JP5822286B1 - Reverse osmosis membrane water purifier that can initialize the reverse osmosis membrane - Google Patents

Abstract

A reverse osmosis membrane water purifier capable of initializing the capacity of a used reverse osmosis membrane. A direct reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 that generates purified water 63 from raw water 61, a reverse osmosis membrane module 20, a raw water supply line 25a connected to a raw water supply port 25 of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20, A permeated water line 24 a connected to the permeated water port 24 and a concentrated water line 23 a connected to the concentrated water port 23 are provided. The concentrated water line 23a is provided with a flow rate adjustment valve 64 (a valve 64 with a resistor 64a), and the first wash water (55) such as RO water or tap water passes through the permeate port 24 of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20. A cleaning water line 54 is connected. The raw water supply line 25a also serves as a flushing line through which the second cleaning liquid containing a chelating agent passes. [Selection] Figure 9A

Description

  The present invention relates to a reverse osmosis membrane water purifier capable of initializing a reverse osmosis membrane. In particular, the present invention relates to a direct reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus that can be connected directly to a tap water tap without providing a water storage tank and can provide purified water, and an operation method thereof. Moreover, this invention relates to the method (especially initialization method of a reverse osmosis membrane) which wash | cleans the reverse osmosis membrane of a reverse osmosis membrane water purifier.

  Due to the deterioration of the water quality of the water source and the influence of a chlorine-based disinfectant or the like added for sterilization, problems such as an unpleasant odor in tap water and a bad taste have arisen. More recently, in addition to the contamination of tap water caused by chlorinated fungicides, such as trihalomethane, new protozoa such as Cryptosporidium, which cannot be killed by chlorinated fungicides, are harmful to health. There are also problems.

  Therefore, in order to solve such a problem, a water purifier equipped with a reverse osmosis membrane having a higher purification capacity is beginning to spread in place of the conventionally used activated carbon filter (Patent Document 1). In Japan, river water pollution is limited to a certain level, but in developing countries or emerging countries (eg, China, Vietnam, etc.), river water pollution levels are worse than in Japan. Therefore, being able to cope with water purification using water at that level will contribute to solving water shortages in the world (particularly developing or emerging countries).

  The reverse osmosis membrane type water purifier has a system in which the amount of permeated water of the reverse osmosis membrane is small, so purified tap water is temporarily stored in a water storage tank, and when used, the stored water is taken from a faucet via an activated carbon filter. It has been adopted. In the case of this method, back-contamination may occur due to bacteria or the like that have entered from the faucet breeding in the activated carbon. In that case, problems such as deterioration of water quality and generation of unpleasant odors occur. Therefore, in order to prevent the occurrence of such a problem, an ultraviolet sterilizer is provided between the faucet and the water storage tank, and the ultraviolet rays are constantly irradiated to prevent back contamination by bacteria.

  However, in the case of such a method for preventing back-contamination by ultraviolet irradiation, although back-contamination by bacteria or the like can be prevented, there is a problem that a slight unpleasant odor is attached to purified water. Further, since the ultraviolet rays are constantly irradiated, there is a problem that there is a lot of waste and the maintenance cost becomes high. Furthermore, a space for installing the water storage tank in the kitchen is required, and there is a problem that a great amount of labor and cost are involved in the construction work for connecting to the water pipe.

JP 11-319827 A JP 2006-61869 A

  The inventor of the present application, in a household reverse osmosis membrane water purification device, first, by combining the original reverse osmosis membrane filtration device in two stages or multiple stages and increasing the amount of purified water obtained, directly to the faucet without the need for a water storage tank A device (direct reverse osmosis membrane water purification device) that can be connected to obtain purified water was developed (see Patent Document 2). Moreover, when this water purifier is used, water can be purified by a pressure pump that enables suction and pumping by obtaining raw water from pools, ponds, and other rivers in the event of a disaster.

  According to the above reverse osmosis membrane water purification device, since no water storage tank is required, an ultraviolet sterilization device is unnecessary, and further, a space for installing the water storage tank in the kitchen is also unnecessary. There are merit in both technical value and economic value. However, the inventor of the present application has noticed the following during research and development for further improving the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device.

  The reverse osmosis membrane water purification device includes a reverse osmosis membrane filtration device (reverse osmosis membrane unit) regardless of whether or not a water storage tank is present. The capacity of this reverse osmosis membrane filtration device (reverse osmosis membrane unit) decreases with the passage of time of use, and eventually it is necessary to replace it with a new one. The time for replacement of the reverse osmosis membrane filtration device varies depending on the specifications of the reverse osmosis membrane filtration device, the use conditions, the amount of treated water, etc., so a clear time cannot be shown, but it is about 3 to 5 years. .

  However, for example, if water purification is performed in a poor water quality in China or Southeast Asia, this reverse osmosis membrane filtration device (reverse osmosis membrane unit) will deteriorate immediately, making it impossible to exhibit the desired capacity. If what was supposed to be replaced in 2 to 3 years must be replaced in 2 weeks to 3 months, the cost of the reverse osmosis membrane filtration device would be enormous. According to what the present inventor has heard, in Vietnam, there was a case where the reverse osmosis membrane unit was deteriorated or clogged in 2 to 3 days.

  The inventor of the present application tried to wash the reverse osmosis membrane filtration device with reduced capacity before replacing it with a new reverse osmosis membrane filtration device (reverse osmosis membrane unit). The recovery of the ability to replace the reverse osmosis membrane filtration apparatus was not observed. If it is possible to find a cleaning method (reverse osmosis membrane initialization method) that can restore performance similar to that obtained by replacing a new reverse osmosis membrane filtration device, this is an epoch-making technology.

  In this situation, the inventor of the present application diligently studied a method (special cleaning method) capable of initializing the ability of the reverse osmosis membrane provided in the household reverse osmosis membrane water purification device, and completed the present invention. It came to. This invention is made | formed in view of this point, The main objective provides the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus (for example, direct type reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus) which can recover | restore the capability of a used reverse osmosis membrane. There is.

  A reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus according to the present invention is a reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus that generates purified water from raw water, and a reverse osmosis membrane module that generates a permeated water and a concentrated water by subjecting the raw water to membrane separation, and the reverse osmosis membrane A raw water supply line connected to the raw water supply port of the membrane module; a permeated water line connected to the permeated water port of the reverse osmosis membrane module; and a concentrated water line connected to the concentrated water port of the reverse osmosis membrane module. The concentrated water line is provided with a flow rate adjusting valve for adjusting the flow rate of the liquid passing through the concentrated water line, and the first rinsing water passes through the permeated water port of the reverse osmosis membrane module. A water line is connected, and the first washing water is washing water that is not an aqueous solution containing a chelating agent, and reverse osmosis membrane water (RO water), pure water, distilled water, ion exchange water, and tap water. A group of At least one selected, the raw water supply line also serves as a flushing line for a second cleaning solution containing a chelating agent to pass through.

  In a preferred embodiment, a pressure pump for introducing the raw water into the reverse osmosis membrane module is provided, and the flow rate adjusting valve has a resistance for quantifying the flow of liquid passing through the concentrated water line. The resistance valve includes a constant flow valve serving as the resistance and a bypass path of the constant flow valve, and the bypass path is switched on / off by the bypass path. A cock is provided, and the washing water line is connected to the permeate opening in a form branched from the permeate line.

  In a preferred embodiment, the reverse osmosis membrane water purifier is provided with a plurality of liquid lines in addition to the raw water supply line, the permeate water line, the concentrated water line, and the washing liquid line. The osmosis membrane water purifier is further provided with a plurality of valves for turning on / off the flow of the raw water supply line, the permeate water line, the concentrated water line, the washing liquid line, and the plurality of liquid lines. And the reverse osmosis membrane water purifier sets ON / OFF of each of the plurality of valves, and also forms a purified water mode piping configuration that generates the permeated water and the concentrated water by setting the flow rate adjustment valve. A cleaning mode piping configuration for cleaning the reverse osmosis membrane module with a forward flow; and a reverse cleaning mode piping configuration for cleaning the reverse osmosis membrane module with a reverse flow. We have the example that you can configure.

  In a preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of valves is a solenoid valve, and the solenoid valve is controlled by a control circuit that switches between the water purification mode piping configuration, the cleaning mode piping configuration, and the backwash mode piping configuration. It is controlled.

In a preferred embodiment, a cleaning solution line for conducting the second cleaning solution containing the chelating agent is further provided, and one end of the cleaning solution line is provided with a cleaning solution container in which the second cleaning solution is held. The other end of the cleaning solution line is connected to the flushing line.

  In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus further includes a housing that accommodates the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device, and the housing has dimensions of 50 cm or less in length, 50 cm or less in width, and 30 cm or less in thickness. The water purification capacity of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device is 2.5 liters per minute or less.

  In a preferred embodiment, only one reverse osmosis membrane module is disposed in the housing.

  In a preferred embodiment, the reverse osmosis membrane water purifier is not provided with a storage tank for storing the permeate discharged from the permeate line of the reverse osmosis membrane module. Reverse osmosis membrane water (RO water) is sent directly to the faucet without going through the storage tank.

  In a preferred embodiment, the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device is a factory reverse osmosis membrane water purification device.

  In a preferred embodiment, the raw water is water selected from the group consisting of tap water, pool water, pond water, river water, and water that can be used in a disaster, and the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device further comprises: A first filter that removes iron rust, dust, and sand contained in raw water, a second filter that is disposed downstream of the first filter, and that is disposed downstream of the second filter to remove chlorine and odor. A third filter to be removed, and the reverse osmosis membrane module is located downstream of the third filter.

  The operation method of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus according to the present invention is an operation method of a reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus that generates purified water from raw water, and the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus performs membrane separation treatment on the raw water to obtain permeated water and A reverse osmosis membrane module for generating concentrated water, the reverse osmosis membrane module including a raw water supply port through which raw water is introduced, a permeated water port from which permeated water is derived, and a concentrated water port from which concentrated water is discharged; The concentrated water port of the reverse osmosis membrane module is connected to the concentrated water line through which the concentrated water passes, and the concentrated water line receives a flow of liquid passing through the concentrated water line. A resistance valve having a resistance for quantification is provided, and with the resistance of the resistance valve turned on, the reverse osmosis membrane module is pressurized and the membrane separation process of the raw water is performed Water purification process With the resistance of the attached valve turned off, by introducing the first cleaning liquid from the permeate opening, a backwashing process for cleaning the reverse osmosis membrane module, and turning off the resistance of the attached valve In this state, by increasing the amount of liquid flowing in the reverse osmosis membrane module more than the water purification step, a flushing washing step for washing the reverse osmosis membrane module is performed, and the first step in the backwashing step is performed. One cleaning liquid is at least one selected from the group consisting of reverse osmosis membrane water (RO water), pure water, distilled water, ion exchange water, and tap water, and is cleaning water that is not an aqueous solution containing a chelating agent. Yes, in the flushing washing step, after the back washing step, a second washing liquid containing a chelating agent is introduced from the raw water supply port, and the permeated water port and the concentrated water port To discharge.

The method for producing purified water according to the present invention is a method for producing purified water from a raw water using a reverse osmosis membrane module, the reverse osmosis membrane module comprising a raw water supply port through which raw water is introduced, Comprising a permeate outlet from which permeate is led out, and a concentrate outlet from which concentrated water is discharged, including a water purification step of placing the reverse osmosis membrane module in a pressurized state and performing membrane separation treatment of the raw water, The generation method includes, in addition to the water purification step, a washing step of the reverse osmosis membrane module, and the washing step flows the first washing liquid in the reverse osmosis membrane module in the same direction as the water purification step, Flushing washing step for washing the reverse osmosis membrane module, and washing the reverse osmosis membrane module by flowing a second washing liquid into the reverse osmosis membrane module in a direction opposite to the water purification step. A backwashing step, wherein in the washing step, the flushing washing step is executed after the backwashing step, and the first washing liquid is washing water that is not an aqueous solution containing a chelating agent, and , Reverse osmosis membrane water (RO water), pure water, distilled water, ion exchange water, and tap water, and the second cleaning solution is a solution containing a chelating agent.

A cleaning method according to the present invention is a cleaning method for cleaning a reverse osmosis membrane module in a reverse osmosis membrane water purification device, and the reverse osmosis membrane module includes a raw water supply port through which raw water is introduced, and a permeate through which permeated water is derived. A step (a) including a water port and a concentrated water port through which concentrated water is discharged, introducing the first cleaning liquid from the permeated water port, and discharging the raw water from the raw water supply port and the concentrated water port; A step (b) of introducing from the supply port and discharging from the permeate water port and the concentrated water port, wherein the first cleaning liquid is cleaning water that is not an aqueous solution containing a chelating agent, and reverse osmosis membrane water ( RO water), pure water, distilled water, ion exchange water, and tap water, and the second cleaning liquid is a solution containing a chelating agent,
After performing the step (a), the step (b) is performed.

In a preferred embodiment, the first cleaning liquid is reverse osmosis membrane water (RO water) .

In a preferred embodiment, the second cleaning liquid contains an alkali component in addition to the chelating agent.

  In a preferred embodiment, the second cleaning liquid is generated by diluting a concentrated cleaning liquid containing the concentrated chelating agent, and the concentrated cleaning liquid is stored in a liquid container.

In a preferred embodiment, the step of detecting that the concentrated cleaning liquid stored in the liquid container is emptied, and the liquid container that has been emptied, the liquid container storing the concentrated cleaning liquid , And exchanging.

  In a preferred embodiment, the combination of the step (a) and the step (b) is repeatedly executed.

  In a preferred embodiment, the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device is a household reverse osmosis membrane water purification device.

