An integrated water system and its control method

Abstract

An integrated water system includes a central water purifier, a central water softener, a reverse osmosis system, ion sensors, a solenoid valve, a check valve, and a reversing valve. The central water purifier is directly connected to the municipal water supply. The central water softener connects to the central water purifier via a control valve. The reverse osmosis system includes a booster pump, a reverse osmosis filter element, and a post-filter element. Water from the central water softener passes through a second solenoid valve and then the booster pump connects to the reverse osmosis filter element and the post-filter element. A pure water supply faucet connects directly to the pure water supply outlet of the reverse osmosis system, and a high-pressure switch is installed at the faucet. A wastewater return path is provided at the wastewater outlet of the reverse osmosis filter element, along with four ion sensors.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of water purification supply system technology, and more particularly to a water system that integrates central water purification and softening. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing global demand for water security and environmental protection, ensuring safe drinking water and efficient utilization of water resources have become the core directions for industry development. Water purification and softening technologies have been widely used in households and various water use scenarios, gradually evolving from simply ensuring drinking water safety to water conservation, environmental protection, and intelligent integration.

[0003] The current mainstream key technologies in the industry include ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis water purification technology and resin softening technology. Among them, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis achieve water purification through membrane separation principle, while resin softening technology achieves water softening through ion exchange. The above technologies are the core technical means to ensure drinking water safety.

[0004] Household whole-house water purification systems have become an important solution for ensuring healthy drinking water for families. These systems are typically configured in stages according to treatment precision and intended use, with a typical process chain being "pre-filtration → central water purification (adsorption of residual chlorine and removal of impurities) → central water softening (removal of calcium and magnesium ions) → terminal reverse osmosis (RO) deep purification". Among them, reverse osmosis (RO) technology is widely used to produce pure drinking water due to its excellent desalination and contaminant retention capabilities.

[0005] The problems with existing technologies are: 1) Waste of water resources: Existing reverse osmosis technologies generally have the problem of wastewater discharge. The wastewater generated at the reverse osmosis filter is directly discharged and wasted, making it impossible to recycle wastewater and resulting in low water resource utilization.

[0006] (2) It lacks intelligent adaptive adjustment capability and cannot make intelligent adaptive adjustment based on the raw water TDS value and different working states of the system in real time. That is, it cannot adjust the flushing and discharge time according to different working states such as water saving, filtration mode, and circulation mode.

[0007] (3) Poor environmental performance: Traditional reverse osmosis technology relies on adding chemical scale inhibitors to prevent scale formation, and the discharge of chemical treatment agents can easily lead to the risk of eutrophication of water bodies;

[0008] (4) High operating cost: It generates a large amount of wastewater and has no salt consumption optimization design, resulting in high long-term operating costs. Summary of the Invention

[0009] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention proposes an integrated water system and control method. The system integrates a central water purifier, a central water softener, and a point-of-use RO machine. Combined with water flow and ion sensors, it employs intelligent control to achieve wastewater recirculation, thereby improving water resource utilization. It also enables intelligent adaptive adjustment of the system, avoids the use of chemical scale inhibitors, enhancing the green and environmentally friendly nature of the technical solution, and optimizes salt consumption control, reducing long-term operating costs.

[0010] The integrated water system involved in this invention is characterized by comprising a central water purifier, a central water softener, a reverse osmosis system, an ion sensor, a solenoid valve, a check valve, and a reversing valve;

[0011] The central water purifier is directly connected to the municipal water pipe and is used to filter out large particulate impurities such as rust, silt, and algae in the water and adsorb organic matter.

[0012] Central water softener: After passing through the central water purifier, the water circuit is connected to the central water softener via a control valve;

[0013] Reverse osmosis system: includes booster pump, reverse osmosis filter cartridge and post-filter cartridge. The water from the central water softener passes through the second solenoid valve and then is connected to the reverse osmosis filter cartridge and post-filter cartridge by booster pump.

[0014] Pure water supply faucet: Water flowing out after passing through the reverse osmosis system is directly connected to the pure water supply faucet and flows out. A high-pressure switch is installed at the pure water supply faucet.

[0015] Wastewater return path: A wastewater return path is provided at the wastewater outlet of the reverse osmosis filter element in the reverse osmosis system. A wastewater valve and a reversing valve are provided on the wastewater return path. The reversing valve has one inlet and two outlets. After passing through the wastewater valve, the water enters the inlet of the reversing valve. The two outlets are respectively connected to the first return branch and the second return branch. The first return branch is connected to the water path between the central water purifier and the central water softener. The second return branch is connected to the brine tank of the central water softener.

