Consep Technology Ovivo

Condensate Polishing Overview
Based on our extensive experience of supplying condensate polishing systems, we

have selected our proprietary Kennicott™ CONESEP® external regeneration plant
for regeneration of mixed bed vessels. This system offers superior separation of
cation and anion resins for mixed bed regeneration, giving excellent quality
condensate with no risk of chemical contamination of the steam/condensate circuit
and allowing for operation beyond the ammonia breakpoint.
The benefits of our Kennicott™ CONESEP® system over other resin separation
processes include:
 Fully automatic operation. The resin interface is detected automatically and

resins separated without need for manual intervention. Most other systems
require visual inspection and/or manual operation to perform a resin separation.
 Suspended solids removal without prefilters, with a specialized resin cleaning
sequence designed to efficiently and effectively remove suspended solids
retained by the resin.
 Separation achieved regardless of resin volumes, allowing for resin ratio to
be adjusted without compromising performance.
 A very high degree of resin separation is achieved and guaranteed,
minimizing sodium and sulphate leakage. Cation contamination of the anion resin is
reduced to 500m.
 99.9% removal of resin from both the service vessels and CONESEP®
vessels.
Ovivo Kennicott™ CONESEP® System External Regeneration
The Kennicott® CONESEP® module consists of two main vessels along with all the
associated pipe work, valves, controls and instrumentation.
The system comprises:
1. Separation / anion regeneration unit

2. Cation regeneration / mix and hold unit
3. Interface isolation vessel
The regeneration units are rubber-lined pressure vessels, each complete with a
header and lateral distribution system for the regenerant chemical injection, which is
located just above the resin bed. The resin is supported on an epoxy-bonded sand
matrix in the anion unit, into which is set a collection/distribution lateral system. This
matrix retains the resin while allowing flow of air or liquid. Its open nature will also
allow removal of fine particulate matter by the combined air scour/rinse down
technique. The cation regeneration unit features an optimized dished nozzle-plate
design with little or no solids removal required within this vessel, while still allowing
free flow of fluid.
Sequence 1 – Transfer of Spent and Recharged Resins
The resin is transferred from the mixed bed polisher unit via 80mm NB stainless
steel pipe at a rate of 44 m3/h using demineralized water. Resin transfer is carried
out hydraulically whereby the bed is roused and then directly displaced by water.
Remaining resin is removed by pulsed sluicing. Initially mixed resin is received into
the separation / anion regeneration unit. An optical resin detection switch is installed
on resin transfer lines close to relevant vessels (service unit or regeneration vessel)
to confirm that resin transfer has completed successfully.
Sequence 2 – Resin Cleaning & Classification
Air bump rinse out (ABRO) – the resin bed is first scoured with air to loosen any
debris within the bed and loosen it up to ease the passage of rinse water through the
resin. The air is then turned off and water is used to wash the debris (crud and any
resin fines) from the bed, the flow being from top to bottom. The cleaning cycle can
be repeated a number of times, the number being set by the operator based upon
operator experience and the prevailing operating conditions. During start-up when
crud load is high, it is usually necessary to increase the number of cleaning cycles.
The air scour is followed by a full bed backwash and classification. This differs from
the ABRO method in that the bed is washed in the opposite direction – water flows
from bottom to top. The backwashing expands the resin bed to a level just below the
top outlet strainer in the Separation/anion regeneration unit, grading the resin and
allowing the denser cation resin to settle below the less dense anion resin.
Sequence 3 – Resin Separation and Cation Transfer
After initial expansion of the bed during backwashing, the fluidizing rate is reduced to
allow full separation of cation and anion resins. The cation resin is then transferred to
the cation regeneration unit by introducing transfer water into the base of the
separation / anion regeneration unit. During transfer there is a small upward flow of
water through the resin bed that is used to maintain a level cation / anion resin
interface.
The volume of water flowing upwards is equal to the true volume of resin leaving the
unit via the resin outlet pipe.
Important to the transfer procedure is the fact that ion exchange resins have an
appreciable conductivity, which is utilized to detect the resin interface within the
transfer pipe. A conductivity cell is mounted in the transfer pipe between the two
vessels, which automatically detects the interface, thus allowing the CONESEP®
system to operate without the use of expensive inert resin.
To enhance the detection of the cation/anion interface, approximately 2 mg/l of
acidity (as CaCO3) via gaseous carbon dioxide, is introduced into the resin transfer
water. This acidity increases the conductivity of the water, and is taken up by the
anion resin, thus lowering the conductivity. This drop in conductivity indicates the
beginning of the interface of the cation / anion resins. As a secondary check, an
optical device detects the change in resin color by measuring the increase in
reflectivity as the anion resin replaces the cation resin.
When the RIDDU detects the change in conductivity or reflectivity, the cation
regeneration / mix and hold unit resin inlet valve is closed and any resin remaining in
the transfer pipe is diverted to the interface isolation unit before the transfer
sequence is halted. Following the transfer sequence, the transfer line is flushed to
reduce the potential for resin cross-contamination with the majority of the resin being
flushed into the resin interface isolation unit. The cation and anion resins are now
substantially separated and ready to be individually regenerated.
Regen Sequence 4 – Resin Regeneration
After separation the separated resins are ready for simultaneous regeneration. The
first step in this process is to lower the water level to near the surface of the resin in
both CONESEP® units. This is followed by the injection of 5% sodium hydroxide at 6
BV/h into the separation / anion regeneration unit and 5% sulphuric acid at 5 BV/h
into the cation regeneration / mix and hold unit.
Regenerant injection is followed by a displacement rinse. At this point in the

