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US 8,557,119 B1Granted
High water recovery from desalination systems using ion exchange technology
AssigneeStc.Unm
InventorsKerry Howe, Joshua Goldman, Bruce Thomson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A novel method for improving water recovery from desalination systems by the removal of cations and/or anions using ion exchange (IX) technology. The system described herein is particularly useful for water recovery in brackish ecosystems and is unique in that important features include recycling, regeneration, and recovery of key components, thereby reducing costs and waste products.
Claims18
A method for water recovery from a feed water stream, the method comprising:
- processing the feed water stream through a desalination system configured to produce a stage 1 permeate stream having an ion concentration lower than the feed water stream and a stage 1 concentrate stream having an ion concentration higher than the feed water stream;
- processing the stage 1 concentrate stream through at least one ion exchange column, wherein the ion exchange column is configured to exchange target ions in the stage 1 concentrate for ions of highly-soluble salts, thereby producing an ion exchange effluent having a target ion concentration lower than the stage 1 concentrate stream;
- processing the ion exchange effluent through a desalination system configured to remove ions from the ion exchange effluent, thereby producing a stage 2 permeate stream having an ion concentration lower than the ion exchange effluent and a stage 2 concentrate stream having an ion concentration higher than the ion exchange effluent;
- regenerating the ion exchange column;
- wherein the process of regenerating the ion exchange column produces an ion exchange waste stream;
- processing the ion exchange waste stream to separate out one or more predetermined solid products;
- and
- recovering the one or more predetermined solid products.
5 more elements
A method for water recovery from a feed water stream, the method comprising:
- processing the feed water stream through a desalination system configured to produce a stage 1 permeate stream having an ion concentration lower than the feed water stream and a stage 1 concentrate stream having an ion concentration higher than the feed water stream;
- processing the stage 1 concentrate stream through at least one ion exchange column, wherein the ion exchange column is configured to exchange target ions in the stage 1 concentrate for ions of highly-soluble salts, thereby producing an ion exchange effluent having a target ion concentration lower than the stage 1 concentrate stream;
- processing the ion exchange effluent through a desalination system configured to remove ions from the ion exchange effluent, thereby producing a stage 2 permeate stream having an ion concentration lower than the ion exchange effluent and a stage 2 concentrate stream having an ion concentration higher than the ion exchange effluent;
- and
- processing waste from the ion exchange columns to recover predetermined ions.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.