Analysis method, analysis system, and water treatment system
The use of a low-permeability reverse osmosis membrane and adaptive concentration calculation methods addresses the inefficiencies in quantifying low-molecular-weight components, ensuring rapid and accurate analytical results despite water quality fluctuations.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024106020
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-01
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-16
AI Technical Summary
Existing methods for quantifying trace amounts of low-molecular-weight components in water, such as urea and boron, face challenges due to their permeation through reverse osmosis membranes, leading to inefficient concentration and difficulty in tracking rapid fluctuations in water quality, which affects the accuracy and responsiveness of analytical results.
Employing a reverse osmosis membrane with a permeability coefficient of 0.7 m/day or less at 1 MPa effective pressure, coupled with an analytical system that calculates concentrations based on the concentration ratio and real-time adjustments to account for fluctuations in recovery rate and permeability, ensuring accurate quantification of low-molecular-weight components.
Enables quick and reliable quantification of trace low-molecular-weight components in water with fluctuating quality, improving analytical responsiveness and accuracy by using a specialized reverse osmosis membrane and adaptive concentration calculation methods.
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Figure 2026006759000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to an analytical method and analytical system for quantifying low molecular weight components contained in water, and a water treatment system that is controlled in accordance with the results of quantifying the low molecular weight components. [Background technology]
[0002] Pure water and ultrapure water are used, for example, in the manufacture of semiconductor devices and pharmaceuticals. At semiconductor device and pharmaceutical manufacturing sites, the concentrations of impurities contained in pure water and ultrapure water are continuously monitored using online analyzers. In recent years, there has been a demand for reducing the impurity concentrations in pure water and ultrapure water to the utmost. Because it is difficult to accurately quantify ultratrace amounts of impurities in water as analytes using online analyzers, it has been proposed to concentrate the analytes in sample water by passing only the water through a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane before performing quantification using the online analyzer. For example, Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose a method in which sample water is supplied to a reverse osmosis membrane device, and a portion of the water that does not pass through the reverse osmosis membrane (i.e., concentrated water) is supplied to the analyzer, and the remaining concentrated water is combined with the sample water and returned to the inlet of the reverse osmosis membrane device, thereby increasing the concentration ratio when concentrating the analytes using the reverse osmosis membrane device. Patent Document 4 discloses that in order to further increase the concentration ratio in the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, multiple reverse osmosis membrane devices are connected in series so that water that has permeated the reverse osmosis membrane in a first-stage reverse osmosis membrane device (i.e., permeated water) is supplied to a second-stage reverse osmosis membrane device, and a portion of the concentrated water from the first-stage reverse osmosis membrane device is supplied to an analytical device and the remainder is returned to the inlet of the first-stage reverse osmosis membrane device, and the concentrated water from the second-stage and subsequent reverse osmosis membrane devices is also returned to the inlet of the first-stage reverse osmosis membrane device.
[0003] Urea is an example of an impurity contained in pure water or ultrapure water, and the urea concentration in pure water or ultrapure water used in semiconductor manufacturing is required to be below a certain value. Patent Document 5 discloses a method for online quantification of urea contained in pure water or ultrapure water, in which sample water is pretreated with a reverse osmosis membrane device to remove interfering substances, and the absorbance of the permeated water from the reverse osmosis membrane device is measured by flow injection analysis based on a colorimetric method using diacetyl monoxime to quantify urea. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-209396 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-156692 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-44022 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-124687 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-284436 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0005] As described in Patent Documents 1-4, the concentration ratio can be increased by returning concentrated water from a reverse osmosis membrane device to the inlet of the reverse osmosis membrane device, but this makes it difficult to follow sudden changes in the water quality of the sample water, resulting in a decrease in responsiveness in quantifying the analyte. Furthermore, when using a reverse osmosis membrane device to concentrate analyte components contained in water, analyte components with relatively small molecular weights, such as urea and boron, easily permeate the reverse osmosis membrane, making it difficult to sufficiently concentrate such analyte components.
[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide an analytical method and system that can quickly and reliably obtain analytical results when quantifying trace amounts of low-molecular-weight components contained in sample water with fluctuating water quality as the analytical target components, and a water treatment system that can be controlled in accordance with such analytical results. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] One embodiment of the analytical method of the present invention is an analytical method for quantifying low molecular weight components contained in sample water, in which the sample water is supplied to a reverse osmosis membrane device equipped with a reverse osmosis membrane having a permeability coefficient such that the pure water permeation flux per effective pressure of 1 MPa at a water temperature of 25°C is 0.7 m / day or less, the concentrated water discharged from the reverse osmosis membrane device is supplied to an analytical device that quantifies the low molecular weight components, and the concentration of the low molecular weight components in the sample water is calculated based on the concentration ratio of the low molecular weight components in the reverse osmosis membrane device and the measurement value in the analytical device.