  In a preferred embodiment, the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device is a factory reverse osmosis membrane water purification device.

  The initialization method according to the present invention is a method of initializing a reverse osmosis membrane module in a reverse osmosis membrane water purification device, and the reverse osmosis membrane module is a raw water supply port through which raw water is introduced and permeated water is derived. A step (a) including a permeated water port and a concentrated water port from which the concentrated water is discharged, introducing the first wash water from the permeated water port, and discharging the raw water from the raw water supply port and the concentrated water port; ), And a step (b) of introducing a second cleaning liquid containing a chelating agent from the raw water supply port and discharging from the permeated water port and the concentrated water port, wherein the first cleaning water contains the chelating agent And is at least one selected from the group consisting of reverse osmosis membrane water (RO water), pure water, distilled water, ion exchange water, and tap water.

  An initialization apparatus according to the present invention is an apparatus that initializes a reverse osmosis membrane module in a reverse osmosis membrane water purification device, and a raw water supply line connected to a raw water supply port of a used reverse osmosis membrane module, and the reverse osmosis A pressure pump for introducing a liquid into the reverse osmosis membrane module, comprising a permeate line connected to the permeate port of the membrane module and a concentrate water line connected to the concentrate port of the reverse osmosis membrane module; The reverse osmosis membrane module has a permeate opening connected to a washing water line for back washing through which the first washing water passes, and the raw water supply line is flushed through which the second washing liquid containing a chelating agent passes. The first washing water is a washing water that is not an aqueous solution containing a chelating agent, and reverse osmosis membrane water (RO water), pure water, distilled water, ion exchange water It is at least one selected from the group consisting of fine tap water.

  A direct type reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is a direct type reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus that generates purified water from raw water, and reverse osmosis that generates permeated water and concentrated water by membrane separation treatment of the raw water. Connected to a membrane module, a raw water supply line connected to the raw water supply port of the reverse osmosis membrane module, a permeate water line connected to the permeate water port of the reverse osmosis membrane module, and a concentrated water port of the reverse osmosis membrane module And a concentrated water line. The concentrated water line is provided with a flow rate adjusting valve that adjusts the flow rate of the liquid passing through the concentrated water line. A washing water line through which washing water passes is connected to the permeate opening of the reverse osmosis membrane module.

  An operation method according to an embodiment of the present invention is an operation method of a reverse osmosis membrane water purification device that generates purified water from raw water, and the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device performs membrane separation treatment on raw water to obtain permeated water and concentrated water. A reverse osmosis membrane module is provided. The reverse osmosis membrane module includes a raw water supply port through which raw water is introduced, a permeated water port through which permeated water is derived, and a concentrated water port from which concentrated water is discharged, and the concentrated water port of the reverse osmosis membrane module Is connected to the concentrated water line through which the concentrated water passes. The concentrated water line is provided with a resistance valve having a resistance for quantifying the flow of liquid passing through the concentrated water line. With the resistance of the valve with resistance turned on, the inside of the reverse osmosis membrane module was put into a pressurized state, and a water purification process for performing membrane separation treatment of the raw water, and the resistance of the valve with resistance turned off In the state, by increasing the amount of liquid flowing in the reverse osmosis membrane module rather than the water purification step, the flushing washing step for washing the reverse osmosis membrane module and the resistance of the valve with resistance turned off. In this state, a backwashing step of cleaning the reverse osmosis membrane module is performed by introducing a cleaning liquid from the permeated water port.

  A method for producing purified water according to an embodiment of the present invention is a method for producing purified water from raw water using a reverse osmosis membrane module, and the reverse osmosis membrane module supplies raw water into which raw water is introduced. A water purification step comprising a mouth, a permeate port from which permeate is led out, and a concentrate water port from which concentrated water is discharged, pressurizing the reverse osmosis membrane module, and performing membrane separation treatment of the raw water Including The generation method includes, in addition to the water purification step, a washing step of the reverse osmosis module, and the washing step causes the liquid to flow in the reverse osmosis membrane module in the same direction as the water purification step, thereby the reverse osmosis module. A flushing cleaning step for cleaning the membrane module, and a backwashing step for cleaning the reverse osmosis membrane module by flowing a liquid in the reverse osmosis membrane module in a direction opposite to the water purification step. .

  A cleaning method according to an embodiment of the present invention is a cleaning method for cleaning a reverse osmosis membrane module, and the reverse osmosis membrane module includes a raw water supply port into which raw water is introduced, a permeated water port from which permeated water is derived, A concentrated water outlet from which the concentrated water is discharged, a step (a) of introducing the first cleaning liquid from the permeated water outlet and discharging the raw water from the raw water supply port and the concentrated water outlet, and supplying the second cleaning liquid to the raw water supply. A step (b) of introducing from the mouth and discharging from the permeate water mouth and the concentrated water mouth.

  An initialization method according to an embodiment of the present invention is a method of initializing a reverse osmosis membrane module in a reverse osmosis membrane water purification device, and the reverse osmosis membrane module includes a raw water supply port through which raw water is introduced, and permeated water. A step (a) including a permeated water port to be led out and a concentrated water port from which concentrated water is discharged, and introducing reverse osmosis water from the permeated water port and discharging the raw water from the raw water supply port and the concentrated water port; After (a), a step (b) of introducing a cleaning liquid containing a chelating agent from the raw water supply port and discharging it from the permeate water port and the concentrated water port is included.

  According to the present invention, a flow rate adjusting valve (for example, a valve with a resistor) is provided in the concentrated water line connected to the concentrated water port of the reverse osmosis membrane module, and the washing water line is provided in the permeated water port of the reverse osmosis membrane module. Because it is connected, the cleaning water (for example, RO water) from the cleaning water line is introduced into the permeate port of the reverse osmosis membrane module (ie, the liquid is introduced in the opposite direction to the purification) to adjust the flow control valve. Then, the reverse osmosis membrane module can be backwashed by opening the concentrated water line (or switching the resistance valve on / off to lower the resistance). Then, a cleaning solution (chelating agent solution) is introduced into the raw water supply port of the reverse osmosis membrane module (that is, liquid is introduced in the purification and forward direction), and the flow control valve is adjusted (for example, the resistance valve is turned on / off) ), The reverse osmosis membrane module can be cleaned (for example, flushing cleaning). Thereby, the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus which can recover | restore the capability of a used reverse osmosis membrane is realizable.

  To explain further, in the present invention, in the backwashing step, the first wash water (for example, RO water, pure water, distilled water, ion exchange water, tap water) that does not contain a chelating agent is used, and thereafter In the flushing washing step, by using the second washing liquid containing the chelating agent, it is possible to perform initialization of the used reverse osmosis membrane module. Specifically, the flow rate of the reverse osmosis membrane module can be recovered to the initial state, and the salt solute (TDS) value can be improved to the initial numerical level. According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a technique (cleaning or initialization) having a cost advantage over replacement of a new RO membrane.

It is a front view of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus (household direct type reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus) 100 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a front perspective view of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a back perspective view of reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of the reverse osmosis membrane water purifier 100 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the back surface 10b of the housing | casing 10 of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a container 21 of a reverse osmosis membrane module 20. FIG. 4 is a front view of a reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 that is put in a container 21 of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20. FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the washing | cleaning method of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the piping structure for performing the water purification process in the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the piping structure for performing the washing | cleaning process (flushing washing | cleaning) in the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the piping structure for performing the backwashing process in the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the piping structure of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the electromagnetic valve 60 (60A) in the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100. FIG. It is a circuit diagram for demonstrating the control circuit in the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus. It is the table which showed control items, such as a solenoid valve (60A-K) which arithmetic unit 90 controls. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 130 provided with the water storage tank 110. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the reverse osmosis membrane system (100) containing the reverse osmosis membrane module 20. FIG. It is a table | surface which shows the experimental data of the initialization of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 which this inventor performed. It is a table | surface which shows the experimental data of the initialization of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 which this inventor performed. It is a table | surface which shows the experimental data of the comparative example of the reverse osmosis membrane module which this inventor performed. It is a table | surface which shows the experimental data of the comparative example / Example of the reverse osmosis membrane module which this inventor performed. It is a front view of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 140. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of 110 A of water storage tanks. It is a figure which shows the structure of the water storage tank 110B. It is a figure which shows the PET container type liquid container 68A. It is a figure which shows the preform type liquid container 68B. (A) And (b) is a figure for demonstrating an osmotic pressure phenomenon and a reverse osmosis phenomenon. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating reverse osmosis (purified water) by the reverse osmosis membrane system 200. FIG. (A)-(c) is a figure for demonstrating the particle size of the bacteria 202a, the particle size of the virus 202b, and the hole diameter of the hole 105a of a reverse osmosis membrane. 4 is a partially exploded perspective view for explaining a reverse osmosis membrane unit 40. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged sectional view of a reverse osmosis membrane unit 40. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a water purification system 1000 including a reverse osmosis membrane system 200. FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining a reverse pressure cleaning method for the reverse osmosis membrane 105. (A) And (b) is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the scribing (air washing | cleaning method) of the reverse osmosis membrane 105. FIG. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the compressed air washing | cleaning method of the reverse osmosis membrane 105. FIG. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the flushing washing | cleaning method of the reverse osmosis membrane 105. FIG.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, components having substantially the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals for the sake of brevity. Further, matters necessary for the implementation of the present invention other than matters specifically mentioned in the present specification can be grasped as design matters of those skilled in the art based on the prior art in this field. The present invention can be carried out based on the contents disclosed in the present specification and drawings and the common general technical knowledge in the field. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

  First, in order to make the understanding of the present invention easier, the reverse osmosis (RO) and the reverse osmosis membrane (RO membrane) will be described before the description of the direct type reverse osmosis membrane water purification device of the present embodiment.

  FIG. 25A is a diagram showing a penetration phenomenon. FIG. 25A shows a structure in which the fresh water 101 in the container 111 and the salt-containing liquid (salt water) 102 in the container 112 are brought into contact with each other through the semipermeable membrane 105. The semipermeable membrane 105 is a membrane that allows water molecules to pass but does not allow impurities to pass. In the structure shown in FIG. 25 (a), due to the difference in osmotic pressure between the fresh water 101 and the salt water 102, as shown by the arrow 110, water flows out from the low concentration side to the high side alone. This is the penetration phenomenon.

FIG. 25B is a diagram illustrating a phenomenon of reverse osmosis (RO). As shown in FIG. 25 (b), when pressure 120 is applied to the salt water 102 in the container 112, only water molecules escape from the high concentration side to the low side through the semipermeable membrane 105 (arrows 121 and 122). . That is, by inverting the osmosis phenomenon of FIG. 25A, reverse osmosis can be caused, and drinking water (reverse osmosis membrane water, RO water) can be generated from the salt water 102 (arrow 123).

  FIG. 26 is a conceptual diagram showing the reverse osmosis membrane system 200. In the reverse osmosis membrane system 200, a pressure higher than the osmotic pressure is applied to the reverse osmosis membrane 105 in order to separate the water 201 and the impurities (202 to 204).

  In the structure shown in FIG. 26, the pressurized raw water 102 is put into the raw water supply port 210 of the reverse osmosis membrane system 200 (arrow 210a). The pressurized raw water 102 is mixed with impurities (202 to 204) together with water molecules 201. Impurities include viruses 202, environmental hormones 203, heavy metals (metal ions such as iron ions and manganese ions) 204, etc., in addition to those such as cations (for example, Ca 2+ and Mg 2+). The pressurized raw water 102 is filtered by passing through the reverse osmosis membrane 105 (reverse osmosis phenomenon) and becomes purified water (RO water). The purified water (RO water) is derived from the permeate port 220 (arrow 220a). On the other hand, the pressurized raw water 102 that has not passed through the reverse osmosis membrane 105 is concentrated. The concentrated water (water in which salts and impurities are concentrated, or brine) is continuously discharged from the concentrated water port 230 (arrow 230a).

  Even in the case of household water purifiers, although it varies greatly depending on the water recovery rate, water temperature, and water quality, at least 5 atmospheres of pressure is required for reverse osmosis, and water pressure alone is insufficient. For this reason, pressurization with a pump is required. Moreover, the pore diameter of the reverse osmosis membrane 105 is generally 2 nanometers or less, which is smaller than the pore diameter of the ultrafiltration membrane. The reverse osmosis membrane 105 in this embodiment has a pore diameter of 0.2 nanometers, for example.

  As shown in FIGS. 27A and 27B, the particle size of the bacteria 202a is about 0.2 to 1 micron, and the particle size of the virus 202b is 0.02 to 0.4 microns. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 27 (c), the hole diameter of the hole 105a of the reverse osmosis membrane 105 is about 0.0001 microns. Therefore, as long as the reverse osmosis membrane 105 is not broken, the bacteria 202a and the virus 202b do not pass through the reverse osmosis membrane 105 and can be filtered.

  In addition, sodium ions (one of which is 0.12 to 0.14 nanometers) having a size similar to that of oxygen atoms are difficult to pass through the reverse osmosis membrane 105 because water molecules are present around the ions due to hydration. This is because it behaves as if the apparent size has increased from several to a dozen times by coordinating. The presence of water molecules adhering to the membrane surface also acts to make the pores apparently small. Thereby, the production | generation of RO water can be performed.

  FIG. 28 shows an example of the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40. FIG. 29 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the periphery of the reverse osmosis membrane 105 of the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 in an enlarged manner. The reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 has a cylindrical shape (or a columnar shape). The reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 has a structure in which reverse osmosis membranes 105 are stacked. The gap between the reverse osmosis membranes 105 is secured by the spacer 109, and the pressurized raw water (for example, unpurified water or tap water) passes through one region (layer) of the reverse osmosis membrane 105. Channel 102 to be used. A region (layer) on the other side of the reverse osmosis membrane 105 becomes a pure water permeation channel (RO water permeation channel) 101.

