High efficiency ion exchange system for removing contaminants from water

A system for continuously removing contaminant from contaminated water comprising:

• a plurality of immobile vessels, each containing a resin bed capable of binding contaminant from the contaminated water and yielding purified water and a contaminated resin bed,
• said vessels each having a first fluid communication opening at a first end
• and a second fluid communication opening at a second end with the resin bed located there between,
• each vessel having a first header directly adjacent to the first opening and connected to the first opening and a second header directly adjacent to the second opening and connected to the second opening,
• the first header of each vessel being directly connected through electronically-actuatable valves to a first series of manifolds and
• the second header of each vessel being directly connected through actuatable valves to a second series of manifolds,
• the first series of manifolds comprising:
• (a) at least one of a manifold for supplying contaminated water and a manifold for removing treated water,
• (b) at least one of a manifold for supplying regenerant solution and a manifold for removing spent regenerant solution, and
• (c) at least one of a manifold for supplying rinse water and a manifold for removing spent rinse water and
• the second series of manifolds comprising the converse of the manifolds connected to the first headers and
• a controller directing the actuatable valves
• (a) to flow contaminated water from a manifold over through the resin beds in a first subset of the plurality of vessels thereby causing these resin beds to remove contaminant from said contaminated water and deposit the contaminant upon the resin beds and yield treated water and to remove said treated water from these vessels to a second manifold,
• (b) to flow regenerant solution from a manifold through at least one resin bed in a second subset of the plurality of vessels to regenerate said at least one resin beds. and to remove spent regenerant solution from these vessels and
• (c) to flow rinse water from a manifold through at least one regenerated resin bed in a third subset of the plurality of vessels to rinse said at least one regenerated resin bed and to remove spent rinse water from these vessels.

A process for continuously removing contaminant from contaminated water comprising:

• feeding 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 a resin bed capable of binding contaminant from the contaminated water and yielding treated water and a contaminated resin bed,
• removing purified water through the second opening from each of the vessels in the first subset, and passing said treated water through a second individually-valved header directly adjacent to the second opening and through a second manifold to a treated water discharge;
• 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 contaminated resin bed,
• passing the regenerant solution over the contaminated resin bed so that the regenerant displaces the contaminants off of the 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 a another individually-valved header directly adjacent to this opening,
• 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
• 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.

A process for continuously removing contaminant from contaminated water comprising:

• a) with a controller continuously feeding 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 a resin bed capable of binding contaminant from the contaminated water and yielding treated water and a 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 purified water through the second opening from each of the vessels in the first subset, and passing said treated 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 contaminated resin bed thereby withdrawing that vessel for 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 contaminated resin bed so that the regenerant displaces the contaminants off of the 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 solution to an individually-valved header directly adjacent to an opening on the vessel withdrawn from service in step 0 and passing the rinse water solution 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 spent rinse water
• h) with a controller removing spent 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.

A process for continuously removing nitrate contaminant from contaminated water comprising:

• a) with a controller continuously feeding 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 a resin bed capable of binding nitrate contaminant from the contaminated water and yielding treated water and a nitrate-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 purified water through the second opening from each of the vessels in the first subset, and passing said treated 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 contaminated resin bed thereby withdrawing that vessel for purification 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 downflow over the contaminated resin bed so that the regenerant displaces the contaminants off of the contaminated resin bed to yield a regenerated resin bed and spent regenerant solution containing nitrate
• 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 solution 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 solution upflow 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 spent rinse water
• h) with a controller removing spent 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 i) in service in the first subset of vessels.