[0016] It also includes four ion sensors: the first ion sensor is located at the outlet of the central water purifier, the second ion sensor is located at the outlet of the central water softener, the third ion sensor is located between the reverse osmosis filter and the post-filter, and the fourth ion sensor is located on the second return branch.

[0017] The central water purifier's water outlet circuit is further equipped with a purified water outlet branch circuit connected to the central water softener. The purified water outlet branch circuit is connected to the purified water outlet faucet via a first water flow sensor.

[0018] The central water softener also has a soft water outlet branch on the water line connecting to the reverse osmosis system. The soft water outlet branch is connected to the soft water faucet through a second water flow sensor.

[0019] After the reverse osmosis filter cartridge in the reverse osmosis system produces pure water, the water path branches. One path connects to the pure water supply faucet after passing through the third ion sensor, the post-filter cartridge, and the high-pressure switch, and a second one-way valve is installed between the post-filter cartridge and the high-pressure switch. The other path is the return water path, which can be the return water path of the booster pump, the return water path of the water softener, or the return water path of the central water purifier. A first one-way valve and a return valve are installed sequentially in the direction of water flow on the return water path.

[0020] The booster pump return water path returns water to the booster pump, the water softener return water path returns water to the central water softener, and the central water purifier return water path returns water to the central water purifier.

[0021] A water storage tank can also be installed on the wastewater return path of the reverse osmosis system, and the outlet of the water storage tank is connected to a domestic water tap.

[0022] The integrated water circuit control method is characterized in that the control method includes three different working modes: normal water production mode, resin regeneration mode, and first cup water rinsing mode, wherein the normal water production mode includes the following steps:

[0023] S01. Open the pure water faucet. Through the high-pressure switch signal, there is a second one-way valve between the post-filter and the high-pressure switch. The system opens the second solenoid valve, starts the booster pump, and the reversing valve on the wastewater return path of the reverse osmosis filter switches to the first return branch, that is, before it is connected to the central water softener.

[0024] S02, Tap water passes through the central water purifier → first ion sensor → central water softener → second ion sensor → second solenoid valve → booster pump → reverse osmosis filter → third ion sensor → post-filter → second check valve → high pressure switch → pure water supply faucet.

[0025] S03, Wastewater Recirculation Control: The wastewater recirculation process is controlled by collecting ion concentration data from an ion sensor. Specifically, the total ion concentration in the resin tank of the central water softener is set to T0, which is the real-time change in concentration. The relationship between T0 and T5 is calculated to correspond to the switching process of the reversing valve.

[0026] When T0 < T5, switch to the second return branch;

[0027] When T0≥T5----- switch to the first return branch, T0 continues to decrease until T0<k1*T5--- switch to the second return branch;

[0028] Where k1 is a regular coefficient less than 1;

[0029] Repeat the above steps;

[0030] T0 is a calculated value, and its calculation formula is as follows:

[0031]

[0032] in:

[0033] T1 is the ion concentration of the purified water detected by the first ion sensor;

[0034] T2 is the second ion sensor that detects the ion concentration in the water coming out of the central water softener;

[0035] T3 is the concentration of ions in pure water detected by the third ion sensor;

[0036] T4 represents the wastewater concentration detected by the fourth ion sensor on the wastewater return path;

[0037] T5 is the highest ion concentration value of the water effluent after treatment by the processor as specified in the standard.

[0038] L represents the flow rate entering the reverse osmosis filter cartridge when the reverse osmosis system is producing water normally. This flow rate can be determined by the working flow rate curve of the booster pump.

[0039] L1 is the wastewater flow rate under flow restriction;

[0040] Then (L-L1) is the pure water flow rate;

[0041] T0(t) is the real-time total ion concentration in the resin tank at the previous sampling time. The result of the previous calculation is used as the initial value for this time.

[0042] T0(t+Δt) is the real-time total ion concentration in the resin tank at the current sampling time;

[0043] V is the volume of water stored in the resin tank, which is a known quantity;

[0044] Δt is the sampling time;

[0045] When the reverse osmosis system is working normally, the current flow rate L entering the reverse osmosis membrane can be obtained through the working flow curve of the booster pump. A fixed wastewater ratio flushing combination valve is installed on the wastewater return line. Based on the fixed wastewater ratio and the booster pump flow curve, the current wastewater flow rate L1 can be determined. Wastewater valve closing time: V / L, all water in the resin tank enters the reverse osmosis membrane. Wastewater valve opening time: V1 / L1, all wastewater in the reverse osmosis membrane housing enters the brine tank, where V1 is the water in the reverse osmosis membrane housing. Wastewater is intermittently discharged into the brine tank of the central water softener, which can reduce the amount of salt required for resin regeneration.

[0046] The resin regeneration mode uses a level gauge and a salinity meter in the brine tank of the central water softener to calculate the current salt content and water volume. Then, based on the resin volume and exchange capacity, the required salt dosage is calculated. The specific steps include the following:

[0047] S11: The current level gauge and salinity meter read the salt tank level V3, the salt concentration C detected by the salinity meter, and the resin volume V2;

[0048] S12: Let the total salt requirement be M, then the formula for calculating M is:

[0049] ;

[0050] Where V2 is the resin volume;

[0051] n is the exchange capacity;

[0052] The effective salt content in the existing saline solution, Mcurrent, is equal to V3 * C.

[0053] When the salt saturation S*V3 ≥ M, it indicates that salt needs to be added, and the amount of salt to be added is ΔM. ;

[0054] When the salt saturation S*V3 < M, it means that the salt tank needs to be replenished to V4, where V4 = M / S; at this time, the salt solubility detected by the salinity meter is C1, and the amount of salt to be replenished is ΔM.

[0055] .

[0056] In the first cup water flushing mode, in order to prevent the water concentration in the reverse osmosis membrane housing from being too high and the TDS value of the first cup of pure water from being high after a long period of shutdown, the first cup water flushing program needs to be started after the pure water supply faucet is turned off. The return water circuit involved includes the return water circuit of the booster pump, the return water circuit of the water softener, or the return water circuit of the central water purifier. After the pure water supply faucet is turned off, the booster pump continues to work. At this time, the return valve is opened, and return water is carried out through any one of the return water circuits. The wastewater valve is closed.

[0057] The return time is t1. After t1, the booster pump and return valve are shut off, the wastewater valve is opened without flow restriction, and the reversing valve is switched to the first return branch. After the wastewater returns for t2, the second solenoid valve is closed, the reversing valve is switched to the second return branch, and the system enters standby mode.

[0058] The calculation methods for t1 and t2 are as follows:

[0059] t1=V1 / L3, which corresponds to the booster pump return water circuit, where pure water returns to the booster pump.

[0060] The corresponding water circuit is the water softener return water circuit, where pure water flows back to the central water softener;

[0061] t1=(V+V1+V5) / L3, which corresponds to the central water purifier's return water circuit, where pure water flows back to the central water purifier;

[0062] Where V5 is the water storage volume of the central water purifier, and L3 is the current flow rate (L3) obtained from the working flow curve of the booster pump during pure water return.

[0063] t2=V1 / L4, where L4 is the flow rate after the wastewater valve is opened without flow restriction, which is a known quantity related to a wastewater valve model.

[0064] In fact, the wastewater valve in this solution can be understood as consisting of two parts: a solenoid valve and a flow limiting valve. The solenoid valve only controls the opening and closing, while the flow limiting valve is fully open when energized and limits the flow when not energized.

[0065] Previously, the L1 flow rate was used to energize the solenoid valve in the wastewater valve, while the flow limiting valve was not energized. Therefore, the wastewater flow rate was limited during normal RO membrane water production, for example, only 800 mL / min.

[0066] L4 here means energizing both the solenoid valve and the flow restrictor valve in the wastewater valve. After energizing, the flow restrictor valve is fully open, eliminating the flow restriction function, and the flow rate of L4 will be greater.

[0067] 1. System Description: This water system includes major components such as a central water purifier, a central water softener, a point-of-use reverse osmosis system, an ion sensor, a water flow sensor, solenoid valves, check valves, and reversing valves. The central water purifier filters out large particles such as rust, sediment, and algae, and adsorbs organic matter. The central water softener uses ion exchange resin to replace calcium and magnesium ions in the water, softening the water. The point-of-use reverse osmosis system, including a booster pump, reverse osmosis membrane, and post-activated carbon, further removes ions, purifies the water, improves taste, and meets direct drinking standards.

[0068] 2. Water Circuit Description: The central water purifier and central water softener each have a branch circuit supplying purified and softened water to users for purposes such as washing vegetables and personal hygiene. A water flow sensor provides water flow signals and water consumption data. Additionally, during resin regeneration and rinsing in the central water softener, water is discharged through a drain pipe. In the terminal reverse osmosis system, the pure water circuit, besides leading to the pure water faucet, has another branch circuit that returns to the booster pump, primarily addressing the issue of the first cup of water after a long period of inactivity. The wastewater circuit uses a reversing valve for return; through the first return branch, it returns to the brine tank of the central water softener, and through the second return branch, it returns to the area before the central water softener.

