Device for temperature control of soft and / or permeate water and dialysis installation

Abstract

The utility model relates to a device for controlling the temperature of soft water and / or permeate water and a dialysis system, to a device (10) for controlling the temperature of soft water in a soft water supply line (2) and / or permeate water in a permeate water extraction line (6) of a water treatment system (4) designed for a dialysis system on the basis of the reverse osmosis principle, comprising a buffer reservoir (16) for heat, which is coupled in terms of heat flow to a heat source (12) and / or to a heat sink, which contains or contains a fluid heat transfer medium, and a soft water heat transfer device (22), which is coupled on the primary side to the buffer reservoir (16) by means of a pump circuit (30) and which is connected on the secondary side into a soft water supply line (4), and a permeate water heat transfer device (24) coupled on the primary side to the buffer reservoir (16) by means of a pump circuit (32), which is connected on the secondary side into the permeate water extraction line (6).

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for temperature regulation of softened water in a softened water supply line and / or permeate water in a permeate water extraction line of a water treatment facility for dialysis facilities based on the principle of reverse osmosis. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a subordinate operating method. Background Art

[0002] Dialysis facilities for extracorporeal blood washing require highly pure water (also called permeate water) for operation, which is usually obtained from softened water (so-called softened water) in a water treatment facility based on the principle of reverse osmosis. Here, softening means that materials causing pipe calcification have been removed from the softened water. The water treatment facility can be an integral part or an associated component of the dialysis facility and has a softened water supply line or simply a softened water supply and a permeate water extraction line or simply a permeate water drain line. The permeate water extraction line usually leads to a ring line to which mobile dialysis devices can be connected as consumers of permeate water.

[0003] For energy-efficient operation, it is desirable to centrally regulate the temperature or condition (preheat or cool) not only the softened water in the softened water supply line but also the permeate water in the permeate water extraction line, which is correspondingly energy-consuming. Especially when the permeate water extraction fluctuates strongly, the heating or cooling capacity to be provided for peak loads must be greater than the capacity required for continuous extraction. In particular, in the case of integrated thermal cleaning, intense heating beyond normal operation may be required.

[0004] Current systems for influencing the temperature of the permeate water in the ring line are limited to purely electrically heating the permeate water for thermal disinfection. Central preheating of the permeate water is not provided during dialysis operation. Central cooling of the permeate water is also not possible. Current systems do not interact with the softened water and accordingly cannot condition it either. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to describe a device of the type mentioned, which can achieve reliable and flexible temperature regulation of softened water and / or permeate water for dialysis applications at low operating costs and which can be adapted to changing requirements. Furthermore, a particularly advantageous operating method for such a device should be described.

[0006] The previously mentioned object is solved according to the invention by a device with the features of claim 1.

[0007] Accordingly, a device for temperature regulation of softened water in a softened water supply line and / or permeate water in a permeate water extraction line of a water treatment facility based on the reverse osmosis principle and designed for a dialysis facility is provided, including a buffer memory for heat that is thermally connected or connectable to a heat source and / or heat sink in terms of heat flow, and that accommodates or contains a fluid working medium (also referred to as a heat-carrying medium or buffer medium or buffer memory medium) as a heat carrier, and

[0008] ● a softened water heat exchanger connected to the buffer memory by means of a pump circulation for the heat-carrying medium on the primary side, which is connected to the softened water supply line on the secondary side, and

[0009] ● a permeate water heat exchanger connected to the buffer memory by means of a pump circulation for the heat-carrying medium on the primary side, which is connected to the permeate water extraction line on the secondary side.

[0010] By using a thermal buffer memory that is thermally connected or connectable not only to the softened water supply line of the water treatment facility but also to the permeate water extraction line, and that is itself thermally connected or connectable to an external heat source and / or heat sink in terms of heat flow, a reduction in operating costs can be achieved by using ambient energy or other systems for cost-effective heat supply or heat removal. The system is particularly designed for strongly fluctuating permeate water extraction and the associated fluctuations in heat energy demand. By designing a combination of thermal energy memories for buffering and by adapting the convective flow to the primary side of the heat exchanger, the fluctuating heat energy demand can be levelled out. Through modularization, demand-based adaptation to various dialysis facilities and integration into various dialysis facilities can be achieved depending on specific requirements and installation situations.

