Method and apparatus for folded moving bed ion exchange system

Claim 1

An ion exchange apparatus system utilizing moving folded beds for loading and stripping of the ion exchange resin, including at least a resin-containing loading column, a resin-containing stripping column, first resin transfer means for moving increments of liquid-containing loaded resin in a first circuit from the upper portion of the loading column to the lower portion of the stripping column, second resin transfer means for moving increments of liquid-containing stripped resin in a second circuit from the upper portion of the stripping column to the lower portion of the loading column, and liquid inlet and outlet means, respectively, for introducing liquids into upper portions of said columns and removing liquids from the lower portions thereof, wherein the improvement comprises providing separate treatment and pulse chambers in said first and second transfer circuits, including at least one treatment chamber before each of the pulse chambers, the last of the treatment chambers in each circuit receiving liquid-containing resin and being selectively isolatable from the pulse chamber therein and connectable thereto through resin valve means provided therebetween, said last treatment chambers in each of said circuits including gas and liquid inlet and outlet means for use in removing liquid from the resin, said outlet means being arranged to discharge the removed liquid while the last of the treatment chambers in the circuit is isolated from the pulse chamber therein, the pulse chambers receiving the treated resin having means for transfering pulsed compacted increments of treated resin, respectively, to said stripping and loading columms, said loading and stripping columns being full of resin from the bottom to the top thereof, and said first and second resin transfer means being arranged so that the introduction of each pulsed compacted resin increment to the bottom of the loading or stripping column causes the explusion of a resin increment of corresponding compacted volume from the top thereof for transfer, respectively, in said first and second circuits.

Claim 8

The method of operating components of an ion exchange resin system for removing ions for aqueous solutions, which system utilizes moving folded beds for loading and stripping of the resin, said system including at least a resin-containing loading column, a resin-containing stripping column, said loading and stripping columns being maintained full of resin so that compacted increments of resin can be transferred to and from these columns, first and second resin transfer circuits for transferring resin respectively from the upper portion of the loading column to the lower portion of the stripping column and from the upper portion of the stripping column to the lower portion of the loading column, each of said circuits including at least one resin treatment chamber followed by a separate pulse chamber, the last resin treatment chamber in each circuit before the pulse chamber being selectively isolatable from the pulse chamber and having both gas and liquid inlet and outlet means, comprising the steps of transferring increments of resin to the last of the treatment chambers in said circuits, passing air through the resin increment therein to reduce said resin increment to a semi-dry condition, providing a pool of liquid in the pulse chamber connected thereto, and subsequently discharging the air-containing resin increment from the last treatment chamber by dropping it into the pool of liquid within the pulse chamber to promote deaeration of the resin increment.

Claim 9

The method of operating components of an ion exchange resin system for removing ions for aqueous solutions, which system utilizes moving folded beds for loading and stripping of the resin, said system including at least a resin-containing loading column, a resin-containing stripping column, said loading and stripping columns being maintained full of resin so that compacted increments of resin can be transferred to and from these columns, first and second resin transfer circuits for transferring resin respectively from the upper portion of the loading column to the lower portion of the stripping column and from the upper portion of the stripping column to the lower portion of the loading column, each of said circuits including at least one resin treatment chamber followed by a separate pulse chamber, the last resin treatment chamber in each circuit before the pulse chamber being selectively isolatable from the pulse chamber and having both gas and liquid inlet and outlet means, comprising the steps of transferring increments of resin to the last of the treatment chambers in said circuits, passing air through the resin increment therein to reduce said resin increment to a semi-dry condition, providing a pool of liquid in the pulse chamber connected thereto, and subsequently discharging the air-containing resin increment from the last treatment chamber by dropping it into the pool of liquid within the pulse chamber to promote deaeration of the resin increment.