[0069] The beneficial effects of the water system involved in this invention lie in its integrated circulating water system: connecting the central water purification system, central water softening system, and reverse osmosis system in series, along with wastewater recirculation, and reusing the wastewater after mixing with purified water through the recirculation pipeline, thereby improving water resource utilization; and increasing the total sodium ion concentration and reducing salt consumption by recirculating the wastewater to the brine tank of the water softener. Green scale inhibition: by placing the water softener before the reverse osmosis system, it uses resin to replace calcium and magnesium ions, unlike the traditional method of adding chemical scale inhibitors, thus preventing scale buildup on the RO membrane. Intelligent control: through ion sensors and logic control, the recirculation is controlled in real time, and the recirculation position can be adaptively adjusted according to the water quality of different regions, ensuring drinking water and general water use safety. Attached Figure Description

[0070] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the integrated water system structure involved in this invention;

[0071] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of Embodiment 2 of the integrated water system involved in the present invention;

[0072] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of Embodiment 3 of the integrated water system involved in the present invention;

[0073] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of Embodiment 4 of the integrated water system involved in the present invention;

[0074] Among them: 10. Central water purifier; 11. First ion sensor; 12. Second ion sensor; 13. Third ion sensor; 14. Fourth ion sensor;

[0075] 20. Central water softener; 21. Resin tank; 22. Brine tank; 23. First solenoid valve; 24. Second solenoid valve;

[0076] 30. Reverse osmosis system; 31. Booster pump; 32. Reverse osmosis filter element; 33. Post-filter element;

[0077] 40. Pure water supply faucet; 41. High-pressure switch;

[0078] 51. First check valve; 52. Second check valve; 53. Third check valve; 54. Reflux valve;

[0079] 60. Wastewater return path; 61. Wastewater valve; 62. Reversing valve; 63. First return branch; 64. Second return branch; 65. Storage tank; 66. Fourth check valve; 67. Third solenoid valve

[0080] 70. Water purifier faucet; 71. First water flow sensor;

[0081] 80. Soft water tap; 81. Second water flow sensor;

[0082] 91. Booster pump return water circuit;

[0083] 92. Soft water machine return water circuit;

[0084] 93. Central water purifier return water circuit. Detailed Implementation

[0085] To provide a clearer understanding of the technical features, objectives, and beneficial effects of the present invention, the technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. This description is only for explaining the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention.

[0086] This invention mainly relates to an integrated water circuit and a method for controlling operation using the integrated water circuit: please refer to the appendix. Figure 1 The diagram shows the integrated water circuit, which includes a central water purifier, a central water softener, a reverse osmosis system, an ion sensor, a solenoid valve, a check valve, and a reversing valve.

[0087] Among them, the central water purifier 10 is directly connected to the municipal water pipe and is used to filter large particulate impurities such as rust, silt, and algae in the water and adsorb organic matter.

[0088] Central water softener 20: After passing through the central water purifier, the water path is connected to the central water softener through a control valve; the water softener includes a resin tank 21 and a brine tank 22, and there is a first solenoid valve 23 between the resin tank 21 and the brine tank 22.

[0089] Reverse osmosis system 30: includes booster pump 31, reverse osmosis filter element 32 and post-filter element 33, wherein the water from the central water softener 20 passes through the second solenoid valve 24 and then enters the reverse osmosis filter element 32 and post-filter element 33 through booster pump 31.

[0090] Pure water supply faucet 40: Water flowing out of the reverse osmosis system 30 is directly connected to the pure water supply faucet 40 and flows out. A high-pressure switch 41 is provided at the pure water supply faucet 40. More specifically, the water from the reverse osmosis filter 32 in the reverse osmosis system passes through the post-filter 33 and is then connected to the high-pressure switch 41 before finally flowing out of the pure water supply faucet 40. A second one-way valve 52 is also provided between the post-filter 33 and the high-pressure switch 41.

[0091] The reverse osmosis filter needs to discharge wastewater, so there is a wastewater outlet. A wastewater return water path 60 is set at the wastewater outlet. A wastewater valve 61 and a reversing valve 62 are set on the wastewater return water path 60. The reversing valve 62 has one inlet and two outlets. After passing through the wastewater valve 61, the wastewater enters the inlet of the reversing valve 62. The two outlets are respectively connected to the first return branch 63 and the second return branch 64. The first return branch 63 is connected to the brine tank of the central water softener 20, and the second return branch 64 is connected to the water path between the central water purifier 10 and the central water softener 20.

[0092] It also includes four ion sensors: the first ion sensor 11 is located at the outlet of the central water purifier 10, the second ion sensor 12 is located at the outlet of the central water softener, the third ion sensor 13 is located between the reverse osmosis filter and the post-filter, and the fourth ion sensor 14 is located on the second return branch 64.

[0093] On the second return branch 64, a third check valve 53 is provided between the reversing valve 62 and the fourth ion sensor 14.

