WaterPurifier

Mobile Drinking Water Treatment System

Emergency aid in the case of catastrophes, accidents and war. 48,000 l drinking water per day can be
continuosly produced anywhere in the world.
 Drinking Water from Virtually any Source

The equipment is designed with a carrying frame suitable for the installation of a cover to provide
protection from the outside impacts. The equipment is supplied in modules suitable, both in size and in
measurements, for small van transport and for manual handling. The modules are fixed horizontally in the
frames for transport without the chemicals fill.

The modular units are fixed into a uniform frame of 80 cm width, 80 cm depth and 160 cm height. Modules
are connected with flexible piping; connection points are within the cover. Modules can be operated
separately, therefore modules may be structured to any preferred form and can be placed even into different
rooms. Weight of any of the modules is less than 150 kgs.

For cost cutting purpose the equipment is integrated into three modules.

1. PRE-FILTER MODULE

It is a dual sand filter of 2,000 litres/h capacity with automatic backwash to filter seawater to 50 microns.
This module contains the neutralising and active carbon filters. The neutralising filter is necessary to
compensate for the increased acid dosing and to resupply the calcite content of the sand.

2. CHEMICALS DOSING MODULE

In contrast to the earlier solution the present equipment contains one piece of automatic chemicals dosing
pump of 25 mg/l capacity to add sulphuric acid to the water for adjusting the pH value and for stabilising
the hardness for scaling prevention. The fine filter of 2,000 litres/h capacity, consisting of three elements
now, is placed here (earlier it was part of the filter module) with changeable filter patrons and it filter water
down to 5 microns. Separate CIP tank is not installed. Periodical treatment, disinfecting and preservative
washing of the membrane by chemicals are done with the help of rechargeable chemicals cartridges built
into the housing of the fine filter.

3. SEA WATER DESALINATION MODULE

The capacity of the desalination equipment is 12,000 litres/day (500 litres/h) capacity and it decreases salt
content of the prepared seawater down to 500 mg/litres with a recovery rate of 25%. This module has been
modified and the UV module has been left out.

CIP SYSTEM

The operational cost of the system is the cost of cleansing with chemicals expected to be necessary once a
year. Cleansing can be done with a 2% solution of citric acid and 2% solution of tri-sodium-phosphate, two
cheap chemicals available locally.

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

Operation of the equipment during water production is fully automatic, therefore a full-time operational
personnel is not required, but periodical supervision only.
Tanks of the equipment contain chemicals for one month of operation and therefore periodical supervisions
are to be made monthly at least. During such occasions the tank of the dosing pump is to be filled by 50
litres of sulphuric acid, the regeneration tank of the ion-exchanger is to be filled with 125 kgs of KCl salt
tablets and the tank of the neutraliser is to be filled with 20 litres of calcite.
On the occasions of empty acid tank, excessive membrane pressure, prolonged existence of high
conductivity, or insufficient water quantity the control equipment blocks the operation of the unit.
Automatic shutdown originating from faulty operations may be communicated to the operating personnel
by light or voice signal from the control unit. After the removal of the fault the water production will start
again.
 PLANNED TECHNOLOGY

Seawater has to be supplied by a pump capable of providing a quantity of 2,000 litres/h at a minimum
pressure of 3 bar necessary for the operation of the se-salting unit.

In the first phase the seawater, under a pressure of 3 bar, is led to the dual pre-filter, where floating
contamination of greater than 50 microns are removed by the quartz sand. Pre-filters are provided with
automatic backwash valve and suitable for independent operation. The interval of the backwash, in days,
can be adjusted on the backwash valve. The operations of the backwash are controlled by time control. To
ensure the specified capacity filters operate in pair parallel, but backwash is done at different timing for
each filter.

In the second phase pre-filtered water is led into the fine filters, where floating contamination with larger
than 5 microns particle size is separated by changeable cartridge filters. These filters may be regenerated
by backwash and their life expectancy depending largely on the efficiency of the pre-filtration is expected
to be quarter of a year.

To avoid scaling on the fine filters and membranes chemicals dosing system adds sulphuric acid to the
water before the filters. That stabilises the pH value at 6.8 and hardness of the water is also stabilised. The
equipment operates at a recovery rate of 25% to avoid the propagation of various micro-orgasms and the
formation of a bio-film. Also, preventive cleansing backwash is programmed for every hour and every 8
hours of operation.

The prepared water arrives to the desalination equipment under a minimum pressure of 2 bars. The
equipment operates automatically as self-contained unit controlled by a microprocessor based control unit.
Desalinated water is led into a remote atmospheric storage tank. Water production is started by the low-
level signal of the storage tank and is stopped by the high-level signal.