[0008] An analytical system according to one embodiment of the present invention is an analytical system for quantifying low molecular weight components contained in sample water, and includes a reverse osmosis membrane device equipped with a reverse osmosis membrane having a permeability coefficient of 0.7 m / day or less in pure water permeation flux per 1 MPa effective pressure at a water temperature of 25°C and to which sample water is supplied, an analytical device that is supplied with concentrated water discharged from the reverse osmosis membrane device and quantifies the low molecular weight components, and a computing device that calculates the concentration of the low molecular weight components in the sample water based on the concentration factor of the low molecular weight components in the reverse osmosis membrane device and the measurement value in the analytical device.
[0009] One embodiment of the water treatment system of the present invention is a water treatment system that treats raw water to produce treated water, and is equipped with the above-mentioned analysis system and a low molecular weight component reduction means that reduces low molecular weight components contained in the water in the water treatment system, wherein water from a predetermined location in the water treatment system is supplied to the analysis system as sample water, and the operating conditions of the low molecular weight component reduction means are controlled according to the concentration of the low molecular weight components quantified by the analysis system. [Effects of the Invention]
[0010] According to the present invention, when quantifying trace amounts of low molecular weight components contained in sample water with fluctuating water quality as the components to be analyzed, analytical results can be obtained quickly and reliably. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of concentration of a target component by a reverse osmosis membrane. [Figure 2] 1 is a flow chart showing the configuration of an analysis system according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a graph showing the relationship between the permeability coefficient of a reverse osmosis membrane and the concentration ratio of urea. [Figure 4] 10 is a flow chart showing the configuration of an analysis system according to another embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a graph showing the relationship between the recovery rate of a reverse osmosis membrane device and the concentration rate of urea. [Figure 6] 10 is a flow chart showing the configuration of an analysis system according to another embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a water treatment system incorporating an analysis system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] Next, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the principle of concentrating a trace amount of a target component in sample water using a reverse osmosis membrane for quantitative determination of the target component will be described. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of concentrating a target component.
[0013] A reverse osmosis membrane device 10 equipped with a reverse osmosis membrane 11 is provided for concentrating the components to be analyzed, and a sample water pipe 12 for supplying sample water is connected to the reverse osmosis membrane device 10. The sample water pipe 12 is provided with a pump 13 for pressure-feeding the sample water toward the reverse osmosis membrane device 10. Furthermore, the reverse osmosis membrane device 10 is connected to a concentrated water pipe 14 for discharging water that did not permeate the reverse osmosis membrane 11, i.e., concentrated water, and a permeated water pipe 15 for discharging water that permeated the reverse osmosis membrane 11, i.e., permeated water. The flow rate of the feed water (i.e., sample water) supplied to the reverse osmosis membrane device 10 is defined as Q f The flow rate of the concentrated water discharged from the reverse osmosis membrane device 10 is Q b The flow rate of the permeated water discharged from the reverse osmosis membrane device 10 is Q p Then, formula (1) holds, and the water recovery rate f in the reverse osmosis membrane device 10 is defined by formula (2).
[0014] Q f = Q b + Q p (1) f= Q p / (Q b + Q p ) = Q p / Q f (2)
[0015] Since the components to be analyzed generally do not permeate the reverse osmosis membrane 11, the components to be analyzed appear in the concentrated water. If the recovery rate f is increased, the flow rate Q of the concentrated water becomes relatively b As a result, the concentration of the target component in the concentrated water increases. If the concentration of the target component in the concentrated water increases by a factor of 1 compared to the concentration in the feed water, the concentration factor k in the reverse osmosis membrane device 10 is expressed by equation (3) when the rejection rate of the target component in the reverse osmosis membrane 11 is sufficiently high.
