Softener Data PB0103NS.qxd - Eco-Tec

PB0103NS
RECOFLO ® WATER SOFTENER
Low Cost Softened Water
T
he Recoflo Softener outperforms
other water softening systems with
its high product quality and low operating
cost. The distinctive design and
operation of the Recoflo Softener allow
for the production of water with less
than 0.1 mg/L total hardness using less
than half the brine required by other
softeners.
The Recoflo Softener's shallow resin
bed (6 inches/15 cm deep) is fully
packed with fine mesh cation resin
beads that are operated under low
loading conditions and are regenerated
counter-currently. These features allow
for efficient usage of brine and water
while using less than one half of the
floorspace and headroom of other softeners.
The shorter cycle time of the Recoflo
Softener eliminates biological fouling in
the resin bed and subsequent release of
bacteria in the product water, making it
ideal pretreatment to reverse osmosis
systems.
Low operating costs, high performance,
and proven reliability have made the
Recoflo Softener the choice of industry
leading companies worldwide including
Apotex Pharmaceuticals and Alberta
Energy Corporation in Canada,
Caterpiller and Blue Ridge Paper
Products in the United States, Gloria S.A.
Dairy in Peru and many others.
STANDARD
RECOFLO ® WATER SOFTENER
55 m 3 /hour (243 gpm)

Recoflo ® ion exchange features ...
The Recoflo Softener is able to
achieve a high level of efficiency and
performance by employing several
design and operational features.
1. Short bed height/small resin volume
- The resin bed in the Recoflo
Softener is only 6 inches (15 cm) in
depth and has approximately 10% of the
CONVENTIONAL
resin volume of
other softeners
(Figure 1). The use
of the shallow bed
is made possible by
the rapid ion
exchange kinetics
RECOFLO ®
that result from the
use of fine mesh
resins and low
resin loading. This
small resin inventory
allows for the inexpensive, simple,
and expeditious replacement of resin.
Figure 1: Resin volume comparison
2. Low resin loading - Unlike other softeners
that load the resin to near exhaustion,
the Recoflo Softener uses less than
20% of the total exchange capacity of
the resin. By using only the most accessible
exchange sites at the surface of the
resin beads, the exchange kinetics are
improved and the brine usage is
reduced since the sites that most readily
accept an ion are those that are most
easily regenerated. In addition, the low
resin loading does not force the resin to
undergo large changes in size that result
in resin fragmentation in other softeners.
3. Fine mesh cation resin - Since
exchange kinetics and regeneration efficiency
are improved by using only the
exchange sites at surface of the resin
beads, a fine mesh resin is used to
increase the total surface area that is
available for exchange. The size of
these resin beads is approximately one
quarter the size of the resin used in other
softeners (Figure 2). The resin is uniformally
sized to maximize the efficiency of
rinsing and promote uniform distribution
of flow through the bed.
Figure 2: Resin bead size comparison
CONVENTIONAL
RECOFLO ®
▲ ▲
4. Counter-current regeneration - To
maintain the cleanest resin at the bottom
of the resin bed after regeneration, the
brine regenerant is passed through the
bed in the opposite direction of the feed
flow (Figure 3). Counter-current regeneration
minimizes brine usage and maximizes
softened water quality.
5. Compressed resin beds - The resin
bed in the Recoflo Softener is fully
packed such that no freeboard exists. In

Recoflo ® ion exchange features ...
FEED WATER
PRODUCT
WATER
Figure 3: Counter-current regeneration
fact, the resin bed is compressed by adding an
excess of resin prior to closing the vessel (Figure
4). Compressed resin beds maximize regeneration
efficiency by
maintaining the
exchange zone
profile and ensuring
proper flow distribution
through
the resin bed.
Eliminating the
freeboard reduces
rinse requirements
by minimizing
intermixing and liquid
dilution.
WASTE
REGENERANT
Figure 4: Recoflo Softeners
compressed resin bed
7. Shorter cycle times - The combination of high
flowrates, low resin loading, and small resin beds
result in short cycle times, both in service and
regeneration. Whereas other softeners are
onstream for approximately 20 hours and require
several hours to regenerate, the Recoflo Softener
is typically onstream for less than 30 minutes and
is regenerated in less than 2 minutes.
The shorter cycles allow for the continuous
supply of the required flow with only one unit
since during the short regeneration period, water
can be drawn from the product storage tank.
This buffer volume, and the softened water used
for regeneration, can then be replaced during the
subsequent onstream cycle. The shorter cycles
allow for smaller waste piping and holding facilities
since small amounts of waste are generated
throughout the day rather than the large volume
of waste generated daily by other softeners The
shorter cycles also facilitate troubleshooting
since many cycles can be witnessed in a single
shift after the remedial action has been performed.
6. Higher throughput rates - The rapid ion
exchange kinetics and short resin bed allow for
high throughput rates, typically two to three times
higher than used in other softeners. The high
flowrates result in a smaller resin bed diameter
and hence up to a 50% reduction in the required
amount of floorspace.