[0011] Advantageous design options are the subject of the dependent claims and the following description.

[0012] In an advantageous design option, the heat source and / or heat sink is a heat pump, preferably an air-water heat pump. The air-water heat pump uses ambient air as a heat source. During operation, a blower actively sucks in air and further guides it to the heat exchanger, the evaporator. In it, a coolant circulates, which changes its aggregate state even at relatively low temperatures due to its thermal properties. If the coolant exchanges heat with the supplied external air, it is heated to such an extent that it finally evaporates. A subsequent electrically driven compressor increases the pressure and the temperature of the coolant vapor using electrical energy. If the coolant vapor has reached the desired temperature level, it further flows to the next heat exchanger, the liquefier (or condenser, i.e., Verflüssiger). Here, it transfers its heat to the liquid working medium, typically water, and condenses. The water thus heated is then typically guided by a pump into the memory container of the buffer memory in the context of the present invention and is used there as a fluid working medium or heat carrier in order to transfer the stored heat energy to the softened water and / or the permeate water as required.

[0013] The working medium used within the scope of the present invention is preferably water, optionally with additives, or an aqueous solution, but equally other media with suitable thermal properties are feasible.

[0014] The working medium within the buffer memory (also referred to as: buffer memory medium) is preferably designed or created such that the detection of the working medium in the permeate water is possible via electrical or optical measurements, in order to identify leaks in one or more permeate water lines (especially within the permeate water heat exchanger) and the accompanying contamination of the permeate water in this way. More advantageously, the device according to the invention is thus equipped with suitable detectors, which output corresponding alarms via the facility control device and can interrupt the permeate water output if necessary.

[0015] In other words, the working or buffer medium is more advantageously designed such that the materials contained therein (ideally biocompatible) can be detected by sensors. Example: The buffer medium is heavily mixed with Na+ ions. Once the Na+-containing buffer medium reaches the permeate water, it can be detected ion-specifically / ion-nonspecifically via an ammeter or a conductivity measuring electrode. Alternatively or additionally, colored materials and / or optically active materials can be added to the buffer medium, so that substances can be detected optically when they enter the permeate water.

[0016] Preferably, the transport of the working medium from the heat pump to the buffer memory and back into the cycle is achieved by means of one or more pumps driven, where additionally or alternatively passive convective transport can be achieved.

[0017] More advantageously, the heat pump can be reversed along its cycle direction and can thus also be used as a refrigerator or a heat sink in order to cool the working medium when required and thus also to cool the soft water and / or the permeate water.

[0018] In an advantageous variant, a plurality of heat pumps are connected to the buffer memory in parallel (or referred to as in parallel, i.e., parallel) as heat sources and / or heat sinks in order to increase the maximum heat or cold capacity in this way and to develop different types of heat and / or cold accumulators according to the principles of redundancy and / or diversity.

[0019] In the sense of a particularly compact solution, the soft water heat exchanger and / or the permeate water heat exchanger can be structurally integrated into the buffer memory.

[0020] The heat exchangers used in the system, namely especially the soft water heat exchanger and / or the permeate water heat exchanger, can be designed for efficient heat transfer, more advantageously as spiral tube heat exchangers. Such spiral tube heat exchangers can in particular be designed as corrugated tube heat exchangers.

[0021] More advantageously, a bypass line surrounding the soft water heat exchanger is connected into the soft water supply line. Correspondingly, more advantageously, a bypass line surrounding the permeate water heat exchanger is connected into the permeate water extraction line. By appropriately setting the mixing ratio of the heat transfer flow and the surrounding flow by means of a regulating valve or the like, the temperature of the soft water or the permeate water can be simply, quickly and to a certain extent independently of the temperature of the working medium in the buffer memory. As an alternative or in addition to the valve, a pump can also be used to control (or open-loop control, i.e., steuern) or regulate (or closed-loop control, i.e., regeln) the mixing of the temperature-controlled (flowing through the corresponding heat exchanger) and non-temperature-controlled (flowing through the corresponding bypass) permeate water / soft water.

