Method and apparatus for treatment of a fluid stream

Abstract

A method for treating a fluid by providing a raw fluid to a process tank. The raw fluid may be water having varying degrees of contamination or another type of fluid. The method further consists of adding an ion exchange resin to the process tank to form a raw fluid/ion exchange resin mixture. After the fluid has been sufficiently contacted with the ion exchange resin, treated fluid is removed from the process tank through a membrane filter located within the process tank. The method is completed by regenerating the ion exchange resin within the same process tank.

1 . A method for treating a fluid comprising: 
 a) providing an up-flow bed containing an ion-exchange resin within a portion of a process tank;    b) removing dissolved contaminants from the fluid by flowing a stream of the fluid through the up-flow bed;    c) removing particulate contaminants from the fluid by removing treated fluid from the process tank through a membrane filter, wherein said process tank contains said membrane filter; and    d) regenerating the ion-exchange resin in the up-flow bed portion of the process tank.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising reusing a regenerant in multiple regeneration steps.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising filtering the regenerant to restore its regenerative properties.  
     
     
         4 . A method for treating a fluid comprising: 
 a) providing an up-flow bed containing an ion-exchange resin with an outlet of the up-flow bed being in fluid communication with a process tank;    b) removing dissolved contaminants from the fluid by flowing the fluid through the up-flow bed, out of the outlet and into the process tank;    c) removing particulate contaminants from the fluid by passing the up-flow bed treated fluid through a membrane filter, wherein said process tank contains said membrane filter; and    d) regenerating the ion-exchange resin in the up-flow bed.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising reusing a regenerant in multiple regeneration steps.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising filtering the regenerant to restore its regenerative properties.