TECHNICAL PAPER 153

Short-Bed Demineralization:
An Alternative to Electrodeionization
Presented at the
Sixth International Conference on Cycle Chemistry in Fossil Plants
(EPRI), Columbus, Ohio, June, 2000
Bradley Smith, Bill Hyde, Eco-Tec Inc., Pickering, Canada

ABSTRACT operational efficiency and the ability to

To be competitive in the deregulated provide a reliable power supply when it
market, power producers are looking is required. One area that has been
for ways to lower operating costs while identified by many power plants for
maintaining a reliable supply. To this operating cost savings is the boiler
end, many plants have investigated feed water treatment system. Two
innovative technologies for boiler water treatment technologies that are
make-up water treatment. One such coming to the forefront are
technology is the combined reverse electrodeionization (EDI) and short-bed
osmosis (RO) and electrodeionization demineralization.
(EDI) system. While this system offers
several benefits, its operating costs ELECTRODEIONIZATION
and lack of operating experience in While the first related patent was
power plant applications make it issued in 1957, it was not until 30 years
unattractive in certain cases. Another later when the first electrodeionization
water treatment technology, short-bed product was marketed. Millipore
demineralization, combines the low commercialized its CDI™ (continuous
cost, proven reliability, and high deionization) product in 1987 through
performance of conventional mixed-bed Ionpure, with the first system installed
ion exchange with many of the benefits in 1988. The expansion of the
of RO/EDI systems. technology continued through U.S.
Filter Corp. which bought Ionpure in
INTRODUCTION 1993. Since the technology became
Deregulation of government controlled commercially viable, a number of
power markets is forcing utilities and companies have offered similar
independent power producers to take a products. Early installations were
closer look at their production costs. In primarily in low flow applications, such
the almost risk-free monopoly days, a as laboratories and pharmaceutical
utility could maintain profitability by plants, where the flows were generally
simply passing the operating costs to less than 50 gpm. Efforts are now
the customers. However, survival in the underway to market much larger
new competitive era depends upon systems with acceptable materials of
remaining profitable when the price of construction for power generation and
electricity is determined by the open semiconductor applications.
marketplace rather than by cost-plus
pricing. The main focus is therefore on

SM/Technical Papers/TP153 01/03/16

TECHNICAL PAPER 153

The EDI units are modules that may be passage of the appropriately charged
operated individually, or in series if a ions, i.e., only cations can
greater flowrate is desired. Each be transported across the cation
module has the capacity to treat 10 to membrane and only anions can be
15 gpm, depending upon the design. transported across the anion
The inside of the module, as shown in membrane. The electric current
Figure 1, consists of a series of cell therefore maintains the resins in a
pairs that are arranged to form flow- highly regenerated state, making it
through compartments. Each cell pair unnecessary to use acid or caustic for
consists of a cation permeable regeneration. The treated water exits
membrane on one side and an anion the diluting chamber while the water
permeable membrane on the other from the concentrating compartments
side. The space between the two is recirculated to promote mixing. To
membranes is filled with a mixture of prevent ion concentration from reaching
cation and anion resin and is often the point of precipitation, a small
referred to as the "diluting stream is bled from the concentrated
compartment". There are also two stream loop. A small portion of
additional compartments on the other concentrated stream is also used to
side of the membranes, often called flush the electrodes to remove any
the "concentrating compartments". build-up of gases.

As water flows through these three The EDI unit is capable of producing
chambers, ions are exchanged onto water with a resistivity of up to around
the resin in the diluting chamber. A DC 16 megohm•cm, but requires a very
electric potential, applied by an external high quality feed water, as shown in
power supply, will cause ions to move Table 1. A reverse osmosis (RO)
from the resins and across the system is therefore almost always
membranes into the concentrating used prior to the polishing EDI units.
compartments. As shown in Figure 1,
a cathode will drive positively charged The intricate design of the stacks
cations across the cation membrane makes on-site maintenance very
while an anode will remove the difficult. For replacement, the complete
negatively charged anions through the stack is usually sent back to the
anion membrane. The selective manufacturer for exchange. A typical
membranes will allow only the stack life is claimed to be 5 years.