  A surface cover layer 40 a is provided on the surface of the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40. Further, the RO water that has flowed through the pure water permeation channel 101 in the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 is collected at the permeate port 220 and led out from the permeate port 220 (arrow 220a). On the other hand, the water flowing through the channel 102 through which the pressurized raw water passes becomes concentrated water and is discharged as indicated by an arrow 230a. In the example shown in FIG. 28, the cylindrical reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 is shown, but the basic principle is the same for other shapes (for example, a rectangular laminated structure).

  Moreover, using the reverse osmosis membrane system 200 including the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 to change from raw water such as river water and groundwater to use water can be performed by a water purification system 1000 as shown in FIG. In the water purification system 1000 of FIG. 30, groundwater (which may be seawater) / river water 300 is stored in a filtration tank 320 via a filter (for example, anthracite filter) 310. Next, RO water (permeated water) is generated by the reverse osmosis membrane system 200 including the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 and stored in the treated water tank 330. And after that, it can be used as the utilization water 340 as needed.

  In this case, water charges can be reduced by using groundwater (seawater) in large factories and facilities that use large amounts of water and sewage. River water, lakes, pool water, etc. can be used instead of groundwater.

  Even when used as a home water purifier (household reverse osmosis membrane water purifier), there are the following merits. First, RO water (water generated by a reverse osmosis membrane) has an advantage that harmful substances that cause problems can be reliably removed. Examples of household water purifiers include alkaline ion water devices, magnetic activators, activated carbon, hollow fibers, distilled water devices, and reverse osmosis membrane water purifiers. Hazardous substances include arsenic, lead, cadmium, bacteria, viruses, total trihalomethanes, dioxins, environmental hormones, Cryptobacterium, and radioactive substances, but only a reverse osmosis membrane water purifier can remove all of these. Although the distilled water device can remove many harmful substances after the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device, it cannot remove the environmental hormones, and the total trihalomethane, dioxin, and crypt bacteria can only be removed under certain conditions.

  The inventor of the present application has been carrying out research and development and improvement every day in order to make the most of the advantages of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus, but has noticed the following problems.

  First, RO membranes can convert hard water into soft water by separating even fine molecules such as metal ions (especially cations = Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe ions, etc.) into RO permeate and concentrated water. it can. And the demand as a seawater desalination membrane is also increasing in recent years. However, since the RO membrane has micropores, clogging due to metal ions (particularly, Ca ions and Mg ions) occurs inside the RO membrane. For this reason, clogging is particularly a problem in countries and regions where the water hardness is high, and the early replacement of the RO membrane has become common, causing a running cost burden.

  Examples of the RO membrane purification method include the following. FIG. 31 is a schematic diagram for explaining the back pressure cleaning method. In the method shown in FIG. 31, a substance 204 adhering to the RO membrane 105 is removed by applying pressure to the RO water permeation channel 101 with water or air. FIGS. 32A and 32B are schematic views for explaining scribing (air cleaning method). The method shown in FIGS. 32A and 32B is a method in which the RO membrane 105 is vibrated by a water flow containing rising bubbles 270 to remove the adhered substance 204 on the membrane surface.

  FIG. 33 is a schematic diagram for explaining the compressed air cleaning method. In the method shown in FIG. 33, compressed air is introduced into the RO water permeation channel 101, and the substance 204 attached to the RO membrane 105 is removed by the air pressure of the compressed air. FIG. 34 is a schematic diagram for explaining the flushing cleaning method. The method shown in FIG. 34 removes the substance 204 adhering to the RO membrane 105 by flowing raw water over the surface of the RO membrane 105 at a high flow rate.

  In addition to this, there is a type in which a substance 204 adhering to the RO film 105 is removed by pressing a sponge ball with water into the internal structure portion where the RO film 105 exists and rubbing with the sponge ball. Further, as chemical cleaning, there is a method of removing the substance 204 attached to the RO membrane 105 using a chemical.

  First, in the case of a home water purifier (a household reverse osmosis membrane water purifier), there are many restrictions on the cleaning method, unlike a plant water purifier installed in a factory. First, a sponge ball cannot be placed inside the RO membrane structure of a domestic water purifier. In addition, a method using compressed air is not realistic in a domestic water purifier because a compressed air device must be installed. The reverse pressure washing method is also difficult because the device structure of the domestic water purifier has to be modified. In addition, scribing (air cleaning method) for cleaning with a stream of water containing rising bubbles is not practical because a dedicated device must be installed. To explain further, technical limitations and difficulties are also a major problem, but it cannot be practical unless there is a cost advantage over replacement of a new RO membrane 105. Therefore, the current situation is that the flushing cleaning method is used in household water purifiers. Although chemical cleaning can also be performed, in that case, it is necessary to consider the influence of damage to the RO membrane.

  As described above, the inventor of the present application has used a flushing cleaning method to clean the RO membrane of a household water purifier, and recovered the performance of the used RO membrane. In areas where water is used (for example, certain areas in China), the RO membrane capacity has declined remarkably and has not recovered well. Specifically, if you continue to use the RO membrane for a certain period of time, only a small amount of permeated water will be produced, and many current situations where the product specification capability cannot be demonstrated are observed. Since it does not recover, there is only a solution that requires a running cost, that is, only replacement with a new RO membrane (RO membrane unit 40).

  Nevertheless, the present inventor considers the users of RO membrane water purifiers, especially people in emerging countries who can not afford economically, and somehow studies to recover the RO membrane performance by cleaning somehow I kept doing it.

  First, the present inventor performed chemical cleaning, excluding the loss of RO membrane quality. From the viewpoint of removing clogging of the RO membrane, washing with a complex was performed in order to remove cations adhering to the RO membrane. Here, a method of melting metal ions with a chemical called a chelating agent (for example, EDTA, DTPA, DHEG, etc.) was used. Specifically, using an aqueous solution (cleaning liquid) in which a chelating agent (for example, EDTA) and an alkali component (for example, caustic soda) are mixed, the cleaning liquid is allowed to flow in the forward direction through the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 to obtain an RO membrane. Was washed.

  As a result of the cleaning, although the performance of the RO membrane was slightly improved from that before the cleaning, the RO membrane was not initialized (a state in which the performance of the new initial state was almost recovered). The life of the RO membrane was slightly extended. Presumably, the cleaning of the chelating agent solution is presumed by those skilled in the art to have tried in the past.

  Then, this inventor experimented the backwashing method which wash | cleans the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 from the reverse direction, remodeling the apparatus structure of a household RO membrane water purifier. In other words, a liquid (here, RO water) was introduced from the permeate port 220 of the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 to challenge the clogging of the RO membrane 105. As a result, the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 in which only a small amount of permeated water had come out before the backwashing was washed out to the normal level.

  However, examination of the quality of the permeated water revealed the fact that the salt solubilities (TDS) were poor. In other words, it was found that the amount of permeated water could be recovered by backwashing, but good quality permeated water could not be generated by the RO membrane.

  The inventor of this application accidentally discovered that even if the cleaning with the chelating agent or the backwashing failed, the cleaning method would be successful if the following method was used. Next, it will be described.

  First, using a water purifier for a predetermined period, the RO membrane unit 40 in which the amount of permeated water is significantly reduced is prepared. Next, the RO membrane unit 40 is cleaned by backwashing. Here, the pump pressure was adjusted so as not to damage the RO membrane 105 (for example, 0.3 MPa). Next, chemical cleaning with a chelating agent solution was performed after the back cleaning method. In this chemical cleaning, the RO membrane 105 of the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 was cleaned with a chelating agent solution in the forward direction. Specifically, flushing washing was performed with an increased flow rate compared to the time of water purification.

  By combining these two cleaning methods, we do not know the detailed technical theory, but the amount of permeated water can be restored to the initial state, and the value of salt solute (TDS) can be restored to the initial state. It was. In other words, the RO membrane 105 of the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 could be initialized by the cleaning technique found by the present inventors. Thereby, it is possible to recover the same performance as a new product by the new cleaning method without replacing with a new RO membrane (RO membrane unit 40). As a result, the home RO membrane water purifier (small RO membrane) It was realized that the running cost of the water purifier) could be greatly reduced.

  Next, a reverse osmosis membrane water purifier 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9C. The reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 of this embodiment is a household reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100. The household reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 100 is a small reverse osmosis membrane water purification device having a capacity of RO water production of about 2.5 liters per minute (water temperature 25 ° C. standard) or less. In the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100, when the water temperature drops by 1 ° C., the RO water production amount decreases by about 3%.

  Moreover, the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 of this embodiment is a direct type reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus. This direct type reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 does not have a storage tank for storing the generated permeated water, and the permeated water (RO water) from the direct type reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 passes through the storage tank. Instead, the permeated water (RO water) can be used directly connected to a faucet (eg, kitchen faucet). In addition, the typical reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 for households is equipped with a water storage tank, and the production amount of RO water is about 0.1 to 0.3 liter / minute. An example of the RO water generation amount (purified water generation capacity) of the direct reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 of the present embodiment is 1.0 to 1.5 liters per minute.

  1 to 4 are drawings showing the configuration of a reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 100 (direct type reverse osmosis membrane water purification device) of the present embodiment. FIG.1 and FIG.2 is the front view and front perspective view of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 of this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 100. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 100.

  In addition, FIG. 5 is a view showing the back surface of the housing 10 of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100. Moreover, FIG. 6 is a figure which shows the container 21 of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 arrange | positioned at the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100. FIG. FIG. 7 is a view showing the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 put in the container 21 of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20.

  Moreover, FIG. 8 is a flowchart for demonstrating the washing | cleaning method in the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 of this embodiment. FIG. 9A to FIG. 9C are diagrams showing a pipe configuration (line configuration and valve opening / closing configuration) for executing the water purification process, the flushing washing process, and the back washing process in the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 100 of the present embodiment, respectively. It is.

  A reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus (direct reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus) 100 according to this embodiment is a household reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus (RO membrane water purification apparatus) that generates purified water 63 from raw water 61. The reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 includes a reverse osmosis membrane module 20 as particularly shown in FIGS. 4, 6 and 9A. The reverse osmosis membrane module 20 can generate a permeated water 63 and a concentrated water 62 by subjecting the raw water 61 to a membrane separation treatment. The reverse osmosis membrane module 20 has a raw water supply port 25, a permeate water port 24, and a concentrated water port 23. A raw water supply line 25 a is connected to the raw water supply port 25 of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20, a permeated water line 24 a is connected to the permeated water port 24, and a concentrated water line 23 a is connected to the concentrated water port 23. Yes. Each line (pipe) is a tubular member through which liquid can pass, and is made of, for example, resin or rubber.

  The reverse osmosis membrane module 20 of this embodiment is provided with the container 21 which comprises the external appearance of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20, as shown in FIG. The container (RO membrane vessel) 21 shown in FIG. 6 includes a raw water supply port 25 through which raw water is introduced, a permeated water port 24 through which permeated water (RO water) is derived, and a concentrated water port 23 through which concentrated water is discharged. Is provided.

  The container (RO membrane vessel) 21 is hollow so that the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 can be introduced therein. Moreover, the part in which the raw | natural water supply port 25 is located becomes the cover part 22, and can be removed from the container (main-body part) 21. FIG. Both (21, 22) are configured such that they can be fixed and detached from each other by the screw portions (21a, 22a). The container 21 of this embodiment is made of plastic, and is made of, for example, ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer synthetic resin), FRP (fiber reinforced plastic), or PP (polypropylene). The container 21 in this example is made of ABS, but may be constructed from metal (such as stainless steel).

  FIG. 7 shows the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 of the present embodiment. The reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 has been described with reference to FIG. The reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 of the present embodiment has, for example, a capacity of 30 GPD (= gallon / day) to 600 GPD. The reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 in the illustrated example has a capacity of 150 to 500 GPD (= gallon / day). The dimensions of the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 of the present embodiment are, for example, a length of 20 cm to 60 cm (30 cm in one example) and a diameter of 3 cm to 10 cm (5 cm in one example), but are not limited thereto. Commercially available products can be used for the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40, and examples thereof include reverse osmosis membrane units such as those manufactured by Dow Chemical Company, GE Company, Unjin Chemical Company, SAEHAN (Sehan) Company, etc. In addition, although the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 is a pair with the container 21, there is no particular limitation as long as they can be combined even if the manufacturers are different.

  In the configuration of the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 9A, the concentrated water line 23a extending from the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 has a resistance for quantifying the flow of liquid passing through the concentrated water line 23a. A resistance valve 64 having 64a is provided. The valve 64 with resistance includes a constant flow valve 64a serving as a resistance 64a and a bypass path 64b of the constant flow valve 64a. The bypass path 64b is provided with a cock for switching on / off of the bypass path 64b.

  Here, when the cock is closed and the bypass path 64b is closed (off), the liquid selectively passes through the resistor 64a (constant flow valve 64a) in the normal water purification operation. Then, compared with the case where the bypass path 64b is open (ON), the inside of the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 is in a pressurized state. That is, since the concentrated water port 23 and the concentrated water line 23a serving as the outlet of the concentrated water (230a) of the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 have resistance and a load is generated at the outlet, the raw water 102 of the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 is The amount of RO membrane water 101 generated through the RO membrane 105 increases. Therefore, at the time of purification, the resistor 64a is turned on (bypass path 64b is closed). Details of this operation are shown in FIG. 9A.