[0022] More advantageously, the corresponding pump cycle has a pump with a variable rotational speed for the working medium, so that on the primary side, the heat supply or heat removal available for use in the soft water heat exchanger and / or in the permeate water heat exchanger can be set or adjusted as required.

[0023] In a preferred variant, an additional heating device for heating the permeate water to a disinfection temperature sufficient for thermally disinfecting the subsequent line section is connected into the permeate water extraction line. The additional heating device is preferably an electric heating device. The additional heating device is preferably arranged downstream of the permeate water heat exchanger with respect to the permeate water. By preheating the permeate water by means of the buffer memory, the additional heating device only has to technically achieve the remaining temperature difference between the temperature of the permeate water at the outlet of the permeate water heat exchanger and the desired disinfection temperature in the annular line.

[0024] More advantageously, in the corresponding pump cycle, the heat-carrying medium (and not, for example, a separate working medium) is circulated from the buffer memory. That is, the heat-carrying medium is extracted from the buffer memory, guided through the corresponding pump cycle to the soft water heat exchanger / permeate water heat exchanger and led back from there to the buffer memory. In this regard, it is respectively a pump cycle for the heat-carrying medium from the buffer memory. The soft water heat exchanger / permeate water heat exchanger is thus flowed through on the primary side by the heat-carrying medium from the buffer memory.

[0025] The invention furthermore relates to a dialysis facility with a water treatment facility based on the reverse osmosis principle, which has a soft water supply line and a permeate water extraction line and is equipped or connectable with a device of the above-described type for tempering the soft water in the soft water supply line and / or the permeate water in the permeate water extraction line.

[0026] In the operation of the above-described device, it is advantageous to regulate the heat flow from the heat source to the buffer memory or from the buffer memory to the heat sink depending on the temperature of the working medium measured in the buffer memory. More precisely, therefore, depending on the inlet temperature of the soft water, preferably determined via a temperature sensor at the soft water inlet (before the cross-flow soft water heat exchanger), the heat pump is used as a heat sink or a heat source. The subsequent regulation of the heat pump is then effected as mentioned according to the purpose via the temperature of the working medium in the buffer memory.

[0027] In a design solution considered to be independently inventive and independent of the method guidance described in the last paragraph (above), the pump cycle with a soft water heat exchanger has a pump with variable speed for the working medium on the primary side, the speed of which is regulated depending on the soft water temperature measured downstream of the soft water heat exchanger on the secondary side.

[0028] In a likewise considered independently inventive and independent design solution, the pump cycle with a permeate water heat exchanger has a pump with variable speed for the working medium on the primary side, the speed of which is regulated depending on the permeate water temperature measured downstream of the permeate water heat exchanger on the secondary side.

[0029] In an advantageous variant, especially in the case of the additional heating device mentioned above, the permeate water is heated to the disinfection temperature during the disinfection process and is guided (returned) through the permeate water heat exchanger after the completed disinfection of the line section, where the permeate water outputs the existing residual heat to the buffer memory at this time. The recovered heat is then reused for different types of applications.

[0030] In an advantageous design solution for the cooling after the completed thermal disinfection, a heat pump with a compressor, a heat exchanger and a blower associated with the heat exchanger is provided as a heat sink, where the (return) cooling of the buffer memory is actively or passively achieved or supported by the heat pump after disinfection. In the active variant, the heat pump cooperates in the cooling in the case of an operating compressor; in the passive variant, only the heat exchanger of the heat pump (compressor switched off / blower switched on) is used for heat output to the surroundings.

[0031] Generally, the present invention includes devices and methods for connecting the permeate water and / or soft water lines of a water treatment facility to a buffer memory of a central or decentralized heat generator for heating or cooling the fluid in the lines via a heat exchanger each. Thus, a modular system enables

[0032] ● regulating the temperature or air-conditioning (preheating / cooling) of the permeate water during dialysis treatment,

[0033] ● thermally disinfecting at least one permeate water loop and the connected dialysis machine & reverse osmosis facility, and / or

[0034] ● Temper the softened water by temperature regulation or air conditioning (preheating / cooling) before entering the reverse osmosis facility. Description of the Drawings

[0035] Multiple embodiments of the present invention are subsequently illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. Among them:

[0036] Figure 1 A device for tempering softened water in the softened water supply line and / or permeate water in the permeate water extraction line of a water treatment facility based on the reverse osmosis principle and designed for a dialysis facility is schematically shown.

