The technology is built around a hybrid deionisation (hybrid DI) process, using Pentair and Voltea technologies to combine reverse osmosis (RO) filtration and a water softener without requiring salt as a regenerant.
Pentair developed the new technology through a partnership with Dutch firm Voltea, which licensed the technology to Pentair in residential and light commercial applications for point-of-entry products. The system uses capacitive electrodes to remove hardness and TDS from water without employing salt. The core of the system is Voltea’s ‘stack’ configuration of electrodes combined with ion-selective membranes. The treatment sequence begins with the purification step. This occurs as untreated water flows through the cell, where ions are drawn through the membranes and absorbed in the charged electrodes, producing high quality treated water. The electrodes automatically regenerate when the system reverses its polarity. This drives the ions out of the electrodes and flushes them from the stack. The polarity is then reset to normal to start purification again. The technology within the hybrid deionisation system is driven by a micro-controller developed by Pentair that uses sensors to monitor and manage all system and water quality parameters in real time. The technology assesses the inlet and treated water quality, controls the power supplied to the stack, and adjusts operating cycles and system flows to continuously optimise performance.
Pentair will use the new system in products for light commercial applications such as retail operations, car washes and laboratories. The technology will also be used in products for residential customers through an agreement with Aquion, Inc’s RainSoft brand.
“Like a reverse osmosis system, this new product will produce safe, softer, bottled-quality water throughout an entire facility – but with 90% less waste water. Plus, since it doesn’t use salt, there is no net increase in discharged total dissolved solids,” claimed Sam Karge, global vice-president of marketing for Pentair Residential Filtration.
The technology is suitable for light commercial sectors such as hotels/restaurants, healthcare, pharmaceutical and electronics manufacturing.”
Products using the Pentair and Voltea technologies hybrid DI system will become available in mid-2012.