SM/Technical Papers/TP153 01/03/16

TECHNICAL PAPER 153

Cation Resin Cation Membrane Anion Membrane Anion Resin

FEED (Na + Cl-) Na + FEED (Na+ Cl-)

Cl-
Cl-

Cl- Cl-
Cl-
CATHODE

Cl- Multiple

ANODE
Na+ Na+
Cells
Cl- Cl-
Na + Na+
Na+ Na+
- +
Cl - Cl -

waste PRODUCT (H+ OH-) waste PRODUCT (H+ OH -) waste

Diluting Concentrating
Compartment Compartment

Figure 1 - Ion transfer in a typical EDI stack

Feed Characteristic Value

Total Dissolved Solids <5.0 ppm
Hardness (as CaCO3) <1.0 ppm
Total Organic Carbon <0.5 ppm
Free Chlorine (Cl2) <0.05 ppm
Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn) <0.01 ppm
Silica (SiO2) <0.4 ppm
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) <0.01 ppm
pH 4 to 9
Temperature 5 to 40 °C

Table 1 - Typical feed water requirements for EDI stacks

SM/Technical Papers/TP153 01/03/16

TECHNICAL PAPER 153

RO/EDI offers certain advantages over Hundreds of units of been installed

standard deep-bed demineralization; since, primarily in boiler feed
most notable is the elimination of the applications.
infrastructure and operator exposure
associated with the acid and caustic A short-bed demineralizer employs two
regenerant chemicals. Cleaning shallow beds (down to 3") of ion
chemicals and pretreatment chemicals exchange resin (one cation bed and
prior to the reverse osmosis system, one anion bed). This is in contrast to
such as acid or antiscalant addition, deep-bed units in which the bed
are often still a requirement. heights are typically greater than 3 feet.
Furthermore, the membranes in the The small resin volume translates into
EDI unit have to be periodically cleaned relatively inexpensive resin
with peracetic acid or some other replacement costs. In order to ensure
disinfectant to remove biological proper distribution of water and
foulants. Other benefits include regenerant through the shorter resin
continuous operation, constant water beds, the vessels are fully packed with
quality, modular design, small space fine mesh resin such that no freeboard
requirements, rapid installation, and exists. The fine mesh resin beads are
the elimination of the regenerant waste approximately one-quarter of the
stream. diameter of other ion exchange resins.
Fine resins improve ion exchange
For boiler feed applications, RO/EDI kinetics, allow for more efficient rinsing,
systems have several drawbacks and are physically stronger than their
including a relatively high capital cost, larger counterparts. Elimination of the
high EDI stack replacement costs, high freeboard reduces liquid dilution and
energy consumption, and the difficulty intermixing in the bed and
in removing weakly ionized consequently reduces rinse volumes.
contaminants such as silica, carbon Packed resin beds also ensure that the
dioxide, and organics. The system i s exchange zone profile is not disturbed
susceptible to fouling by colloidal silica to allow for the most efficient usage of
or organic material typically found in regenerant chemicals.
surface waters, such as humic, fulvic,
or tannic acids. In addition, EDI The operation of a short-bed
systems are only available with plastic demineralizer is also distinctive.
piping due to the danger of accelerated Whereas conventional deep-bed
corrosion from stray currents. demineralizers load the resins to near
exhaustion (i.e., around 90%), short-
SHORT-BED DEMINERALIZATION bed units will use less than 20% of the
The Short-bed demineralizer was first total exchange capacity of the resin. By
®
commercialized as the Recoflo using only the most accessible
Demineralizer by Eco-Tec Inc. in the exchange sites, kinetics of ion uptake
1970s (Figure 2). The first unit was and regeneration are improved, and
installed in 1978 to provide high purity regenerant usage is minimized since
rinse water in a chrome plating facility. the sites that most readily accept an ion

SM/Technical Papers/TP153 01/03/16

TECHNICAL PAPER 153

are those that are most easily efficiency of the unit is further improved
regenerated. Furthermore, the low through counter-current operation in
resin loading does not force the resin which the regenerant chemicals are
beads to undergo large changes in passed through the bed in the opposite
size which is the main cause of resin direction to the onstream flow.
fragmentation. The chemical usage

Figure 2 - Recoflo® short-bed demineralizer

With feeds containing up to around 100 The combination of small resin volume
ppm of total dissolved solids (TDS), and low exchanger loadings results in
the rapid ion transfer kinetics allows a short onstream and regeneration cycle
single two-bed unit to produce high times. Depending on the feed
quality water (e.g., 10 megohm•cm with dissolved solids concentration, the total
less than 10 ppb silica). Deep-bed cycle time is approximately 10 to 120
demineralizers would require a mixed- minutes. During offstream,
bed polisher for this purpose. An RO regeneration and rinsing takes around
primary unit or a two unit configuration 4 minutes, and this is followed by an
can be employed to produce better internal recirculation to the desired
quality water (i.e., 10 to 18 megohm•cm product quality which takes
with less than 5 ppb silica) from feeds approximately 1 to 3 additional
with higher TDS concentrations. minutes. These cycle times are
drastically different from those of deep-
bed systems that are typically onstream

