Water Treatment and Electrolysis

Overview

A variety of water treatment processes require DC power for producing strong electric fields in enclosed containers or water tanks. As DC power is not readily available, these processes rely on DC power supplies, also referred to as rectifiers, as a critical element in the treatment of water to convert available AC to DC. With the power supply outputs connected to the water enclosure’s electrodes, control of the power supply is critical to ensure process repeatability and operational safety. Power supply features such as interlock (emergency stop), external start and stop, and reference voltages proportional to output voltage and current enable system-level integration of the power supply with external instrumentation for maximum control. Front panel indicators and extensive diagnostics eases system setup and troubleshooting. Magna-Power Electronics reputation for water-treatment and electrolysis power supplies is built upon its reliable current-fed power processing technology, flexible control, and a wide range of standard models.

Why Magna-Power Electronics?

  • Ease of PLC Integration: Magna-Power Electronics external programming, consistent across its entire programmable DC power supply product line, allows the product to be easily integrated with external instrumentation. +5 Vdc and +10 Vdc references are provided allowing the use of dry contacts on the digital inputs and jumpering. An interlock signal is also provided on all power supplies, recommended by most EDI module manufacturers.
  • Reputation in water treatment industry: Magna-Power Electronics has a long-standing history in the water treatment industry. A broad voltage and current model offering directly matches with EDI modules and other water treatment requirements, allowing power supplies to be closely matched to actual power requirements.
  • Water-cooling option (+WC): A water-cooling option is available for TS Series (5 kW to 45 kW) and MS Series (30 kW to 75) in place of the standard air-cooling. The water-cooling is recommended for environments with poor air quality or without adequate air flow necessary for the power supply.
  • Standard products, built for reliability: All Magna-Power Electronics power supplies are built for peak voltage and peak current operation, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. With thousands of power supplies delivered every year and a product line refined over decades, have confidence in the reliability of Magna-Power Electronics products.

Electrodeionization (EDI)

Electrodeionization is a chemical-free water-treatment process that uses electrodes to ionize water molecules to separate dissolved ions from the water. EDI is often used in applications requiring ultrapure water, such as pharmaceutical, semiconductor manufacuring, or other industrial processes. A DC power is used in conjunction with electrochemical cell(s) to provide the electricmagnetic field necessary to separate the ionized species from the feed water. 

 

Power Supplies for SnowPure Electropure™ EDI Modules

The following table relates the rectifier power requirements for Electropure™ EDI modules to the Magna-Power Electronics programmable DC power supplies. For each additional module in parallel, the power supply's current requirement increases by the corresponding amount in the table below, which will cause the best suited power supply to vary. For more information, find your local Magna-Power Electronics sales partner.  

SnowPure EDI Module Parallel Branches Required Voltage, Max Required Current, Max Magna-Power Electronics Power Supply
XL-100 1 75 Vdc 8 Adc XR80-25
XL-200 1 150 Vdc 8 Adc XR160-12
XL-300 1 240 Vdc 8 Adc XR250-8
XL-400 1 300 Vdc 8 Adc XR400-10.0
XL-500 1 400 Vdc 8 Adc XR400-10.0
XL-500 5 400 Vdc 40 Adc TSA400-48
XL-500 10 400 Vdc 80 Adc TSA400-108
EXL-600 1 400 Vdc 8 Adc XR400-10.0
EXL-600 5 400 Vdc 40 Adc TSA400-48
EXL-600 10 400 Vdc 80 Adc TSA400-108
EXL-700 1 600 Vdc 8 Adc XR600-9.9
EXL-700 5 600 Vdc 40 Adc TSA600-40
EXL-700 10 600 Vdc 80 Adc MSA600-96

Power Supplies for DOW™ EDI Modules

Series Branches Parallel Branches Total Modules Required Voltage, Max Required Current, Max Magna-Power Electronics Power Supply
1 1 1 175 Vdc 9 Adc XR200-10
1 3 3 175 Vdc 27 Adc XR200-30
1 5 5 175 Vdc 45 Adc TSA200-50
2 1 2 350 Vdc  9 Adc XR400-10
2 2 4 350 Vdc 18 Adc TSA375-27
2 3 6 350 Vdc 27 Adc TSA375-27
2 4 8 350 Vdc 36 Adc TSA375-39
2 5 10 350 Vdc 45 Adc TSA375-52
2 6 12 350 Vdc 54 Adc TSA375-65
2 7 14 350 Vdc 63 Adc TSA375-65
2 8 16 350 Vdc 72 Adc TSA375-78
2 9 18 350 Vdc 81 Adc TSA375-117
2 10 20 350 Vdc 90 Adc TSA375-117
2 11 22 350 Vdc 99 Adc TSA375-117
2 12 24 350 Vdc 108 Adc TSA375-117
2 13 26 350 Vdc 117 Adc TSA375-117
2 14 28 350 Vdc 126 Adc MSA375-156
2 15 30 350 Vdc 135 Adc MSA375-156
2 16 32 350 Vdc 144 Adc MSA375-156
2 17 34 350 Vdc 153 Adc MSA375-156
2 18 36 350 Vdc 162 Adc MSA375-195
2 19 38 350 Vdc 171 Adc MSA375-195
2 20 40 350 Vdc 180 Adc MSA375-195
2 21 42 350 Vdc 189 Adc MSA375-195
2 22 44 350 Vdc 198 Adc MSA375-195

Electrolysis

Hydrogen generation via electrolysis of water relies on water being split into individual components and then introducing electrons to form hydrogen gas. Water reacts at the anode for an oxidation reaction, resulting in positively charge hydrogen ions and oxygen gas. The hydrogen ions then combine with electrons at the cathode, introduced from an external circuit, to form usable hydrogen gas. A high-current DC power supply is connected to the electrodes to provide the external current necessary to produce hydrogen in volume.

Historically, hydrogen has been generated in large-scale electrolysis plants and distributed to industrial locations in large cylinders. In these applications, power supplies in the hundreds of kilowatts, such as the MT Series (100 kW to 2000 kW+), are suitable. As hydrogen demands grow, however, the high transportation costs offset the convenience of sourcing hydrogen, making on-site decentralized hydrogen generation economical. Small-scale hydrogen generation systems require low voltage, high current programmable DC power supplies. Magna-Power Electronics offers rack-mount packages with power up to 45 kW and currents up to 2700 Adc, the TS Series (5 kW to 45 kW) meets the high current requirements of electrolysis, with advanced control, voltage and current metering, and system-level protection.

Related Application Notes

Title Description
Configuring with EDI System

A guide for integrating Magna-Power Electronics power supply controls with an external electrodeionization system.
External Pin (JS1) and PLC Integration Guide

A guide to the rear 37-pin connector for PLC integration and external control from analog and digital signals.
An Overview of Current-fed Power Processing

A technical paper on Magna-Power Electronics signature current-fed power processing topology and comparison to alternative approaches to high-power switch-mode power supply design.