Method for on-demand regeneration control of an electroless softener based on water metering

Abstract

The present application relates to water treatment equipment control technical field, specifically for the on-demand regeneration control method of the non-electric softener based on water metering, including the following steps: S1, the raw water is introduced into the softener, the raw water is softened after the resin exchange layer and is outputted, and the actual water consumption is accumulated through the non-electric metering mechanism simultaneously;S2, according to the raw water hardness setting value, resin filling capacity, unit resin exchange capacity and preset residual reserve coefficient, the cumulative actual water consumption is capacity conversion, and the current resin residual available exchange capacity is obtained;S3, when the current resin residual available exchange capacity is lower than the preset regeneration trigger threshold, the regeneration preparation state is triggered;The regeneration opportunity of the present application is based on the actual water load instead of pure timing, which can be closer to the real consumption state of the resin, reduce unnecessary early regeneration, reduce salt consumption and wastewater discharge, the whole control process relies on the hydraulic and mechanical linkage, without external power supply, suitable for power-sensitive scenes and low-maintenance scenes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of water treatment equipment control technology, specifically to an on-demand regeneration control method for a non-electric soft water machine based on water metering. Background Technology

[0002] Water softeners remove calcium and magnesium ions from raw water using ion exchange resins, thereby reducing water hardness and the risk of scaling. They are widely used in residential, boiler, hot water systems, laundry equipment, and catering water supply. The resin gradually becomes saturated after continuous exchange and must be regenerated with brine to restore its exchange capacity. Therefore, "when to regenerate, how to regenerate, and whether to truly regenerate on demand" directly affect the equipment's operating costs, water output stability, and user experience.

[0003] Existing water softener regeneration control methods can be broadly categorized as follows:

[0004] 1. Timed regeneration method

[0005] This type of method regenerates according to a set number of days, hours, or fixed times at night, without considering actual water consumption or actual hardness load. The problem is:

[0006] Premature regeneration occurs when water usage is low, resulting in a waste of salt and water.

[0007] Excessive water usage may prevent timely regeneration, leading to premature resin failure.

[0008] It has poor adaptability to changes in water quality in different regions.

[0009] 2. Simple volumetric metering regeneration method

[0010] This type of method triggers regeneration based on the cumulative water volume passing through the water softener, which is an improvement over timed regeneration, but still has shortcomings:

[0011] The changes in raw water hardness were not fully considered; the same volume of water consumed at different hardness levels resulted in different resin consumption.

[0012] The impact of residual hardness adjustment on bypass mixing was not considered;

[0013] Special operating conditions such as reserve capacity, shutdown and initial commissioning were not taken into account.

[0014] 3. Electrically controlled on-demand regeneration method

[0015] Some high-end water softeners use electronic flow meters, main control boards, and algorithms to achieve on-demand regeneration, which has good accuracy, but also has the following drawbacks:

[0016] Dependent on power supply and electronic components;

[0017] The cost is relatively high;

[0018] The probability of electrical control failure increases in humid environments;

[0019] It may not be able to regenerate properly during power outages or when the controller is damaged.

[0020] 4. Traditional electromechanical regeneration methods

[0021] Existing non-electric water softeners mostly use mechanical flow meters and program control panels, but some solutions still only accumulate water volume and regenerate once the target value is reached. They lack more refined hardness coupling calculations, remaining capacity reservations, shutdown compensation, and bypass linkage judgments. Therefore, they are still prone to problems under complex operating conditions.

[0022] Too early to have another child;

[0023] Regeneration is too late;

[0024] Insufficient salt absorption;

[0025] The water quality is unstable when the system is restarted after a long shutdown.

[0026] Errors accumulate or are triggered in bypass mode.

[0027] Based on the existing installation and the equipment features reflected in the user manual, such as the integrated structure of the control head and valve body, brine valve, drain connection, brine pipe connection, communication pipe connection, bypass installation, residual hardness adjustment, initial regeneration preparation, and manual regeneration activation, it can be seen that the electric-free water softener already has a good mechanical execution foundation. However, a more systematic, on-demand, and closer to "actual resin consumption" electric-free control method is still needed. Therefore, a water metering-based on-demand regeneration control method for electric-free water softeners is proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0028] In view of this, the present invention provides an on-demand regeneration control method for a water-metering-based non-electric water softener to solve or alleviate the technical problems existing in the prior art, and at least provides a beneficial alternative.

[0029] The technical solution of this invention is implemented as follows: a method for on-demand regeneration control of a water softener without electricity based on water metering, comprising the following steps:

[0030] S1. Raw water is introduced into the water softener. After the raw water is softened by the resin exchange layer, softened water is output. At the same time, the actual water consumption is accumulated through the non-electric metering mechanism.

[0031] S2. Based on the raw water hardness setting value, resin filling amount, unit resin exchange capacity and preset remaining reserve coefficient, the cumulative actual water consumption is converted into capacity to obtain the current remaining available exchange capacity of the resin.

[0032] S3. When the remaining available exchange capacity of the current resin is lower than the preset regeneration trigger threshold, the regeneration preparation state is triggered, and the valve core flow channel is switched by the mechanical program mechanism.

[0033] S4. Enter the backwashing stage, so that the water flows through the resin bed in a different direction than in the service stage, in order to loosen the resin bed and remove trapped impurities.

[0034] S5. Entering the salt adsorption stage, the regenerated salt solution in the salt tank is drawn into the resin layer using the Venturi negative pressure.

[0035] S6. Enter the slow washing stage, allowing the brine to pass through the resin layer at a low flow rate to restore the resin exchange sites.

[0036] S7. Enter the fast wash stage to rinse the resin layer and residual salt and impurities in the flow channel at a high flow rate.

[0037] S8. Enter the reset phase to restore the program mechanism and valve core to the service state and resume output of softened water;

[0038] S9. In service mode, the bypass mixing ratio is controlled according to the residual hardness adjustment mechanism to achieve the target residual hardness output.

[0039] S10. When the equipment is shut down for a long time, put into operation for the first time, reused after maintenance, or switched to a bypass, execute the compensation judgment and protection process to ensure the accuracy of regeneration control and the continuity of water use.

[0040] More preferably, the non-electric metering mechanism in step S1 includes any one or more of the following structures:

[0041] Water turbine metering mechanism;

[0042] Piston displacement metering mechanism;

[0043] Diaphragm pulse metering mechanism;

[0044] Mechanical volumetric accumulator metering mechanism;

[0045] The non-electric metering mechanism is directly driven by the flow of raw water, and its output is mechanical displacement, rotation angle, number of strokes or cumulative number of gear rotations, which is transmitted to the regeneration triggering mechanism through the transmission gear set.

[0046] More preferably, the capacity conversion in step S2 is not a direct accumulation of simple volume, but a weighted conversion of the actual water consumption based on the raw water hardness set value to form an equivalent hardness load accumulation. The equivalent hardness load accumulation is related to at least the following parameters:

[0047] Raw water hardness value;

[0048] Effective resin filling volume;

[0049] Theoretical exchange capacity of unit resin;

[0050] Safety reserve capacity ratio;

[0051] The bypass mixing ratio under the remaining hardness setting;

[0052] The raw water hardness value is set by a mechanical adjustment plate, scale plate, gear ratio adjustment component or limit component, so that the regeneration trigger point under different water quality conditions in different regions can be manually pre-adjusted.

[0053] More preferably, the preset regeneration trigger threshold in step S3 includes a working capacity threshold and a reserve capacity threshold. The reserve capacity threshold is used to reserve a remaining capacity that can continue to supply water before the resin completely fails, so as to avoid a sudden increase in the hardness of the effluent in the case of instantaneous large flow of water or continuous water use at night.

[0054] The reserve capacity threshold is set by a mechanical pre-loaded coefficient disc, a spring preload, a replaceable cam, or a gear ratio compensation structure.