[0037] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 a variant of the device, and

[0038] Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 another variant of the device.

[0039] Elements that are the same or have the same function are provided with the same reference signs in all the figures. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0040] In Figure 1 a schematic presentation of the device and method embodiments of the preferred design is shown. The softened water (referred to as softened water) is supplied via the softened water supply line 2 to the only schematically indicated water treatment facility 4 and is treated and cleaned there according to the reverse osmosis principle for dialysis applications. The high-purity water (referred to as permeate water) leaves the water treatment facility 4 via the permeate water extraction line 6 and in the example is supplied via it to the permeate water loop 8, to which a mobile dialysis device, which is a consumer of the permeate water, can be connected.

[0041] For example, softened water from a previous softening stage (not shown) at a temperature of 15°C must be heated to a temperature of, for example, 25°C for the effective implementation of reverse osmosis. Similarly, the water treatment facility 4 must heat the leaving permeate water from a temperature of, for example, 25°C (corresponding to the softened water temperature there) to a temperature of, for example, 36°C (body temperature) before it is used as dialysis liquid. In other scenarios, cooling of the liquid may be required. For this purpose, the device 10 is provided for tempering the softened water and / or the permeate water, which will be described in more detail subsequently.

[0042] From a heat generator acting as a heat source 12 (in a preferred embodiment a heat pump 14, in particular an air-water heat pump), the thermal energy extracted from the environment (Q zu)It is supplied to the heat or buffer memory 16 in the form of heat. The buffer memory 16 includes a thermally insulated container for storing a fluid or working medium (essentially water in the example), which acts as a heat carrier. The buffer memory 16 and the heat pump 14 are in this example components of a closed cycle for the working medium: The relatively cold working medium is extracted from the buffer memory 16 via the cold medium line 18, guided through the heating section containing the heat pump 14, and finally fed back into the buffer memory 16 via the heating medium line 20. For transporting the working medium, a (not shown) circulation pump can be switched into the circuit, if necessary by the pump 16 itself. In an embodiment, the nominal or target temperature of the working medium in the buffer memory 16 is for example 40 °C.

[0043] On the primary side, two heat exchangers 22, 24 are connected to the buffer memory 16 via pipelines. In the pipelines, speed-variable pumps 26, 28 are arranged. Thus, on the primary side, two pump circuits 30, 32 are realized for the working medium, that is, from the buffer memory 16 via the respective heat exchangers 22, 24 and back to the buffer memory 16. The soft water heat exchanger 22 connected to the soft water supply line 2 on the secondary side is used, as already mentioned, for heating the soft water, which is then guided to the reverse osmosis facility implemented in the water treatment facility 4. By raising the soft water inlet temperature, the specific energy demand during the operation of the reverse osmosis facility decreases, which is characterized by the energy consumption of the osmotic pump. The permeate water heat exchanger 24 connected to the permeate water extraction line 6 on the secondary side, on the contrary, is used for heating the permeate water to the nominal temperature before entering the annular line 8 or the dialysis machine during dialysis treatment.

[0044] When thermally disinfecting the annular line 8 with hot permeate water, the memory temperature, that is, the temperature of the working medium in the buffer memory 16, can be increased to a technically meaningful level by the heat exchanger or the heat pump 14. Subsequent heating to the required nominal temperature is achieved by an additional heating device 34 (an electrical additional heating device in the preferred embodiment). The additional heating device 34 is connected to the permeate water extraction line 6 downstream of the permeate water heat exchanger 24 for this purpose. After the disinfection is achieved, a part of the previously supplied energy of the permeate water can be transferred to the storage or working medium of the energy or buffer memory 16 through the permeate water heat exchanger 24. The recovered energy can subsequently be used for preheating the soft water and / or the permeate water.

