MECO - A worldwide leader in water purification

MECO Carbon Filters are designed for the removal of chlorine or chloramines. The carbon filters are designed based on your effluent water quality required and the feed water analysis. Carbon filters can be provided individually or as part of a total water treatment solution. The control system can be dedicated to the filter or part of a total water system.

Carbon filters are designed specifically for your application using fiberglass, PVC, lined carbon steel or stainless steel in the materials of construction. Furthermore, each filter is equipped with the MASTERedge™ Package, a system of features that provides even greater value. You also benefit from the expert and responsive service delivered through MECO's MASTERsupport™ service capabilities.

Under-Drain/Internals

One of the most important aspects of any filter system is the design of the internals and the associated supports. On MECO filters, you will find header lateral or hub radial distributors and collectors at the entrance and effluent of the vessel. The result is an efficient filter with a high degree of reliability and low maintenance.

Mainifolded Valving & Piping Supports

A standard feature of MECO media filters, softeners and carbon filters is independent valving completely assembled, manifolded, supported and tested. As a result, you get a system that is highly reliable, easy to troubleshoot, maintain and install.

Stainless Steel Airlines

As part of the MASTERedge™ package on MECO pretreatment vessels, your system will be fitted with stainless steel airlines. While the plastic alternative is certainly easier to install, the stainless system is more robust and less susceptible to nicks and cracks resulting in improper valve operation.

Solenoid Panel

MECO filter vessels are completely preassembled and tested with all valves and air lines led to one central solenoid panel. You will find this system more organized, easier to troubleshoot and validate.

One must consider the control of biological activity when designing a water system. Continuous sanitization is achieved in any part of the system where the water remains chlorinated or is maintained at a temperature exceeding 165 degrees F. For the typical system described above, all components upstream of the point of dechlorination are continuously sanitized by the chlorinated water. The distillation unit will not have any biological activity as the water is heated to a sufficient temperature.

Therefore, in a typical system, the potential area for biological activity in the equipment is between the point of dechlorination and the distillation unit, namely the carbon filter, polishing softener and interconnecting piping. The biological activity in this area is controlled by periodic sanitization.

This periodic sanitization can be accomplished in several ways including:

Chemical Sanitization

Portions of the system can be chemically sanitized with a recirculating biocide as indicated in the diagram.

The equipment needed for chemical sanitization includes a recirculation pump, biocide reservoir and associated piping and/or hoses. Electrical power to the pump would be required. These chemical sanitization systems are generally separate from the water system and are moved into place and connected when sanitization is needed.

Portions of the system can also be thermally sanitized with either hot water or steam.

Hot Water Sanitization

The equipment needed for hot water sanitization includes a recirculation pump, expansion tank, heat exchanger and associated piping. Steam and condensate piping to the heat exchanger and electrical power to the pump would be required.

These hot water sanitization systems are generally integral to the water system and are isolated by valves until sanitization is needed.

Steam Sanitization

The equipment needed for steam sanitization includes a source of pure steam, generally from a pure steam generator, and associated piping. These steam sanitization systems are generally integral to the water system and are isolated by valves until sanitization is needed.

The pure steam generator may be a central unit used for a variety of pure steam requirements in the facility or it may be a dedicated unit for the water system sterilization. Steam and condensate piping to the heat exchanger and electrical power to the pure steam generator would also be required.

MECO MASTERedge™ Sanitization

The main component of a pharmaceutical water system is the distillation unit. All of the upstream equipment serves to pretreat the water before it enters the distillation unit. The downstream equipment stores and distributes the distillate produced by the distillation unit.

Distillation units for pharmaceutical water systems utilize either the multiple effect distillation process or the vapor compression distillation process. The distillation unit shown here utilizes the vapor compression process.

The specific area of interest with respect to the sanitization is shaded in the diagram on the right. During normal (distillate production) operation or standby operation the shaded area contains pure steam at 1 to 4.5 psig.

The steam is produced by the addition of heat by the feed heater and from heat given up by condensation. The important issue is that a source of pure steam, suitable for sanitization, is available from the still without the addition of additional equipment.

The MECO MASTERedge™ Sanitization process utilizes the pure steam available from the distillation unit for sanitization of the upstream components. This arrangement eliminates the need for a dedicated pure generator or the need to pipe pure steam from a central pure steam generator.

The controls needed to automate the sanitization procedure can be incorporated into the system without involving outside equipment. A properly designed system allows sanitization while the distillation unit is in the standby or normal operating modes.

Q: Do I need a cartridge filter after my carbon filter?

A: Not necessarily. If this water is being fed to an RO system, then you will want to put a cartridge filter. With respect to a MECO Vapor Compression Still, it depends on the carbon filter design. If the carbon filter is designed with PVC intervals, then a cartridge filter may be necessary to catch small amounts of carbon fines. With stainless steel intervals, a stainless steel dynapore mesh screen is welded over the bottom collector. Therefore, the cartridge filter is not required.
 

Q: Does a carbon filter remove chloramines?

A: Yes, a carbon filter will remove the chlorine from the chloramine compound. The only difference is the amount of contact time between the chloramine and carbon fines necessary to remove the chlorine. When properly sized, carbon filters will remove the chloramines. Note: There will be an ammonia by-product after removing the chlorine from the chloramine.

The MECO Pretreatment Vessel Master Edge Package™

Our MASTERedge™ Package is one reason MECO is becoming the choice of more biopharm companies for carbon filtration.

Dynapore Mesh Screen

The under-drain system has a Dynapore Mesh screen completely over each lateral component. This screen does not allow media to flow out of the vessel to the downstream components; thus removing the requirement for filter cartridges after pretreatment vessels.

Bed Expansion

Freeboard design exceeds the bed expansion during the backwash process, which eliminates the loss of media.

Sanitization Options

Designed for sanitization with clean steam, hot water or the patented sanitization from a MECO Vapor Compression Still.

Solenoid Panel

A solenoid panel is located on each vessel for one central air line connection. Stainless steel airlines are connected to each individual valve. Standout Features Include:

• Galvanized rigid conduit
• Stainless steel airlines
• Conservative flux rates
• Mirror finish stainless steel cladding on all sanitizable designs

Anytime. Anywhere.

• 24 hours, 7 days a week access to effectively manage your water system.

Real Time Access to:

• Purchase spare parts online
• Track status of outstanding orders
• Review shipping information
• Review invoice/payment history
• Review online maintenance records
• Request technical information
• Online electronic manuals
• Remote system monitoring capabilities

   MECO understands the importance of providing our customers with the parts and services required to maintain systems operating at optimum capacity. Our online service center - MECO MASTERsupport™ is a good example of that. It enables you to monitor your system remotely, place orders, access service records and view your system's manuals when it's convenient for you. Anytime. Anywhere.

With a simple point and click, our entire parts inventory is available to you. Through the online service center, you also get real-time access to invoices, orders, shipping status, system manuals and service trip reports. Everything you need to know to effectively manage and maintain your treatment plant is right at your fingertips.

It's another example of MECO's commitment to providing the highest quality spare parts and cost effective support throughout the life-cycle of the product.

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