Patent ID: 6193869
Filing Date: 2001-02-27
Classification: B01D,B01J

Abstract:
A portable modular unit for use in a modular system for demineralizing aqueous liquids comprising a rigid, compact housing (160), said housing having a pair of opposite end plates (164), a pair of opposite side plates (162), a top plate and a bottom plate (170), and connector means (166) for joining said end plates (164) to the side and plates (162) and for securing the top and bottom plates (168, 170) thereto to form a liquid-tight encapsulating enclosure; said housing (160) containing an anode compartment having an anode (176) and a cathode compartment having a cathode (182), a plurality of cation exchange membranes (186) and anion exchange membranes (190) which are alternately arranged between the anode compartment and the cathode compartment to form demineralizing compartments each defined by a demineralizing compartment spacer (192) having an anion exchange membrane (190) on the anode side and by a cation exchange membrane (186) on the cathode side, and concentrating compartments (196) each defined by a concentrating compartment spacer (200) having a cation exchange membrane (198) on the anode side and by an anion exchange membrane (202) on the cathode side, each demineralizing compartment spacer (192) having an elongated central cavity (199) for receiving porous and permeable ion exchanger (40), said spacer having a liquid inlet port (208) at one end and a liquid outlet port (214) at the opposite end, a plurality of fine slit openings (212, 218) formed in the spacer (192) at each end adjacent the cavity (199), and at least one channel (210) in the spacer (192) at each end for interconnecting the liquid inlet port (208) to the fine slit openings (212) adjacent the cavity (199) at one end and for connecting the liquid outlet port (214) to the fine slit openings (218) adjacent the cavity (199) at the other end, whereby an aqueous liquid can be flowed through the porous and permeable ion exchanger (40) filling the demineralizing compartment, a porous and permeable ion exchanger (40) filling said demineralizing compartments, said ion exchanger (40) consisting of a porous and permeable continuous phase (50) of one of cation exchange resin particles or anion exchange resin particles and a porous and permeable dispersed phase of clusters (52) of the other of the cation exchange resin particles or the anion exchange resin particles in the continuous phase (50), and means (144) for releasably connecting the modular unit to a piping system in a modular system whereby the modular unit can be removed from or added to the modular system.