Method for the cyclic regeneration of water-softening systems and programmed water-softening system for applying the method
AssigneeGebruder Heyl KG
InventorsEwald Meiser, Horst Bauer
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Abstract
Ion exchange medium in a water softening system is regenerated cyclically, in response to both a preset timer and a metering device responsive to the degree of hardness of the untreated water and the degree of exhaustion of the ion exchange medium, by slowly feeding regenerating medium, prepared during the softening phase by the metering device, counter current to flow during softening at a rate so as not to disturb the exchange medium and to prevent substantial mixing of the regenerating medium with the water being displaced.
Claims23
In a method for a cyclic regeneration of a water softening system, which comprises an exchange medium in a treatment container and a regeneration medium in a storage container, comprising:
- first passing a regeneration medium from the bottom through the exchange medium to the top thereof in a direction counter-current to the flow of water during the softening cycle, then slowly flushing the exchange medium with treated water in the same direction of flow, and then strongly flushing in the same direction, the improvement wherein
- (1) a maximum time interval and a maximum degree of exhaustion of the exchange medium between regenerations are preselected and monitored as limit values;
- (2) each regeneration is initiated by the one of said two limit values which is reached first;
- (3) in each regeneration cycle only the amount of regeneration medium proportional to the degree of exhaustion is used;
- and
- (4) the regeneration medium is diffused through the exchange medium at such a low flow velocity that the particle layers in the exchange medium remain substantially unchanged.
In a programmed water softening system having a treatment container containing an exchange medium;
- a storage container containing a regeneration medium;
- a central regulating valve having connections for an untreated water inlet, a treated water outlet means to feed regeneration medium to the region of the treatment container, and means to remove contaminated liquids from the upper region of the treatment container;
- and a programmed control means to trigger a regeneration cycle dependent upon the hardness of the untreated water and the degree of exhaustion of the exchange medium and which, for the purposes of regeneration, permits first the flow of regeneration medium from the bottom to the top through the exchange medium, then a rinse with treated water in the same direction of flow and finally a strong flush in the same direction, the improvement wherein:
- the programmed control means includes a timer member preset to a maximum time interval between two regenerations, an additional metering means adjustable to the degree of hardness of the untreated water and to make available for each regeneration an amount of regeneration medium proportional to the degree of exhaustion of the exchange medium, and a control element to control the flow speed of the regeneration medium through the exchange medium to such a degree that the particle layers in the exchange medium remain substantially undisturbed, and
- wherein said programmed control means further comprises means to trigger a regeneration cycle when the first of two limit values is reached, one of said limit values corresponding to said degree of exhaustion of the exchange medium, and the other of said limit values corresponding to said maximum time interval.
A water softening system comprising:
- an exchange medium in a treatment container and a regeneration medium in a storage container;
- means for first passing a regeneration medium from the bottom through the exchange medium to the top thereof in a direction counter-current to the flow of water during the softening cycle, then slowly flushing the exchange medium with treated water in the same direction of flow, and then strongly flushing in the same direction;
- and
- means for preselecting and for monitoring as limit values a maximum time interval and a maximum degree of exhaustion of the exchange medium between two regenerations;
- means for initiating a regeneration cycle when the first of said two limit values is reached;
- means for using in each regeneration cycle only the amount of regeneration medium proportional to the degree of exhaustion;
- and means for diffusing the regeneration medium through the exchange medium at such a low velocity that the particle layers in the exchange medium remain substantially unchanged.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.