[0016] k= Q f / Q b (3)
[0017] However, typical reverse osmosis membranes used in applications such as pure water production—for example, those with a pure water permeation flux of more than 0.7 m / d at a water temperature of 25°C and an effective pressure of 1 MPa—do not have sufficient rejection rates for low-molecular-weight components such as urea and boron. Therefore, when attempting to concentrate low-molecular-weight components using a reverse osmosis membrane, it is not possible to achieve a high concentration ratio as expressed by Equation (3), resulting in inefficient concentration. To achieve a high concentration ratio, it is conceivable to feed a portion of the concentrated water to an analytical device and return the remainder to the inlet of the reverse osmosis membrane device. However, this configuration makes it difficult to track rapid fluctuations in the concentration of the target components in the sample water. Here, low-molecular-weight components refer to components with a molecular weight of less than 100. The pure water permeation flux (flux) per unit effective pressure through a reverse osmosis membrane at a given temperature (usually 25°C) is called the permeability coefficient of the reverse osmosis membrane. The pure water permeation flux is calculated by dividing the amount of pure water permeating by the membrane area. "Effective pressure" is the effective pressure acting on the membrane, calculated by subtracting the osmotic pressure difference and secondary pressure from the average operating pressure, as described in JIS K3802:2015 "Membrane Terminology." The average operating pressure is the average value of the pressure of the membrane feed water (operating pressure) and the pressure of the concentrated water (concentrated water outlet pressure) on the primary side of the membrane, and is expressed by the following formula (4):
[0018] Average operating pressure = (operating pressure + concentrated water outlet pressure) / 2 (4)
[0019] The present inventors have studied the relationship between the permeability coefficient of a reverse osmosis membrane and the concentration ratio of low molecular weight components, and have found that a reverse osmosis membrane with a permeability coefficient smaller than that of a typical reverse osmosis membrane used in the production of pure water, etc., can achieve a sufficient concentration ratio of low molecular weight components without refluxing the concentrated water, thereby completing the present invention. Figure 2 shows the configuration of an analysis system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0020] The analysis system 1 shown in Figure 2 quantifies trace amounts of low-molecular-weight components contained in pure or ultrapure water used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. While there are no limitations on the water to be analyzed or the water supplied to the analyzer, it is preferable that the water satisfy the following quality requirements: a TDS (total dissolved solids) concentration of 500 ppm or less, preferably 10 ppm or less, and more preferably 1 ppm or less; a TOC (total organic carbon) concentration of 1 ppm or less, preferably 200 ppb or less, and more preferably 2 ppb or less; a silica concentration of 20 ppm or less, preferably 2 ppm or less, and more preferably 0.2 ppm; a calcium concentration of 10 ppm or less, preferably 1 ppm or less, and more preferably 0.1 ppm or less; an aluminum concentration of 0.05 ppm or less, preferably 0.01 ppm or less; and an inorganic carbonate concentration of 100 ppm or less, preferably 10 ppm or less, and more preferably 1 ppm or less. High silica, aluminum, calcium, or inorganic carbonate concentrations in the analyte not only cause blockage of the reverse osmosis membrane used to concentrate the analyte water, but also cause bubbles and blockages on the concentrating side of the reverse osmosis membrane to disrupt the flow rate balance, resulting in fluctuations in the concentration ratio. Furthermore, by analyzing water with a low TDS concentration, the osmotic pressure can be considered zero when calculating the effective pressure, improving calculation accuracy. Pure water and ultrapure water used in semiconductor device manufacturing generally meet the water quality requirements described here and are therefore suitable for application of the analytical method based on this invention.
[0021] The analysis system 1 shown in FIG. 2 roughly comprises a reverse osmosis membrane device 10 that concentrates low-molecular-weight components to be quantified, an analysis device 30 that analyzes the low-molecular-weight components to be quantified, and a calculation device 40 that calculates the quantitative values of the low-molecular-weight components in the water to be analyzed based on the measurements made by the analysis device 30. The reverse osmosis membrane device 10 comprises a reverse osmosis membrane 11, which has a permeability coefficient of 0.7 m / d / MPa or less. The reverse osmosis membrane 11 is made of, for example, a polyamide as a base material. For example, a commercially available reverse osmosis membrane for use in seawater desalination can be used as this reverse osmosis membrane 11. The low-molecular-weight components to be analyzed are components with a molecular weight of less than 100, such as urea and boron components, but the following description will be given assuming that urea is being quantified.
[0022] A pipe 20 is provided to supply pure water or ultrapure water to the location where it is used, and a sample water pipe 12 branches off from the pipe 20. The sample water pipe 12 is a pipe that supplies sample water continuously collected from water to be analyzed to the reverse osmosis membrane device 10, and a pump 13 is provided in the sample water pipe 12 to pressurize the sample water and supply it to the reverse osmosis membrane device 10. A drive circuit 21 is provided to drive the pump 13. The drive circuit 21 includes an inverter circuit and the like that electrically drives a motor (not shown) provided in the pump 13.