[0055] More preferably, each regeneration stage in steps S4 to S8 is jointly completed by the program disk, cam assembly, main valve core, flow restrictor, and Venturi salt adsorption structure, and the duration and flow rate of each stage are affected by at least the following factors:

[0056] Inlet water pressure;

[0057] Nozzle orifice diameter;

[0058] Program disk segment length;

[0059] Resin layer height;

[0060] Salt solution concentration;

[0061] Dimensions of drainage throttling components;

[0062] Furthermore, by replacing nozzles, flow restricting pads, program discs, venturi components, or orifice plates, the regeneration stage of different specifications of water softeners can be matched.

[0063] More preferably, the salt adsorption stage in step S5 includes the following control measures:

[0064] The brine solution in the brine tank is extracted using the Venturi negative pressure.

[0065] The brine valve float structure is used to limit the replenishment level and the risk of dry suction.

[0066] Use a salt separation cylinder or isolation cover to prevent salt particles from directly clogging the valve port;

[0067] The aspiration process automatically terminates after the brine aspiration is completed and the process transitions to the slow washing phase.

[0068] Whether salt adsorption is sufficient is mechanically determined by at least one of the following methods: salt level change, continuous displacement length of suction, end point of program segment, or valve core position switching.

[0069] More preferably, the target residual hardness output in step S9 is achieved through a mechanical bypass mixing structure, specifically by mixing a portion of the untreated raw water with softened water in a set ratio to output non-zero residual hardness.

[0070] The mixing ratio is set by adjusting the screw, scale ring, reference arrow or gear limit component, and the mixing ratio is used as a compensation factor in the calculation of the equivalent hardness load accumulation during capacity conversion.

[0071] More preferably, the compensation judgment and protection process in step S10 includes at least one of the following scenarios:

[0072] Before initial operation, solid regenerated salt and initial dissolved salt water need to be added to the salt tank;

[0073] If the static time exceeds a preset threshold before reuse after a long period of downtime, a compensation regeneration will be triggered first.

[0074] Before restarting after maintenance, check that the brine valve, drain pipe, bypass valve, and program position are correct.

[0075] When the bypass valve is in the non-service position, regeneration trigger accumulation is paused or regeneration is delayed.

[0076] When the inlet water pressure is lower than the minimum operating pressure for regeneration, the process will either prevent the user from entering the regeneration phase or delay the switching process.

[0077] In a further preferred embodiment of the dual-column non-electric water softener, the on-demand regeneration control method further includes dual-column alternation logic, namely:

[0078] Water usage is metered when the first column is in service.

[0079] When the first column reaches the regeneration trigger threshold, the second column is switched to enter the service state first.

[0080] The first column then performs backwashing, salt absorption, slow wash, fast wash, and reset;

[0081] Before the first column is reset, the second column remains in service and cannot enter regeneration simultaneously.

[0082] This enables on-demand, electricity-free regeneration under continuous water supply conditions.

[0083] The embodiments of the present invention have the following advantages due to the adoption of the above technical solutions:

[0084] I. The regeneration timing of this invention is based on the actual water load rather than a simple timer, which can more closely reflect the actual consumption state of the resin, reduce unnecessary premature regeneration, and reduce salt consumption and wastewater discharge. The entire control process relies on hydraulic and mechanical linkage, requiring no external power supply, and is suitable for power outage sensitive scenarios and low maintenance scenarios.

[0085] Second, this invention adapts to regional water use environments with large hardness differences by mechanically setting the raw water hardness. By reserving storage capacity and compensating for residual hardness, it avoids significant water quality fluctuations at the user end. The backwash, salt absorption, slow wash, fast wash and reset processes are clear, which facilitates mass production and standardized implementation. The program panel, valve core, nozzle, brine valve, bypass and regulating components used can all be manufactured using existing mature injection molding and mechanical assembly processes, which is easy to scale up production.

