Kärcher WATERCLEAN 1600, Operating Instructions Manual

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WATERCLEAN 1600
Version 03/2008
GENERAL
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1.4.4 Physical Operating Principle of the RO-Machine
The machine is operating with the physical principle of the reverse os-
mosis. Osmosis is the concentration equalisation on two liquids with
different densities. A gradual compensation of the concentrations is
produced with a semi-permeable membrane (Fig. 1) until an osmotic
balance sets in.
The reversion of this procedure is called 'Reverse Osmosis'. Machines
working to this principle are called RO-machines.
Due to a pressure which is stronger than the osmotic pressure applied
to the liquid, the flow direction of the water is reversed. The water is
now pressed through the membrane from an upgraded solution. The
purified water produced with this method is called
drinking water , the
upgraded residual water is called concentrate .
The reverse osmosis can be economically used for the demineralisa-
tion of waters with salt content. The advantage over conventional ion
exchange procedures is mainly the low environmental pollution. The
reverse osmosis requires no regenerant chemicals for the purifying
procedure.
Fig. 1 Reverse Osmosis Membrane
Inflow
Water-
collector
Net
Porous
support
layer
Membrane
(two layers glued
together)