SM/Technical Papers/TP153 01/03/16

TECHNICAL PAPER 153

for around 20 hours and require 2 to 4 Proven Reliability -Short-bed

hours for regeneration. The shorter demineralization technology, like its
cycle times result in the production of deep-bed counterpart, has been
small "slugs" of wastewater throughout successfully employed for over two
a day rather than one large volume of decades in numerous installations for
wastewater. These small "slugs" allow the production of high purity water. The
for a much smaller waste holding tank use of EDI outside of low flow
and waste treatment facility. applications has been somewhat
limited. In fact some EDI products have
The shorter cycles also aid in been on the market for less than their
identifying and resolving operational claimed lifespan of 5 years. As such
problems. It typically takes a full the long-term reliability of the EDI
regeneration cycle to assess the technology and the actual life of many
operation of any demineralizer. If the of the EDI brands are yet to be verified.
specified product quality is not being
produced, then the cause must be Space Requirement - The low resin
identified and remedied, and the unit inventory of the short-bed demineralizer
must be regenerated once again. This results a space requirement that is a s
procedure, which is continued until the small or smaller than an EDI system;
required water quality is produced, can typically half the space of a
take a long time with most conventional demineralization system.
demineralizers since each
regeneration cycle can take 3 to 4 Installation and Commissioning - As
hours to complete. The shorter with the EDI stacks, installation of the
regeneration time of the short-bed unit short-bed demineralizer is expedited by
(around 6 minutes), however, allows for loading the resin in place prior to
several regenerations cycles to be shipment. To reduce commissioning
conducted in a short period of time. time, the unit can even be operated to
produce the specified quality of product
at the manufacturer's facility. A short-
COMPARISON BETWEEN RO/EDI AND bed demineralizer can be
SHORT-BED DEMINERALIZATION commissioned in several days. This i s
Short-bed demineralization combines in contrast to a conventional deep-bed
the benefits of the RO/EDI and system that requires one to two weeks
conventional deep-bed to load the resin into the beds and
demineralization technologies, as troubleshoot the unit on-site. Both the
summarized in Table 2. EDI and short-bed systems require
minimal civil work for installation.

SM/Technical Papers/TP153 01/03/16

TECHNICAL PAPER 153

PARAMETER MIXED-BED REVERSE OSMOSIS/ SHORT-BED

DEMINERALIZATION ELECTRODEIONIZATION DEMINERALIZATION

RELIABILITY • Proven reliability in • limited number of • proven reliability in

many installations installations and short- many installations
term operating
experience in power
plants
• susceptible to scaling by
hardness and silica that
leak through RO
EQUIPMENT • stainless steel piping • plastic piping only, no • stainless steel piping
available stainless steel available
• complex auxiliary • skid-mounted, compact, • skid-mounted,
equipment small footprint compact, small
• complex regeneration • complex EDI stacks footprint
sequence • stacks prone to leaking • simple two bed
configuration
WASTE • large waste volume • no need for waste • small "slugs" of waste
HANDLING generated treatment generated (easy to
(waste handling issues) handle)

INSTALLATION, • on-site construction, • easy to install, pre- • pre-assembled and

COMMISSIONING assembly of parts (labor assembled pre-tested
and time intensive) • resin already installed,
• resin must be loaded on- conditioned, and
site ready for service
• unit must be troubleshot • easy to install, and
on-site commission (lower
installation costs)
SERVICEABILITY • long cycle times may • EDI stacks are not • short cycle times
require more serviceable on-site; must facilitate
time/supervision to be sent back to the troubleshooting
identify and ensure manufacturer • short beds (inches)
system errors have allow easy re-bedding;
been corrected short downtime
• deep beds (feet) require (hours) for brine
longer downtime for re- squeeze
bedding; long downtime
(days) for brine squeeze
to remove organics from
the resin
OPERATING • high volume of • high energy consumption • uses less regenerant
COSTS chemicals required • high replacement costs chemicals
• large volumes of resin to for stacks • small volume of resin
replace • EDI stack membrane to replace
cleaning required