[0086] The above overview is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features of the invention will become readily apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. Attached Figure Description

[0087] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0088] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the overall process of the method of the present invention.

[0089] Figure 2 This is the on-demand regeneration triggering logic diagram for the present invention;

[0090] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the compensation process for special working conditions in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0091] In the following description, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the drawings and description are considered to be exemplary in nature and not restrictive.

[0092] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0093] like Figure 1-3 As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides a method for on-demand regeneration control of a water softener without electricity based on water metering, including the following steps:

[0094] S1. Raw water is introduced into the water softener. After the raw water is softened by the resin exchange layer, softened water is output. At the same time, the actual water consumption is accumulated through the non-electric metering mechanism.

[0095] S2. Based on the raw water hardness setting value, resin filling amount, unit resin exchange capacity and preset remaining reserve coefficient, the cumulative actual water consumption is converted into capacity to obtain the current remaining available exchange capacity of the resin.

[0096] S3. When the remaining available exchange capacity of the current resin is lower than the preset regeneration trigger threshold, the regeneration preparation state is triggered, and the valve core flow channel is switched by the mechanical program mechanism.

[0097] S4. Enter the backwashing stage, so that the water flows through the resin bed in a different direction than in the service stage, in order to loosen the resin bed and remove trapped impurities.

[0098] S5. Entering the salt adsorption stage, the regenerated salt solution in the salt tank is drawn into the resin layer using the Venturi negative pressure.

[0099] S6. Enter the slow washing stage, allowing the brine to pass through the resin layer at a low flow rate to restore the resin exchange sites.

[0100] S7. Enter the fast wash stage to rinse the resin layer and residual salt and impurities in the flow channel at a high flow rate.

[0101] S8. Enter the reset phase to restore the program mechanism and valve core to the service state and resume output of softened water;

[0102] S9. In service mode, the bypass mixing ratio is controlled according to the residual hardness adjustment mechanism to achieve the target residual hardness output.

[0103] S10. When the equipment is shut down for a long time, put into operation for the first time, reused after maintenance, or switched to a bypass, execute the compensation judgment and protection process to ensure the accuracy of regeneration control and the continuity of water use.

[0104] In one embodiment, the non-electric metering mechanism in step S1 includes any one or more of the following structures:

[0105] Water turbine metering mechanism;

[0106] Piston displacement metering mechanism;

[0107] Diaphragm pulse metering mechanism;

[0108] Mechanical volumetric accumulator metering mechanism;

[0109] The non-electric metering mechanism is directly driven by the flow of raw water. Its output is mechanical displacement, rotation angle, number of strokes or cumulative gear rotations, which is transmitted to the regeneration triggering mechanism through the transmission gear set.

[0110] In one embodiment, the capacity conversion in step S2 is not a direct accumulation of simple volume, but a weighted conversion of the actual water consumption based on the raw water hardness set value to form an equivalent hardness load accumulation. The equivalent hardness load accumulation is related to at least the following parameters:

[0111] Raw water hardness value;

[0112] Effective resin filling volume;

[0113] Theoretical exchange capacity of unit resin;

[0114] Safety reserve capacity ratio;

[0115] The bypass mixing ratio under the remaining hardness setting;

[0116] The raw water hardness value is set by a mechanical adjustment plate, scale plate, gear ratio adjustment component or limit component, so that the regeneration trigger point under different water quality conditions in different regions can be manually pre-adjusted.

[0117] In one embodiment, the preset regeneration trigger threshold in step S3 includes a working capacity threshold and a reserve capacity threshold. The reserve capacity threshold is used to reserve a remaining capacity that can continue to supply water before the resin completely fails, so as to avoid a sudden increase in the hardness of the effluent in the scenario of instantaneous large flow of water or continuous water use at night.

[0118] The reserve capacity threshold is set through a mechanical reserve coefficient disc, spring preload, replaceable cam, or gear ratio compensation structure.

