Fine Bubble Ion Removal System for Hard Water
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ion removing systems using ion exchange resins require large amounts of salt water for regeneration, leading to cumbersome maintenance and environmental issues such as soil pollution and increased sewage treatment loads. Additionally, these systems can increase sodium ion concentrations in treated water, making it unsuitable for drinking in some regions.
Innovation Solution
The ion removing system employs fine bubbles with diameters of 100 µm or less to adsorb and remove metal ions from hard water, eliminating the need for salt water regeneration. This system includes primary and secondary ion removing apparatuses with pH adjustment units and separation apparatuses to effectively remove and crystallize metal ions, while maintaining easy maintenance and reducing environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ion exchange resin is used to remove metal ions from hard water, then metal ions are effectively removed, but a large amount of salt water is required for regeneration and maintenance becomes troublesome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful metal ions from hard water using fine bubbles as the removing agent. The fine bubbles selectively adsorb metal ions like calcium and magnesium, allowing their removal without requiring ion exchange resin regeneration processes. This eliminates the maintenance burden associated with salt water regeneration while maintaining effective metal ion removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces fine bubbles as an intermediary substance to facilitate metal ion removal. These fine bubbles act as a mediator between the hard water and the separation apparatus, enabling effective ion removal through adsorption and subsequent separation, thereby avoiding the need for complex resin regeneration operations.
2Reliability
If ion exchange resin is used to soften hard water, then metal ions are removed, but regeneration generates wastewater containing salt water causing soil pollution and increased sewage treatment load
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful fine bubbles that would normally escape into the atmosphere into a useful removing agent. By utilizing these fine bubbles to adsorb metal ions, the system transforms a potential waste product into a beneficial substance for ion removal, achieving water softening without generating salt water wastewater that causes environmental pollution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical regeneration process of ion exchange resin with a physical separation process using fine bubbles. Instead of using chemical salt water solutions to regenerate resin, the system uses mechanical generation of fine bubbles followed by physical separation of the adsorbed ions, thereby eliminating the generation of harmful wastewater.
3Reliability
If ion exchange resin is used to remove metal ions, then hardness is reduced, but sodium ion concentration increases making treated water unsuitable for drinking in some regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs fine bubbles that perform multiple functions simultaneously: they adsorb various metal ions including calcium and magnesium to reduce hardness, and they can be adjusted to control sodium ion addition. This multi-functionality allows effective hardness reduction without the unwanted side effect of excessive sodium ion concentration increase, making the treated water suitable for drinking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of bubble size and composition to optimize metal ion removal while controlling sodium ion concentration. By generating fine bubbles with specific characteristics (small diameter, high surface area), the system achieves efficient adsorption of hardness-causing ions without requiring large amounts of sodium ions, thus maintaining drinkability of the treated water.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves efficient removal of metal ions, simplifies regeneration treatment, reduces environmental pollution, and produces treated water with acceptable sodium ion concentrations, making it suitable for drinking.
Implementation Method 1
fine bubbles to adsorb first metal ions in the hard water
Implementation Method 2
separating crystals of a first metal component deposited by crystallizing the first metal ions
Data Source
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AI summary
Ion removing system comprises, primary-side ion removing apparatus that includes primary-side hard water storage part storing hard water and primary-side fine bubble generating part generating and supplying fine bubbles to primary-side hard water storage part and that causes fine bubbles to adsorb first metal ions in hard water in primary-side hard water storage part to remove first metal ions from hard water, secondary-side pH adjustment apparatus increasing pH of hard water from which first metal ions are removed by primary-side ion removing apparatus, and secondary-side ion removing apparatus that includes secondary-side hard water storage part storing hard water having pH increased by secondary-side pH adjustment apparatus and secondary-side fine bubble generating part generating and supplying fine bubbles to secondary-side hard water storage part and that causes fine bubbles to adsorb second metal ions in hard water in secondary-side hard water storage part to remove second metal ions from hard water.