  On the contrary, here, when the cock is opened and the bypass path 64b is opened (ON), the raw water 102 is easily discharged to the concentrated water port 23 as it is during the water purification operation. That is, since there is no resistance in the concentrated water port 23 and the concentrated water line 23a serving as the outlet of the concentrated water (230a) of the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40, the raw water 102 of the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 is more than passing through the RO membrane 105. The tendency to go out from the concentrated water outlet 23 becomes stronger. In this state, a larger amount of water flows on the surface of the outer side of the RO membrane 105 (that is, the raw water / concentrate channel 102 side) than during the water purification, so that it can be operated as a flushing cleaning mode. Details of this operation are shown in FIG. 9B.

  In addition, a washing water line 54 through which washing water passes is connected to the permeate opening 24 of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20. In the configuration of the present embodiment, the washing water line 54 is connected to the permeated water port 24 in a form branched from the permeated water line 24a. Although details are also shown in FIG. 9C, backwashing can be performed by introducing cleaning water (for example, RO membrane water) from the cleaning water line 54 into the permeated water port 24.

  At the time of this backwashing cleaning, the cock of the valve 64 with resistance is opened and the bypass path 64b is opened (ON). That is, the resistor 64a of the resistor-equipped valve 64 is prevented from working. Then, in the backwashing operation, the wash water (for example, RO membrane water) that has entered from the permeate port 24 of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 is likely to escape toward the concentrated water port 23. That is, since there is no resistance in the concentrated water port 23 and the concentrated water line 23a serving as the outlet of the concentrated water (230a) of the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40, the wash water entered from the permeated water port 24 of the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 is Compared with the case where resistance is in 23, the tendency to pass through the RO membrane 105 and exit from the concentrated water port 23 becomes stronger.

  Note that the valve 65e in FIG. 9C may be opened so that the wash water that has entered from the permeate port 24 of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 exits from both the raw water supply port 25 and the concentrated water port 23. Alternatively, the valve 65e in FIG. 9C is closed so that the washing water that has entered from the permeated water port 24 of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 does not escape from the raw water supply port 25, passes through the RO membrane 105, and the concentrated water port 23. You may make it appear positively. In the description of FIG. 9C, the valve 65e is opened so that the cleaning liquid can be circulated.

  The reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 of this embodiment is provided with a pressure pump 30 that introduces raw water 61 into the reverse osmosis membrane module 20. In the configuration of the present embodiment, the pressure pump 30 is housed in the housing 10 (or the back housing 12). Although the pressure pump 30 of this embodiment is a diaphragm pump, the type of pump is not particularly limited as long as the raw water 61 can be pressurized. The pressure pump 30 is a pump having a capacity of 1000 cc / min or more, for example. The pressure pump 30 in the illustrated example is a 2800 cc / min or 3700 cc / min, 120 PSI (PSI = pound weight per inch) AC 100 V driven pump. When the pressure pump 30 is 2000 cc / min or more, the pressure pump capacity is large, so it is suitable for the direct reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 that can directly use RO water from a faucet without a water storage tank. In the case of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 with a water storage tank, a pressure pump 30 of about 1000 to 1200 cc / min can be used. In the present embodiment, when the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 is 500 GPS, it is preferable to use a pump of 3700 cc / min. In addition, since it is the household reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100, the pump of noise 50db or less is preferable.

  The pressure pump 30 of the present embodiment only needs to be able to apply a pressure capable of reverse osmosis to the raw water 61. Therefore, the position where the pressure pump 30 is disposed may be anywhere. In the example shown in FIG. 9A, the pressure pump 30 is disposed upstream of the raw water supply port 25 of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20. Moreover, in the structure of this embodiment, since it is a household reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100, the pressure pump 30 is arrange | positioned in the housing | casing 10 (12) used as the outer frame of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100. However, the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 100 may be disposed outside the housing 10 and operated in that the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 100 functions.

  The housing 10 (12) of the present embodiment has a substantially rectangular shape as shown in FIGS. In this embodiment, the housing 10 on the front side is made of a resin (particularly a cured resin). For example, ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer synthetic resin), FRP (fiber reinforced plastic), PP (Polypropylene). The housing 10 may be another resin material, a metal, a wooden material, or a composite material of different materials.

  The back housing 12 of the present embodiment is made of metal (for example, iron, stainless steel, aluminum, etc.). As shown in FIG. 4, the back housing 12 can accommodate the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 and the pressurizing pump 30, a valve 64 with resistance, various lines (piping) and a valve 60 (including a bifurcated valve and a three-way cock). A space (concave portion). Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a recess 11 that can accommodate the reverse osmosis membrane module 20, the pressure pump 30, and the like is formed on the back surface 10 b of the front surface housing 10. Specifically, the wall portion 11b is located at the peripheral edge portion of the back surface 10b of the front surface case 10. Note that a cutout portion 11a for combining (fixing) with the rear housing 12 is formed in a part of the wall portion 11b.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the front case 10 and the back case 12 can be combined and integrated, and both are fixed by inserting fastening members (screws) 13 into the notch portions 11a. Can do. Further, an external piping socket 14 is provided on the side surface of the rear housing 12, and in the example shown in FIG. 3, piping (raw water tube) 61a, piping (drainage tube) 62a, piping (RO membrane water tube). 63 a is inserted into the external piping socket 14. Note that the power cord 17 and the power switch 18 of the pump 30 extend from the housing 10.

  In the configuration of the present embodiment, the combined dimensions of the front case 10 and the back case 12 are, for example, 50 cm or less in length, 50 cm or less in width, and 30 cm or less in thickness. As the size is smaller and thinner, the convenience of the household reverse osmosis membrane water purifier 100 increases, but the size is not limited to this. The dimensions of the housings (10, 12) shown in FIG. 1 and the like are, for example, 40 cm long, 30 cm wide, and 10 cm thick. In addition, the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 for home use is more space-constrained than a plant reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus installed in a factory, and an arrangement of a mechanism for performing a cleaning process can also be used. The members (parts and means) are also severely limited in terms of technology and cost. Therefore, even if the dimensions of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 100 of the present embodiment are 100 cm long, 100 cm wide and 50 cm thick, space restrictions are severe compared to the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device for plants. Therefore, the level of restriction is high both in terms of technology and cost.

  Moreover, in the direct type reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 of this embodiment, permeated water (RO water) can be directly used without providing a water storage tank for permeated water (RO water). This is about 0.1 to 0.3 liter / minute of RO water generated by a typical household reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100, and a water storage tank is required. This is because an example of the RO water generation amount (purified water generation capacity) of the direct reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 is 1.0 liter / minute or more. Therefore, according to the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, a water storage tank is not required, so a sterilization apparatus such as an ultraviolet sterilization apparatus is unnecessary, and further, a space for installing the water storage tank in the kitchen is also unnecessary. Therefore, the advantage is great. In addition, although these advantages will be abandoned, the reverse osmosis membrane water purification of this embodiment is used when it is desired to use more permeated water (RO water) exceeding the amount of water of 1.0 liter / minute. It is not prohibited to attach a water storage tank to the device (direct reverse osmosis membrane water purification device) 100.

  In the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, only one reverse osmosis membrane module 20 is provided, but a plurality of reverse osmosis membrane modules 20 (two or three or more) are provided in the housing 10. You may build what you have placed. If the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 is made into plural, the production | generation capability of RO water can be improved. Moreover, if the valve 64 with a resistance is set to the concentrated water line 23a of each reverse osmosis membrane module 20, and the washing water line 54 is connected to the permeated water port 24 of each reverse osmosis membrane module 20, reverse osmosis will occur. An initialization process (cleaning process) of the membrane module 20 can be performed.

  Next, a cleaning method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of the cleaning method of this embodiment.

  In the cleaning method of the present embodiment, when the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device continues to use the permeated water (RO water) generation capability of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20, the permeated water of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 ( RO water) generation capability can be initialized as if it were new. And the purification capability (permeated water quality) of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 can be initialized like a new product.

  In the present embodiment, first, backwashing-type cleaning (backwashing cleaning) is performed (step S10). In this step S <b> 10, a cleaning liquid (for example, RO water) is introduced from the permeated water port 24 of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 and discharged from the raw water supply port 25 and the concentrated water port 23. Thereby, the RO membrane 105 provided in the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 is clogged, and the generation capability of permeated water (RO water) is recovered.

  In this embodiment, this backwashing (S10) is performed for about 1 minute with the drain side valve (64) fully open, and RO water is used as the cleaning liquid. The time for backwashing (S10) can be appropriately determined according to the type of reverse osmosis membrane module 20 and the usage environment (use period, level of hard water, amount of raw water impurities, etc.). . In addition, in this embodiment, RO water is used as the cleaning liquid for backwashing (S10). However, pure water, distilled water, ion-exchanged water, and tap water may be used instead of RO water.

  Further, in this backwashing cleaning (S10), the pressure of the pressure pump 30 is, for example, 1.0 MPa or less (absolute pressure) so as not to damage the RO membrane 105 (in one example, 0.7 MPa to 0. 0). 2 MPa (absolute pressure)). In an example of the present embodiment, it was performed at 0.2 to 0.3 MPa (absolute pressure). Moreover, when controlling the pressure of the pressure pump 30 in backwashing (S10) precisely, it is more preferable that the pressure pump 30 is controlled by an inverter circuit. In addition, the operation time of the backwashing (S10) can be within, for example, 5 minutes, preferably within 2 minutes (for example, 1 minute), as long as the RO membrane 105 may be damaged. Time constraints are relaxed.

  Next, chelate cleaning is executed (step S20). In step S <b> 20, the cleaning liquid is introduced from the raw water supply port 25 and discharged from the permeated water port 24 and the concentrated water port 23. By performing this chelate washing (step S20), the value of TDS (salt solute) indicated by the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 decreases, and the water quality level of the RO water generated by the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 can be initialized. .

  The cleaning liquid in the chelate cleaning (step S20) is an aqueous solution of a chelating agent (for example, EDTA, DTPA, DHEG). EDTA is an abbreviation for ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and DTPA is an abbreviation for diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid. DHEG is an abbreviation for dihydroxyethylglycine. In addition, if it is a chelating agent chelating in an alkali state, a suitable thing can be selected and used suitably.

  Moreover, it is also preferable to mix an alkali component (for example, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, etc.) with a washing | cleaning liquid with a chelating agent. The concentration of the chelating agent is not particularly limited, and greatly depends on the conditions of raw water, washing conditions, etc., but can be, for example, 100 to 500 ppm (conductivity standard), and in one example, 320 to 350 ppm. it can. Further, a solution (cleaning solution) in which 2 grams of chelating agent (EDTA) and 1 g of NaOH are mixed in 10 liters of water can be used, but is not limited thereto, and is suitably suitable according to the raw water used and the cleaning conditions. It is preferable to adjust the concentration.

  An example of the execution procedure of chelate cleaning (step S20) of this embodiment and the cleaning time are as follows. First, the cleaning liquid is poured into the cleaning tank (see “69” in FIG. 9B), and when the RO water is accumulated to the middle of the tank, the circulation cleaning is started. Thereafter, surface cleaning (flushing cleaning) is performed for 3 minutes to 60 minutes (in the example, 5 minutes), and then pressure cleaning is performed for 3 minutes to 60 minutes (in the example, 5 minutes). Thereafter, the cleaning liquid is retained in the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 for 2 hours to 24 hours (for example, 8 hours or left overnight). In order to perform surface cleaning (flushing cleaning), cleaning may be performed with the resistor 64a of the valve 64 having resistance turned off. Further, in order to perform pressure cleaning, the cleaning may be performed by turning on the resistor 64a of the valve 64 with resistance. The treatment by staying of the cleaning liquid (chelate solution) does not require the pressure pump 30 to operate, and is left for a predetermined time (for example, overnight or 2 hours or more), so that energy costs such as electricity costs are generated. Very convenient.

  By this chelate washing (step S20), the TDS value of 30 to 50 (mg / liter) can be reduced to 5 to 8 (mg / liter). In addition, in order to perform a water purification process after staying (for example, standing for 8 hours or overnight), the purified water which produces | generates RO water after passing through the test operation period of 20 seconds-120 seconds (in one example, 30 seconds). What is necessary is just to perform a process (normal operation | movement). When the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 is constructed so that it can be controlled automatically, it can be constructed so that this trial operation period is also processed automatically.

  In addition, TDS (total dissolved solid; salt residue or evaporation residue) is a residue obtained by evaporating to dryness what is suspended or dissolved in water, and the total amount is mg Expressed in liters. The main components of TDS (evaporation residue) are salts such as calcium, magnesium, silica, sodium, potassium, and organic substances, and the TDS is defined as 500 mg / liter or less according to tap water quality standards.

  Next, the piping configuration of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 100 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A to 9C. Based on the above description, the structure shown in FIGS. 9A to 9C can be understood relatively easily, and will be described briefly so as not to complicate the description. In addition, the piping structure shown to FIG. 9A-FIG. 9C is an illustration, A piping structure other than this can also be constructed | assembled, Even if it is the same piping structure, the opening-and-closing state of a valve is changed, A water purification mode piping structure, a forward direction It is also possible to construct a cleaning mode piping configuration and a back cleaning mode piping configuration, and modifications thereof are also within the scope of the present invention.

  FIG. 9A shows a purified water mode piping configuration for generating RO water. The valve 65 (65a to 65i) and the valve 64 in the configuration of the present embodiment are manual valves, but may be motorized valves. “X” in the figure means that the solution does not flow because the valve 65 is closed. Further, as shown in the figure, a plurality of liquid lines (56a to 56c, 52) extend.

