JP2010029753A - Electrical appliance using water - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrical appliance using water which has a small environmental load and can further maintain and improve its function. <P>SOLUTION: The electrical appliance 10 using water includes an electrochemical deionized water production device 30 provided with a desalting chamber formed by setting one or more bipolar membranes between first and second electrodes, a control means for controlling the first and second electrodes, and a water supply means for sending pure water treated by circulating water to the desalting chamber of the electrochemical deionized water production device 30. It is preferable that the control means controls a voltage of a current applied to the first and second electrodes according to the water quality of the pure water treated in the desalting chamber. It is preferable that the polarities of the first and second electrodes are reversed according to the water quality of the pure water treated in the desalting chamber. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrical appliance using water.

Conventionally, tap water is often supplied to electrical appliances that use water such as washing machines and dishwashers. For this reason, the hardness component (Mg, Ca, etc.) in tap water may adhere to tap water supply piping and a heat exchanger, and a scale may be generated. The scale causes a decrease in heat exchange efficiency and a decrease in the amount of flowing water in the pipe. As a countermeasure, pure water obtained by removing anion components (Cl ⁻ , HCO ₃ ⁻ etc.) and cation components (Na ⁺ , Ca ²⁺ , Mg ²⁺ etc.), soft water obtained by removing hardness components, or The use of electrolyzed water obtained by electrolysis of water is performed.

  In recent years, soft water, pure water, acidic electrolyzed water, or alkaline electrolyzed water (hereinafter sometimes referred to as functional water) is actively used as domestic water in addition to tap water. In particular, soft water and pure water enhance the cleaning effect of detergents and soaps, and are suitable for use in baths, bathrooms, laundry, and the like. By using such functional water according to the purpose, the function of the electrical appliance can be enhanced or the performance of the electrical appliance can be maintained. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a cleaning water generator that removes hardness components by passing alkaline electrolyzed water obtained by an electrolyzer through a cation exchange resin. Since the washing water thus obtained is alkaline, it has the effect of easily demonstrating the ability of the detergent by removing the hardness component in addition to the effect of easily dissolving the protein adhering to the washing object. Has been reported.

As a method for producing pure water or soft water, for example, a method of adsorbing impurities using activated carbon, a method of ion exchange such as an ion exchange resin, a reverse osmosis membrane (RO membrane), a nanofilter (NF), or the like was used. Examples thereof include a method using a membrane separator. In recent years, an electrochemical deionized water production apparatus has been developed in which a bipolar membrane is disposed between a pair of electrodes, and ion components in water to be treated are captured by ion exchange and the bipolar membrane is regenerated by electrophoresis. (For example, Patent Documents 2 and 3).
Japanese Patent No. 3813080 Japanese Patent No. 4044148 Special table 2007-501702

However, the purification of water to be treated using activated carbon is insufficient to remove ionic components from the water to be treated. When an ion exchange resin is used for the production of pure water or soft water, when the ion exchange resin is saturated with ionic components in the water to be treated, pure water or soft water cannot be supplied. Then, it is necessary to replace the ion exchange resin or to regenerate with a drug. In the membrane separator, there is a problem that a large amount of concentrated water is generated with respect to the obtained pure water (permeated water), the recovery rate of pure water is 60 to 80%, and the environmental load due to waste water is high. In addition, the membrane separation apparatus has a problem that a booster pump or the like is required to obtain an appropriate amount of permeated water, and the apparatus becomes large. As described above, in any of the means, there is a problem that an efficient combination of supplying water suitable for an electric appliance and practicality cannot be achieved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical appliance using water that has a low environmental load and can further maintain and improve its functions.

An electrical appliance using water of the present invention is an electrochemical deionized water production apparatus comprising a demineralization chamber in which one or more bipolar membranes are disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode, Control means for controlling the first electrode and the second electrode, and water supply means for supplying pure water that has been treated by circulating water through the demineralization chamber of the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus to the water use section. It is characterized by.
The control means preferably controls the voltage or current applied to the first electrode and the second electrode according to the quality of pure water treated in the desalination chamber, and is treated in the desalination chamber. It is preferable to reverse the polarities of the first electrode and the second electrode according to the quality of pure water. It is preferable to have a circulating means for flowing at least a part of the pure water treated in the desalting chamber to the desalting chamber, and it may have a water storage tank for storing the pure water treated in the desalting chamber.

  The electrical appliance using the water of the present invention has less environmental load and can further maintain and improve its functions.

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an electrical appliance (hereinafter, simply referred to as an electrical appliance) 10 using water according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the electrical appliance 10 includes a parallel plate type electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30, a switching unit 32, a control unit 34, and a water using unit 40.