[0045] In a very hot area (where the soft water temperature is above a defined limit value on the inlet side), energy can be extracted from the heat or buffer memory 16 by reversing the cycle of the heat pump 14 and output to the environment (Q ab ), whereby the soft water and / or the permeate water are cooled when flowing through the heat exchangers 22, 24. Thereby, the water demand can be reduced due to the temperature discharge of the reverse osmosis facility.

[0046] The control and regulation of each actuator can be implemented by the central control unit 36, which is only schematically shown here, or decentralized. The preferred regulation of each actuator is listed below taking into account the corresponding process parameters:

[0047] ● The heat exchanger or heat pump 14 is regulated by receiving and evaluating the measurement data of the temperature sensor T3, which measures the temperature of the memory medium in the buffer memory 16.

[0048] ● The pump 26 in the pump cycle 30 for soft water temperature regulation is regulated by receiving and evaluating the measurement data of the temperature sensor T2. The temperature sensor T2 is connected to the soft water supply line 2 downstream of the soft water heat exchanger 22, for example, at its outlet.

[0049] ● The pump 28 in the pump cycle 32 for permeate water temperature regulation is regulated by receiving and evaluating the measurement data of the temperature sensor T4. The temperature sensor T4 is connected to the permeate water extraction line 6 downstream of the permeate water heat exchanger 24, preferably downstream of the additional heating section with the additional heating device 34.

[0050] ● The additional heating section (referred to as the additional heating device 34) is regulated by receiving and evaluating the measurement data of the temperature sensor T4 arranged at the outlet of the additional heating section or further downstream.

[0051] In Figure 1 The device 10 presented can undergo a series of transformation schemes, which are within the scope of the claimed invention and can be arbitrarily combined with each other (as long as technically meaningful).

[0052] In particular, the following transformation schemes can be implemented:

[0053] ● The required heat can also be provided by other types of decentralized or central heat generators instead of the heat pump 14.

[0054] ● The required heat provided by the electrical additional heating device 34 can also be provided by other types of decentralized or central heat generators.

[0055] ● Through a modular structure, the system can also be implemented without the soft water heat exchanger 22 or the permeate water heat exchanger 24.

[0056] ● When heat disinfection is not required, the additional heating device 34 can be omitted.

[0057] ● When the heat generator or heat pump 14 can technically meaningfully provide the required disinfection temperature, the additional heating device 34 is not required.

[0058] In higher heat demands, according to Figure 2Multiple heat generators, in particular heat pumps 14, can be connected in parallel to the heat or buffer storage 16. This variant can be combined with all others.

[0059] In another embodiment according to Figure 3 , the heat exchangers 22, 24 are integrated into the buffer storage 16. The primary-side pump circuits 30, 32 with pumps 26, 28 can be omitted here because the heat exchangers (e.g., bellows) are already integrated in the storage medium (heat-carrying medium). Similarly, the heating section with the additional heating device 34 can optionally be integrated into the system. Similarly, this variant can be combined with all others.

[0060] In order not to have an inadmissible temperature increase in the case of lower water extraction (permeate water and / or soft water) and increased storage temperature, colder water can be mixed in via a bypass or bypass lines 38, 40 as presented in Figure 3 in order to maintain the required nominal temperature. The valves 42, 44 required for this in the line system can be implemented exemplarily as multi-way valves (at nodes or line branches or line junctions), regulating valves or magnetic valves. Similarly, this embodiment can be combined with all others of the variants described above.