[0094] The central water purifier 10 also has a purified water outlet branch in the water circuit connected to the central water softener 20. The purified water outlet branch is connected to the purified water outlet faucet 70 through the first water flow sensor 71.

[0095] The central water softener 20 also has a soft water outlet branch on the water line connected to the reverse osmosis system. The soft water outlet branch is connected to the soft water faucet 80 through the second water flow sensor 81.

[0096] Please refer to the attached document. Figure 1 After the reverse osmosis filter cartridge of the reverse osmosis system produces pure water, the water path branches. One path connects to the pure water supply faucet 40 after passing through the third ion sensor 13, the post-filter cartridge 33, and the high-pressure switch 41. A second one-way valve 52 is provided between the post-filter cartridge 33 and the high-pressure switch 41. The other path is the return water path, which is the booster pump return water path 91. In this embodiment, the specific illustration is the booster pump return water path 91 that returns to the booster pump 31. A first one-way valve 51 and a return valve 54 are sequentially provided along the water flow direction on the return water path.

[0097] Please refer to the attached document. Figure 2 This is Embodiment 2 of the present invention:

[0098] The overall structure is the same as in Embodiment 1. The difference is that the return water path is the water softener return water path 92. The water softener return water path 92 returns the water to the central water softener 20. A first one-way valve 51 and a return valve 54 are arranged sequentially in the direction of water flow on the return water path.

[0099] Please refer to the attached document. Figure 3 This is Embodiment 3 of the present invention:

[0100] The overall structure is the same as in Embodiment 1. The difference is that the return water path is the central water purifier return water path 93. The central water purifier return water path 93 returns the water to the central water purifier 10. A first one-way valve 51 and a return valve 54 are arranged sequentially in the direction of water flow on the return water path.

[0101] Please refer to the attached document. Figure 4 This is Embodiment 4 of the present invention:

[0102] A water storage tank 65 can also be installed on the wastewater return path 60 of the reverse osmosis system, and the outlet of the water storage tank 65 is connected to a domestic water tap. In this embodiment, the first return branch 63 can be modified to be connected separately and connected to the water storage tank 65, the fourth one-way valve 66, and the third solenoid valve 67. The function of the first return branch 63 (returning high-concentration brine to the brine tank) is replaced by storing the brine in the water storage tank 65. When domestic water is needed (such as flushing the toilet, watering plants, etc.), the third solenoid valve 67 is opened, and the tap water, purified by the central water purifier 10, is mixed with the water in the water storage tank 65 and used for domestic water.

[0103] The above-described different implementation methods can all be controlled according to the integrated water circuit control method. This control method includes three different operating modes: normal water production mode, resin regeneration mode, and first cup water rinsing mode. The normal water production mode includes the following steps:

[0104] S01. Open the pure water faucet. Through the high-pressure switch signal, there is a second one-way valve between the post-filter and the high-pressure switch. The system opens the second solenoid valve, starts the booster pump, and the reversing valve on the wastewater return path of the reverse osmosis filter switches to the first return branch, that is, before it is connected to the central water softener.

[0105] S02, Tap water passes through the central water purifier → first ion sensor → central water softener → second ion sensor → second solenoid valve → booster pump → reverse osmosis filter → third ion sensor → post-filter → second check valve → high pressure switch → pure water supply faucet.

[0106] S03, Wastewater Recirculation Control: The wastewater recirculation process is controlled by collecting ion concentration data from an ion sensor. Specifically, the total ion concentration in the resin tank of the central water softener is set to T0, which is the real-time change in concentration. The relationship between T0 and T5 is calculated to correspond to the switching process of the reversing valve.

[0107] When T0 < T5, switch to the second return branch;

[0108] When T0≥T5----- switch to the first return branch, T0 continues to decrease until T0<k1*T5--- switch to the second return branch;

[0109] Where k1 is a regular coefficient less than 1;

[0110] Repeat the above steps;

[0111] T0 is a calculated value, and its calculation formula is as follows:

[0112]

[0113] in:

[0114] T1 is the ion concentration of the purified water detected by the first ion sensor;

[0115] T2 is the second ion sensor that detects the ion concentration in the water coming out of the central water softener;

[0116] T3 is the concentration of ions in pure water detected by the third ion sensor;

[0117] T4 represents the wastewater concentration detected by the fourth ion sensor on the wastewater return path;

[0118] T5 is the highest ion concentration value of the water effluent after treatment by the processor as specified in the standard.

[0119] L represents the flow rate entering the reverse osmosis filter cartridge when the reverse osmosis system is producing water normally. This flow rate can be determined by the working flow rate curve of the booster pump.