When starting the water production the valve in the raw water pipeline is opened. The pressure switch in
the inlet pipe of the pressure booster pump senses the pressure build-up and releases the operation of the
pump. If water supply is not sufficient, or the pressure build-up in the inlet pipe of the pump is not
sufficient due to clogging/jamming of the pre-filter the operation of the booster pump is stopped. The
booster pump is also stopped if the chemical container of the chemicals dosing pump is empty or any of the
sand filters operates in backwash mode.

For easier start-up of the booster pump the quick-cleaning valve of the membrane housing is opened for a
short time. After closing the valve the material can flow only through the pressure-regulating valve
adjusted to 55 bar pressure therefore pressure builds up in the housing to that value.

4,800 litres/h water flows through the cascade connected membranes and 1,600 litres/h is filtered through
the membranes (“permeated” water). The rest (“concentrate”), i.e. 3,200 litres/h leaves the system at a
higher salt concentration. It is practical to lead back that amount into the sea at a place remote from the
inlet pipe.

Conductivity of the produced water is continuously measured and displayed by the built-in digital
conductivity instrument. At a pre-defined value that send a control signal to the control instrument.

At start-up, especially after longer period of standstill, the water quality may not reach the preferred value
instantly, therefore a short washing period is installed at start-up. During the operation the salt content of
the “concentrate” may increase and as a consequence the salt content of the permeated water may increase
as well causing high water conductivity. The control system switches to quick washing period then restores
the normal operation. If normal water quality is not restored after the third quick-wash period, the operation
of the unit is blocked by the control system. Operation is also blocked if pressure in the membrane housing
exceeds the pre-set value due to membrane clogging.
Due to the high salt content of the raw water, despite the careful preparation of the water, membranes will
be clogged. If the capacity of the membranes go down to less than 20% (pressure builds up in the housing)
then rinsing of the membranes has to be carried out with chemicals. As this process may take place once a
year, or after several years of operation only, and it involves the handling of various chemicals requiring
human involvement, it is not practical to automate the process. That operation will be carried out by the
operational personnel. After the washing process with chemicals the rechargeable cartridge containing the
necessary chemicals has to be placed into the housing of the first fine filter. First an alkaline solution will
have to be pressed through the membranes with the help of water pressure to remove the organic material
scaling and other materials insoluble to acids, then the acidic solution has to be applied to remove acid
soluble materials.

In case of extended standstills it might be necessary to fill a preservative liquid onto the membranes, which
is available in rechargeable cartridges as well.

The pH value of the desalinated water coming from the membranes is low due to the carbon dioxide
resulting from the addition of acid necessary to stabilise the hardness of the water. Desalinated water
contains mostly sodium chloride.

As treated water is used for drinking, cooking, cleaning, washing and watering as well, an after-treatment is
used to satisfy the diversified utilisation of the water. During the after-treatment the acidity of the water is
neutralised and calcium is added to comply with pot water specifications and the sodium-potassium content
is adjusted as well for watering purpose.

A portion of the acidic permeated water is led to an ion exchanger column filled with cation exchange resin
of strongly acidic character (regenerated with potassium salt) operating fully automatic under quantity
based control. Here all cations are exchanged for potassium and the acidity as well as the sodium contents
of the water are decreased.

With the help of the mixing valve on the automatic regenerating valve of the ion-exchange equipment the
exchange column can be by-passed at any selected rate. The water coming out of the potassium based ion-
exchange column still contains carbon dioxide and sodium and therefore it is led to a neutralising filter
filled with calcite. Here calcium is added to the water and thereby the standard composition of the potable
water may be reached at minimum calcium content of 50 mg/litres.

By the control of the by-pass ratio the calcium-sodium-potassium content of the end product can be
adjusted to satisfy local requirements.

In the last phase the water is led onto a filter filled with carbon black impregnated by silver, where bad
taste and odour of the water is removed and thereby the value of the water is increased. Silver, being a
bactericide agent, prevents the propagation of the micro-orgasms on the resin fill.

Quantity and Quality Guarantee:

We hereby undertake that the quantity of the produced water will be 1600 litres/h from seawater.
Total salt content of the produced water will be less than 500 mg/litres, expected value is 300 mg/litres,
pH 7.

Calculated data:
Calcium 50 mg/l Chloride 170 mg/l
Potassium 90 - 10 mg/l* Bicarbonate 2 mg/l
Magnesium 6 mg/l Sulphate 10 mg/l
Sodium 10 - 90 mg/l* Carbonate 0,0 mg/l
*Depending on the adjustment.

The recovered water is free from every kind of viruses and bacterium.