[0119] In one embodiment, each regeneration stage in steps S4 to S8 is jointly completed by the program disk, cam assembly, main valve core, flow restrictor, and Venturi salt adsorption structure, and the duration and flow rate of each stage are affected by at least the following factors:

[0120] Inlet water pressure;

[0121] Nozzle orifice diameter;

[0122] Program disk segment length;

[0123] Resin layer height;

[0124] Salt solution concentration;

[0125] Dimensions of drainage throttling components;

[0126] Furthermore, by replacing nozzles, flow restricting pads, program discs, venturi components, or orifice plates, the regeneration stage of different specifications of water softeners can be matched.

[0127] In one embodiment, the salt adsorption stage in step S5 includes the following controls:

[0128] The brine solution in the brine tank is extracted using the Venturi negative pressure.

[0129] The brine valve float structure is used to limit the replenishment level and the risk of dry suction.

[0130] Use a salt separation cylinder or isolation cover to prevent salt particles from directly clogging the valve port;

[0131] The aspiration process automatically terminates after the brine aspiration is completed and the process transitions to the slow washing phase.

[0132] Whether salt adsorption is sufficient is mechanically determined by at least one of the following methods: salt level change, continuous displacement length of suction, end point of program segment, or valve core position switching.

[0133] In one embodiment, the target residual hardness output in step S9 is achieved by a mechanical bypass mixing structure, specifically by mixing and outputting a portion of untreated raw water and softened water in a set ratio to obtain non-zero residual hardness.

[0134] The mixing ratio is set by adjusting the screw, scale ring, reference arrow, or gear limit component, and the mixing ratio is used as a compensation factor in the calculation of the equivalent hardness load accumulation when converting the capacity.

[0135] In one embodiment, the compensation determination and protection process in step S10 includes at least one of the following scenarios:

[0136] Before initial operation, solid regenerated salt and initial dissolved salt water need to be added to the salt tank;

[0137] If the static time exceeds a preset threshold before reuse after a long period of downtime, a compensation regeneration will be triggered first.

[0138] Before restarting after maintenance, check that the brine valve, drain pipe, bypass valve, and program position are correct.

[0139] When the bypass valve is in the non-service position, regeneration trigger accumulation is paused or regeneration is delayed.

[0140] When the inlet water pressure is lower than the minimum operating pressure for regeneration, the process will either prevent the user from entering the regeneration phase or delay the switching process.

[0141] In one embodiment, in a dual-column non-electric water softener, the on-demand regeneration control method further includes dual-column alternation logic, namely:

[0142] Water usage is metered when the first column is in service.

[0143] When the first column reaches the regeneration trigger threshold, the second column is switched to enter the service state first.

[0144] The first column then performs backwashing, salt absorption, slow wash, fast wash, and reset;

[0145] Before the first column is reset, the second column remains in service and cannot enter regeneration simultaneously.

[0146] This enables on-demand, electricity-free regeneration under continuous water supply conditions.

[0147] Example 1: On-demand regeneration control of a single-column household non-electric water softener

[0148] 1. Equipment structural foundation

[0149] This embodiment uses a single-column integrated non-electric water softener, including:

[0150] Control head;

[0151] Valve body;

[0152] Resin containers;

[0153] Salt box;

[0154] brine valve;

[0155] Drain pipe;

[0156] Bypass component;

[0157] Residual hardness adjustment screw;

[0158] Hydraulically driven metering components.

[0159] 2. Setting Method

[0160] A household's raw water hardness is 30°f. The user sets the raw water hardness to the corresponding mechanical scale value using the hardness adjustment dial.

[0161] At the same time, based on the resin capacity and daily water usage, the reserve capacity is set at 10% of the theoretical exchange capacity.

[0162] 3. Service Phase

[0163] When users use water normally, raw water enters the control head, is softened by the resin layer, and then supplied as water.

[0164] During this period, the water flow causes the metering mechanism to rotate cumulatively. The program panel does not switch immediately, but first accumulates the volume.