[0120] L1 is the wastewater flow rate under flow restriction;

[0121] Then (L-L1) is the pure water flow rate;

[0122] T0(t) is the real-time total ion concentration in the resin tank at the previous sampling time. The result of the previous calculation is used as the initial value for this time.

[0123] T0(t+Δt) is the real-time total ion concentration in the resin tank at the current sampling time;

[0124] V is the volume of water stored in the resin tank, which is a known quantity;

[0125] Δt is the sampling time;

[0126] When the reverse osmosis system is working normally, the current flow rate L entering the reverse osmosis membrane can be obtained through the working flow curve of the booster pump. A fixed wastewater ratio flushing combination valve is installed on the wastewater return line. Based on the fixed wastewater ratio and the booster pump flow curve, the current wastewater flow rate L1 can be determined. Wastewater valve closing time: V / L, all water in the resin tank enters the reverse osmosis membrane. Wastewater valve opening time: V1 / L1, all wastewater in the reverse osmosis membrane housing enters the brine tank, where V1 is the water in the reverse osmosis membrane housing. Wastewater is intermittently discharged into the brine tank of the central water softener, which can reduce the amount of salt required for resin regeneration.

[0127] The resin regeneration mode uses a level gauge and a salinity meter in the brine tank of the central water softener to calculate the current salt content and water volume. Then, based on the resin volume and exchange capacity, the required salt dosage is calculated. The specific steps include the following:

[0128] S11: The current level gauge and salinity meter read the salt tank level V3, the salt concentration C detected by the salinity meter, and the resin volume V2;

[0129] S12: Let the total salt requirement be M, then the formula for calculating M is:

[0130] ;

[0131] Where V2 is the resin volume;

[0132] n is the exchange capacity;

[0133] The effective salt content in the existing saline solution, Mcurrent, is equal to V3 * C.

[0134] When the salt saturation S*V3 ≥ M, it indicates that salt needs to be added, and the amount of salt to be added is ΔM. ;

[0135] When the salt saturation S*V3 < M, it means that the salt tank needs to be replenished to V4, where V4 = M / S; at this time, the salt solubility detected by the salinity meter is C1, and the amount of salt to be replenished is ΔM.

[0136] .

[0137] In the first cup water flushing mode, in order to prevent the water concentration in the reverse osmosis membrane housing from being too high and the TDS value of the first cup of pure water from being high after a long period of shutdown, the first cup water flushing program needs to be started after the pure water supply faucet is turned off. The return water circuit involved includes the return water circuit of the booster pump, the return water circuit of the water softener, or the return water circuit of the central water purifier. After the pure water supply faucet is turned off, the booster pump continues to work. At this time, the return valve is opened, and return water is carried out through any one of the return water circuits. The wastewater valve is closed.

[0138] The return time is t1. After t1, the booster pump and return valve are shut off, the wastewater valve is opened without flow restriction, and the reversing valve is switched to the first return branch. After the wastewater returns for t2, the second solenoid valve is closed, the reversing valve is switched to the second return branch, and the system enters standby mode.

[0139] The calculation methods for t1 and t2 are as follows:

[0140] t1=V1 / L3, which corresponds to the booster pump return water circuit, where pure water returns to the booster pump.

[0141] The corresponding water circuit is the water softener return water circuit, where pure water flows back to the central water softener;

[0142] The corresponding water path is the central water purifier's return water path, where pure water flows back to the central water purifier.

[0143] Where V5 is the water storage volume of the central water purifier, and L3 is the current flow rate (L3) obtained from the working flow curve of the booster pump during pure water return.

[0144] L4 is the flow rate after the wastewater valve is opened without flow restriction, which is a known quantity related to a wastewater valve model.

[0145] In fact, the wastewater valve in this solution can be understood as consisting of two parts: a solenoid valve and a flow limiting valve. The solenoid valve only controls the opening and closing, while the flow limiting valve is fully open when energized and limits the flow when not energized.

[0146] Previously, the L1 flow rate was used to energize the solenoid valve in the wastewater valve, while the flow limiting valve was not energized. Therefore, the wastewater flow rate was limited during normal RO membrane water production, for example, only 800 mL / min.

[0147] At this point, L4 means energizing both the solenoid valve and the flow restrictor in the wastewater valve. After energizing, the flow restrictor is fully open, eliminating the flow restriction function, and the flow rate of L4 will be greater.