[0023] The concentrated water from the reverse osmosis membrane device 10 is supplied to the analyzer 30 via the concentrated water pipe 14. The concentrated water pipe 14 is also provided with a pressure control valve 22 for adjusting the pressure at the concentrated water outlet of the reverse osmosis membrane device 10. The analyzer 30 for analyzing urea can be an analyzer capable of continuously quantifying urea online, such as the urea analyzer described in Patent Document 5. The entire amount of concentrated water may be supplied to the analyzer 30, or a portion of the concentrated water may be diverted and supplied. When a portion of the concentrated water is supplied to the analyzer 30, the remaining concentrated water is directly discharged to the outside as wastewater. The portion of the concentrated water is not returned to the inlet side of the reverse osmosis membrane device 10. The permeated water from the reverse osmosis membrane device 10 is directly discharged to the outside via the permeated water pipe 15. The water recovery rate in the reverse osmosis membrane device 10 can be adjusted by adjusting the rotation speed of the motor (not shown) of the pump 13 using the drive circuit 21 and the pressure control valve 22. The reverse osmosis membrane device 10 is preferably operated so that the recovery rate f is 80% or higher, more preferably 90% or higher, and even more preferably 95% or higher.
[0024] By pretreating the sample water with the reverse osmosis membrane device 10, water in which the analyte component has been concentrated by a concentration factor k is supplied to the analyzer 30. Therefore, the measured value of the concentration of the analyte component obtained by the analyzer 30 is expressed as C m The concentration of the target component in the sample water is C s Then, the concentration of the target component in the sample water is C s is expressed by equation (5).
[0025] C s = C m / k (5)
[0026] As mentioned above, the low molecular weight components in the sample water are not completely blocked by the reverse osmosis membrane 11, and some of them pass through the reverse osmosis membrane 11. Therefore, the concentration factor k of the low molecular weight components in the reverse osmosis membrane device 10 cannot be determined based on formula (3). According to the study by the inventors, although there is an influence of the water recovery rate in the reverse osmosis membrane device 10, the concentration factor k is determined depending on the reverse osmosis membrane 11, and the smaller the permeability coefficient of the reverse osmosis membrane 11, the larger the concentration factor k. In the analysis system 1 shown in FIG. 2, the measured value C obtained by the analysis device 30 m is input to the calculation device 40. The calculation device 40 calculates the concentration C of the component to be analyzed in the sample water based on the formula (4). s as a quantitative value and outputs it, and a concentration factor storage unit 42 that stores the concentration factor k of the component to be analyzed in the reverse osmosis membrane device 10, and the arithmetic device 40 calculates the quantitative value based on the concentration factor k stored in the concentration factor storage unit 42. As will be described later, since the concentration factor k also depends on the water temperature, the arithmetic device 40 may have a function to acquire the water temperature in the reverse osmosis membrane device 10 and correct the concentration factor k based on this water temperature.
[0027] In the analysis system 1 shown in FIG. 2, as a pretreatment step, the target water may be passed through a separately provided water treatment device to remove TDS components, TOC components, silica, calcium, aluminum, inorganic carbonates, and other interfering substances contained in the target water, thereby adjusting the water quality. Interfering substances here refer to substances that interfere with measurement by the analyzer 30. Alternatively, concentrated water from the reverse osmosis membrane device 10 may be passed through a similar water treatment device to remove TDS components, TOC components, silica, calcium, aluminum, inorganic carbonates, and other interfering substances contained in the concentrated water, thereby adjusting the water quality to be more suitable for measurement by the analyzer 30. In either case, the water treatment device may be a filter, an activated carbon device, a regenerative ion exchange resin tower, a reverse osmosis membrane device, an ultraviolet oxidation device, a degassing device, or the like.
[0028] FIG. 3 shows the results of an investigation into the relationship between the permeability coefficient A of several different types of reverse osmosis membranes 11 and the concentration factor k for urea when the water recovery rate in the reverse osmosis membrane device 10 was set to 95%. Polyamide reverse osmosis membranes were used for all reverse osmosis membranes 11. When the permeability coefficient A was greater than 0.7 m / d / MPa, the concentration factor k for urea was approximately 2 regardless of the permeability coefficient A. However, when the permeability coefficient A was 0.7 m / d / MPa or less, the concentration factor k for urea was 2 or greater, and the smaller the permeability coefficient A, the greater the concentration factor k. If a concentration factor of 2 or greater is considered practical, it is clear that the permeability coefficient A of the reverse osmosis membrane 11 should be 0.7 m / d / MPa or less. The permeability coefficient A of the reverse osmosis membrane 11 is preferably 0.6 m / d / MPa or less, and more preferably 0.4 m / d / MPa or less. A permeability coefficient A of 0.4 m / d / MPa can achieve a concentration factor k of approximately 4.5.
