Operation; Pre-Production Mode - Kinetico K5 Manual

K5 Drinking Water Station

Operation

Pre-Production Mode

Starting with an empty product water reservoir (inside WOW tank bladder), feed water comes in
through first tube port (blue collet) on the right. Water passes through pre-filter, then up through
the cartridge center tube. The water is split into two paths at this point.
In the first path, water then passes through a chamber to the RO shutoff. Since no permeate
pressure is forcing the drive valve down, the water flows out from under the center of the
diaphragm and exits downward out the other port. From this port, water then passes to a
chamber under check valve, up through the check valve, then into the feed port of the RO
membrane cartridge which is the radial passage between the outer radial passage and the
central passage.
In the second path, prefiltered feed water passes through a chamber to the central shutoff ring
of vent valve. Since no permeate is available to create a downward closing pressure signal, the
valve is open, allowing water to pass under a sealing diaphragm through a chamber to the vent
valve, connecting at two points. The first connection point is the upper closing signal, where
pre-filtered feed water entering creates a downward closing force on the valve piston.
As pre-production mode continues through time, RO permeate is produced as described below.
The permeate water normally goes into the storage tank, but as the outside of the bladder in the
WOW tank is completely filled and pressurized from incoming prefiltered water, the permeate
seeks easier paths to fill. First is the flush accumulator, described below. Next is the top signal
port chamber of the drive valve. Lastly is the signal feed line (blue collet). This is designed so
the system shuts the drive piston first, before shutting of the production of permeate.
Increasing hydraulic force from accumulating permeate applied to drive valve forces it to close
against feed pressure opposing with upward pressure on a smaller area. This happens near 2/3
supply pressure. After the drive valve closes, the upward hydraulic area is decreased to be only
the central area inside the sealing ring as the annular area outside of the sealing ring is vented
to drain via a reject flow control. Simultaneously, all other chambers which communicate with
the reject flow control are drained to vent. When the pressure on the vent valve decreases to 12
PSI, the lifting force of the spring contained therein lifts the piston so the sealing diaphragm
opens the path to drain. The desired result achieved is a storage tank which is being filled with
permeate water and drained of its spent driving water while at a negligible gauge pressure.
After the series of aforementioned events, pre-production mode is ended, and operation
proceeds in production mode as described below through to completion with a full permeate
storage chamber (inside of the bladder in the WOW tank).
Drinking Water Systems
Section 7 Revised: 09/2016
Page 8