Exchange based-water treatment

Abstract

A water treatment system comprising an ion exchange vessel, a cationic resin located within the ion exchange vessel, and an anionic resin located within the ion exchange vessel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An exchange-based water treatment system, comprising:
 an input pipe to carry city water;   an ion exchange vessel mechanically coupled to the input pipe, the ion exchange vessel to receive the city water, the ion exchange vessel to produce treated make-up water from the received city water, the make-up water being softened water, the make-up water being de-alkalized water;   a cationic resin located within the ion exchange vessel, the cationic resin to soften the city water through a cationic exchange process, the cationic resin being a sodium zeolite resin;   an anionic resin located within the ion exchange vessel, the anionic resin to de-alkalize the softened water, the anionic resin being a chloride-based resin;   a valve located on the ion exchange vessel, the valve to control ejection of the treated make-up water from the ion exchange vessel;   a make-up water pipe mechanically coupled to the valve, the make-up water pipe to carry the ejected make-up water; and   a make-up water probe operatively coupled to the make-up water pipe, the make-up water probe to measure a level of total dissolved solids (TDS).   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , the ion exchange vessel having a cationic-resin-to-anionic-resin ratio that is approximately four-to-one by volume. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , the cationic resin forming a cationic resin bed, the anionic resin forming an anionic resin bed, the anionic resin bed directly interfacing with the cationic resin bed. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a regenerant tank operatively coupled to the valve on the ionic exchange tank; and   regenerant located within the regenerant tank, the regenerant being a salt, the regenerant to regenerate the cationic resin, the regenerant to regenerate the anionic resin.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a controller operatively coupled to the make-up water probe, the controller to receive a measurement signal from the make-up water probe, the measurement signal being indicative of the TDS in the make-up water.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a cooling tower mechanically coupled to the make-up water pipe, the cooling tower to receive the make-up water from the ion exchange vessel. 
     
     
         7 . A system, comprising:
 an ion exchange vessel;   an input on the ion exchange vessel, the input to receive influent water;   a cationic resin bed located within the ion exchange vessel, the cationic resin bed to produce softened water;   an anionic resin bed located within the ion exchange vessel, the anionic resin bed to produce de-alkalized water; and   an output on the ion exchange vessel, the output to eject effluent water, the effluent water being softened by the cationic resin bed, the effluent water being the softened and de-alkalized water.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , the cationic resin bed directly interfacing the anionic resin bed. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , the anionic resin bed to produce de-alkalized water from the softened water. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , the cationic resin bed being four times greater by volume than the anionic resin bed. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , the cationic resin bed comprising a zeolite resin. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7 , the anionic resin bed comprising a de-alkalizer resin. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a probe operatively coupled to the output, the probe to measure a property of the effluent water.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , the probe to measure a level of total dissolved solids (TDS). 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , the probe to measure a level of total dissolved solids (TDS) as a function of water volume through the ion exchange vessel. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , the probe being a pH probe. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a controller operatively coupled to the probe, the controller to receive a measurement signal from the probe, the controller being remotely accessible.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , the controller to collect data, the data being indicative of cationic-resin-bed performance, the data being indicative of anionic-resin-bed performance. 
     
     
         19 . A system, comprising:
 an ion exchange vessel to produce treated make-up water from city water, the make-up water being softened water, the make-up water being de-alkalized water;   a cationic resin located within the ion exchange vessel, the cationic resin to produce the softened water by removing magnesium and calcium from the city water; and   an anionic resin located within the ion exchange vessel, the anionic resin to produce de-alkalized water from the softened water by removing bicarbonates, carbonates, and sulfates from the softened water.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , the cationic resin interfacing directly with the anionic resin, the cationic resin having a volume that is approximately four times greater than a volume of anionic resin.