[0029] In the analysis system 1 shown in FIG. 2, the permeate flow rate Q p and concentrated water flow rate Q b f varies due to external factors such as fluctuations in the water temperature and pressure of the water to be analyzed, clogging of the reverse osmosis membrane, and fluctuations in the opening of the pressure control valve 22 due to precipitates and generated gas, which in turn cause fluctuations in the recovery rate f and concentration factor k. In particular, when the recovery rate f in the reverse osmosis membrane device 10 is 80% or higher, the concentration factor k may change significantly due to changes in the flow rate in the reverse osmosis membrane device 10. Therefore, the analysis system 1 measures the recovery rate f in the reverse osmosis membrane device 10 and calculates the concentration C of the component to be analyzed in the sample water. s The concentration factor k used to calculate is corrected by the recovery rate f, and the concentration C of the analyte is calculated. s It is conceivable to improve the accuracy of the value (quantitative value) of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows the configuration of an analysis system 1 in which the concentration factor k is changed according to the recovery rate f.
[0030] The analytical system 1 shown in FIG. 4 is the same as the analytical system 1 shown in FIG. 2 except that the concentrated water flow rate Q b and a flow rate sensor 23 attached to the permeate pipe 15 for measuring the flow rate Q of the permeate. pIn the calculation device 40, instead of the concentration ratio storage unit 42, the flow rate Q measured by the flow rate sensors 23 and 24 is stored. b ,Q p and a concentration factor calculation unit 44 that calculates the concentration factor k from the calculated recovery factor f based on the relationship between the recovery factor f and the concentration factor k that is previously determined for the reverse osmosis membrane 11, and outputs the concentration factor k to the concentration calculation unit 41. In the analysis system 1 shown in FIG. 4, the concentration factor k is calculated based on the current recovery factor f in the reverse osmosis membrane device 10, so that the concentration C of the analyte component in the sample water can be calculated based on the current operating status of the reverse osmosis membrane device 10. s In this analysis system 1, the flow rate Q measured by the flow rate sensors 23 and 24 is calculated so that the recovery rate f becomes a predetermined value f. b ,Q p The drive circuit 21 and the pressure regulating valve 22 may be controlled based on the above. Due to the characteristics of the reverse osmosis membrane 11, as the water temperature increases, concentration of components tends to become more difficult. In other words, even if the recovery rate f is constant, the concentration factor k tends to decrease as the water temperature increases. Therefore, the concentration factor calculation unit 44 may have a function to acquire the water temperature in the reverse osmosis membrane device 10 and correct the calculated concentration factor k based on the water temperature.
[0031] FIG. 5 shows an example of an actual measurement of the relationship between the recovery rate f and the concentration factor k in the reverse osmosis membrane device 10. FIG. 5 shows the results of an investigation into the relationship between the recovery rate f and the concentration factor k for a polyamide reverse osmosis membrane for seawater desalination, with a permeability coefficient A of 0.35 m / d / MPa. From FIG. 5, it can be seen that in order to obtain a large concentration factor k, the recovery rate f is preferably 80% or higher, more preferably 90% or higher, and even more preferably 95% or higher. The concentration factor calculation unit 44 has a built-in table that represents the relationship shown in FIG. 5, for example, and when the recovery rate f is input, it outputs the corresponding concentration factor k.
[0032] In the above description, it has been assumed that the permeability coefficient A of the reverse osmosis membrane 11 is constant. However, in reality, the permeability coefficient A changes due to factors such as deterioration in the performance of the reverse osmosis membrane 11 over time due to long-term use and the influence of the manufacturing lot of the reverse osmosis membrane 11. Changes in the permeability coefficient A have a significant impact on the concentration factor k for low-molecular-weight components. Therefore, it is possible to actually measure the permeability coefficient A of the reverse osmosis membrane 11 and change the concentration factor k according to the permeability coefficient A. Figure 6 shows the configuration of an analysis system 1 that changes the concentration factor k according to the permeability coefficient A.