  The electrical appliances that use water mean all electrical appliances that use water, such as equipment that treats an object with water, equipment that changes the state of water, equipment that uses water as a heat medium, and the like. For example, as a device for processing an object with water, a washing machine, a dishwasher, a steam cooker, and the like can be given. Examples of equipment that changes the state of water include a humidifier, a mist generator, a water heater, a hot water storage hot water heater, an electric pot, a rice cooker, an ice maker, a coffee maker, a coffee brewer, and a tea dispenser. Examples of equipment that uses water as a heat medium include hot water floor heating and air conditioners.

The primary side of the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30 is connected to the water source 20 by a pipe 21. The electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30 is connected to a switching unit 32 that reverses the polarity of the electrodes of the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30. The secondary side of the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30 is connected to the water use unit 40 by a pipe 36 having a switching valve 37. A pipe 42 is connected to the water use unit 40. For example, when the electrical appliance 10 is a washing machine or a dishwasher, the pipe 42 is connected to a drain outlet for draining water used as washing water, and when the electrical appliance 10 is a hot water storage type water heater. It is connected to a water supply port such as a washstand and a bathroom (not shown).
A branch pipe 38 is connected to the pipe 36 via a switching valve 37. The control unit 34 is connected to the switching unit 32 and the switching valve 37. The water supply means includes a pipe 36 and a switching valve 37. The control means includes a switching unit 32 and a control unit 34.

<Electrochemical deionized water production system>
An example of the electrochemical pure device 30 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30 has a first electrode 312 and a second electrode 314 disposed in a casing 310, and a plurality of electrodes are provided between the first electrode 312 and the second electrode 314. A sheet of bipolar membrane 320 is disposed, and a desalting chamber 330 is formed. The casing 310 is provided with an inlet 316 through which the treated water A flows and an outlet 318 through which the pure water B flows out. And the inflow port 316 is connected with the piping 21, and the outflow port 318 is connected with the piping 36 (FIG. 1).

  The bipolar membrane 320 is an ion exchange membrane in which a cation exchange part 322 is provided on the first electrode 312 side of the surface 323 and an anion exchange part 324 is provided on the second electrode 314 side of the surface 323. The ion exchange membrane can be roughly classified into a homogeneous membrane formed by impregnating a raw material monomer solution into a reinforcing body and then polymerized, and a homogenous membrane formed by pulverization and molding together with a polyolefin resin capable of dissolving and molding the ion exchange resin. There are two types of homogeneous membranes. As the bipolar film 320, either a homogeneous film or a heterogeneous film can be used.

  The cation exchange part 322 is a layer having a cation exchange group such as a sulfonic acid group or a carboxylic acid group. The anion exchange part 324 is a layer having an anion exchange group such as a primary to tertiary amine or a quaternary ammonium group. Examples of the bipolar film 320 include fumasep FBM (manufactured by Fuma-Tech GmbH).

The first electrode 312 may be any material as long as it functions as a cathode and an anode. For example, a noble metal such as platinum, palladium, iridium, or a net-like or plate-like electrode in which the noble metal is coated with titanium or the like, or a plate And stainless steel in the form of a net. Since the first electrode 312 functions as an anode when collecting pure water and functions as a cathode when regenerating the bipolar film 320, chlorine generation occurs when Cl ⁻ is present in the water to be treated when functioning as the anode. Therefore, what has a chlorine-proof performance is preferable. Accordingly, the first electrode 312 is preferably a noble metal such as platinum, palladium, iridium, or a net-like or plate-like electrode in which the noble metal is coated with titanium or the like. The second electrode 314 is the same as the first electrode 312.

<Switching unit>
The switching unit 32 in the present embodiment is not limited as long as it can reverse the polarities of the first electrode 312 and the second electrode 314 of the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30 and may be a power source having a polarity reversing circuit. Alternatively, the polarity may be manually reversed. In addition, the switching unit 32 may have a function of changing the voltage or current of the DC voltage applied to the first electrode 312 and the second electrode 314.