  In FIG. 9A, the raw water 61 proceeds as indicated by an arrow 301, passes through the pump 30, and proceeds as indicated by arrows 302 and 303. Next, as shown by an arrow 304, the raw water supply port 25 of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 is entered. Thereafter, membrane separation processing (reverse osmosis) is performed in the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100, and permeated water (RO water) is derived from the permeated water port 24 as indicated by an arrow 305. Thereafter, the RO water proceeds as indicated by arrows 305 to 308 to become RO water 63 that can be used outside the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100. On the other hand, when membrane separation processing (reverse osmosis) is performed in the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100, as shown by an arrow 309, concentrated water is led out from the concentrated water port 23, and as shown by arrows 310 to 311, Concentrated water (brain) 62 is discharged out of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100. In this way, the water purification operation (RO water generation operation) in the water purification mode piping configuration is executed.

  FIG. 9B shows a forward cleaning mode piping configuration. In this configuration example, a cleaning liquid (for example, chelating agent solution) 55 is filled in the cleaning tank 69. The cleaning tank 69 is a resin container and is disposed outside the casing 10 shown in FIG. The cleaning liquid 55 proceeds as indicated by arrows 401 to 406 and enters the raw water supply port 25 of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100. Here, if the resistance 64a of the valve 64 with resistance is turned off, surface cleaning (flushing cleaning) can be performed. Or if the resistance 64a of the valve 64 with resistance is turned on, pressure washing (washing with the same flow as the water purification process) can be performed.

  Thereafter, the cleaning liquid led out from the permeate port 24 proceeds as indicated by arrows 407 to 410. On the other hand, the cleaning liquid derived from the concentrated water port 23 proceeds as indicated by arrows 411 to 415. Any cleaning liquid flows through the pipe 56 a, proceeds as indicated by arrows 416 to 418, and returns to the cleaning tank 69. Thereafter, the cleaning liquid 55 repeats this circulation.

  FIG. 9C shows a piping configuration in the reverse cleaning mode (back cleaning mode). In this configuration example, a cleaning liquid (for example, RO water) 55 is filled in the cleaning tank 69, and the cleaning liquid 55 proceeds as indicated by arrows 501 to 507 and enters the permeate outlet 24 of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100. enter. Here, the resistance 64a of the valve 64 with resistance is OFF, and the cleaning liquid 55 is discharged from the concentrated water port 23 of the reverse osmosis membrane water purifier 100 and proceeds as indicated by arrows 508 to 511. On the other hand, the cleaning liquid 55 is also discharged from the raw water supply port 25 of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 and proceeds as indicated by arrows 512 to 514. Thereafter, any cleaning liquid flows through the pipe 56 a, proceeds as indicated by arrows 515 to 518, and returns to the cleaning tank 69. Thereafter, the cleaning liquid 55 repeats this circulation. Through this backwashing step, the water purification capacity of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 can be increased (initialized).

  In the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 of this embodiment, a valve 64 with resistance is provided in the concentrated water line 23 a connected to the concentrated water port 23 of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20. A wash water line 54 is connected to the permeate port 24 of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20. Accordingly, the cleaning liquid 55 (for example, RO water) is introduced from the cleaning water line 54 to the permeate opening 24 of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 (that is, the liquid 55 is introduced in the direction opposite to the purification), and the resistance valve 64 is turned on / off. By switching off (specifically, by turning off the resistance 64a of the valve 64 with resistance), the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 can be backwashed. Then, the cleaning liquid 55 (chelating agent solution) is introduced into the raw water supply port 25 of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 (that is, the liquid 55 is introduced in the forward direction with purification), and the resistance valve 64 is switched on / off. The reverse osmosis membrane module 20 can be cleaned (for example, pressure cleaning / flushing cleaning). According to the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 that can recover (initialize) the capability of the used reverse osmosis membrane 105 can be realized.

  Next, in the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 of this embodiment, it is possible to automatically control purification, normal washing, flushing washing, and backwashing instead of the manual valve. In FIG. 10, the valve 60 (60A to 60G) and the valve 64 (60K) are electromagnetic valves, and these electromagnetic valves are controlled by a control circuit. Since the configuration shown in FIG. 10 can be understood from the description of the configuration shown in FIGS. 9A to 9C, detailed description of overlapping portions will not be given.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 10, a liquid container 68 containing a chelating agent is provided, and the chelating agent is put into the cleaning liquid 55 of the cleaning tank 69 via the electromagnetic valve 60g and the pipe 68a. The cleaning liquid 55 in the cleaning tank 69 can be discharged (66) through the electromagnetic valve 60H and the pipe 66a.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the electromagnetic valve (60A). The electromagnetic valve 60A is electrically controlled, and it is possible to determine which pipe 51 or 52 is connected to the connection destination pipe 53 by the operation of the electromagnetic valve 60A by the control. In this example, in the purification operation (RO water generation), the left side is turned on, and the end 51a of the pipe 51 and the end 53L of the pipe 53 are connected. On the other hand, during the cleaning operation, the right side is turned on, and the end 52a of the pipe 52 and the end 53R of the pipe 53 are connected.

  FIG. 12 schematically shows the configuration of a control circuit that controls the electromagnetic valve 60 (60A to 60K). The control circuit shown in FIG. 12 includes an arithmetic unit (CPU) 90 made of a semiconductor integrated circuit. The arithmetic unit (CPU) 90 can output a command of an electromagnetic valve 60 (60A or the like) that controls operations such as water purification, washing, and backwashing. The arithmetic unit 90 is electrically connected to a pressure switch 94a, a washing switch 94b, a switch 94c based on the numerical value of TDS (salt solute), a water storage switch 94d, and a float switch 94e. The switches 94a to 94e are controlled based on data from various sensors (for example, a pressure sensor and a TDS sensor).

  Moreover, the arithmetic unit (CPU) 90 can execute control to turn on / off the purified water lamp 93A (green LED) and the cleaning lamp 93B (red LED). The arithmetic device 90 is connected to the outlet 92 via the AC / DC converter 91. The arithmetic unit (CPU) 90 is connected to the electromagnetic valve 60 (60A to 60K) via a buffer (B / F) 96. By providing the buffer 96, the driving of the electromagnetic valve 60 by the arithmetic unit (CPU) 90 can be executed more smoothly.

  FIG. 13 is a table showing control items such as solenoid valves (60A to 60K) controlled by the arithmetic unit (CPU) 90. “X” in the table indicates that the solenoid valve is closed, and “◯” indicates that the solenoid valve is open. In this example, the electromagnetic valves 60A and 60B are three-way valves, and water is set to flow on the left side when not energized. Other solenoid valves are two-way valves for entering and exiting. Depending on the piping configuration, a four-way valve or a five-way valve may be used.

  According to the configuration shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device (direct type reverse osmosis membrane water purification device) 100 of the present embodiment can be automatically (particularly fully automatic) controlled. Very convenient. Further, when the water purification process and the washing process can be automatically executed, the RO water generation amount and / or the TDS value of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 are measured with various sensors, and when a predetermined reference value is reached, for example, It is also possible to execute the washing process in the night of the day and to perform the operation that the initialization of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 is completed the next morning. In addition, when a test operation for discharging the cleaning water is performed after the cleaning is completed (initialization is completed) and before the water purification operation (RO water generation), the test operation is performed (operation start and operation time). Program) can be executed by a control circuit including the arithmetic unit 90.

  Moreover, when using the RO water by the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 of this embodiment directly from a faucet, when bottling the purified water (RO water) produced | generated by the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 (for example, petting RO water It is possible to manually operate the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 100 when selling as a bottle) or when filling the tank, but it is much more convenient to operate the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 100 automatically. It is. In addition, if the initialization of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 is completed during the night, the working efficiency is greatly improved as compared with the case where the clean water is interrupted and washed during the day.

  Moreover, when selling RO water, the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 of this embodiment is not used as a household reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus but as a factory reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100. It doesn't matter. The RO water can also be used as treated water (pure water) for plants. In that case, you may enlarge the dimension of the reverse osmosis membrane water purifier 100, increase the number of the reverse osmosis membrane modules 20, or use the large-sized reverse osmosis membrane module 20. Even in a large reverse osmosis membrane module 20 (for example, GDP 500 or more or GDP 750 or more), the structure having the raw water supply port 25, the permeate water port 24, and the concentrated water port 23 is the same as that of the small reverse osmosis membrane module 20 (for example, , 2.5 liters per minute or less, or GDP 200 or less), the cleaning method (initialization method) of this embodiment can be used. Note that the RO water generated by the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 of the present embodiment is not only sold as pure water as it is, but also is sold with the addition of minerals, or is added with a fragrance and / or sweetness. Or it can be sold in the form of coffee, tea, or green tea.

  Furthermore, the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 100 of the present embodiment can be used as a device for cleaning the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 (cleaning device) or a device for initializing the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 (initialization device). Is possible. In the case of a company or an individual who has already introduced a large number of reverse osmosis membrane water purification devices equipped with a reverse osmosis membrane module, there are cases where a large number of reverse osmosis membrane water purification devices 100 of this embodiment cannot be introduced. This is because there is a case where only the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 needs to be initialized. Further, the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 or the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 100 is leased, and the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 100 according to the present embodiment initializes the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 to perform the initialization. There may be a service form in which 20 is returned. When performing many initializations of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20, it is possible to manually operate the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 100 of the present embodiment, but it is more convenient to be able to operate automatically, Efficient.

  In the above-described embodiment, in the reverse osmosis membrane water purifier 100, the reverse osmosis membrane is obtained by switching on / off the resistance valve 64 (specifically, by turning off the resistance 64a of the resistance valve 64). The module 20 is backwashed. In order to change the resistance of the concentrated water line 23a connected to the concentrated water port 23, other means can be used instead of using the valve 64 with resistance. For example, a similar function can be realized by providing a flow rate adjusting valve (64) for adjusting the flow rate of the liquid passing through the concentrated water line 23a at the position of the valve 64 with resistance. For example, a control valve (flow rate adjusting valve) that can be continuously varied from fully open to fully closed with respect to the flow rate of the liquid passing through the concentrated water line 23a is provided, and the inside of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 depending on the opening of the valve. The reverse osmosis membrane module 20 can be backwashed by controlling the pressure. Specifically, the same resistance (fluid resistance) when the resistor 64a of the valve 64 with resistance is turned off may be realized by the control valve (flow rate adjusting valve) 64, and it is in the same state as fully opened. The reverse osmosis membrane module 20 may be backwashed with the control valve (flow rate adjusting valve) 64 fully opened.

  Similarly, in the above-described embodiment, the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 is washed (for example, pressure washing / flushing washing) by switching on / off of the valve 64 with resistance. This can be realized by a control valve (flow rate adjusting valve) that can be continuously varied from fully open to fully closed with respect to the flow rate of the liquid passing through the water line 23a. Here, the control valve (flow rate adjusting valve) can be manually operated to perform backwashing, pressure washing, and flushing washing, but the control valve is electronically (automatically) controlled as a solenoid valve. It is more convenient to do. The valve 64 with resistance is also included in the flow rate adjusting valve that adjusts the flow rate of the liquid passing through the concentrated water line 23a in a broad sense. In the case of the valve 64 with resistance, two types of flow rate (fluid resistance) are controlled on / off. However, in the case of a control valve (flow rate adjusting valve) that varies the flow rate, it can be changed continuously. In addition to the type of control, control using intermediate values may be performed.

  Next, the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 130 using the water storage tank 110 will be described with reference to FIG. 14 instead of the direct type that does not require a water storage tank. The non-direct type reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 130 has a smaller power of the pressure pump 30 than the direct type reverse osmosis membrane water purification device, and the capability of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 (or the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40) accordingly. Although it is small and the RO water generation capacity is small, the mechanism of the device is almost the same.

  The RO water (permeated water) generated by the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 130 shown in FIG. 14 is when the faucet 120 is open (that is, when the outlet 122 is open by the lever 120). RO water is led out to the faucet 120 preferentially (arrow 155), and RO water comes out from the outlet 122 of the faucet 120 (arrow 159). On the other hand, when the faucet 120 is closed, the RO water generated by the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 130 is sent to the water storage tank 110 as indicated by an arrow 151. The reverse osmosis membrane water purifier 130 basically operates for 24 hours and continues to send RO water to the water storage tank 110. Accordingly, pressure is always applied to the water storage tank 110 and water leakage is likely to occur. When the water storage tank 110 is filled with RO water and it is desired to stop the operation of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 130, the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 130 of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 130 is based on the value of the pressure sensor disposed in the water storage tank 110 or its surroundings. Stop operation (especially pump operation).

  When the water storage tank 110 is full of RO water, when the faucet 120 is opened, the RO water 159 is discharged from the outlet 122 of the faucet 120 as shown by arrows 152 and 153 so that the pressure in the water storage tank 110 is increased. It is preferable to control in the direction of decreasing. When the faucet 120 is opened, if only the RO water (arrow 155) delivered from the reverse osmosis membrane water purifier 130 is insufficient, the RO water (arrows 152 and 153) in the water storage tank 110 is added. Thus, the desired amount of water can be obtained.

  Here, in the illustrated reverse osmosis membrane water purifier 130, the initialization of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 can be performed as follows. First, when the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 130 is provided with the flow rate adjustment valve 64 (or the valve 64 with resistance) and the washing water line 54 as shown in FIG. The form cleaning method can be carried out according to the procedure described above. In this case, as shown in FIG. 14, a valve 150 is provided in a pipe connecting the reverse osmosis membrane water purifier 130 and the water storage tank 110. When the pipe 150 is fully closed by the valve 150, the cleaning liquid containing the chelating agent can be prevented from going to the water storage tank 110 when performing chelate cleaning (S20). After the cleaning method of the present embodiment is finished, the valve 150 is opened, and the RO water is discarded for a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds) in the test operation, and then the normal operation may be executed.