[0148] For a specific example: taking an 800G RO system as an example, the RO membrane housing has a water volume of 400mL and a recovery rate of 67%. The resin tank has a resin volume of 12L, a resin exchange capacity of 2mol / L, and a water volume of 1.6L. Without wastewater recirculation, continuously producing 10L of pure water requires a total wastewater discharge of approximately 6L. Using this technology, after wastewater recirculation, 10L of pure water can be continuously produced without wastewater discharge, resulting in 100% water conservation. Each resin regeneration can save 10g of salt dosage. The first batch of pure water is recirculated to the pump in a total time of 25 seconds, with a desalination rate >70%.

[0149] The integrated circulating water system involved in this invention connects the central water purification system, the central water softening system, and the reverse osmosis system in series, along with wastewater recirculation. The wastewater is reused after being mixed with purified water through the recirculation pipeline, improving water resource utilization. Furthermore, the wastewater is recirculated back to the brine tank of the water softener, increasing the total sodium ion concentration and reducing salt consumption. Green scale inhibition: By placing the water softener before the reverse osmosis system, it uses resin to replace calcium and magnesium ions, unlike traditional methods that add chemical scale inhibitors, preventing scale buildup on the RO membrane. Intelligent control: Through ion sensors and logic control, the recirculation is controlled in real time, and the recirculation position can be adaptively adjusted according to the water quality of different regions, ensuring drinking water and general water use safety.

Claims

1. An integrated water system, characterized in that, This includes central water purifiers, central water softeners, reverse osmosis systems, ion sensors, solenoid valves, check valves, and reversing valves; Central water purifier: used to directly connect to the municipal water pipe and access the water source; Central water softener: After passing through the central water purifier, the water circuit is connected to the central water softener via a control valve; Reverse osmosis system: includes booster pump, reverse osmosis filter cartridge and post-filter cartridge. The water from the central water softener passes through the second solenoid valve and then is connected to the reverse osmosis filter cartridge and post-filter cartridge by booster pump. Pure water supply faucet: Water flowing out after passing through the reverse osmosis system is directly connected to the pure water supply faucet and flows out. A high-pressure switch is installed at the pure water supply faucet. Wastewater return path: A wastewater return path is provided at the wastewater outlet of the reverse osmosis filter element in the reverse osmosis system. A wastewater valve and a reversing valve are provided on the wastewater return path. The reversing valve has one inlet and two outlets. After passing through the wastewater valve, the water enters the inlet of the reversing valve. The two outlets are respectively connected to the first return branch and the second return branch. The first return branch is connected to the water path between the central water purifier and the central water softener. The second return branch is connected to the brine tank of the central water softener. It also includes four ion sensors: the first ion sensor is located at the outlet of the central water purifier, the second ion sensor is located at the outlet of the central water softener, the third ion sensor is located between the reverse osmosis filter and the post-filter, and the fourth ion sensor is located on the second return branch.

2. The integrated water system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central water purifier's water outlet circuit is further equipped with a purified water outlet branch circuit connected to the central water softener. The purified water outlet branch circuit is connected to the purified water outlet faucet via a first water flow sensor.

3. The integrated water system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central water softener also has a soft water outlet branch on the water line connecting to the reverse osmosis system. The soft water outlet branch is connected to the soft water faucet through a second water flow sensor.

4. The integrated water system according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the reverse osmosis filter cartridge in the reverse osmosis system produces pure water, the water path branches. One path connects to the pure water supply faucet after passing through the third ion sensor, the post-filter cartridge, and the high-pressure switch, and a second one-way valve is installed between the post-filter cartridge and the high-pressure switch. The other path is the return water path, which can be the return water path of the booster pump, the return water path of the water softener, or the return water path of the central water purifier. A first one-way valve and a return valve are installed sequentially in the direction of water flow on the return water path.

5. The integrated water system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The booster pump return water path returns water to the booster pump, the water softener return water path returns water to the central water softener, and the central water purifier return water path returns water to the central water purifier.

6. The integrated water system according to claim 1, characterized in that, A water storage tank can also be installed on the wastewater return path of the reverse osmosis system, and the outlet of the water storage tank is connected to a domestic water tap.