Benefits ...
Reduce Operating Costs...
The Recoflo Softener offers substantial
savings in operating costs. The distinctive
design and operational features of
the Recoflo ion exchange process
reduce the brine consumption to less
than one half of the amount required by
other softeners. The lower regenerant
usage and highly effective rinsing of the
resin result in the efficient usage of
water and the subsequent minimization
in waste generation. In addition, the
Recoflo Softener is PLC controlled, fully
automated and alarmed.
Reduce Commissioning and
Installation Costs...
Prior to shipment, the Recoflo Softener
is completely assembled and wired, and
the resin is loaded into the vessel. To
reduce the time required for commissioning,
the Recoflo unit is hydraulically
tested and the proper execution of the
PLC program with the correct valving
sequence is confirmed. Once on site,
the compact, skid-mounted design
allows for easy placement and installation
with no elaborate civil work. The
Recoflo Softener is commissioned in
only two days.
Reduce Space...
The throughput rate of the Recoflo
Softener is two to three times that of
other softeners. This increased productivity,
and the shorter resin bed, result in
a much smaller vessel diameter and low
headroom requirements. In addition, the
shorter cycle times reduce the size of
the waste piping and holding facilities
since small volumes of waste will be
generated throughout the day rather
than a large volume of waste being produced
daily. The Recoflo Softener
requires approximately one half of the
floorspace and headroom of other softeners.
Eliminate Biological Fouling...
The potential of biological fouling in
deep-bed softeners has long been recognized.
Biological growth is stimulated
in the resin bed as large quantities of
nutrients and organics are made available
from the incoming feed water. The
dense biological slimes that are allowed
to form on the surface of the resin during
the long onstream period are poorly
removed during the brine regeneration
step. This fouling results in a gradual
reduction in softener capacity, efficiency,
and performance. The sloughing off of
the accumulated bacteria into the softened
water may also accelerate biological
fouling of downstream reverse
osmosis membranes or process equipment.
The shorter cycles of the Recoflo
Softener maintain the resin bed in a disinfected
state by contacting the resin
with the brine regenerant every hour.
Biological growth is further prevented by
the high throughput velocity and small
wetted perimeter that provides less surface
area for bacterial attachment. Plate
counts have confirmed the bacterial
population in the product water from the
Recoflo Softener to be an order of magnitude
less than found in the water from
deep-bed softeners.

Cycle steps ...
1. ONSTREAM
Pre-filtered water
is pumped downward
through the
resin bed
Feed
To
Product
Tank
3. RINSE
Softened water from
the storage tank is
pumped upward
through the resin bed
to rinse out excess
brine.
To Waste
2. REGENERATION
Saturated brine is
diluted with softened
water in-line immediately
below the resin
bed. The diluted
regenerant is then
pumped upward
through the resin bed.
Dilution water is
pumped from a small
storage tank.
Filter
To Waste
Saturated
Brine
4. TANK REFILL
The softened
water tank
that stores the
dilution and
rinse water is
refilled.
Feed
Regeneration
Tank
Service Program . . .
The Recoflo Softener is fully covered under Eco-Tec's ECO-SERV
Customer Service Program. The program begins with strict quality
assurance at every stage of the design and manufacturing processes,
as demanded by ISO 9001. Samples of resin from every shipment
are tested in-house to confirm that the particle size and characteristic
distributions are acceptable. A Service Representative is
available 24/7 to assist with any aspect of the system.
ECO-TEC INC. ECO-TEC (Europe) Ltd.
1145 Squires Beach Road, Pickering Unit 5C Ring Road, Zone 2, Burntwood Business Park
Ontario,Canada L1W 3T9 Burntwood, Staffordshire, England WS7 3JQ
Telephone: 905-427-0077 Fax: 905-427-4477 Telephone: 44-15436-83086 Fax: 44-15436-74117
email: ecotec@eco-tec.com email: ecoteceurope@aol.com
www.eco-tec.com
The information contained in this document is proprietary and is the sole property of Eco-Tec Inc., no part may be reproduced without the express consent of Eco-Tec Inc.