[0033] The analysis system 1 shown in FIG. 6 is the same as the analysis system 1 shown in FIG. 2 except that the flow rate Q of the permeated water is p and a pressure sensor 25 attached to the sample water pipe 12 to measure the effective pressure applied to the reverse osmosis membrane 11. In the computing device 40, instead of the concentration ratio memory unit 42, the flow rate Q measured by the flow rate sensor 24 is stored. b and the effective pressure measured by the pressure sensor 25, and a concentration factor calculation unit 46 is provided to calculate a concentration factor k from the permeability coefficient A and output the calculated concentration factor k to the concentration calculation unit 41. Since the effective membrane area of each reverse osmosis membrane 11 is known, the permeate flow rate Q p and the effective pressure applied to the reverse osmosis membrane 11. As described above, when the relationship between the permeability coefficient A and the concentration factor k for each of a plurality of different reverse osmosis membranes 11 is examined, the relationship shown in Figure 3 is obtained. The concentration factor calculation unit 46 has a built-in table showing the relationship between the permeability coefficient A and the concentration factor k, and when the permeability coefficient A is input, it outputs the corresponding concentration factor k. In the analysis system 1 shown in Figure 6, the concentration factor k is calculated based on the current permeability coefficient A in the reverse osmosis membrane device 10, so the concentration C of the analyte component in the sample water can be calculated based on the current state of the reverse osmosis membrane 11. s In this analysis system 1, the concentrated water flow rate Q is calculated in the same way as in the analysis system 1 shown in FIG. b A flow rate sensor 23 is also provided to measure the concentrated water flow rate Q b and permeate flow rate Q pThe recovery rate f may also be calculated from the permeability coefficient A, and the concentration factor k may be corrected in accordance with the permeability coefficient A and the recovery rate f. The analysis system 1 shown in FIG. 6 may also be provided with a function to correct the concentration factor k in accordance with the water temperature in the reverse osmosis membrane device 10.
[0034] The analysis system 1 of each of the above-described embodiments can be incorporated into a water treatment system that treats raw water to produce treated water to control the system. Such a water treatment system includes the above-described analysis system 1 and a low-molecular-weight component reduction means for reducing low-molecular-weight components contained in the water in the water treatment system. Water from a predetermined location in the water treatment system is supplied to the analysis system 1 as sample water, and the operating conditions of the low-molecular-weight component reduction means are controlled according to the concentration of the low-molecular-weight components quantified by the analysis system 1. Examples of the low-molecular-weight component reduction means include a chemical addition means for adding a chemical to decompose and remove the target low-molecular-weight component. For example, if the low-molecular-weight component is urea, a chemical generating hypobromous acid may be added to oxidize and decompose the urea with the hypobromous acid. If the target low-molecular-weight component is decomposed by ultraviolet oxidation in the presence of an oxidizing agent, a chemical addition means may be provided in the water treatment system as a means for adding an oxidizing agent upstream of the ultraviolet oxidation device. In addition, when raw water is supplied to a water treatment system from different water sources, a mechanism for switching piping so that raw water from a water source that is thought to have a lower concentration of low molecular weight components is supplied to the water treatment system is also included in the category of low molecular weight component reduction means.
[0035] Fig. 7 shows an example of the configuration of a water treatment system that includes an analysis system 1 and a chemical addition means as a means for reducing low-molecular-weight components, and in which the amount of chemical addition is controlled in response to the data obtained by the analysis system 1. The water treatment system shown in Fig. 7 treats raw water containing urea and produces treated water (primary pure water or ultrapure water) with a reduced urea concentration. Examples of raw water that can be used include city water, well water, river water, industrial water, reclaimed water obtained by treating domestic or industrial wastewater, and desalinated seawater, either singly or in combination.
[0036] The water treatment system includes a raw water tank 111 for temporarily storing raw water, the above-described analysis system 1 for measuring the concentration of urea as a low-molecular-weight component, and a chemical dosing device 140 as a chemical dosing means. To obtain primary pure water, the water treatment system includes a sand filtration device 112, an activated carbon device 114, an ion exchange device 115, and a reverse osmosis membrane device 120, which are provided in this order at the outlet of the raw water tank 111. Furthermore, an ultraviolet oxidation (UV) device 132, an ion exchange device 133, and a membrane degassing device 134 are provided in this order at the permeate outlet of the reverse osmosis membrane device 120. The reverse osmosis membrane device 120 includes a reverse osmosis membrane 125. Primary pure water is discharged from the membrane degassing device 134. Intermediate storage tanks may be provided between the water treatment devices as needed. For example, an intermediate storage tank can be provided between the sand filtration device 112 and the activated carbon device 114, between the ion exchange device 115 and the reverse osmosis membrane device 120, or between the permeate outlet of the reverse osmosis membrane device 120 and the ultraviolet oxidation device 132. The primary pure water discharged from the membrane degassing device 134 can be used as treated water in this water treatment system. In the water treatment system, other water treatment devices may be provided as needed, some water treatment devices may be omitted, or the arrangement order of the water treatment devices may be changed.