[0165] 4. Make judgments based on needs

[0166] As water usage increases, the mechanical conversion mechanism converts the cumulative volume into an equivalent amount of resin consumption according to the gear ratio corresponding to 30°f.

[0167] When the remaining capacity is below the threshold, the program disk reaches the switching position.

[0168] 5. Regeneration execution

[0169] The equipment enters in sequence:

[0170] Backwash;

[0171] Salt absorption;

[0172] Slow wash;

[0173] Wash quickly;

[0174] Reset.

[0175] The entire process requires no power.

[0176] 6. Effects

[0177] Compared to the method of regenerating every 3 days, this embodiment does not regenerate in advance during weeks with less water usage, and can trigger regeneration in time after concentrated water usage on weekends, thereby reducing salt and water consumption.

[0178] Example 2: Electricity-free on-demand regeneration with residual hardness adjustment

[0179] 1. Application Background

[0180] Users in some regions do not want the water to be completely free of hardness, but rather want to retain a slight minerality.

[0181] 2. Implementation Method

[0182] The equipment mixes a portion of the raw water with softened water through a bypass mixing adjustment screw to obtain the target residual hardness.

[0183] At this point, although the user's actual total water consumption remains unchanged, the amount of water that actually passes through the resin layer decreases, thus reducing the rate of resin consumption.

[0184] 3. Features of the present invention

[0185] This invention does not simply count based on total flow rate, but introduces a mixing ratio compensation when calculating capacity, so that the regeneration trigger point matches the actual resin load.

[0186] 4. Effects

[0187] With the same total water consumption, the equipment regeneration cycle is more accurate and will not cause unnecessary premature regeneration due to bypass mixing.

[0188] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various variations or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and these should all be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for on-demand regeneration control of a water softener without electricity based on water metering, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1. Raw water is introduced into the water softener. After the raw water is softened by the resin exchange layer, softened water is output. At the same time, the actual water consumption is accumulated through the non-electric metering mechanism. S2. Based on the raw water hardness setting value, resin filling amount, unit resin exchange capacity and preset remaining reserve coefficient, the cumulative actual water consumption is converted into capacity to obtain the current remaining available exchange capacity of the resin. S3. When the remaining available exchange capacity of the current resin is lower than the preset regeneration trigger threshold, the regeneration preparation state is triggered, and the valve core flow channel is switched by the mechanical program mechanism. S4. Enter the backwashing stage, so that the water flows through the resin bed in a different direction than in the service stage, in order to loosen the resin bed and remove trapped impurities. S5. Entering the salt adsorption stage, the regenerated salt solution in the salt tank is drawn into the resin layer using the Venturi negative pressure. S6. Enter the slow washing stage, allowing the brine to pass through the resin layer at a low flow rate to restore the resin exchange sites. S7. Enter the fast wash stage to rinse the resin layer and residual salt and impurities in the flow channel at a high flow rate. S8. Enter the reset phase to restore the program mechanism and valve core to the service state and output softened water again; S9. In service mode, the bypass mixing ratio is controlled according to the residual hardness adjustment mechanism to achieve the target residual hardness output. S10. When the equipment is shut down for a long time, put into operation for the first time, reused after maintenance, or switched to a bypass, execute the compensation judgment and protection process to ensure the accuracy of regeneration control and the continuity of water use.

2. The on-demand regeneration control method for a water-metering-based non-electric soft water machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The non-electric metering mechanism in step S1 includes any one or more of the following structures: Water turbine metering mechanism; Piston displacement metering mechanism; Diaphragm pulse metering mechanism; Mechanical volumetric accumulator metering mechanism; The non-electric metering mechanism is directly driven by the flow of raw water, and its output is mechanical displacement, rotation angle, number of strokes or cumulative number of gear rotations, which is transmitted to the regeneration triggering mechanism through the transmission gear set.