<Control unit>
The control unit 34 changes the flow path by switching the switching valve 37 and the switching timing of the switching unit 32 so that the pure water treated by the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30 falls within an arbitrary water quality range. It controls the frequency. In addition, in the case where the switching unit 32 has a function of changing the voltage or current of the DC voltage, the switching unit so that the pure water treated by the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30 falls within an arbitrary water quality range. 32 is controlled to increase or decrease the voltage value or current value of the DC voltage to be applied. Examples of the control unit 34 include the following. When the electrical resistance between the first electrode 312 and the second electrode 314 of the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30 is measured and the measured value exceeds an arbitrary electrical resistance, the switching unit 32 is connected to the direct current. A command for increasing the voltage value or current value of the voltage and increasing the ion adsorption performance in the bipolar membrane 320 is output as an electrical signal. Then, the switching unit 32 increases the voltage value or the current value in accordance with a command from the control unit 34. Further, for example, when the electric resistance between the first electrode 312 and the second electrode 314 of the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30 is measured and the measured value exceeds an arbitrary electric resistance, the switching valve 37 is used. On the other hand, a command for changing the flow path to the branch pipe 38 is output as an electrical signal. Next, there is an apparatus that outputs a command for regenerating the bipolar film 320 as an electric signal to the switching unit 32 by inverting the polarities of the first electrode 312 and the second electrode 314. The control unit 34 displays not only the electrical signal output to the switching unit 32 or the switching valve 37 but also the electrical resistance value between the first electrode 312 and the second electrode 314, and manually switches the switching unit 32 or The switch valve 37 may be operated.

  Further, for example, considering the ability of the bipolar membrane 320 and the quality of the water to be treated, the switching unit 32 and the flow rate of the water to be treated at any arbitrary flow rate based on the flow rate of the water to be treated reaching the breakthrough point determined empirically. The switch valve 37 may be operated. In addition, for example, the control unit 34 measures the quality of pure water flowing out from the electrical deionized water production apparatus 30, and when the measured value exceeds an arbitrary set value (breakthrough), the switching unit 32 or switching An output may be performed for the valve 37. Among these, from the viewpoint of sending pure water having an appropriate water quality to the water use unit 40, the quality of pure water treated by the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30 is measured, and the switching unit 32 is based on the measured value. Or what performs an output with respect to the switching valve 37 is preferable. At this time, as an index of water quality of pure water, electrical conductivity, pH, redox potential (ORP), TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), or Ca, Mg, Cl, Na, K, etc. Various ion concentrations and the like can be mentioned, and can be determined according to the use at the water use point 40. The water quality measurement may be performed by collecting pure water at an arbitrary place, for example, at a water use point 40, and measuring the collected pure water with a separately prepared measuring instrument, or by measuring online at an arbitrary place. Also good. From the viewpoint of constantly monitoring the water quality of pure water and stabilizing the water quality, online measurement is preferable.

<Water usage department>
The water use part 40 is a member that makes contact with water, such as a water flow path, a member that conducts heat to water, or a member that performs an operation of bringing the object to be treated into contact with water, among the members that constitute the electrical appliance 10. Means general. Examples of the water use unit 40 include a water supply pipe and a washing tub in a washing machine; a water supply pipe and a washing nozzle in a dishwasher; a heat exchanger, a water supply pipe and a hot water tub in a hot water storage water heater, etc .; Examples include an exchanger, a flow path, etc .; a steam generation part such as a humidifier and a steam cooker; a mist generation part in a mist generator; an ice making part in an ice making machine.

<Driving method>
An example of the operation method of the electrical appliance 10 will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a mechanism for regenerating the bipolar membrane of the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30. The operation method of the electrical appliance 10 is that the water to be treated supplied from the water source 20 is treated with the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30 to obtain pure water, and the pure water is supplied to the water using unit 40 for treatment. Water is supplied from the pipe 42.

First, the switching valve 37 closes the flow path to the branch pipe 38. The first electrode 312 is an anode, the second electrode 314 is a cathode, and a DC voltage is applied between the two electrodes. Then, water to be treated is caused to flow from the water source 20 to the pipe 21. The treated water A that has passed through the pipe 21 flows into the desalting chamber 330 from the inlet 316 of the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30 in the electrical appliance 10. The treated water A that has flowed into the desalting chamber 330 flows while being in contact with the bipolar membrane 320. During this time, cation components (Na ⁺ , Ca ²⁺ , Mg ^2+, etc.) in the water to be treated A are adsorbed on the cation exchange groups of the cation exchange part 322. The cation component is further attracted to the second electrode 314 side which is a cathode, but cannot move to the anion exchange part 324 having a different polarity and remains in the cation exchange part 322. Anion component in treated water A (Cl ⁻ , HCO ₃ ⁻ , CO ₃ ²⁻ , SiO ₂ (Silica often takes a special form, so it is displayed differently from general ions), etc.) Is adsorbed to the anion exchange group of the anion exchange part 324. The anion component is attracted toward the first electrode 312 that is the anode, but cannot move to the cation exchange part 322 having a different polarity and remains in the anion exchange part 324. Thus, the treated water A becomes pure water B from which the anion component and the cation component are adsorbed and removed by the bipolar membrane 320 and flows out from the outlet 318 (purification operation). The pure water B that has flowed out from the outlet 318 is sent to the water use unit 40 via the pipe 36.

