C o u n t e r C u r re n t Regeneration & L a y e re d B e d U n i t s

Ion Exchange

Counter Current Regeneration

When do you need it?

Counter Current Units replace conventional Co-Current Cation or Anion Units when higher water quality is required. Counter Current Ion Exchangers produce higher-quality efuent than is possible from Co-Current regeneration.

Glegg Units have no inactive resin and permit a partial backwash every regeneration cycle. They use gel or macroreticular resin, depending on specic service conditions.

regenerate a layered cation, the second stage is diluted to 0.8% before it contacts the weak resin by adding more dilution water through the interface collector system. Layered units are backwashed after the chemical displacement step, since thats when resins differ most in density. Split Flow Units get a SubSurface Wash (or Mini Backwash) as a rst regeneration step. Split-Flow Units have the advantage of receiving a mini backwash each regeneration without added chemicals or reduced treated water quality. Theyre fully backwashed every 15 to 30 regenerations (depending on the beds differential pressure) and also get a double chemical injection. This returns the Units outlet resin layer to a highly regenerated state.

How does it work?

Water enters the unit at the top of the vessel and is distributed evenly over the resin bed by the inlet distributor. The resin removes ionic contaminants from the water. Treated water passes through false bottom strainers to outlet piping at the Units bottom. The service cycle is the same for Split-Flow and Layered Counter Current Ion Exchange Units. In Split-Flow Counter Current Units, regenerant chemical is injected above and below the bed. One third ows downwards; the other two thirds ows upwards. Spent chemicals are collected by a header lateral system and leave the Unit via the collector outlet valve. In Layered Units, all regenerant chemicals ow upward. The chemicals rst portion is discharged to waste via a header lateral system, at the interface of the strong and weak resins. This prevents contaminating weak resin with impurities from strong resin. The chemicals second stage then ows through the entire resin bed and is collected by a header lateral system. When using sulphuric acid to

What is it?
In a Counter Current Ion Exchange Unit, the service ow and the regenerant chemical ow are in opposite directions. Theyre contained in a pressure vessel with adequate freeboard for backwashing, plus various internals to distribute and collect the water and regenerant chemicals. Depending on the application, the Unit may be loaded with a single bed of softener, strong acid cation or strong base anion resin, or with a layered bed of cation or anion resins. Units with a single resin bed are regenerated using a specially designed split-ow regeneration process. Layered beds, which are loaded with weak and strong cation resins or weak and strong anion resins, are regenerated with a true counter-current process.

Operation

In-Service

Regeneration (Split-Flow)

Regeneration (Layered Bed)

Step 1

Step 2

Key Components
1 REGENERANT COLLECTOR VALVE (STEP 2) 2 DILUTION WATER INLET VALVE 3 REGENERANT OUTLET VALVE (STEP 1) 4 RINSE VALVE

5 REGENERANT INLET VALVE

4 5

13

6
6 INTERFACE COLLECTOR 7 SERVICE INLET VALVE 8 BACKWASH OUTLET VALVE 9 SERVICE OUTLET VALVE
10 BACKWASH INLET VALVE 11 UPFLOW REGENERANT HEADER 12 STRONG RESIN 13 WEAK RESIN

12

11

9
10

Counter Current Regeneration

Components
Vessel

Features
Designed, fabricated and tested to meet the requirements of Section VIII, Division 1 of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. Provided with a code stamp, thermal relief valve. 2" media removal connection. Standard top head manway is 14"x 18" elliptical. Bottom head manway is 18" round.

Benets
Assures safety and ensures insurance compliance.

Complete ASME compliance. Simple media removal without accessing through manway. Provides easy access for visual inspection and maintenance. Easy to inspect linings. The cavity between the false bottom and the lower vessel head is directly accessible through the bottom manhole to ensure proper lining under the strainer plate. Operator safety, easier access. Doesnt require external lifting device. Ensures proper backwash without loss of resin. Provides expanded visual sighting. Flush mount prevents resin build-up and obstruction in viewing. Lets operator view the resin separation during regeneration, ensuring good separation. Allows operator to periodically check resin level during service, to ensure correct level is maintained. Assists the operator in monitoring the proper backwashing of the unit. Lower installation cost and time. Cost-effective; meets the specic needs of your location. Corrosion-resistant, longer life. Avoids failure of internal supports. Eliminates potential for lining damage. Secure mounting, trouble-free operation. Superior ow distribution. Optimized for your specic ow rate. Adequate opening for removal of resin nes.

Option: Circular manways are available in larger sizes, 20" and 24" diameters. Circular manways have a davit. At least 75% freeboard to permit expansion during backwash.

Sight Glass

Extra height 3" x 15" sight glasses. Sight glass ush with the interior of the vessel. Sight glasses at the resin interface (layered units only) and at the top of the resin bed.

Option: Additional 3" x 15" sight glass can be provided at the resin backwash elevation.

Support Structure

Vessels include a rigid structural steel skid base. Support structures meet the requirements of appropriate Seismic classication.

Internals
(Continued next page)

Stainless steel supports (rather than lined). Stainless steel, non-lined support clips. All internal supports are double-nutted. The inlet distributor, which also serves as backwash collector, has either splash plates for lower unit ow rates, or buckets for higher unit ow rates. Schedule 80 PVC * Larger diameter units have multiple distribution heads. Downow regenerant header is a header lateral system with drilled pipe laterals. Schedule 80 PVC *

Counter Current Regeneration

Components
Internals (Cont.)