3. The on-demand regeneration control method for a water-metering-based non-electric soft water machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The capacity conversion in step S2 is not a direct accumulation of simple volume, but a weighted conversion of the actual water consumption based on the raw water hardness set value to form an equivalent hardness load accumulation. The equivalent hardness load accumulation is related to at least the following parameters: Raw water hardness value; Effective resin filling volume; Theoretical exchange capacity of unit resin; Safety reserve capacity ratio; The bypass mixing ratio under the remaining hardness setting; The raw water hardness value is set by a mechanical adjustment plate, scale plate, gear ratio adjustment component or limit component, so that the regeneration trigger point under different water quality conditions in different regions can be manually pre-adjusted.

4. The on-demand regeneration control method for a water-metering-based, non-electric soft water machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The preset regeneration trigger threshold in step S3 includes a working capacity threshold and a reserve capacity threshold. The reserve capacity threshold is used to reserve a remaining capacity that can continue to supply water before the resin completely fails, so as to avoid a sudden increase in the hardness of the effluent in the case of instantaneous large flow of water or continuous water use at night. The reserve capacity threshold is set by a mechanical pre-loaded coefficient disc, a spring preload, a replaceable cam, or a gear ratio compensation structure.

5. The on-demand regeneration control method for a water-metering-based, non-electric soft water machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each regeneration stage in steps S4 to S8 is jointly completed by the program disk, cam assembly, main valve core, flow restrictor, and Venturi salt adsorption structure, and the duration and flow rate of each stage are affected by at least the following factors: Inlet water pressure; Nozzle orifice diameter; Program disk segment length; Resin layer height; Salt solution concentration; Dimensions of drainage throttling components; Furthermore, by replacing nozzles, flow restricting pads, program discs, venturi components, or orifice plates, the regeneration stage of different specifications of water softeners can be matched.

6. The on-demand regeneration control method for a water-metering-based, non-electric soft water machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The salt adsorption stage in step S5 includes the following control measures: The brine solution in the brine tank is extracted using the Venturi negative pressure. The brine valve float structure is used to limit the replenishment level and the risk of dry suction. Use a salt separation cylinder or isolation cover to prevent salt particles from directly clogging the valve port; The aspiration process automatically terminates after the brine aspiration is completed and the process transitions to the slow washing phase. Whether salt adsorption is sufficient is mechanically determined by at least one of the following methods: salt level change, continuous displacement length of suction, end point of program segment, or valve core position switching.

7. The on-demand regeneration control method for a water-meter-based, non-electric soft water machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The target residual hardness output in step S9 is achieved by a mechanical bypass mixing structure, specifically by mixing and outputting a portion of untreated raw water and softened water in a set ratio to obtain non-zero residual hardness. The mixing ratio is set by adjusting the screw, scale ring, reference arrow or gear limit component, and the mixing ratio is used as a compensation factor in the calculation of the equivalent hardness load accumulation during capacity conversion.

8. The on-demand regeneration control method for a water-metering-based, non-electric soft water machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The compensation judgment and protection process in step S10 includes at least one of the following scenarios: Before initial operation, solid regenerated salt and initial dissolved salt water need to be added to the salt tank; If the static time exceeds a preset threshold before reuse after a long period of downtime, a compensation regeneration will be triggered first. Before restarting after maintenance, check that the brine valve, drain pipe, bypass valve, and program position are correct. When the bypass valve is in the non-service position, regeneration trigger accumulation is paused or regeneration is delayed. When the inlet water pressure is lower than the minimum operating pressure for regeneration, the process will either prevent the user from entering the regeneration phase or delay the switching process.

9. The on-demand regeneration control method for a water-metering-based non-electric soft water machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: In a dual-column, non-electric water softener, the on-demand regeneration control method further includes dual-column alternating logic, namely: Water usage is metered when the first column is in service. When the first column reaches the regeneration trigger threshold, the second column is switched to enter the service state first. The first column then performs backwashing, salt absorption, slow wash, fast wash, and reset; Before the first column is reset, the second column remains in service and cannot enter regeneration simultaneously. This enables on-demand, electricity-free regeneration under continuous water supply conditions.

Images