regeneration sequence an optional cleaning step can be included to allow the
individual cation and anion resins to be cleaned, if operating experience shows this
to be of benefit.
After regeneration of the anion resin a secondary separation is performed, which

further reduces the cation resin held within the anion resin. A small volume of cation
and anion interface resin is then transferred to the interface isolation unit.
The resins are given individual displacement and fast rinses. On completion of resin
rinsing, the anion and cation resin is hydraulically transferred to the cation
regeneration / mix and hold unit. The unit is then partially dewatered and the resins
mixed by air and further rinsed to ensure that no chemicals are transferred to the
polisher units. The contents of the resin interface isolation unit are transferred to the
separation / anion regeneration unit prior to the next regeneration sequence, and
await the receipt of an exhausted resin charge from the polisher units for separation
and regeneration.
Consideration of Ammonia-Cycle Operation
Plants using this system have the potential to switch to ammonia-cycle operation
quickly and simply
 After-cation conductivity cells supplied
 Larger caustic hot water dilution tank to accommodate higher caustic use
during regeneration
 Software includes simple switchover to ammonia form operation
Importantly, crud loading on resin during the long service lengths of ammonia form
operation is much higher, even with pre filtration, requiring good removal of crud
during the regeneration procedure. The CONESEP® regeneration sequence
includes an adjustable set point for ABRO repeats. These are a combined air-scour
and backwash procedure, specially developed for the CONESEP® as an effective
means of removing solids loading from resin with little effluent generated. Fine-tuning
of the number of repeats of this step within the regeneration procedure allows for the
system to be optimized quickly for ammonia form operation.
Switching between hydrogen form operation and ammonia form may be achieved
with the click of a single button on the HMI supplied, which will change all required
software set points and control elements for immediate switch to control with
ammonia form operation.

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Condensate Polishing Overview

Based on our extensive experience of supplying condensate polishing systems, we

 Fully automatic operation. The resin interface is detected automatically and

Ovivo Kennicott™ CONESEP® System External Regeneration

The system comprises:

1. Separation / anion regeneration unit

Sequence 1 – Transfer of Spent and Recharged Resins

Sequence 2 – Resin Cleaning & Classification

Sequence 3 – Resin Separation and Cation Transfer

Regen Sequence 4 – Resin Regeneration

Regenerant injection is followed by a displacement rinse. At this point in the

After regeneration of the anion resin a secondary separation is performed, which

Consideration of Ammonia-Cycle Operation

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