Table 2 - Comparison of water treatment technologies

SM/Technical Papers/TP153 01/03/16

TECHNICAL PAPER 153

Chemical Requirement - A main reverse osmosis unit to recover a

benefit of the EDI system is the portion of the wastewater.
elimination of the need for on-site
storage of concentrated acid and
caustic regenerants. This benefit Operating Cost - A comparison of the
translates into a reduction in capital operating costs of an EDI stack and a
cost since the infrastructure required to short-bed polisher for a typical make-
hold and convey these chemicals is no up water application is given in Table 3.
longer required (e.g., storage tanks, The costing is for the production of 400
waste neutralization facility). In gpm of 10 megohm•cm water from a
addition, the risk of exposure of plant reverse osmosis permeate containing
personnel to these hazardous a TDS concentration of 4 mg/L a s
chemicals is also eliminated. CaCO3. The operating costs for
pretreatment, the primary reverse
While short-bed demineralization osmosis system, and O&M labor are
requires the acid and caustic for assumed to be the same for both
regeneration, the short cycle operation cases. The short-bed system offers a
and regenerant dosing design savings of approximately $45,000 per
minimizes required infrastructure and year. Even if the wastewater from the
risk of exposure. For regeneration, EDI was recycled back to the plant for
concentrated chemical can be drawn another purpose (e.g., cooling or pump
from small totes (e.g., 220 gal) and seal water), the annual operating cost
diluted in-line directly below the resin for the short-bed demineralizer would
bed, thus reducing the risk of operator still be around $37,000 less.
exposure and the need for bulk storage
tanks. Totes of concentrated acid and The influence of EDI stack life is far
caustic are available from numerous greater on the overall operating cost
chemical suppliers across North than the influence of resin life. As
America and Europe. In installations shown in the sensitivity analysis in
with a primary reverse osmosis Figure 3, a reduction in resin life has a
system, each tote can last as long as 3 minimal effect on operating cost. A one
months, depending upon the product year decrease in resin life has almost
flowrate. In addition, the short cycles of no effect on the normalized annual
the unit result in the generation of small operating costs of the short-bed
"slugs" of wastewater throughout the demineralizer (1% increase), but the
day. The waste neutralization facility for same decrease in EDI stack life would
a short-bed demineralizer is therefore increase the operating costs by 11%.
much smaller than the facility for a Even in the extreme case of having to
deep-bed demineralizer system that change both the cation and anion resin
must be designed for a large volume of beds every year, the annual operating
wastewater at one time. In many costs would increase by only around
cases, the low flow waste stream can $5,400 or 27%. This in stark contrast to
be recycled directly in front of the the $127,400 increase or almost
threefold increase that would be

SM/Technical Papers/TP153 01/03/16

TECHNICAL PAPER 153

incurred if the EDI stacks had be operating experience of the EDI system
replaced annually. The risk is further in power plat applications.
compounded by the lack of long-term

Operating Cost Short-Bed Electrodeionization

($/1000 gal) Demineralization
Electricity 0.060 0.118
Steam 0.003
Sulfuric Acid 0.003
Caustic 0.011
Resin Replacement 0.007
EDI Stack Replacement 0.152
Wastewater 0.010 0.040
Total Cost ($/1000 gal) 0.094 0.31
Total Annual Cost ($/yr) $19,762 $65,174
Design Basis: electricity ($0.05/kWh), steam ($2.50/1000 lb), sulfuric acid ($0.04/lb), caustic ($0.18/lb),
EDI stack ($5000/stack), raw water ($2.00/1000 gal), sewerage ($2.00/1000 gal),
resin life (5 years), EDI stack life (5 years), waste neutralization included

Table 3 - Operating cost comparison between EDI and short-bed demineralization

(400 gpm net flow, 10 megohm•cm product with < 0.010 mg/L silica)

$200,000
EDI Polisher
Annual Operating Cost ($)

Short-Bed Polisher
$150,000

$100,000

$50,000

$0
0 1 2 3 4 5
EDI Stack or Resin Life

Figure 3 - Effect of resin life and EDI stack life on annual operating cost (400 gpm
net flow, 10 megohm•cm product with < 0.010 mg/L silica, see Table 2 for design
basis)

SM/Technical Papers/TP153 01/03/16

TECHNICAL PAPER 153

SUMMARY inability to effectively remove weakly

Electrodeionization technology for water ionized contaminants such as silica,
treatment offers several benefits; most carbon dioxide and organics. Also, a s
notable is the elimination of the on-site the technology is relatively new, its
bulk storage and operator exposure long-term reliability in power plant
associated with the use of acid and applications is unknown.
caustic regenerants. Other benefits
include continuous operation, small Short-bed ion exchange technology
space requirements, rapid installation, appears to combine the low cost,
low labor requirements, and the proven reliability, and high performance
elimination of the regenerant waste of standard mixed-bed ion exchange
stream. For boiler feed applications, with the low chemical exposure, low
EDI systems have several drawbacks maintenance, rapid installation, and
including a relatively high capital cost, small space requirements of EDI.
high energy consumption, and the

SM/Technical Papers/TP153 01/03/16