Features
* Option: Also available in Schedule 40, 316L stainless steel, Hasteloy C, or polypropylene material. Layered unit Regenerant Collector is a header lateral system in 316L stainless steel with jacketed wellscreen laterals. Inbed collector has jacketed wellscreen laterals in 316L stainless steel rather than traditional plastic screening or stainless steel mesh. Option: Hasteloy C (required for hydrochloric acid applications). Flow-through false bottom underdrain, with high-strength wellscreen strainers. Standard strainers are 316L stainless steel. Option: Hasteloy C or Polypropylene strainers (for hydrochloric acid applications). Upow regenerant header is drilled pipe.

Benets
Added strength to reduce chance of breakage during regeneration cycle or for required chemical corrosion resistance. Adds strength and prevents resin loss during the chemical injection and displacement steps. Trouble-free design and durable, robust construction stands up to stress of regeneration cycle. Strainer design minimizes chemical hideout and provides highly effective ow distribution and collection.

Strong and cost-effective. Prevents resin loss in the unlikely event of an underdrain failure. Wedgewire construction provides longer life and structural integrity of retention medium. Simplied operator maintenance. Protects the vessel from attack by regenerant chemicals and also prevents picking up impurities from the steel during service. Superior resistance to water permeation. No on-site painting required.

Resin Trap

Option: Wedgewire resin trap. Removable design lets operator clean strainer without disassembling piping.

Lining

Units are supplied with 3/16" thick, soft black rubber liner. Option: Semi-hard black rubber liner.

Paint

All surfaces primed with a two-component primer and epoxy-polyamide paint nish coat. Standard nish paint color is A181 blue. Option: Paint systems suitable for outdoor service and resistant to corrosion from coastal environments.

Increased durability.

Piping

Valve manifold/pipe rack is mounted on a single xed skid structural base. Option: Separate skid for piping manifold. Piping is Schedule 80 PVC and meets the requirements of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Code B31.1. Option: 316L stainless steel piping with coupling for instrument taps. Option: Polypropylene lined carbon steel piping.

Reduces eld installation labor. Enables easier site movement in tight locations. Cost-effective construction.

More robust no plastic spacers or instrument taps for increased durability and reliability. Easier to modify piping in the eld. For hydochloric acid service.

Counter Current Regeneration

Components
Valves

Features
Buttery valves for reliable, automatic on/off control. One-piece body and a one-piece shaft, with mechanical position indicators. Regenerant valves are diaphragm-type with spring-to-close actuators. Option: Regenerant isolation valves and regenerant block and bleed valves. Option: Valve proximity or microswitch type switches.

Benets
Compact, simple and durable construction reduces failure potential. Visually indicates valve position. Higher safety for chemical lines. Provides additional protection against the injection of chemical into a unit thats not in regeneration. Provides positive feedback on valve positions to the control center. Water-tight and corrosion resistant. Prevents water damage and most chemical damage. Doesnt require controlled air pressure. Simplies installation. Simplies maintenance. Permits local manual valve operation. Eliminates electrical interference. Gauges can be replaced without shutting down the system. Easy access to water samples. Monitors system to ensure appropriate product ow, unit capacity and water quality.

Solenoid / Junction Box

NEMA 4X enclosure with manifold-mounted solenoids and common terminal strip. Single air connection for air lter and pressure regulator. Manifold mounted solenoids, individually replaceable, with manual overrides. Wiring in separate AC and DC junction boxes.

Instruments

Unique pressure gauge and water sampling assembly on inlet and outlet of each vessel. Standard instrumentation: 1. Inlet ow indicating transmitter. 2. Efuent conductivity water analyzer (anion units only). Option: Differential pressure switches, sodium analyzers, silica analyzers, and pH meters.

Improved control and monitoring of performance.

Industrial Water Made Easy

With over 20-years' experience, building more than one thousand systems at Glegg, our extensive resources are fully dedicated to delivering innovative, cost-effective, reliable pure water solutions for industry. Our customers include leaders from around the world in the power generation, chemical, hydrocarbon processing, pulp & paper, electronics and pharmaceuticals industries. At Glegg, our industry-leading capability has enabled us to continually develop new technologies and ways of working that make specifying your pure water system easier than ever before from advances in electrodeionization to GRD2000.

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The water industry's rst true reference design system, GRD2000 is a whole new way of designing, specifying and building pure water systems. The GRD2000 Tool Set available free on CD-ROM gives you all the process and technical information you need to design your system with total condence that your specication is comprehensive. Just point-and-click your way, step-bystep, through 3D interactive tutorials, product specications and data sheets using GRD2000 's proven design process.
The GRD2000 Tool Set contains:
Educator Module 32 Process Fundamentals Tutorials Pure Water Design Guide (1000-page) Technical Specications (450-page) Specier Module 42 Equipment Specication Sheets

The power behind GRD2000 is Glegg's 3D parametric design technology innovative proprietary software that turns your specication data into a nished design, enabling us to easily generate dozens of interrelated, detailed, accurate drawings for your project.

Call

1-888-917-8111
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Product Brochures Available

Overview Clariers Gravity Filters Pressure Filters Cartridge Filters Reverse Osmosis E-Cell Electrodeionization Co-Current Regeneration Counter Current Regeneration Packed Bed - Amberpack Forced Draft Decarbonators Mixed Bed Insitu Regeneration Sodium & Amine Cycle Condensate Polishers Mixed Bed Condensate Polishers Waste Neutralization Systems Control Systems Ancillary Equipment 29 Royal Road Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1H 1G2 U.S. & Canada: 1-888-917-8111 Phone: (519) 836-0500 Fax: (519) 837-3067 Web site: www.glegg.com E-mail: purewater@glegg.com

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