PB0103NS RECOFLO WATER SOFTENER Low Cost Softened Water T he Recoflo Softener outperforms other water softening systems with its high product quality and low operating cost. The distinctive design and operation of the Recoflo Softener allow for the production of water with less than 0.1 mg/l total hardness using less than half the brine required by other softeners. The Recoflo Softener's shallow resin bed (6 inches/15 cm deep) is fully packed with fine mesh cation resin beads that are operated under low loading conditions and are regenerated counter-currently. These features allow for efficient usage of brine and water while using less than one half of the floorspace and headroom of other softeners. The shorter cycle time of the Recoflo Softener eliminates biological fouling in the resin bed and subsequent release of bacteria in the product water, making it ideal pretreatment to reverse osmosis systems. Low operating costs, high performance, and proven reliability have made the Recoflo Softener the choice of industry leading companies worldwide including Apotex Pharmaceuticals and Alberta Energy Corporation in Canada, Caterpiller and Blue Ridge Paper Products in the United States, Gloria S.A. Dairy in Peru and many others. STANDARD RECOFLO WATER SOFTENER 55 m 3 /hour (243 gpm)
Recoflo ion exchange features... The Recoflo Softener is able to achieve a high level of efficiency and performance by employing several design and operational features. 1. Short bed height/small resin volume - The resin bed in the Recoflo Softener is only 6 inches (15 cm) in depth and has approximately 10% of the CONVENTIONAL resin volume of other softeners (Figure 1). The use of the shallow bed is made possible by the rapid ion exchange kinetics RECOFLO that result from the use of fine mesh resins and low resin loading. This small resin inventory allows for the inexpensive, simple, and expeditious replacement of resin. Figure 1: Resin volume comparison 2. Low resin loading - Unlike other softeners that load the resin to near exhaustion, the Recoflo Softener uses less than 20% of the total exchange capacity of the resin. By using only the most accessible exchange sites at the surface of the resin beads, the exchange kinetics are improved and the brine usage is reduced since the sites that most readily accept an ion are those that are most easily regenerated. In addition, the low resin loading does not force the resin to undergo large changes in size that result in resin fragmentation in other softeners. 3. Fine mesh cation resin - Since exchange kinetics and regeneration efficiency are improved by using only the exchange sites at surface of the resin beads, a fine mesh resin is used to increase the total surface area that is available for exchange. The size of these resin beads is approximately one quarter the size of the resin used in other softeners (Figure 2). The resin is uniformally sized to maximize the efficiency of rinsing and promote uniform distribution of flow through the bed. Figure 2: Resin bead size comparison CONVENTIONAL RECOFLO 4. Counter-current regeneration - To maintain the cleanest resin at the bottom of the resin bed after regeneration, the brine regenerant is passed through the bed in the opposite direction of the feed flow (Figure 3). Counter-current regeneration minimizes brine usage and maximizes softened water quality. 5. Compressed resin beds - The resin bed in the Recoflo Softener is fully packed such that no freeboard exists. In
Recoflo ion exchange features... FEED WATER PRODUCT WATER Figure 3: Counter-current regeneration fact, the resin bed is compressed by adding an excess of resin prior to closing the vessel (Figure 4). Compressed resin beds maximize regeneration efficiency by maintaining the exchange zone profile and ensuring proper flow distribution through the resin bed. Eliminating the freeboard reduces rinse requirements by minimizing intermixing and liquid dilution. WASTE REGENERANT Figure 4: Recoflo Softeners compressed resin bed 7. Shorter cycle times - The combination of high flowrates, low resin loading, and small resin beds result in short cycle times, both in service and regeneration. Whereas other softeners are onstream for approximately 20 hours and require several hours to regenerate, the Recoflo Softener is typically onstream for less than 30 minutes and is regenerated in less than 2 minutes. The shorter cycles allow for the continuous supply of the required flow with only one unit since during the short regeneration period, water can be drawn from the product storage tank. This buffer volume, and the softened water used for regeneration, can then be replaced during the subsequent onstream cycle. The shorter cycles allow for smaller waste piping and holding facilities since small amounts of waste are generated throughout the day rather than the large volume of waste generated daily by other softeners The shorter cycles also facilitate troubleshooting since many cycles can be witnessed in a single shift after the remedial action has been performed. 6. Higher throughput rates - The rapid ion exchange kinetics and short resin bed allow for high throughput rates, typically two to three times higher than used in other softeners. The high flowrates result in a smaller resin bed diameter and hence up to a 50% reduction in the required amount of floorspace.