  Next, when the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 130 is not provided with mechanisms such as the flow rate adjustment valve 64 and the washing water line 54 of the present embodiment, the following may be performed. The reverse osmosis membrane module 20 is removed from the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 130, and the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 to be initialized is attached to the direct reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 100 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 9A and the like. Next, a cleaning process (initialization process) is performed there. Thereafter, the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 that has been initialized may be attached to the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 130 again. Alternatively, for the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 to be initialized in the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 130, a pipe for backwashing washing is attached using a pipe and a pump in the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 130, and a backwashing process ( S10) is performed. Next, chelate cleaning (S20) is performed using the piping and pump in the reverse osmosis membrane water purifier 130. And the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 initialized in this way can be used again with the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 130 having the water storage tank 110.

  When using the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 of this embodiment, if the quality of the raw water 61 is too bad, it is preferable to perform the pretreatment. In particular, the raw water 61 may contain hard water in places other than Japan, or may contain harmful substances (arsenic, lead, cadmium, chlorinated molecules, etc.), suspended matter, dust, and dust. In that case, it is preferable to use the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 of this embodiment after performing a pretreatment compared with the case of generating RO water from tap water.

  FIG. 15 shows a configuration (reverse osmosis membrane system) in which some filters are arranged upstream of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 in the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 100 of the present embodiment.

  The raw water 80 in FIG. 15 is tap water, pool water, pond water, river water, and water that can be used in a disaster (for example, rainwater, seawater). The raw water 80 is introduced into the first filter 82 through the valve 85 a and then pressurized by the pressure pump 30. The first filter 82 of the present embodiment is a DM filter (trade name), and is a mesh filter that can remove iron rust, dust, and sand contained in the raw water 80. Moreover, the pressure pump 30 of this example is AC24V drive, and has the capability of 3 liters / min.

  Next, a second filter 82 is provided downstream of the first filter (mesh filter) 81 and the pump 30. The second filter 82 of the present embodiment is a sediment filter, and can remove iron rust and dust. The sediment filter 82 is a pretreatment precipitation filter, and is composed of a polyethylene fiber filter, and can remove fine impurities such as rust, sand and dust.

  A third filter 83 is disposed downstream of the second filter (sediment filter) 82. The third filter 83 of the present embodiment is a carbon filter that removes chlorine and odor. The carbon filter 83 is made of, for example, 10 micron fibrous activated carbon. The carbon filter 83 can remove chlorine and some heavy metals.

  The reverse osmosis membrane module 20 is located downstream of the third filter 83. The reverse osmosis membrane module 20 of this embodiment can remove heavy metals, viruses, and organic compounds, and the structure thereof is as described above. And according to the structure of this embodiment, purification | cleaning and washing | cleaning (initialization) of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 can be performed.

  A pipe extends from the reverse osmosis membrane module 20, and valves (86a, 86b, 87a, 87b) are arranged in a part of the pipe. In addition, a cleaning container 69 is disposed in the middle of the pipe through which the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 and the pump 30 circulate. The cleaning container 69 is a 2-liter cleaning tank.

  The structure which performs the water purification operation | movement of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 of this embodiment by opening / closing the desired valve (86a, 86b, 87a, 87b) shown in FIG. 15 is realizable. Then, a desired configuration of the valves (86a, 86b, 87a, 87b) is opened / closed so that the cleaning liquid circulates, and a configuration for executing the initialization operation (S10, S20) with the configuration is constructed. be able to. In the configuration shown in FIG. 15, a fourth filter (not shown) can be provided downstream of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20. The fourth filter is, for example, a post carbon filter, and has a function of removing the gas and odor from the water to make use of the natural flavor of water.

  In addition, although the washing | cleaning process of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 of this embodiment is fundamentally initializing the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 using a combination of backwashing washing | cleaning (S10) and chelate washing | cleaning (S20), As preliminary cleaning (preventive life extension cleaning), backwashing (S10) can be used alone, or chelate cleaning (S20) can be used alone. Further, when the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 is severely clogged, it is possible to repeat the combination of the backwashing cleaning (S10) and the chelate cleaning (S20). In areas at the time of disaster or in certain areas of developing countries (emerging countries), the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 is prone to clogging, where there are multiple initialization processes, not once, The combined cleaning of backwashing (S10) and chelate cleaning (S20) may be performed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the method of circulating the cleaning liquid for use in the cleaning step (initialization) has been described. However, a method of discarding the cleaning liquid at a time without circulating the cleaning liquid may be used. In that case, a large amount of cleaning liquid may be prepared, or a mechanism capable of continuously supplying the cleaning liquid may be used.

<Example>
Next, an example of the cleaning method (initialization method) of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 performed by the present inventor will be described. 16 and 17 are tables showing test results of the cleaning method (initialization method) of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 performed by the inventor of the present application. In this example, the inventor of the present application experimentally verified the cleaning method (initialization method) of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20, and the description of this example restricts or limits the content of the present invention. Is not to be interpreted as such. In addition, it should be noted that the conditions used in this example are not necessarily optimal for executing the method of the embodiment of the present invention, and include conditions experimentally used.

  FIG. 16 shows the result of the initialization experiment of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 (or the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40). Ex. 1A is the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 (used and deteriorated reverse osmosis membrane module) for Sample 1, Ex. 1B is sample 1 that has been initialized. Similarly, Ex. 2A is the used reverse osmosis membrane module 20 for sample 2, Ex. 2B is the initialized sample 2. Both sample 1 and sample 2 are reverse osmosis membrane units 40 made by a Chinese manufacturer.

  Ex. As shown in 1A, the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 having the capacity of GDP 50 was able to generate RO water only at a flow rate of 80 cc / min before initialization. Moreover, even if the raw water with a TDS of 64 ppm was purified, the TDS of the RO water was 77 ppm, and the water was not purified.

  When this is initialized, Ex. As shown in FIG. 1B, the capacity of the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 has been greatly improved to be substantially the same as that of a new article. Specifically, the flow rate of the RO water was 162 cc / min, which was improved to about 1.84 (= 162 cc / 80 cc) by the initialization process. In addition, the quality of the RO water produced was also reduced from 77 ppm before initialization to 8 ppm after initialization. In other words, impurities were reduced to about 1/10 and the water quality was dramatically improved.

  Ex. As shown in 2A and 2B, initialization was successful even with the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 (sample 2) having the capacity of GDP200. Ex. As shown in FIG. 2A, the RO flow rate was 272 cc / min before initialization. As shown in 2B, the RO flow rate increased to 333 cc / min after initialization. Furthermore, the water quality of the generated RO water also decreased from 19 ppm before initialization to 4 ppm after initialization.

  Ex. The 2A reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 (sample 2) did not have much reduced RO capacity. That is, Ex. Even if the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 of the sample 2 whose RO capacity is slightly lowered is performed, the RO capacity is reduced even if it is not like the greatly deteriorated sample 1 shown in 1A. It was confirmed that the RO capability can be improved without causing the failure.

  Here, in both samples 1 and 2, the washing time is 1 minute for the back washing step (S10) and 10 minutes for the chelate washing (S20), for a total of 11 minutes. In the chelate cleaning (S20), the flushing cleaning is 5 minutes and the pressure cleaning is 5 minutes. After chelate washing (S20), the pressure pump 30 was stopped and left for a predetermined time (2 hours or more).

  FIG. 17 shows the result of the initialization experiment of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 (or the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40) and the result of the operation check after the initialization. Since the raw water is from Japan, the quality of the raw water is not bad (for example, the raw water TDS is 82 ppm).

  Ex. 10-Ex. For the 24 samples, a reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 (manufactured by Dow Chemical Co.) having the capacity of GDP100 was used. Ex. Sample 10 was the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 before initialization, the RO flow rate was 100 cc / min, and the TDS of RO water was 53 ppm (raw water 82 ppm). This Ex. 10 is initialized, Ex. As shown in FIG. 11, the RO flow rate increased to 166 cc / min, and the TDS of RO water decreased to 37 ppm (64 ppm of raw water).

  Next, Ex. Twelve samples were prepared. Ex. The RO flow rate of 12 was 136 cc / min, and the TDS of RO water was 39 ppm (86 ppm of raw water). This Ex. 12 is initialized, Ex. As shown in FIG. 13, the RO flow rate showed almost the same value as 125 cc / min), but the TDS of RO water decreased to 18 ppm (105 ppm of raw water). Ex. 13 is further initialized, Ex. As shown in FIG. 14, the TDS of RO water could be lowered to 8 ppm (97 ppm of raw water).

  Next, the Ex. In 14 samples, 800 ppm of raw water TDS was prepared, and the water purification process was performed. The result is Ex. There are 20 samples.

  Ex. As shown in FIG. 20, when the water purification step (reverse osmosis step) was performed on this sample, 80 ppm of RO water could be purified using TDS 800 ppm raw water. Subsequently, Ex. As shown in FIG. 21, 81 ppm of RO water could be purified using TDS of 770 ppm raw water. Similarly, Ex. As shown in FIG. 22, 94 ppm of RO water could be purified using TDS 814 ppm raw water. Then, Ex. As shown in FIG. 23, 102 ppm of RO water could be purified using TDS 802 ppm of raw water. Then, Ex. As shown in FIG. 24, 108 ppm of RO water could be purified using TDS783 ppm raw water.

  Ex. 20 to Ex. As shown in FIG. 24, it was confirmed that good quality permeated water (RO water) could be generated even when the sample after initialization (reverse osmosis membrane unit 40) was used, and the effect was confirmed to be sustained. . In particular, it was confirmed that RO water can be generated by the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 after initialization even when using raw water (about 800 ppm) that is about 10 times as much as Japan. Ex. 20 to Ex. In 24, the backwashing step (S10) was not performed, and only chelate cleaning was performed. According to this result, after performing the backwashing process (S10) once, chelate washing is performed a plurality of times, and the effect of initialization of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 (reverse osmosis membrane unit 40) (recovery of RO water generation capability). It has also been found that the effect) can be sustained and prolonged.

<Supplementary Experiment 1>
In addition, as a supplementary experiment (comparative example), an experiment for performing a backwashing step (S10) of a cleaning solution containing a chelating agent was performed. The salt solute (TDS) value remained poor. That is, it was confirmed that initialization cannot be performed in one step of the backwashing process of the cleaning liquid containing the chelating agent.

  The result of this supplementary experiment (comparative example) is shown in FIG. 18A. FIG. 18A shows the result of the initialization experiment of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 (or the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40) and the result of the operation check after the initialization. Since raw water is Japanese, the quality of raw water is not bad (for example, raw water TDS is 77.6 ppm).

  Ex. In FIG. 30-33 used the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 (made by Dow Chemical Co., Ltd.) which has the capability of GDP100. In addition, Ex. For the samples 40 to 43, a reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 (2012LP membrane; CSM product of Unjin Chemical Co., Ltd. (Korea)) having the capacity of GDP 150 was used.

  Ex. 30 samples are the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 before initialization, and in the measurement which performed normal operation for 10 minutes, RO flow rate is 188cc / min and TDS of RO water is 25.9ppm (raw water 77.6ppm). Met. This Ex. When the back washing process (S10) of the washing | cleaning liquid which put the chelating agent was performed with respect to 30 samples, Ex. As shown in FIG. 31, although the RO flow rate was improved to 237 cc / min (improved 1.26 times), the TDS of RO water increased to 34.6 ppm, and the quality of RO water deteriorated. The back washing process (S10) of the washing | cleaning liquid containing the chelating agent here performed normal operation for 10 minutes, after performing back washing for 1 minute with the washing | cleaning liquid of chelating agent density | concentration of 301 ppm. The TDS of RO water during this normal operation for 10 minutes is 34.6 ppm.

  In order to examine the subsequent process, the TDS of the Ex32 sample that was subjected to normal operation for 10 minutes was 34.9 ppm with respect to the Ex31 sample on the next day after the backwashing step with the chelating agent was performed. . That is, the TDS value still remained high, and the reverse cleaning membrane unit could not be initialized even when the progress was observed.

  Furthermore, the Ex. 32 samples were subjected to circulating cleaning for 1 minute in a pressurized state with a cleaning solution having a chelating agent concentration of 305 ppm, and then left for 6 hours (sample of Ex.33). Ex. When 33 samples were subjected to normal operation for 10 minutes, their TDS was 34.6 ppm. That is, the TDS value remained high.

  Ex. 30 other than Ex. A comparative experiment was performed with 40 samples. Ex. The 40 samples are the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 before the initialization, and the RO flow rate is 326 cc / min and the TDS of the RO water is 18.7 ppm (raw water 77.6 ppm) in the measurement performed for 10 minutes in the normal operation. Met.

  This Ex. When the back washing process (S10) of the washing | cleaning liquid which put the chelating agent was performed with respect to 40 samples, Ex. As shown in 41, the RO flow rate was 318 cc / min, almost unchanged, and the TDS of RO water increased to 21.3 ppm. The back washing process (S10) of the washing | cleaning liquid containing the chelating agent here performed normal operation for 10 minutes, after performing back washing for 1 minute with the washing | cleaning liquid of chelating agent density | concentration of 301 ppm. The TDS of RO water during this normal operation for 10 minutes is 21.3 ppm.

  In order to investigate the subsequent process, the sample of Ex42 on which the normal operation was performed for 10 minutes with respect to the sample of Ex41 on the next day after the backwashing step with the chelating agent was performed, the TDS was 20 ppm. That is, the TDS value still remained high, and the reverse cleaning membrane unit could not be initialized even when the progress was observed.

  Furthermore, the Ex. Forty-two samples were circulated and washed for 1 minute in a pressurized state with a cleaning solution having a chelating agent concentration of 307 ppm, and then allowed to stand for 6 hours (ex.43 sample). Ex. When 43 samples were subjected to normal operation for 10 minutes, their TDS was 18.8 ppm. That is, no decrease in TDS value was observed.

<Supplementary Experiment 2>
The inventor of the present application conducted two experiments as further supplementary experiments (comparative examples / examples). One is an experiment in which a backwashing process (S10) using RO water (or tap water) is performed, followed by a flushing cleaning process (forward surface cleaning process) using RO water (or tap water). did. In this case, the used reverse osmosis membrane module 20 (reverse osmosis membrane module that had been used and the cleaning performance deteriorated) improved the RO flow rate, but the TDS value remained high and the initialization was not successful. More specifically, although the RO flow rate has been improved by performing the backwashing step (S10), the TDS value remains high even when the RO water (or tap water) flushing washing step is performed, and the initialization is not successful. It was. In addition, the inventor of the present application has repeatedly performed the backwashing process / flushing process (or the sequential washing process and the surface cleaning process) with washing water without using a chelating agent, and the RO flow rate is improved by the backwashing process. Although it was possible, the value of TDS could not be lowered.

  As another experiment, after performing the back washing process (S10) using the cleaning agent containing the chelating agent, the experiment performing the flushing cleaning process (forward surface cleaning process) using the cleaning agent containing the chelating agent. did. The result is shown in FIG. 18B. FIG. 18B shows the result of the initialization experiment of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 (or the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40) and the result of the operation check after the initialization. In addition, since raw | natural water is a thing of Japan, the quality of raw | natural water is not bad (for example, raw | natural water TDS is 93-96 ppm). Backwashing chelate washing and forward washing chelate washing (flushing washing) were performed using two used reverse osmosis membrane units 40. Sample Ex. Shown in FIG. 50-52 and Ex. The pressure of the pressure pump of 60 to 62 is 0.55 MPa.

  Ex. The 50 samples were the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 before initialization, the RO flow rate was 142 cc / min, and the TDS of RO water was 36 ppm (raw water 96 ppm). This Ex. For 60 samples, the backwashing step (S10) of the cleaning liquid containing the chelating agent (the RO water containing the chelating agent) is performed for 1 minute, and the flushing of the cleaning liquid containing the chelating agent (the RO water containing the chelating agent) is performed. Washing (chelate washing S20) was performed. After chelate washing (S20), the pressure pump 30 was stopped and left for a predetermined time (4 hours). The result after chelating washing in both directions (back washing chelating washing and sequential washing chelating washing) is Ex. There are 51 samples.

  Ex. As shown in 51, although the RO flow rate was improved to 237 cc / min by the backwashing step (S10), the TDS value of the RO water dropped only to 30 ppm, that is, although it slightly dropped, the TDS of the RO water It did not improve. That is, in both directions of chelate washing (backwash chelate wash and forward wash chelate wash), the TDS value remained high and initialization was not successful.

  Then, in order to confirm the possibility that initialization could not be performed due to individual differences among samples, Ex. When 51 samples were initialized by the cleaning method of this embodiment, Ex. As shown in 52, this sample was also initialized. Specifically, the back washing process (S10) of RO water (that is, RO water) containing no chelating agent is performed for 1 minute, and flushing washing of the cleaning liquid containing the chelating agent (RO water containing the chelating agent) ( A chelate wash S20) was performed. After chelate washing (S20), the pressure pump 30 was stopped and left for a predetermined time (4 hours). The result is Ex. As shown in 52, the RO flow rate was 240 cc / min, and the TDS of RO water could be reduced to 8 ppm (8 ppm / 30 ppm = about 1/4). That is, both the RO flow rate and the TDS numerical value could be improved and the initialization was successful.

  Another used sample Ex. 60, the above Ex. The same experiment as 51, that is, backwashing chelate washing and forward washing chelate washing (flushing washing) were performed. Ex. The 60 samples were the reverse osmosis membrane unit 40 before initialization, the RO flow rate was 113 cc / min, and the TDS of RO water was 45 ppm (raw water 93 ppm).

  This Ex. For 60 samples, the backwashing step (S10) of the cleaning liquid containing the chelating agent (the RO water containing the chelating agent) is performed for 1 minute, and the flushing of the cleaning liquid containing the chelating agent (the RO water containing the chelating agent) is performed. Washing (chelate washing S20) was performed. After chelate washing (S20), the pressure pump 30 was stopped and left for a predetermined time (4 hours). The result after chelating washing in both directions (back washing chelating washing and sequential washing chelating washing) is Ex. There are 61 samples.

  Ex. As shown in 61, although the RO flow rate was improved to 289 cc / min by the backwashing step (S10), the TDS of RO water dropped only to 28 ppm, that is, although it slightly dropped, the RO water after purified water was reduced. TDS did not result in an initialization level. That is, initialization was not successful in both directions of chelate washing (backwash chelate wash and forward wash chelate wash).

  Then, in order to confirm the possibility that initialization could not be performed due to individual differences among samples, Ex. When the sample of 61 was initialized by the cleaning method of this embodiment, Ex. As shown in 62, initialization was also possible with this sample. Specifically, the back washing process (S10) of RO water (that is, RO water) containing no chelating agent is performed for 1 minute, and flushing washing of the cleaning liquid containing the chelating agent (RO water containing the chelating agent) ( A chelate wash S20) was performed. After chelate washing (S20), the pressure pump 30 was stopped and left for a predetermined time (4 hours). The result is Ex. As shown in 62, the RO flow rate was 266 cc / min, and the TDS of RO water could be reduced to 5 ppm (5 ppm / 28 ppm = about 1/5). That is, both the RO flow rate and the TDS numerical value could be improved and the initialization was successful.

  Ex. 51, Ex. 52, and Ex. 61, Ex. The chelating agent used in 62 is the same and follows the conditions of the chelating agents in the experimental examples described above. Here, in the chelate washing in both directions (backwash chelate wash and forward wash chelate wash), the TDS value remains high and the initialization is not successful. In combination with the backwash wash without chelating agent and the forward wash chelate wash, I don't know the details of why the initialization was successful. When the present inventor speculates the reason, when backwashing with a chelating agent is performed, for some reason, the chelate component adheres to the inside of the RO membrane, crosses with the RO water by osmotic pressure, and the TDS value is I think it will be higher, but I don't know the exact place. In other words, the RO membrane can be initialized by performing back-washing cleaning without chelating agent followed by forward-cleaning chelating cleaning. Is left to future research.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated by suitable embodiment, such description is not a limitation matter and of course various modifications are possible. For example, it is possible to provide not only one reverse osmosis membrane module 20 but also a plurality. FIG. 19 shows a reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus (direct reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus, household reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus) 100 according to the present embodiment, on which a plurality of reverse osmosis membrane modules 20 (20A, 20B) are mounted. A configuration example is shown. In the configuration shown in FIG. 19, the housing 10 is lifted up so that the inside can be seen. In the case of a plurality of reverse osmosis membrane modules 20, an initialization mechanism (a process mechanism for executing S10 and S20) may be mounted on all the reverse osmosis membrane modules 20, or at one reverse osmosis membrane module 20 location. All the reverse osmosis membrane modules 20 may be initialized by mounting an initialization mechanism and replacing the reverse osmosis membrane modules 20.

  Even if the above comparative example is used for the purpose of explaining the non-infringing implementation of the present invention, the initialization process of the present invention is executed for the reverse osmosis membrane module that could not be initialized by the implementation of the comparative example. Needless to say, the present invention is implemented (see FIG. 18B). In this embodiment, in the forward chelate cleaning (S20) performed after the backwashing step (S10), flushing cleaning is performed with a flow rate higher than that of the normal water purification step. Since there is a technical significance in performing chelate washing in the forward direction after the step (S10), it may not always be necessary to increase the flow rate compared to a normal water purification step. However, from the viewpoint of increasing the cleaning efficiency of the cleaning process, flushing cleaning with a larger flow rate is preferable.

  FIG. 20 is a drawing showing an example of a reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 140 provided with a water storage tank (110) instead of the direct type. FIG. 21 shows an example of the water storage tank 110A. FIG. 22 shows an example of another water storage tank 110B. The basic configuration is the same as that of the (tank type) reverse osmosis membrane water purifier 130 shown in FIG.

  The reverse osmosis membrane water purifier 140 shown in FIG. 20 includes a filter (20, 29) housed in a housing (rear housing) 12a and a pump 30 housed in the housing (rear housing) 12b. Has been. In this example, the housing 12a stores one reverse osmosis membrane module 20 and a plurality (three in this case) of pre-carbon filters. In addition, you may make the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 into multiple pieces, or you may make a pre-carbon filter into one piece. The filters (20, 29) are connected to the motor 30 via pipes (tubes). In the illustrated example, the housing 20b that houses the motor 30 is separate from the housing 20a that houses the filter (20, 29). However, the motor 30 and the filter (20, 29) in the same housing. You may use the housing | casing which can accommodate this. In addition, although the separate body can make it easier to reduce the cost, the entire storage place becomes larger.

  Water passes through the filters (20, 29) by the force of the motor 30, and permeated water (RO water) is generated by membrane separation in the reverse osmosis membrane module 20. The generated permeated water (RO water) is stored in the water storage tank 110A shown in FIG. Specifically, a pipe (tube, particularly a branch tube) is connected to the connection port 110e of the water storage tank 110A, and the RO water is stored in the water storage tank 110A. Inside the water storage tank 110A, a balloon is installed to apply pressure to the stored water. When RO water is stored in the water storage tank 110A, the RO water is stored in the water storage tank 110A by the balloon pressure (balloon pressure). It is configured to be able to be discharged from the connection port 110e to the outside.

  Further, the generated RO water can be stored in a water storage tank 110B as shown in FIG. The water storage tank 110B can store RO water in a tank portion 110c made of a transparent material. Further, the RO water stored in the tank part 110c can be taken out from the take-out port 110d.

  When the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device 140 shown in FIG. 20 continues to be used and the performance of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 deteriorates, the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 is removed from the housing 12a. Next, the used reverse osmosis membrane module 20 is set at the location of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 in the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device (initialization device) 100 shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 9C (FIG. 10). The process is performed (steps S10 and S20 in FIG. 8). Thereby, initialization of the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 is completed. Specifically, when the used reverse osmosis membrane module 20 that has been clogged is initialized, the flow rate of the RO water generation is restored almost as new, and the TDS is also restored almost as new. In an example of this embodiment, initialization is completed when the flow rate / TDS is recovered to 90% or more of a new spec (flow rate, TDS), but the reference may be 95% or more. It may be 80% or more.

  In addition, the initialization apparatus (reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus) which performs an initialization process is a thing of the structure which can perform both an initialization process and RO water production | generation process what was shown to FIG. 4, FIG. 9C (FIG. 10). However, the initialization apparatus according to the present embodiment is not limited to the configuration. An initialization device that can perform two steps of backwashing (step S10) and chelate cleaning (step S20) and cannot perform the RO water generation process may be constructed. Alternatively, a first initialization device that can perform backwashing (step S10) and a second initialization device that can perform chelate cleaning (step S20) are prepared, and backwashing is performed using the first initialization device. After executing the cleaning (step S10), the apparatus may be moved, and chelate cleaning (step S20) may be executed by the second initialization apparatus to complete the initialization.

  In addition, instead of setting the used reverse osmosis membrane module 20 in a dedicated initialization device and initializing the used reverse osmosis membrane module 20, in the configuration shown in FIG. Also, it is possible to initialize the reverse osmosis membrane module 20 by executing the backwashing (step S10) and the chelate washing (step S20) by making the flow direction of the washing water appropriate.

  Next, in the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 having the configuration shown in FIG. 10, when the discharge (discharge) of the chelating agent from the liquid container 68 is automatically controlled, the chelating agent in the liquid container 68 becomes empty. A device that detects the sky (liquid level detector, mass measuring device, etc.) and displays the exchange of the chelating agent based on the detection signal (for example, an LED lamp, a display for replacement indication, etc.) ) May be provided. Moreover, you may make it the signal for the replacement | exchange reach the manufacturer or support center of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus 100 via the internet. In that case, the PET bottle type liquid container 68A as shown in FIG. 23 arrives at the reverse osmosis membrane water purifier 100, and the cap 67B is removed as it is, and the bottle portion 67a is placed at the position of the liquid container 68A in FIG. It is preferable that the chelating agent 55A can be supplied by setting (for example, with one touch). The liquid solution 68A of the present embodiment is made of a resin (for example, PET), but may be made of glass or metal as long as the liquid surface or weight of the chelating solution 55A can be detected and the replacement time can be specified. However, it may be made of ceramic.

  FIG. 24 shows a preform type liquid container 68B. The preform is a frame-shaped (or test tube-shaped) container before being formed into a PET bottle shape. The liquid container 68B shown in FIG. 24 covers the opening of the bottle portion 67c with a cap 67d. What is necessary is just to make it the structure which can take out the chelating agent 55B in the bottle part 67c by open | releasing the cap 67d or piercing the cap 67d with an instrument like a syringe. The liquid solution 68B of the present embodiment is made of a resin (for example, PET). However, the liquid solution 68B can be made of glass or metal as long as the liquid surface or weight of the chelating solution 55B can be detected and the replacement time can be specified. However, it may be made of ceramic.

  It should be noted that the household reverse osmosis membrane water purification device means a smaller reverse osmosis membrane water purification device compared to the plant reverse osmosis membrane water purification device used in the factory, so the household reverse osmosis membrane water purification device Naturally, there is no problem in installing the water purification apparatus for commercial use in commercial facilities such as restaurants (for example, Chinese restaurants), hotels, movie theaters, malls, gymnasiums and gyms.

