Ion Removing System Using Fine Bubbles for Hard Water Treatment
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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 and environmental issues such as soil pollution and increased sewage treatment loads, and produce water with high sodium ion concentrations, making it unsuitable for drinking in some regions.
Innovation Solution
An ion removal system that employs fine bubbles to adsorb metal ions from hard water, eliminating the need for salt water regeneration and incorporating a separating apparatus to crystallize metal ions, thereby simplifying maintenance and reducing environmental impact while allowing the treated water to be used as drinking water.
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 replaces the chemical ion exchange process with a physical fine bubble adsorption process. Fine bubbles are generated and contacted with hard water to adsorb metal ions, eliminating the need for chemical regeneration and simplifying maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters from chemical regeneration requiring salt water to physical processes involving fine bubble generation, contact time control, and bubble size management, fundamentally altering how the system is operated and maintained.
2Reliability
If ion exchange resin regeneration is performed with salt water, then the resin is restored, but wastewater containing salt water is generated causing soil pollution and increased sewage treatment load
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical regeneration process that generates polluted wastewater with a physical fine bubble adsorption process. The fine bubbles adsorb metal ions directly from the water, and the saturated bubbles are removed without requiring salt water flushing, thus eliminating salt water pollution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful salt water regeneration process into a beneficial environmental outcome by using fine bubble technology that naturally adsorbs and removes metal ions without generating polluting wastewater, turning a harmful process into an environmentally friendly one.
3Reliability
If ion exchange resin is used to soften hard water, then metal ions are removed, but the treated water has high concentration of sodium ions making it unsuitable for drinking in some regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the ion exchange mechanism that substitutes metal ions with sodium ions with a physical adsorption mechanism using fine bubbles. The fine bubbles directly adsorb and remove metal ions from the water without introducing sodium ions, producing drinking-quality softened water.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces fine bubbles as an intermediary substance that mediates the removal of metal ions from hard water. These fine bubbles act as a carrier that adsorbs metal ions and transports them out of the water, replacing the ion exchange resin's intermediary role without the harmful sodium ion byproduct.
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 effectively removes metal ions from hard water using fine bubbles, simplifies regeneration treatment, reduces environmental pollution, and produces treated water with acceptable sodium ion concentrations for drinking purposes.
Implementation Method 1
a fine bubble generating part generating and supplying fine bubbles to the hard water storage part and that causes the fine bubbles to adsorb metal ions in the hard water in the hard water storage part to remove the metal ions from the hard water
Implementation Method 2
a separating apparatus connected to the ion removing apparatus and separating crystals of a metal component deposited by crystallizing the metal ions removed from the hard water by the ion removing apparatus
Data Source
AI summary
An ion removing system having an ion removing apparatus that includes a fine bubble generating part generating fine bubbles and that causes the fine bubbles to adsorb metal ions to remove the metal ions from the hard water due to supply the fine bubbles generated by the fine bubble generating part into the hard water. In addition, the ion removing system includes a primary-side flow path to supply the hard water to the ion removing apparatus, a separating apparatus that separates crystals of a metal component deposited by crystallizing the metal ions removed from the hard water by the ion removing apparatus, and a secondary-side flow path that takes out, from the separating apparatus, treated water obtained by separating the crystals. The primary-side flow path is provided with a supply-side backflow prevention mechanism.