HEAD REBUILDING
Prior to following this procedure, remove the head following the
procedure listed.
Step 1 Remove Adapter
Pull the adapter from the permeate port by slowly pulling on the
adapter body.
Step 2 Remove Permeate Port
Carefully remove the metal retaining ring from the permeate port
as to not damage the ring or the port. A new retaining ring may
be required to assemble the head. After the ring is removed,
carefully slip the bearing plate off the permeate port and set it
aside. Then simply pull the permeate port from the sealing plate.
Step 3 Remove Seals
Remove the seal from the permeate port and set aside. Using a
small tool, such as a screwdriver or a paper clip, remove the seal
from the inside of the permeate port and set aside.
Step 4 Clean All Components
Using a mild soap solution, clean each component, rinse with
fresh water and then dry with compressed air or a lint free towel.
Step 5 Inspect Components
Examine each component for corrosion or damage that may
affect the performance of the vessel. Replace any components
that have corrosion or visual damage. In addition, carefully
inspect each seal for damage or wear. It is recommended to
replace each seal at this time. Please be aware that seal
condition may affect system performance.
Step 6 Lubricate Seals
Using extreme care, coat each seal with a thin layer of glycerin.
Only a thin layer is required. Silicone lubricants can also be used;
however, care should be taken to use as little as possible. Check
with your membrane supplier before using these lubricants as
they can foul membranes.
Step 7 Reassemble Head
Reversing the removal procedure, reassemble the head. Please
note that a new permeate port retaining ring may be required to
ensure correct component performance.
PIPING RECOMMENDATIONS
PROTEC pressure vessels are the most durable side port vessel
available today. Unlike vessels with less durable designs,
connecting PROTEC side ported vessels to manifolding or to
each other is easily done if some very basic rules are followed.
These are as follows:
Use two flexible Victaulic™ connections when manifold
accuracy is questionable.
The tolerance required for side-ported vessels should be a total
per port of .030. For retrofitting side-ported vessels into older
systems or when manifold tolerances can simply not be
guaranteed, the two-connection method is the safest approach.
Use a single flexible Victaulic™ connection when manifold
accuracy is not a problem.
This is possible when manifold to
vessel misalignment can be held to within .030 in any direction.
However, it is important to note that these flexible connections
allow angular but not lateral misalignment. Therefore, any
misalignment must be kept to a minimum.
Use intermediate Victaulic™ connections in the manifolds
when required.
This practice allows more flexibility in the
system resulting in easier to install manifolds.
Center the vessel between the manifolds
. This is very basic
but commonly overlooked. If the port on one end is directly
aligned with the manifold and the opposite is .060 off, centering
the
vessel before tightening the straps allows each end to handle
.030. Do this with each vessel.
Allow one concentrate manifold to float.
In some systems,
the manifold can be connected to the vessels and supported by
the floor but allowed to float in the axial direction to provide room
for vessel growth under pressure.
Let the manifold span be longer than the vessel span.
Remember that the vessel will grow in length under pressure.
Setting the manifold span on the long side is another way to
provide room for vessel growth under pressure.
Check each connection for acceptable misalignment.
By installing the Victaulic™ connection without the gasket and
drawing the bolts snug, the connector should be able to rotate by
hand. On some systems this test may not be practical. In these
cases the Victaulic™ connections must be able to be tightened
without the need of excessive force. Force would indicate a
major misalignment that could damage the vessel.
When in doubt, contact the factory.
MULTIPLE PORT
RECOMMENDATIONS
Multiple port vessels are those specified by the user to have
more than one high-pressure port per end. This feature allows
vessels to be directly connected together allowing water to flow
through one vessel into another. This piping method has
become an acceptable way to provide superior system designs
while reducing system costs.
While the thought of directly bolting vessels together is easily
understood, there are several guidelines that must be followed in
order to have a good long-term system design. These are as
follows:
Flow-balance the system.
When supplying feed water from one side of the vessels, take the
concentrate from the opposite side. This will prevent more water
from flowing through the first vessel and starting the second and
third. This practice will help equalize feed flow to each vessel.
Minimize pressure drop.
As water passes through each vessel, a pressure drop occurs.
This will result in the last vessel in a connected pass receiving
less pressure than the first. Increasing port size reduces this
effect.
Optimize the water velocity through the ports.
The speed of the water through the ports should be kept within a
reasonable range to ensure proper long-term performance
(typically 5-15 ft. per sec.) Speeds that are too fast result in port
erosion while speeds that are too slow will promote corrosion.
Consider feeding from the center of a pass or from both
ends.
This practice may eliminate problems with velocities that are too
high for proper system performance.
Avoid the temptation to use smaller ports.
Even though the thought of adding on an extra vessel with small
ports sounds reasonable, it can result in a pressure drop
problem.
Evaluate the effect of using larger ports.
Large concentrate ports may be desired for cleaning flows but
may have low velocity under normal operations.
Take caution when using more than one port size.
Changing ports sizes in a second or third pass requires careful
evaluation of pressure drop that can affect system performance.
Check with your membrane supplier.
It is a good idea to let your membrane supplier evaluate the
performance of your proposed system.
Don’t assume that we endorse the use of multiple ports for
your system.
Just because vessels can be ported together does not make
them the best choice for your system. Bekaert Progressive
Composites is not responsible for the misapplication of the
multiple port option.