[0037] The water treatment system shown in Figure 7 also includes a subsystem 150 that receives primary pure water and generates ultrapure water to obtain ultrapure water with an extremely low urea concentration. Subsystem 150 includes a tank 151 that temporarily stores the primary pure water, and an ultraviolet oxidation device 152, a non-regenerative ion exchange device (CP) 153 also known as a cartridge polisher, and an ultrafiltration membrane device (UF) 154, which are provided in this order at the outlet of tank 151. Ultrapure water is discharged from ultrafiltration membrane device 154 and supplied to use points, etc., but ultrapure water that is not supplied to use points, etc., is circulated back to tank 151 via circulation piping 155.
[0038] In this water treatment system, the sand filter 112, activated carbon device 114, ion exchange devices 115 and 133, ultraviolet oxidation device 132, and membrane degassing device 134 are unable to remove much urea. As a result, if the urea concentration in the raw water is high, the urea concentration in the treated primary pure water will also be high. Because it is difficult to remove urea in subsystem 150, the urea concentration in the ultrapure water obtained from subsystem 150 will also be high. Therefore, in this water treatment system, a chemical additive 140 is used to add a chemical to the raw water tank 111 or a position upstream of the raw water tank 111 to decompose the urea in the raw water, thereby promoting the urea decomposition reaction in the raw water tank 111. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the chemical additive 140 adds, for example, hypochlorous acid or hypochlorite and alkali bromide to the raw water to decompose urea by oxidation with hypobromous acid. As indicated by "HClO or NaClO" and "NaBr" in the figure, an aqueous solution of hypochlorous acid or sodium hypochlorite and an aqueous solution of sodium bromide are supplied to raw water tank 111 via pumps 141, 142, respectively. In raw water tank 111, hypochlorous acid or sodium hypochlorite reacts with sodium bromide to produce hypobromous acid, which then oxidizes and decomposes urea. Raw water tank 111 functions as a urea decomposition tank, where the oxidative decomposition of urea progresses. Water with a reduced urea concentration is discharged from raw water tank 111, and as a result, the urea concentration in the treated water, primary pure water or ultrapure water, is also reduced.
[0039] To optimize the amount of chemical added by the chemical addition device 140 while sufficiently reducing the urea concentration in the treated water, i.e., to add the right amount of chemical, it is necessary to measure the urea concentration in the raw water or the treated water and determine the amount of chemical to be added. Therefore, an analysis system 1 based on any of the above-described embodiments configured to measure the urea concentration in the water to be analyzed measures the urea concentration in the water flowing through the water treatment system. Pumps 141 and 142 used to feed the chemical to be added to the raw water are controlled according to the urea quantification results obtained by the analysis system 1. In FIG. 7 , as shown at position C, the analysis system 1 is provided branching off from the piping connecting the sand filtration device 112 and the activated carbon device 114. However, the installation location of the analysis system 1 is not limited thereto. For example, the analysis system 1 may be provided so as to branch off at position A from a pipe that supplies raw water to the raw water tank 111, or so as to branch off at position B from a pipe connected to the outlet of the raw water tank 111, or so as to branch off at position D from a pipe that carries concentrated water from the reverse osmosis membrane device 120, or so as to branch off at position E from a pipe that carries permeated water from the reverse osmosis membrane device 120. Furthermore, the analysis system 1 may be provided so as to branch off at position F from a pipe that carries primary pure water discharged from the membrane degassing device 134, or so as to branch off at position G from a pipe that carries ultrapure water generated by the subsystem 150. Position A is a position upstream of the raw water tank 111 where the urea concentration in the raw water is measured, and positions B to G are positions downstream of the raw water tank 111 where the urea concentration in water obtained by carrying out an oxidative decomposition reaction of urea is measured. In the water treatment system shown in FIG. 7, the amount of chemicals added is controlled based on the urea concentration actually measured in the water treatment system. Therefore, even when the urea concentration in the treated water (primary pure water and ultrapure water) from the water treatment system is reduced to the minimum, the amount of chemicals added to decompose urea can be made appropriate.
[0040] In the above description, the chemical additive device 140 is provided as the low-molecular-weight component reduction means, and both the amount of hypochlorous acid or sodium hypochlorite and the amount of sodium bromide added are controlled according to the urea quantification value in the analysis system 1. However, it is also possible to control the amount of either one of the chemicals added. By controlling the amount of these chemicals added, the concentration of the chemicals in the raw water can be varied. Because the urea decomposition reaction is also affected by water temperature and pH, the amount of pH adjuster (acid or alkali) added to the raw water may be controlled according to the urea concentration measurement results in the analysis system 1, or the water temperature in the raw water tank 111 (the temperature of the raw water) may be controlled. Furthermore, the low-molecular-weight component reduction means provided in the water treatment system is not limited to adding hypochlorous acid or sodium hypochlorite and sodium bromide to the raw water. The low-molecular-weight component reduction means may, for example, switch the piping so that raw water from a water source thought to have a low urea concentration is supplied to the water treatment system, or may add an oxidizing agent to the permeate from the reverse osmosis membrane device 120 upstream of the ultraviolet oxidation device 132. The operating conditions of these low molecular weight component reduction means are also controlled according to the urea measurement results in the analysis system 1. [Explanation of symbols]
[0041] 1. Analysis System 10 Reverse osmosis membrane equipment 11 Reverse osmosis membrane 13,52,53 Pump 21 Drive circuit 22 Pressure control valve 23,24 Flow sensor 25 Pressure Sensor 30 Analyzer 40 Arithmetic unit 41 Concentration calculation section 42 Concentration factor storage section 43 Recovery rate calculation section 44,46 Concentration factor calculation section 45 Transmission coefficient calculation section 110 Raw Water Tank 140 Chemical Addition Device
Claims
1. An analytical method for quantifying low molecular weight components contained in sample water, comprising: The sample water is supplied to a reverse osmosis membrane device equipped with a reverse osmosis membrane having a permeability coefficient of 0.7 m / d or less of pure water permeation flux per 1 MPa of effective pressure at a water temperature of 25°C; supplying the concentrated water discharged from the reverse osmosis membrane device to an analyzer that quantifies the low molecular weight components; an analysis method for calculating the concentration of the low molecular weight components in the sample water based on the concentration factor of the low molecular weight components in the reverse osmosis membrane device and the measurement value in the analysis device;
2. The analytical method according to claim 1 , wherein the concentrated water discharged from the reverse osmosis membrane device is supplied to the analytical device without being returned to an inlet of the reverse osmosis membrane device.
3. The analytical method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the concentration ratio is determined by obtaining at least one of the water temperature in the reverse osmosis membrane device, the water recovery rate, and the permeability coefficient of the reverse osmosis membrane.
4. 3. The analytical method according to claim 1, wherein the reverse osmosis membrane device is operated so that the water recovery rate is 80% or more.
5. The analytical method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the low-molecular-weight component is urea.
6. 3. The analytical method according to claim 1, wherein the analytical device is an online analytical device that continuously performs the quantitative determination of the low-molecular-weight components.
7. An analytical system for quantifying low molecular weight components contained in sample water, comprising: a reverse osmosis membrane device to which the sample water is supplied, the reverse osmosis membrane device having a permeability coefficient of a pure water permeation flux of 0.7 m / d or less at a water temperature of 25°C and an effective pressure of 1 MPa; an analyzer that receives the concentrated water discharged from the reverse osmosis membrane device and that measures the low molecular weight components; a calculation device that calculates the concentration of the low-molecular-weight component in the sample water based on the concentration factor of the low-molecular-weight component in the reverse osmosis membrane device and the measurement value in the analysis device; An analysis system having:
8. The analysis system according to claim 7 , wherein the calculation device acquires at least one of the water temperature in the reverse osmosis membrane device, the water recovery rate, and the permeability coefficient of the reverse osmosis membrane, and determines the concentration ratio.
9. A water treatment system that treats raw water to produce treated water, The analysis system according to claim 7 or 8; a low-molecular-weight component reduction means for reducing the low-molecular-weight components contained in the water in the water treatment system; Equipped with A water treatment system in which water from a predetermined location in the water treatment system is supplied to the analysis system as the sample water, and the operating conditions of the low molecular weight component reduction means are controlled according to the concentration of the low molecular weight components quantified by the analysis system.
Citation Information
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