  According to the technique of the present embodiment, first, the backwashing step (S10) is performed with cleaning water without chelating agent (for example, water such as RO water or tap water), and then the cleaning liquid with chelating agent ( For example, the surface cleaning step (S20) is performed with RO water containing a chelating agent. This combination made it possible to initialize the capacity of a used reverse osmosis membrane. On the other hand, in the prior art, various techniques have been proposed as an extension of the cleaning method, not initialization, and as far as the inventors of the present application know, the technical idea of the present invention is disclosed or suggested. There was no. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-179058 relates to a method of operating a spiral membrane element. In this publication, the reverse osmosis operation is not performed and the contents of the embodiment using the reverse osmosis membrane are disclosed. Is not disclosed, the publication of this publication discloses a technique for cleaning with an ultrafiltration membrane or a microfiltration membrane. In this publication, there is a description that flushing is performed after backflow cleaning, but the purpose of initializing the RO membrane is not described. Further, cleaning water without a chelating agent (for example, RO water or tap water) There is no disclosure or suggestion of performing the surface cleaning step (S20) with a cleaning solution with a chelating agent (for example, RO water containing a chelating agent) after performing the backwashing step (S10) with water such as.

  In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-29756 relates to a separation membrane of a microfiltration membrane or an ultrafiltration membrane. Permeated water (pure water, purified water, ion exchange water, tap water, etc.) is used as washing water. There is a disclosure that it may be used and that the wash water may contain chemicals that have a stripping or sterilizing action of contaminants. However, this publication does not describe the purpose of initializing the RO membrane, and further, the backwashing step (S10) with washing water without chelating agent (for example, water such as RO water or tap water). There is neither disclosure nor suggestion of performing the surface cleaning step (S20) with a cleaning solution with a chelating agent (for example, RO water containing a chelating agent) after performing the above.

  In addition, even if JP 2001-179058 A and JP 2001-29756 A can be applied to a reverse osmosis membrane, a technique for performing flushing after backflow cleaning and chemicals in the cleaning liquid are included. However, the purpose of initializing the RO membrane is not derived from the technology that is good, and furthermore, it is not a simple cleaning, but a method that performs initialization that can significantly reduce TDS, that is, a cleaning water without a chelating agent. No specific means or technical idea of performing the surface cleaning step (S20) with a cleaning solution with a chelating agent after performing the backwashing step (S10) is not conceived.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the reverse osmosis membrane water purifier which can recover | restore (initialize) the capability of a used reverse osmosis membrane can be provided.

10 Housing (surface housing)
11 Recess 12 Rear housing 14 External piping socket 17 Power cord 18 Power switch 20 Reverse osmosis membrane module 21 Reverse osmosis membrane module container 22 Lid 23 Concentrated water port 23a Concentrated water line 24 Permeated water port 24a Permeated water line 25 Raw water supply port 25a Raw water supply line 30 Pressure pump 40 Reverse osmosis membrane unit 54 Wash water line 55 Wash liquid 60 Solenoid valve 61 Raw water 62 Concentrated water 63 Permeated water 64a Resistance (constant flow valve)
64b Bypass path 64 Valve with resistance (Flow control valve)
65 Valve 68 Liquid container 69 Cleaning tank 80 Raw water 81 DM filter 82 Cement filter 83 Carbon filter 90 Arithmetic unit (CPU)
93A Clean water lamp 93B Washing lamp 100 Reverse osmosis membrane water purification device (direct reverse osmosis membrane water purification device)
101 Permeation channel 102 Raw water / concentrate channel 105 Reverse osmosis membrane (semi-permeable membrane)
109 Spacer 110 Water storage tank 120 Faucet 130 Reverse osmosis membrane water purification device (tank type reverse osmosis membrane water purification device)
140 Reverse osmosis membrane water purification device (tank type reverse osmosis membrane water purification device)
200 Reverse Osmosis Membrane System 220 Permeation Port 230 Concentrated Water Port 1000 Water Purification System

Claims (22)

A reverse osmosis membrane water purification device that produces purified water from raw water,
A reverse osmosis membrane module for membrane separation treatment of raw water to produce permeated water and concentrated water;
Raw water supply line connected to the raw water supply port of the reverse osmosis membrane module;
A permeate line connected to a permeate port of the reverse osmosis membrane module;
A concentrated water line connected to the concentrated water inlet of the reverse osmosis membrane module,
The concentrated water line is provided with a flow rate adjusting valve for adjusting the flow rate of the liquid passing through the concentrated water line,
A washing water line through which the first washing water passes is connected to the permeate opening of the reverse osmosis membrane module,
The first wash water is a wash water that is not an aqueous solution containing a chelating agent, and at least selected from the group consisting of reverse osmosis membrane water (RO water), pure water, distilled water, ion exchange water, and tap water. One,
The raw water supply line is a reverse osmosis membrane water purifier that also serves as a flushing line through which a second cleaning liquid containing a chelating agent passes. A pressure pump for introducing the raw water into the reverse osmosis membrane module is provided;
The flow rate adjusting valve is a resistance valve having a resistance for quantifying the flow of liquid passing through the concentrated water line,
The valve with resistance includes a constant flow valve serving as the resistance and a bypass path of the constant flow valve, and the bypass path is provided with a cock for switching on / off of the bypass path,
The reverse osmosis membrane water purifier according to claim 1, wherein the washing water line is connected to the permeated water port in a form branched from the permeated water line. In addition to the raw water supply line, the permeated water line, the concentrated water line, and the washing liquid line, the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device is provided with a plurality of liquid lines,
The reverse osmosis membrane water purifier further includes a plurality of valves for turning on / off the raw water supply line, the permeate water line, the concentrated water line, the washing liquid line, and the flow of the plurality of liquid lines. And
The reverse osmosis membrane water purifier sets on / off of each of the plurality of valves, and by setting the flow rate adjustment valve,
A water purification mode piping configuration for generating the permeate and the concentrated water;
A cleaning mode piping configuration for cleaning the reverse osmosis membrane module with a forward flow;
A backwash mode piping configuration for washing the reverse osmosis membrane module with a reverse flow;
The reverse osmosis membrane water purification device according to claim 1, wherein the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device has a configuration capable of switching between the two. Each of the plurality of valves is a solenoid valve;
The reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the solenoid valve is controlled by a control circuit that switches between the water purification mode piping configuration, the cleaning mode piping configuration, and the backwash mode piping configuration. Furthermore, a cleaning solution line for conducting the second cleaning liquid containing the chelating agent is provided,
One end of the cleaning solution line is disposed in a cleaning solution container that holds the second cleaning solution,
The reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the other end of the cleaning solution line is connected to the flushing line. Furthermore, it has a housing that houses the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device,
The casing has dimensions of 50 cm or less in length, 50 cm or less in width and 30 cm or less in thickness,
The reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the water purification capacity of the reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus is 2.5 liters per minute or less.   The reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus according to claim 6, wherein only one reverse osmosis membrane module is disposed in the housing.   The reverse osmosis membrane water purifier is not provided with a storage tank for storing the permeate discharged from the permeate line of the reverse osmosis membrane module, and the reverse osmosis membrane water (RO water) from the permeate line is not provided. ) Is sent directly to the faucet without going through the storage tank, the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.   The reverse osmosis membrane water purification device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device is a reverse osmosis membrane water purification device for factories. Raw water is water selected from the group consisting of tap water, pool water, pond water, river water, and water that can be used in the event of a disaster,
The reverse osmosis membrane water purification device further comprises:
A first filter for removing iron rust, dust and sand contained in raw water;
A second filter disposed downstream of the first filter to remove iron rust and dust;
A third filter disposed downstream of the second filter to remove chlorine and odor,
The reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the reverse osmosis membrane module is located downstream of the third filter. A method of operating a reverse osmosis membrane water purification device that produces purified water from raw water,
The reverse osmosis membrane water purification apparatus includes a reverse osmosis membrane module that performs raw membrane separation processing to generate permeated water and concentrated water,
The reverse osmosis membrane module comprises a raw water supply port through which raw water is introduced, a permeated water port through which permeated water is derived, and a concentrated water port through which concentrated water is discharged,
The concentrated water line through which the concentrated water passes is connected to the concentrated water port of the reverse osmosis membrane module,
The concentrated water line is provided with a resistance valve having a resistance for quantifying the flow of liquid passing through the concentrated water line,
In a state where the resistance of the valve with resistance is turned on, the reverse osmosis membrane module is pressurized and the membrane separation process of the raw water is performed.
A backwashing step of washing the reverse osmosis membrane module by introducing the first washing liquid from the permeate opening with the resistance of the valve with resistance turned off,
A flushing washing step of washing the reverse osmosis membrane module by increasing the amount of liquid flowing in the reverse osmosis membrane module more than the water purification step with the resistance of the valve with resistance turned off. Run,
The first washing liquid in the back washing step is washing water that is not an aqueous solution containing a chelating agent, and is from the group consisting of reverse osmosis membrane water (RO water), pure water, distilled water, ion exchange water, and tap water. At least one selected,
In the flushing washing step, after the back washing step, a second washing liquid containing a chelating agent is introduced from the raw water supply port and discharged from the permeate water port and the concentrated water port. . A method for producing purified water using a reverse osmosis membrane module to produce purified water from raw water,
The reverse osmosis membrane module comprises a raw water supply port through which raw water is introduced, a permeated water port through which permeated water is derived, and a concentrated water port through which concentrated water is discharged,
Including a water purification step in which the inside of the reverse osmosis membrane module is pressurized and the membrane separation process of the raw water is performed,
The production method includes a washing step of the reverse osmosis membrane module in addition to the water purification step,
The washing step includes
A flushing cleaning step of cleaning the reverse osmosis membrane module by flowing a first cleaning liquid in the reverse osmosis membrane module in the same direction as the water purification step;
A reverse washing step of washing the reverse osmosis membrane module by flowing a second washing liquid into the reverse osmosis membrane module in a direction opposite to the water purification step,
In the washing step, the flushing washing step is executed after the back washing step,
The first cleaning liquid is cleaning water that is not an aqueous solution containing a chelating agent, and at least one selected from the group consisting of reverse osmosis membrane water (RO water), pure water, distilled water, ion-exchanged water, and tap water. And
The method for producing purified water, wherein the second cleaning liquid is a solution containing a chelating agent. A cleaning method for cleaning a reverse osmosis membrane module in a reverse osmosis membrane water purification device,
The reverse osmosis membrane module includes a raw water supply port through which raw water is introduced, a permeated water port through which permeated water is derived, and a concentrated water port through which concentrated water is discharged.
A step (a) of introducing the first cleaning liquid from the permeated water port and discharging it from the raw water supply port and the concentrated water port;
(B) introducing a second cleaning liquid from the raw water supply port and discharging from the permeate water port and the concentrated water port;
The first cleaning liquid is cleaning water that is not an aqueous solution containing a chelating agent, and at least one selected from the group consisting of reverse osmosis membrane water (RO water), pure water, distilled water, ion-exchanged water, and tap water. And
The second cleaning liquid is a solution containing a chelating agent,
The washing | cleaning method which performs the said process (b) after performing the said process (a). The cleaning method according to claim 13, wherein the first cleaning liquid is reverse osmosis membrane water (RO water) .   The cleaning method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the second cleaning liquid contains an alkali component in addition to the chelating agent. The second cleaning solution is generated by diluting the concentrated cleaning solution containing the concentrated chelating agent,
The cleaning method according to claim 13, wherein the concentrated cleaning liquid is stored in a liquid container. Detecting that the concentrated cleaning liquid stored in the liquid container is empty;
The cleaning method according to claim 16, further comprising: replacing the emptied liquid container with the liquid container in which the concentrated cleaning liquid is stored .   The cleaning method according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the combination of the step (a) and the step (b) is repeatedly executed.   The cleaning method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device is a household reverse osmosis membrane water purification device.   The cleaning method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein the reverse osmosis membrane water purification device is a factory reverse osmosis membrane water purification device. A method for initializing a reverse osmosis membrane module in a reverse osmosis membrane water purification device,
The reverse osmosis membrane module includes a raw water supply port through which raw water is introduced, a permeated water port through which permeated water is derived, and a concentrated water port through which concentrated water is discharged.
A step (a) of introducing the first wash water from the permeated water port and discharging it from the raw water supply port and the concentrated water port;
After the step (a), a second cleaning liquid containing a chelating agent is introduced from the raw water supply port and discharged from the permeate water port and the concentrated water port; and (b),
The first wash water is a wash water that is not an aqueous solution containing a chelating agent, and at least selected from the group consisting of reverse osmosis membrane water (RO water), pure water, distilled water, ion exchange water, and tap water. One initialization method. A device for initializing a reverse osmosis membrane module in a reverse osmosis membrane water purification device,
Raw water supply line connected to the raw water supply port of the used reverse osmosis membrane module,
A permeate line connected to the permeate port of the reverse osmosis membrane module;
A concentrated water line connected to the concentrated water inlet of the reverse osmosis membrane module,
A pressure pump for introducing liquid into the reverse osmosis membrane module is provided;
A washing water line for back washing through which the first washing water passes is connected to the permeate port of the reverse osmosis membrane module, and
The raw water supply line also serves as a flushing line through which a second cleaning liquid containing a chelating agent passes,
The first wash water is a wash water that is not an aqueous solution containing a chelating agent, and at least selected from the group consisting of reverse osmosis membrane water (RO water), pure water, distilled water, ion exchange water, and tap water. One initialization device.

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