  The pure water B supplied to the water using unit 40 is processed according to the use in the water using unit 40. For example, when the water using unit 40 is a washing tub of a washing machine, the pure water B is used as washing water and then is fed from the pipe 42 to the drain.

Here, if the cation exchange part 322 and the anion exchange part 324 adsorb | suck a fixed amount of ion components, an ion exchange capacity will be saturated and the ion component in to-be-processed water will leak. At this time, the cation exchange part 322 and the anion exchange part 324, that is, the bipolar membrane 320 are regenerated so that the ion component in the for-treatment water can be adsorbed again. A method for reproducing the bipolar film 320 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the flow path from the pipe 36 to the branch pipe 38 is opened by the switching valve 37 and the flow path from the switching valve 37 to the water use unit 40 is closed. Reclaimed water C is circulated through the desalting chamber 330. Next, the polarities of the first electrode 312 and the second electrode 314 are reversed, the first electrode 312 is used as a cathode, the second electrode 314 is used as an anode, and a DC voltage is applied between both electrodes. When a DC voltage is applied, H ⁺ and OH ⁻ are generated by dissociation of water on the surface 323 which is an interface between the cation exchange part 322 and the anion exchange part 324. The generated H ⁺ is attracted to the first electrode 312 which is a cathode and moves in the cation exchange part 322. During this time, cation components such as Na ⁺ adsorbed on the cation exchange groups are exchanged with H ^+, and the cation exchange part 322 is regenerated. The desorbed Na ⁺ is further attracted to the first electrode 312 and taken into the reclaimed water. On the other hand, OH ⁻ is attracted to the second electrode 314 which is an anode, and moves in the anion exchange part 324. During this time, an anion component such as Cl ⁻ adsorbed on the anion exchange group and OH ⁻ are exchanged, and the anion exchange part 324 is regenerated. The desorbed Cl ⁻ is further attracted to the second electrode 314 and taken into the reclaimed water. In this way, the reclaimed water C becomes the concentrated water D that takes in the ion component desorbed from the cation exchange group or the anion exchange group of the bipolar membrane 320 and flows out from the outlet 318 (regeneration operation).

  The concentrated water D that has flowed out is drained through a pipe 36, a switching valve 37, and a branch pipe 38 to a drain outlet (not shown).

The treated water A is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include tap water and well water.
The reclaimed water C may be the same as the water to be treated A, or is treated by being brought into contact with water treated with the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30, pure water such as RO permeated water, or a cation exchange resin. Soft water or activated carbon-treated water may be supplied from another water source. From the viewpoint of improving the regeneration efficiency of the bipolar membrane 320, it is preferable to use pure water having a small ionic component as the reclaimed water C.

  The voltage value and current value of the DC voltage applied to the first electrode 312 and the second electrode 314 in the dewatering operation are preferably determined according to the water quality of the treated water A and the water quality required for the pure water B. . When the voltage value or current value of the DC voltage to be applied is increased, the ability to remove ion components in the water to be treated A increases, while the regeneration frequency of the bipolar membrane 320 tends to increase. When the voltage value or current value of the DC voltage to be applied is lowered, the ability to remove ion components in the water to be treated A is lowered, while the regeneration frequency of the bipolar membrane 320 tends to be lowered. Therefore, by controlling the voltage or current applied to the first electrode 312 and the second electrode 314, the water quality suitable for the use point 40 and the regeneration frequency of the bipolar membrane 320 can be adjusted.

  The frequency of the regeneration operation is preferably determined according to the water quality required by the water use unit 40. For example, the regeneration operation may be performed when the electrical resistance value between the first electrode 312 and the second electrode 314 exceeds an arbitrary reference value, or pure water flowing out from the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30 may be used. The water quality of the water B may be measured, and the regeneration operation may be performed when the measured value is outside an arbitrary reference range (breakthrough point). Moreover, you may perform reproduction | regeneration operation for every arbitrary flow volume of the to-be-processed water A based on the breakthrough point calculated | required empirically.

  As described above, the water to be treated supplied from the water source 20 to the electrical appliance 10 is treated with the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30 to be pure water from which the anion component and the cation component have been removed. Since such pure water is supplied to the water use point 40, scale generation in the water use part 40 and the pipe 36 can be suppressed. As a result, for example, the water use unit 40 is a heat exchanger or washing nozzle of a dishwasher, a water vapor generating unit such as a humidifier, a steam cooker, a mist generator, or the like. In the case of a hot water flow path in a heat exchanger, a hot water tank, or floor heating, the function of the electrical appliance 10 can be maintained without reducing the heat transfer efficiency. Further, the blockage of the flow path due to the scale generation in the pipe 36 or the water using unit 40 can be prevented. In addition, pure water is suitable as drinking water or washing water because it removes not only cationic components such as hardness components but also anionic components. Pure water as washing water can enhance the cleaning effect of detergents and soaps. As a result, the function of the electrical appliance 10 can be improved.

  Furthermore, by controlling the current or voltage applied to the first electrode 312 and the second electrode 314 by the control means, the water quality suitable for the water use unit 40 is maintained, and the regeneration frequency of the bipolar membrane 320 is appropriate. And can. In addition, when the bipolar membrane 320 breaks through, the control means performs the regeneration operation of the bipolar membrane 320 at an appropriate frequency, so that the pure water B can be maintained at the water quality required by the water use unit 40. Therefore, the function of the electrical appliance 10 can be stably maintained.

  Moreover, since a booster pump is unnecessary unlike membrane separation apparatuses, such as RO membrane apparatus, the excessive enlargement of the electrical appliance 10 can be suppressed.

(Second embodiment)
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an electrical appliance 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the electrical appliance 100 includes a spiral electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 130, a switching unit 32, a control unit 34, a water tank 150, and a water use unit 40.

  The electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 130 is connected to the water source 20 by a pipe 21. A switching unit 32 is connected to the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 130. The electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 130 is connected to the water storage tank 150 by a pipe 136 having a switching valve 137. The water storage tank 150 is connected to the water use unit 40 by a pipe 152. The water storage tank 150 is connected to the pipe 21 by a pipe 154 having an opening / closing valve 155. A pipe 42 is connected to the water use unit 40. A branch pipe 138 is connected to the pipe 136 via a switching valve 137. The control unit 34 is connected to the switching unit 32 and the switching valve 137. The water supply means includes pipes 136 and 152, a switching valve 137, and a water storage tank 150. The circulation means includes a water tank 150, pipes 154 and 21, and an opening / closing valve 155. The control means includes a switching unit 32 and a control unit 34.

<Electrochemical deionized water production system>
The electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 130 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 130 with respect to the axial direction of the spiral element 400. As shown in FIG. 5, the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 130 has a spiral element formed in a second electrode 414 that is an outer peripheral electrode by winding a bipolar membrane 420 around a first electrode 412 that is a central electrode. 400 and a cylindrical casing 410. Thus, in the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 130, a demineralization chamber 430 in which the bipolar membrane 420 is disposed is formed between the first electrode 412 and the second electrode 414. The first electrode 412 and the second electrode 414 are connected to a power source (not shown).

  An inflow port 416 for water to be treated is provided on the side surface of the casing 410, and the inflow port 416 is connected to the pipe 21 (FIG. 4). Further, at least one of the end faces of the casing 410 is provided with an outlet that communicates with the central portion 418 of the spiral element 400, and a pipe 136 (FIG. 4) is connected to the outlet.

  The bipolar membrane 420 is an ion exchange membrane in which a cation exchange part 422 is provided on the first electrode 412 side of the surface 423 and an anion exchange part 424 is provided on the second electrode 414 side of the surface 423. As the bipolar film 420, either a homogeneous film or a homogeneous film can be used.

  The cation exchange part 422 is a layer having a cation exchange group such as a sulfonic acid group or a carboxylic acid group. The anion exchange part 424 is a layer having an anion exchange group such as a primary to tertiary amine or a quaternary ammonium group. Examples of the bipolar film 420 include fumasep FBM (manufactured by Fuma-Tech GmbH).

The first electrode 412 may be any material as long as it functions as a cathode and an anode. For example, a noble metal such as platinum, palladium, iridium, a rod-shaped electrode in which the noble metal is coated with titanium, or a rod-shaped stainless steel is used. Can be mentioned. The first electrode 412 functions as an anode when collecting pure water, and functions as a cathode when regenerating the bipolar membrane 420. Therefore, when Cl ⁻ is present in the water to be treated, chlorine generation occurs when functioning as the anode. Therefore, what has a chlorine-proof performance is preferable. Therefore, the first electrode 412 is preferably a noble metal such as platinum, palladium, iridium, or a rod-like electrode obtained by coating the noble metal with titanium or the like. The second electrode 414 is the same as the first electrode 312 in the first embodiment.

<Water tank>
The water storage tank 150 temporarily stores pure water treated by the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 130. The capacity of the water storage tank 150 can be determined in consideration of the processing capacity of the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 130 and the amount of pure water used at the water use point 40.

<Driving method>
A method for operating the electrical appliance 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the operation method of the electrical appliance 100, the water to be treated supplied from the water source 20 is treated with the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 130 to obtain pure water, and the pure water is temporarily stored in the water tank 150. And according to the usage-amount of the water use part 40, a pure water is supplied and processed from the water storage tank 150 to the water use part 40, and water is supplied from the piping 42 after that.

First, the flow path to the branch pipe 138 is closed by the switching valve 137. At the same time, the opening / closing valve 155 is closed. The first electrode 412 is an anode, the second electrode 414 is a cathode, and a DC voltage is applied between both electrodes. Then, water to be treated is caused to flow from the water source 20 to the pipe 21. The treated water that has passed through the pipe 21 flows into the desalting chamber 430 from the inlet 416 of the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 130 in the appliance 100. The treated water that has flowed into the desalting chamber 430 flows toward the central portion 418 while being in contact with the bipolar membrane 420. During this time, the water to be treated is removed from the cation component such as Na ⁺ and the anion component such as Cl ⁻ by the bipolar membrane 420, becomes pure water, reaches the center 418, and is connected to the outlet 136. (Pure water operation). The pure water is stored in the water storage tank 150 via the pipe 136. Then, the stored pure water is sent to the water using unit 40 via the pipe 152 in accordance with the amount of pure water used in the water using unit 40.

  The pure water supplied to the water use unit 40 is processed according to the use in the water use unit 40. For example, when the water using unit 40 is a washing tub of a washing machine, pure water is used as washing water and then sent to a drain port (not shown) via the pipe 42.

Next, a method for regenerating the bipolar film 420 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the flow path from the pipe 136 to the branch pipe 138 is opened by the switching valve 137 and the flow path from the switching valve 137 to the water storage tank 150 is closed. At the same time, the open / close valve 155 is opened, and the pure water in the water storage tank 150 is passed through the pipe 21 from the pipe 154 and circulated into the desalting chamber 430 as reclaimed water. Next, the polarities of the first electrode 412 and the second electrode 414 are reversed, the first electrode 412 is used as a cathode, the second electrode 414 is used as an anode, and a DC voltage is applied between both electrodes. When a DC voltage is applied, a cation component such as Na ⁺ adsorbed on the cation exchange group is exchanged with H ^+, and the cation exchange part 422 is regenerated. Then, the desorbed Na ⁺ is further attracted to the first electrode 412 and taken into the reclaimed water. On the other hand, an anion component such as Cl ⁻ adsorbed on the anion exchange group is exchanged with OH ^−, and the anion exchange part 424 is regenerated. The desorbed Cl ⁻ is further attracted to the second electrode 414 and taken into the reclaimed water. Thus, the reclaimed water becomes concentrated water that takes in the ion component desorbed from the cation exchange group or the anion exchange group of the bipolar membrane 420, reaches the center 418, and flows out from the outlet (regeneration operation).

  The concentrated water that has flowed out is drained through a pipe 136, a switching valve 137, and a branch pipe 138 to a drain outlet (not shown).

  The voltage value and current value of the DC voltage applied to the first electrode 412 and the second electrode 414 in the dewatering operation are preferably determined according to the quality of the water to be treated and the quality of water required for the pure water. When the voltage value or current value of the DC voltage to be applied is increased, the ability to remove ion components in the for-treatment water increases, while the regeneration frequency of the bipolar membrane 420 tends to increase. When the voltage value or current value of the DC voltage to be applied is lowered, the ability to remove ion components in the water to be treated is lowered, while the regeneration frequency of the bipolar membrane 420 tends to be lowered. Therefore, by controlling the voltage or current applied to the first electrode 412 and the second electrode 414, the water quality suitable for the use point 40 and the regeneration frequency of the bipolar membrane 420 can be adjusted.

  In the regeneration step, the reclaimed water may be pure water stored in the water tank 150 or may be mixed with the water to be treated supplied from the water source 20. From the viewpoint of improving the regeneration efficiency of the bipolar membrane 420, it is preferable to use pure water only.

  As described above, since the electric appliance 100 has the water storage tank 150 and can store pure water, even if the processing capacity of the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 130 is reduced, the amount of pure water required by the water use unit 40 can be reduced. I can cover it. For this reason, the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 130 itself can be made compact, and an excessive increase in size of the electrical appliance 100 can be prevented. Further, since pure water can be stored in the water tank 150, the regeneration operation of the bipolar membrane 420 of the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 130 can be performed at an appropriate time without stopping the supply of pure water to the water use unit 40. It can be carried out. As a result, more stable pure water can be supplied to the water use unit 40, and the function of the appliance 100 can be stabilized.

  In addition, the electrical appliance 100 can use pure water treated by the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 130 as reclaimed water by a circulation means. For this reason, the regeneration efficiency of the bipolar membrane 420 can be increased without newly providing facilities such as a supply source of pure water used as reclaimed water.

  The electrical appliance 100 has a spiral electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 130 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a spiral type). If the total area of the bipolar membrane is equal to the parallel plate type electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30 (hereinafter simply referred to as a parallel plate type) used in the first embodiment, the spiral type Compactness can be achieved. Further, since the spiral type uses the cylindrical casing 410, the pressure resistance can be increased as compared with the parallel plate type. For this reason, even if the spiral type has the same volume as the parallel plate type, the amount of processing per unit time can be increased.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above.
In the first embodiment, a parallel plate type electrochemical deionized water production apparatus is used, but a spiral type electrochemical deionized water production apparatus may be used. Further, in the second embodiment, the spiral type electrochemical deionized water production apparatus is used, but a parallel plate type electrochemical deionized water production apparatus may be used. Since the spiral electrochemical deionized water production apparatus can be made compact, it is possible to prevent an excessive increase in size of electrical appliances.

  In the second embodiment, the spiral-type electrochemical deionized water production apparatus circulates treated water or reclaimed water from the inlet provided in the side surface of the cylindrical casing toward the center of the spiral element. To do. However, the flow direction of treated water or reclaimed water in the spiral electrochemical deionized water production apparatus used in the present invention is not limited to this, and is the flow direction from the center of the spiral element to the outer periphery of the spiral element. May be. That is, in the spiral electrochemical deionized water production apparatus, an inlet may be provided on at least one of the end faces of the casing, and an outlet may be provided on the side surface of the casing. Further, in the dewatering operation and the regeneration operation, the flow directions of the treated water and the recycled water may be different.

  In the first and second embodiments, the electric appliance has one electrochemical deionized water production apparatus, but may have two or more electrochemical deionized water production apparatuses. For example, there are two electrochemical deionized water production devices, and the deionization operation and the regeneration operation of each electrochemical deionized water production device are alternately performed to supply pure water to the water use section. The playback operation can be performed without interruption.

  In the first embodiment, on the secondary side of the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus, a branch pipe that discharges the concentrated water generated during the regeneration operation to the drain outlet is provided, but the branch pipe may not be provided. . It is also possible to control the operation timing of the switching unit by the control unit so that the processing in the water using unit is stopped during the regeneration process and the concentrated water is drained through the water using unit.

  In the first and second embodiments, the concentrated water generated by the regeneration operation is drained, but the concentrated water may be reused. Concentrated water contains many ionic components. For this reason, for example, by supplying to an electrolysis device (acidic electrolyzed water generating device, alkaline electrolyzed water generating device), the desired acidic electrolyzed water and alkaline electrolyzed water can be obtained with a low DC voltage compared to general tap water Obtainable. For example, in an alkaline electrolyzed water generator, tap water is used as raw water, and calcium lactate or the like is added to increase electrolysis efficiency. If the concentrated water of the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus is used as raw water, the additive becomes unnecessary.

  Moreover, since the said concentrated water contains many ionic components, it is water with high ionic strength and many minerals. For this reason, for example, it can be used as cooking water for a cooking object suitable for water with high hardness.

  In addition, when the electrical appliance is a washing device such as a washing machine or a dishwasher, for example, after washing with a surfactant, a first rinsing step with pure water, a second rinsing step with concentrated water, By performing the third rinsing step with pure water, the surfactant can be efficiently removed and the cleaning effect can be improved.

  In the first and second embodiments, a pure water operation is performed by applying a DC voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode. In the pure water operation, the first electrode and the second electrode are used. You may distribute | circulate to-be-processed water to the demineralization chamber of an electrochemical deionized water manufacturing apparatus, without applying to an electrode. This is because the bipolar membrane itself has ion adsorption ability. However, from the viewpoint of efficiently performing the dewatering operation, it is preferable to perform the dewatering operation by energizing the first electrode and the second electrode.

  In the first and second embodiments, the switching unit that reverses the polarity of the first electrode and the second electrode is included, but the electrical appliance of the present invention may not have the switching unit. . For example, when a pure water operation is performed without applying a DC voltage to the first electrode and the second electrode, the regeneration operation is performed so that the positional relationship between the bipolar membrane and the polarity of each electrode shown in FIG. Then, it starts by applying a DC voltage to the first electrode and the second electrode, and a dehydration operation is started by stopping the application of the DC voltage. Further, for example, the arrangement of the bipolar membrane is changed so that the positional relationship between the bipolar membrane and the polarity of each electrode shown in FIG. 3 is maintained while maintaining the polarities of the first electrode and the second electrode in the dewatering operation. Thus, a reproduction operation may be performed.

  In the first and second embodiments, the water treated in the water use section is sent to the drain outlet, etc. by piping, but the water treated in the water use section is not sent by the pipe, May be consumed. For example, in a humidifier, a mist generator, or the like, water or mist-like water may be supplied to a target space while pure water is processed in the water use unit.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example is given and this invention is demonstrated concretely, it is not limited to an Example.

Example 1
An apparatus similar to the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus 30 of FIG. Using the produced electrochemical deionized water production device, tap water from Toda City, Saitama Prefecture (electric conductivity: 222 μS / cm) was treated under the conditions of a flow rate of 1.4 L / min and a desalination rate of 98%. To obtain pure water. The electrical conductivity and recovery rate of the obtained pure water were measured, and the results are shown in Table 1.

<Specifications of electrochemical deionized water production equipment>
Type: Parallel plate type Bipolar membrane: 30 sheets of fumasep FBM (manufactured by Fumatic-Tech GmbH)

(Example 2)
Pure water was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the desalting rate was 92%. The electrical conductivity and recovery rate of the obtained pure water were measured, and the results are shown in Table 1.

(Electrical conductivity)
The electrical conductivity was measured using a conductivity meter (873CC, manufactured by FOXBORO). In the case of water that does not contain any impurities, the theoretical value of electrical conductivity in water at 25 ° C. is 0.055 μS / cm. It can be said that the lower the electrical conductivity, the cleaner the water. The quality of the water to be treated was evaluated based on electric conductivity.

(Recovery rate)
The recovery rate was calculated according to the following formula from the amount of pure water obtained and the amount of reclaimed water used for the regeneration operation.

  Recovery rate (%) = Pure water amount (L) ÷ {Pure water amount (L) + Reclaimed water amount (L)} × 100 (1)

  As shown in Table 1, in Example 1, pure water having an electric conductivity of 5.3 μS / cm could be obtained at a recovery rate of 73%. In Example 2, pure water having an electrical conductivity of 18.8 μS / cm was obtained at a recovery rate of 93%. Water used in electrical appliances such as washing machines has an electrical conductivity of 30 μS / cm or less and exhibits a remarkable cleaning effect. Therefore, it was found that the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus can maintain and improve the function of the electrical appliance with a high recovery rate of 93%. The high recovery rate is apparent from the fact that the recovery rate is 60 to 70% when 20 μS / cm pure water is obtained with a general RO membrane device.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the electrical appliance concerning 1st embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing explaining the mechanism of pure water manufacture in the parallel plate type electrochemical deionized water manufacturing apparatus used for the electrical appliance of this invention. It is sectional drawing explaining the mechanism which reproduces | regenerates the bipolar membrane of the parallel plate type electrochemical deionized water manufacturing apparatus used for the electrical appliance of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the electrical appliance concerning 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a cross-sectional view of the spiral type electrochemical deionized water production apparatus used for the electrical appliance of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

10, 100 Electric appliances using water 30, 130 Electrochemical deionized water production device 32 Switching unit 34 Control unit 21, 36, 136, 152, 154 Piping 37, 137 Switching valve 40 Water use unit 150 Water storage tank 155 Open / close valve 312 and 412 First electrode 314 and 414 Second electrode 320 and 420 Bipolar membrane 330 and 430 Desalination chamber

Claims (5)

 An electrochemical deionized water production apparatus having a demineralization chamber in which one or more bipolar membranes are disposed and formed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the first electrode and the second electrode. An electrical appliance using water, comprising: control means for controlling; and water supply means for sending pure water that has been processed by circulating water to the demineralization chamber of the electrochemical deionized water production apparatus.   The said control means controls the voltage or electric current applied to said 1st electrode and said 2nd electrode according to the quality of the pure water processed in the said desalination room | chamber, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. Appliances that use water.   The water according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control means reverses the polarity of the first electrode and the second electrode according to the quality of pure water treated in the desalination chamber. Use electrical appliances.   The electrical appliance using water of any one of Claims 1-3 which has a circulation means to flow at least one part of the pure water processed in the said desalination chamber to the said desalination chamber.   The electrical appliance using water of any one of Claims 1-4 which has a water storage tank which stores the pure water processed in the said desalination chamber.

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