Fine-Bubble Hard Water Ion Removal Without Salt Regeneration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ion removal systems using ion exchange resins require large amounts of salt water for regeneration, leading to maintenance challenges, environmental pollution, and high sodium ion concentrations in treated water, making them unsuitable for drinking water.
Innovation Solution
An ion removal system utilizing fine bubbles to adsorb and crystallize metal ions in hard water, combined with a particle feeder to enhance crystallization, reduces the need for salt water and simplifies maintenance, while using air as the ion removal gas to minimize costs and environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ion exchange resin is used to remove metal ion from hard water, then metal ion removal is achieved, but large amount of salt water is required for regeneration causing maintenance trouble
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the removal mechanism from chemical ion exchange to physical adsorption onto fine bubbles. This parameter change eliminates the need for salt water regeneration, solving the maintenance trouble while maintaining metal ion removal effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical mechanism of ion exchange resin with a physical mechanism of adsorption onto fine bubbles. This substitution eliminates the need for chemical regeneration processes, thereby resolving the maintenance complexity issue
2Reliability
If ion exchange resin is used to remove metal ion from hard water, then metal ion removal is achieved, but reproduction treatment causes reproduction waste water containing large amount of salt water increasing soil pollution and burden of sewage treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the removal mechanism from chemical ion exchange to physical adsorption, which eliminates salt water consumption and subsequent waste water generation. This parameter change directly resolves the soil pollution and sewage treatment burden caused by reproduction waste water
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of salt water consumption into a benefit by using fine bubbles that adsorb metal ions without requiring salt water. The fine bubbles themselves serve as the removable medium, eliminating the need for harmful salt water regeneration and waste water discharge
3Reliability
If ion exchange resin is used to remove metal ion from hard water, then metal ion removal is achieved, but treated water has high concentration of sodium ion making it not recommended as drinking water
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the removal mechanism from ion exchange (which introduces sodium ions) to adsorption onto fine bubbles. This parameter change eliminates the source of sodium ion contamination, producing treated water suitable for drinking while maintaining metal ion removal effectiveness
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 better maintainability and environmental performance by minimizing salt water usage, reducing soil pollution, and producing low sodium ion treated water suitable for drinking.
Implementation Method 1
by adsorbing the metal ion in the hard water to the fines bubble in the hard water storage
Implementation Method 2
crystallizing and precipitating the adsorbed metal ion
Implementation Method 3
crystallizing and precipitating the adsorbed metal ion
Data Source
AI summary
An ion removal system includes: an ion removal device including a hard water storage configured to store hard water and a fine bubble generator configured to generate a fine bubble to supply the hard water storage with the fine bubble, for removing a metal ion from the hard water by adsorbing the metal ion in the hard water to the fines bubble in the hard water storage and crystallizing and precipitating the adsorbed metal ion; and a particle feeder configured to bring a particle containing a same element as that of the metal ion into the hard water at a feeding point, the feeding point being located upstream of the hard water storage or located in the hard water storage.