Benefits... Reduce Operating Costs... The Recoflo Softener offers substantial savings in operating costs. The distinctive design and operational features of the Recoflo ion exchange process reduce the brine consumption to less than one half of the amount required by other softeners. The lower regenerant usage and highly effective rinsing of the resin result in the efficient usage of water and the subsequent minimization in waste generation. In addition, the Recoflo Softener is PLC controlled, fully automated and alarmed. Reduce Commissioning and Installation Costs... Prior to shipment, the Recoflo Softener is completely assembled and wired, and the resin is loaded into the vessel. To reduce the time required for commissioning, the Recoflo unit is hydraulically tested and the proper execution of the PLC program with the correct valving sequence is confirmed. Once on site, the compact, skid-mounted design allows for easy placement and installation with no elaborate civil work. The Recoflo Softener is commissioned in only two days. Reduce Space... The throughput rate of the Recoflo Softener is two to three times that of other softeners. This increased productivity, and the shorter resin bed, result in a much smaller vessel diameter and low headroom requirements. In addition, the shorter cycle times reduce the size of the waste piping and holding facilities since small volumes of waste will be generated throughout the day rather than a large volume of waste being produced daily. The Recoflo Softener requires approximately one half of the floorspace and headroom of other softeners. Eliminate Biological Fouling... The potential of biological fouling in deep-bed softeners has long been recognized. Biological growth is stimulated in the resin bed as large quantities of nutrients and organics are made available from the incoming feed water. The dense biological slimes that are allowed to form on the surface of the resin during the long onstream period are poorly removed during the brine regeneration step. This fouling results in a gradual reduction in softener capacity, efficiency, and performance. The sloughing off of the accumulated bacteria into the softened water may also accelerate biological fouling of downstream reverse osmosis membranes or process equipment. The shorter cycles of the Recoflo Softener maintain the resin bed in a disinfected state by contacting the resin with the brine regenerant every hour. Biological growth is further prevented by the high throughput velocity and small wetted perimeter that provides less surface area for bacterial attachment. Plate counts have confirmed the bacterial population in the product water from the Recoflo Softener to be an order of magnitude less than found in the water from deep-bed softeners.
Cycle steps... 1. ONSTREAM Pre-filtered water is pumped downward through the resin bed Feed To Product Tank 3. RINSE Softened water from the storage tank is pumped upward through the resin bed to rinse out excess brine. To Waste 2. REGENERATION Saturated brine is diluted with softened water in-line immediately below the resin bed. The diluted regenerant is then pumped upward through the resin bed. Dilution water is pumped from a small storage tank. Filter To Waste Saturated Brine 4. TANK REFILL The softened water tank that stores the dilution and rinse water is refilled. Feed Regeneration Tank Service Program... The Recoflo Softener is fully covered under Eco-Tec's ECO-SERV Customer Service Program. The program begins with strict quality assurance at every stage of the design and manufacturing processes, as demanded by ISO 9001. Samples of resin from every shipment are tested in-house to confirm that the particle size and characteristic distributions are acceptable. A Service Representative is available 24/7 to assist with any aspect of the system. ECO-TEC INC. ECO-TEC (Europe) Ltd. 1145 Squires Beach Road, Pickering Unit 5C Ring Road, Zone 2, Burntwood Business Park Ontario,Canada L1W 3T9 Burntwood, Staffordshire, England WS7 3JQ Telephone: 905-427-0077 Fax: 905-427-4477 Telephone: 44-15436-83086 Fax: 44-15436-74117 email: ecotec@eco-tec.com email: ecoteceurope@aol.com www.eco-tec.com The information contained in this document is proprietary and is the sole property of Eco-Tec Inc., no part may be reproduced without the express consent of Eco-Tec Inc.