion exchange resin; an inflow line configured to allow water to be treated to flow into the polisher; an inflow valve connected to the inflow line and upstream of the polisher; an outflow line configured to allow water to be treated to flow out from the polisher; an outflow valve connected to the outflow line and downstream of the polisher; a sub-drain line branched from the outflow line; a sub-drain valve connected to the sub-drain line; a first drain line connected to the polisher; a first drain valve connected to the first drain line and downstream of the polisher; a second drain line branched from the outflow line; a second drain valve connected to the second drain line; a discharge line branched from the second drain line; and a discharge valve connected to the discharge line, wherein the inflow valve, the outflow valve, the first drain valve, the second drain valve, and the discharge valve are automatic valves.

2 . The water production facility of claim 1 , further comprising a connection line configured to connect the inflow line and the outflow line to a connection valve connected to the connection line.

3 . The water production facility of claim 2 , wherein the connection valve is a manual valve.

4 . The water production facility of claim 1 , wherein the sub-drain valve is an automatic valve.

5 . The water production facility of claim 1 , wherein the sub-drain line comprises a first sub-drain line branched from upstream of the outflow valve, a first sub-drain valve connected to the first sub-drain line, a second sub-drain line branched from downstream of the outflow valve, and a second sub-drain valve connected to the second sub-drain line, wherein the first sub-drain valve and the second sub-drain valve are automatic valves.

6 . The water production facility of claim 5 , wherein the sub-drain line further comprises a third sub-drain line branched from upstream of the outflow valve and a third sub-drain valve connected to the third sub-drain line, wherein the third sub-drain valve is an automatic valve.

7 . The water production facility of claim 1 , wherein the inflow valve and the outflow valve are control valves.

8 . The water production facility of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the first drain line has a smaller value than a value of a diameter of the second drain line.

9 . A water production facility comprising:
a polisher configured to be filled with an ion exchange resin; an inflow line configured to allow water to be treated to flow into the polisher; an inflow valve connected to the inflow line and upstream of the polisher; an outflow line configured to allow the water to be treated to flow out from the polisher; an outflow valve connected to the outflow line and downstream of the polisher; a connection line configured to connect the inflow line and the outflow line; a connection valve connected to the connection line; a first drain line connected to the polisher and at a higher vertical level than a vertical level of the inflow line; a first drain valve connected to the first drain line and downstream of the polisher; a plurality of sub-drain lines branched from the outflow line and connected to the first drain line; a plurality of sub-drain valves, connected to the plurality of sub-drain lines, respectively; a second drain line branched from the outflow line; a plurality of second drain valves connected to the second drain line; a third drain line branched from the second drain line and at a higher vertical level than a vertical level of the second drain line; a first discharge line branched from the second drain line and connected to the third drain line and a second discharge line branched from the first discharge line; and a first discharge valve and a second discharge valve, connected to the first discharge line and the second discharge line, respectively, wherein the inflow valve, the outflow valve, the first drain valve, the plurality of sub-drain valves, the plurality of second drain valves, the first discharge valve, and the second discharge valve are automatic valves, and wherein the connection valve is a manual valve.

10 . The water production facility of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of sub-drain lines comprises a first sub-drain line branched downstream of the outflow valve and a second sub-drain line branched from upstream of the outflow valve, and the plurality of sub-drain valves comprises a first sub-drain valve connected to the first sub-drain line and a second sub-drain valve connected to the second sub-drain line.

11 . The water production facility of claim 10 , wherein the first sub-drain line is at a higher vertical level than a vertical level of the second sub-drain line.

12 . The water production facility of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of sub-drain lines further comprises a third sub-drain line branched from upstream of the outflow valve, at a lower vertical level than a vertical level of the first sub-drain line, and at a higher vertical level than a vertical level of the second sub-drain line.

13 . A method of replacing an ion exchange resin, the method comprising:
closing a plurality of valves for preparing for replacement of the ion exchange resin in a polisher; draining materials inside the polisher; replacing the ion exchange resin; cleaning the replaced ion exchange resin; and preparing for an operation of the polisher, wherein the cleaning of the replaced ion exchange resin comprises filling the polisher with first cleaning water, performing a first cleaning process of cleaning the replaced ion exchange resin with the first cleaning water, filling the polisher with second cleaning water, and performing a second cleaning process of cleaning the ion exchange resin with the second cleaning water, and wherein the draining, the cleaning, and the preparing are performed based on an operation of at least one automatic valve of the plurality of valves.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the draining is performed for a period of time selected in a range of about 25 minutes to about 35 minutes.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the filling the polisher with the first cleaning water and the second cleaning water is each performed for a period of time selected in a range of about 30 minutes to about 40 minutes.

16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising measuring a concentration of total organic carbon (TOC) of the first cleaning water downstream of a second drain valve after the performing of the first cleaning process.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first cleaning process is performed for a period of time selected in a range of about 5 minutes to about 10 minutes.

18 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising measuring concentrations of TOC and dissolved oxygen in the second cleaning water downstream of a second drain valve after the performing of the second cleaning process.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the preparing for the operation of the polisher comprises a first preparation operation, a second preparation operation, and a third preparation operation, and is performed for a period of time selected in a range of about 5 minutes to about 10 minutes.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Yongjai
• Yoo Sanghoon
• Lee Huchul
• Choi Byungchan
• Jang Jieun

Classifications

• C02F2209/20

  Total organic carbon [TOC] · CPC title

• C02F2209/44

  Time · CPC title

• C02F2209/22

  O2 · CPC title

• C02F2303/16

  Regeneration of sorbents, filters · CPC title

• C02F2201/005

  Valves · CPC title