7. A control method for an integrated water circuit as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The control method includes three different operating modes: normal water production mode, resin regeneration mode, and first cup water rinsing mode. The normal water production mode includes the following steps: S01. Open the pure water faucet. Through the high-pressure switch signal, there is a second one-way valve between the post-filter and the high-pressure switch. The system opens the second solenoid valve, starts the booster pump, and the reversing valve on the wastewater return path of the reverse osmosis filter switches to the first return branch, that is, before it is connected to the central water softener. S02, Tap water passes through the central water purifier → first ion sensor → central water softener → second ion sensor → second solenoid valve → booster pump → reverse osmosis filter → third ion sensor → post-filter → second check valve → high pressure switch → pure water supply faucet. S03, Wastewater Recirculation Control: The wastewater recirculation process is controlled by collecting ion concentration data from an ion sensor. Specifically, the total ion concentration in the resin tank of the central water softener is set to T0, which is the real-time change in concentration. The relationship between T0 and T5 is calculated to correspond to the switching process of the reversing valve. When T0 < T5, switch to the second return branch; When T0≥T5----- switch to the first return branch, T0 continues to decrease until T0<k1*T5--- switch to the second return branch; Where k1 is a regular coefficient less than 1; Repeat the above steps; T0 is a calculated value, and its calculation formula is as follows: in: T1 is the ion concentration of the purified water detected by the first ion sensor; T2 is the second ion sensor that detects the ion concentration in the water coming out of the central water softener; T3 is the concentration of ions in pure water detected by the third ion sensor; T4 represents the wastewater concentration detected by the fourth ion sensor on the wastewater return path; T5 is the highest ion concentration value of the water effluent after treatment by the processor as specified in the standard. L represents the flow rate entering the reverse osmosis filter cartridge when the reverse osmosis system is producing water normally. This flow rate can be determined by the working flow rate curve of the booster pump. L1 is the wastewater flow rate under flow restriction; Then (L-L1) is the pure water flow rate; T0(t) is the real-time total ion concentration in the resin tank at the previous sampling time. The result of the previous calculation is used as the initial value for this time. T0(t+Δt) is the real-time total ion concentration in the resin tank at the current sampling time; V is the volume of water stored in the resin tank, which is a known quantity; Δt is the sampling time.

8. The control method for the integrated water system according to claim 7, characterized in that, When the reverse osmosis system is working normally, the current flow rate L entering the reverse osmosis membrane can be obtained through the working flow curve of the booster pump. A fixed wastewater ratio flushing combination valve is installed on the wastewater return line. Based on the fixed wastewater ratio and the booster pump flow curve, the current wastewater flow rate L1 can be determined. Wastewater valve closing time: V / L, all water in the resin tank enters the reverse osmosis membrane. Wastewater valve opening time: V1 / L1, all wastewater in the reverse osmosis membrane housing enters the brine tank, where V1 is the water in the reverse osmosis membrane housing. Wastewater is intermittently discharged into the brine tank of the central water softener, which can reduce the amount of salt required for resin regeneration.

9. The control method for the integrated water system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The resin regeneration mode uses a level gauge and a salinity meter in the brine tank of the central water softener to calculate the current salt content and water volume. Then, based on the resin volume and exchange capacity, the required salt dosage is calculated. The specific steps include the following: S11: The current level gauge and salinity meter read the salt tank level V3, the salt concentration C detected by the salinity meter, and the resin volume V2; S12: Let the total salt requirement be M, then the formula for calculating M is: ； Where V2 is the resin volume; n is the exchange capacity; The effective salt content in the existing saline solution, Mcurrent, is equal to V3 * C. When the salt saturation S*V3 ≥ M, it indicates that salt needs to be added, and the amount of salt to be added is ΔM. ; When the salt saturation S*V3 < M, it means that the salt tank needs to be replenished to V4, where V4 = M / S; at this time, the salt solubility detected by the salinity meter is C1, and the amount of salt to be replenished is ΔM. 。 10. The control method for the integrated water system according to claim 7, characterized in that, In the first cup water flushing mode, in order to prevent the water concentration in the reverse osmosis membrane housing from being too high and the TDS value of the first cup of pure water from being high after a long period of shutdown, the first cup water flushing program needs to be started after the pure water supply faucet is turned off. The return water circuit involved includes the return water circuit of the booster pump, the return water circuit of the water softener, or the return water circuit of the central water purifier. After the pure water supply faucet is turned off, the booster pump continues to work. At this time, the return valve is opened, and return water is carried out through any one of the return water circuits. The wastewater valve is closed. The return time is t1. After t1, the booster pump and return valve are shut off, the wastewater valve is opened without flow restriction, and the reversing valve is switched to the first return branch. After the wastewater returns for t2, the second solenoid valve is closed, the reversing valve is switched to the second return branch, and the system enters standby mode. The calculation methods for t1 and t2 are as follows: t1=V1 / L3, which corresponds to the booster pump return water circuit, where pure water returns to the booster pump. The corresponding water circuit is the water softener return water circuit, where pure water flows back to the central water softener; The corresponding water path is the central water purifier's return water path, where pure water flows back to the central water purifier. Where V5 is the water storage volume of the central water purifier, and L3 is the current flow rate L3 when pure water is returned, which is determined by the working flow curve of the booster pump. t2=V1 / L4, where L4 is the flow rate after the wastewater valve is opened without flow restriction, which is a known quantity related to a wastewater valve model.

Images