[0061] List of reference symbols

[0062] 2 Soft water supply line

[0063] 4 Water treatment facility

[0064] 6 Permeate water extraction line

[0065] 8 Ring line

[0066] 10 Device

[0067] 12 Heat source

[0068] 14 Heat pump

[0069] 16 Buffer storage

[0070] 18 Cold medium line

[0071] 20 Heat medium line

[0072] 22 Soft water heat exchanger

[0073] 24 Permeate water heat exchanger

[0074] 26 Pump

[0075] 28 Pump

[0076] 30 Pump circuit

[0077] 32 Pump circuit

[0078] 34 Additional heating device

[0079] 36 Control unit

[0080] 38 Bypass line

[0081] 40 Bypass line

[0082] 42 Valve

[0083] 44 Valve

[0084] T2…T4 Temperature sensor / temperature

Claims

1. A device (10) for regulating the temperature of soft water and / or permeate water, the soft water and / or permeate water being respectively in a soft water supply line (2) and / or a permeate water extraction line (6) of a water treatment facility (4) based on the reverse osmosis principle and designed for a dialysis facility, characterized in that The device (10) comprises: a buffer store (16) for heat, which is connected to a heat source (12) and / or a heat sink in terms of heat flow and contains or contains a fluid heat transfer medium, and a soft water heat exchanger (22) which is connected on the primary side to the buffer store (16) by means of a pump circuit (30) and which is connected on the secondary side to the soft water supply line (2), and A permeate water heat exchanger (24) which is connected on the primary side to the buffer store (16) by means of a pump circuit (32) and which is connected on the secondary side to the permeate water withdrawal line (6).

2. The device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that The heat source (12) and / or heat sink is a heat pump (14).

3. The device (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that The heat source (12) and / or heat sink is an air-to-water heat pump.

4. The device (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that The heat pump (14) is reversible in its circulation direction.

5. The device (10) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that A plurality of heat pumps (14) are connected in parallel to the buffer store (16) as heat sources (12) and / or heat sinks.

6. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The soft water heat exchanger (22) and / or the permeate water heat exchanger (24) are structurally integrated into the buffer store (16).

7. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that A bypass line (38) surrounding the soft water heat exchanger (22) is connected to the soft water supply line (2), and / or a bypass line (40) surrounding the permeate water heat exchanger (24) is connected to the permeate water extraction line (6).

8. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The respective pump circuit (30, 32) has a variable-speed pump (26, 28) for the heat transfer medium.

9. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that An additional heating device (34) is connected to the permeate water extraction line (6) for heating the permeate water to a sterilization temperature which is sufficient for thermal sterilization of the subsequent line section.

10. The device (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that The additional heating device (34) is an electric heating device.

11. The device (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that The additional heating device (34) is arranged downstream of the permeate water heat transfer device (24) with respect to the permeate water.

12. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The respective pump circuits (30, 32) contain or conduct the heat transfer medium from the buffer store.

13. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that A heat flow from a heat source (12) to a buffer store (16) or from a buffer store (16) to a heat sink is regulated depending on a temperature (T3) of the heat transfer medium measured in the buffer store (16).

14. The device (10) according to claim 13, characterized in that The pump circuit (30) with the soft water heat exchanger (22) has on the primary side a pump (26) for the heat transfer medium, the rotational speed of which is regulated as a function of the soft water temperature (T2) measured downstream of the soft water heat exchanger (22) on the secondary side.

15. The device (10) according to claim 13, characterized in that The pump circuit (32) with the permeate water heat exchanger (24) has on the primary side a pump (28) for the heat transfer medium, the rotational speed of which is adjusted as a function of the permeate water temperature (T4) measured downstream of the permeate water heat exchanger (24) on the secondary side.

16. The device (10) according to claim 13, characterized in that The permeate water is heated to the disinfection temperature and, after the disinfection of the line section has been completed, is conducted through the permeate water heat exchanger (24), and the residual heat present in the process is discharged to the buffer store (16).

17. The device (10) according to claim 16, characterized in that A heat pump (14) with a compressor and a blower is provided as a heat sink, wherein the heat pump (14) operates as a heat sink during or after the cooling of the permeate water.

18. The device (10) according to claim 17, characterized in that During or after the cooling of the permeate water, the heat pump (14) is operated actively with the compressor running, or passively with the compressor disconnected and the blower switched on.

19. A dialysis facility with a water treatment facility (4) based on the reverse osmosis principle, characterized in that: The dialysis facility has a soft water supply line (2) and a permeate water withdrawal line (6) and has a device (10) according to any of the preceding claims for tempering the soft water in the soft water supply line (2) and / or the permeate water in the permeate water withdrawal line (6).

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