# US 12,110,246 B2 · Ion removal system

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- Number: US 12,110,246 B2
- Document ID: US12110246B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/442,361
- Filed: 2020-02-10
- Published: 2022-06-02
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2019-03-27
- Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Ayane Takehisa; Takuya Kanda; Tomohiro Akita; Yasunari Maeda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110246B2

## CPC

- C02F 9/00: Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
- C02F 1/4618: {for producing "ionised" acidic or basic water}
- C02F 1/24: by flotation (C02F1/465 takes precedence)
- C02F 1/38: by centrifugal separation
- C02F 1/4602: {for prevention or elimination of deposits}
- C02F 1/461: by electrolysis
- C02F 2001/5218: {Crystallization}
- C02F 2101/10: Inorganic compounds
- C02F 2201/005: Valves
- C02F 2301/046: Recirculation with an external loop
- C02F 2303/22: Eliminating or preventing deposits, scale removal, scale prevention (C02F1/042, C02F1/4602, C02F5/00 take precedence)
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)

## Abstract

An ion removal system includes: an electrolysis device configured to generate alkaline water and acid water by electrolysis; a hard water flow path connected to the electrolysis device to supply the electrolysis device with hard water; a batch treatment tank provided in the hard water flow path to store the hard water; a return flow path connected to the batch treatment tank to return the alkaline water or the acid water generated by the electrolysis device to the batch treatment tank; and a fine bubble generation device configured to generate fine bubbles in a circulation flow path including the batch treatment tank, the electrolysis device, and the return flow path, the fine bubble generation device being configured to adsorb and remove metal ions in water by the fine bubbles generated.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ion removal system comprising:
an electrolysis device configured to generate alkaline water and acid water by electrolysis;
a hard water flow path connected to the electrolysis device to supply the electrolysis device with hard water;
a batch treatment tank provided in the hard water flow path to store the hard water;
a return flow path connected to the batch treatment tank to return the alkaline water or the acid water generated by the electrolysis device to the batch treatment tank;
a circulation flow path that includes the batch treatment tank, the electrolysis device, and the return flow path;
a fine bubble generation device configured to generate fine bubbles in the circulation flow path, wherein the generated fine bubbles adsorb and remove metal ions in any one of the acid water, the alkaline water, and the hard water, or a mixture thereof;
a first flow path and a second flow path through which the alkaline water and the acid water generated by the electrolysis device selectively can alternately flow in first and second modes of operation, and
a controller,
wherein the return flow path includes a first return flow path connected from the first flow path to the batch treatment tank, and a second return flow path connected from the second flow path to the batch treatment tank,
wherein in the first mode of operation, the alkaline water flows in the first flow path and the acid water flows in the second flow path,
wherein in the second mode of operation, the acid water flows in the first flow path and the alkaline water flows in the second flow path, and
wherein the controller is configured to switch between the first and second modes of operation by changing a polarity of electrolysis.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ion removal system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a first discharge flow path connected to the first flow path and extending to an outside of the system without passing through the batch treatment tank;
a second discharge flow path connected to the second flow path and extending to the outside of the system without passing through the batch treatment tank;
a first valve configured to switch fluid flow from the first flow path between to the first return flow path and to the first discharge flow path; and
a second valve configured to switch fluid flow from the second flow path between to the second return flow path and to the second discharge flow path,
wherein the fluid flow includes any one of the acid water or alkaline water.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The ion removal system according to claim 2, further comprising:
a branch flow path branched from the hard water flow path at a point downstream of a connection point where the return flow path is connected to the hard water flow path; and
a third valve configured to switch between allowing and stopping water fluid flow from the hard water flow path to the branch flow path,
wherein the fluid flow includes any one of the acid water, alkaline water, and hard water, or a mixture thereof.

### Claim 4

The ion removal system according to 1, further comprising:
a branch flow path branched from the hard water flow path at a point downstream of a connection point where the return flow path is connected to the hard water flow path; and
a third valve configured to switch between allowing and stopping fluid flow from the hard water flow path to the branch flow path,
wherein the fluid flow includes any one of the acid water, alkaline water, and hard water, or a mixture thereof.

### Claim 5

An ion removal system comprising:
an electrolysis device configured to generate alkaline water and acid water by electrolysis;
a hard water flow path connected to the electrolysis device to supply the electrolysis device with hard water;
a batch treatment tank provided in the hard water flow path to store the hard water;
a return flow path connected to the batch treatment tank to return the alkaline water or the acid water generated by the electrolysis device to the batch treatment tank;
a circulation flow path that includes the batch treatment tank, the electrolysis device, and the return flow path;
a fine bubble generation device configured to generate fine bubbles in the circulation flow path, wherein the generated fine bubbles adsorb and remove metal ions in the fluid flow;
a branch flow path branched from the hard water flow path at a point downstream of a connection point where the return flow path is connected to the hard water flow path; and
a third valve configured to switch between allowing and stopping water-fluid flow from the hard water flow path to the branch flow path,
wherein the fluid flow includes any one of the acid water, alkaline water, and hard water, or a mixture thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system according to claim 5, further comprising a separation device connected to the branch flow path to separate crystals of metal component contained in the fluid flowing through the branch flow path.