A seafood processing plant called Res-Kem Corp to service their Brunermatic Dealkalizer. Their problem was of water running to drain during backwash and rinse stages. To repair the valve, Res-Kem service personnel would need to replace or rebuild the backwash outlet port and rinse outlet port.
The Analysis:
The Res-Kem service manager noted during the site visit that the control on the dealkalizer is no longer manufactured and the caustic pump was not functioning. With a dealkalizer, caustic can be fed during the regeneration cycle to enhance dealkalizer performance. The addition of caustic to the brine gives greater capacity to the Type II strong base anion ion exchange resin used in the dealkalization process. The following shows the increase in dealkalizer capacity with the addition of caustic to the brine regeneration step.
The Solutions:
Having seen this problem before, the Res-Kem service manager suggested the customer consider an upgrade to a current design that incorporates the Signet Flow Sensor and caustic pump. Res-Kem uses the Aquamatic 962 Controller and Stager. The Aquamatic 962 controller is a programmable electronic control with a relay that can be used to signal the chemical feed pump. The cost to repair the existing caustic pump exceeded the cost of a new one and the customer was happy to learn the pump manufacturer they use elsewhere in the boiler house could be used in conjunction with the new Aquamatic 962 controller.
The Benefits:
This simple upgrade to the existing dealkalizer benefits the customer by: