Simplify Your Water Treatment with Higgins Loop Technology

EMIT Water Discharge Technology utilizes a continuous countercurrent ion exchange (CCIX) method for removing sodium and other cations from CBM produced water. This CCIX system is based on the Higgins Loop technology, which is a patented process exclusively licensed from Severn Trent Services. The Higgins Loop technology was invented in 1951 and has been adapted to efficiently and cost-effectively treat produced water from coal bed methane extraction.

The produced water containing high Na levels enters into the adsorption zone within the Higgins Loop where it contacts a strong acid cation resin which loads Na+ ions in exchange for hydrogen (H-) ions. The "loop" extracts 95% of the cations.

Concurrent with adsorption and in the lower section of the Higgins Loop, Na-loaded resin is regenerated with hydrochloric acid and a small, concentrated spent brine stream is produced. Regenerated resin is rinsed with water prior to re-entering the adsorption zone to remove acid from its pores.

As resin in the adsorption zone becomes loaded with Na, the flows to the Higgins Loop are momentarily interrupted to allow "pulsing" the resin bed through the loop in the opposite direction of the liquid flow. Liquid flows restart after the resin pulsing is complete.

EMIT has proven its continuous treatment process to be very reliable under harsh environmental conditions, 24/7/365 days a year.  Uptime for the process has been documented to be greater than 99%.

	(A) Pulse - controls resin flow through loop (B) Regeneration - ion desorbed from resin (C) Adsorption - ion loaded onto resin (D) Backwash - fines and solids removal
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EMIT offers two models of the Higgins Loop; Model 6024 and Model 3012. The model numbers refer to the actual diameter of the piping used in the Higgins Loop.

The Model 3012 provides a 12" diameter "regeneration zone" and 30" diameter "adsorption zone." It comes on two skids with a total footprint of 220 sq ft.

The Model 6024 is EMIT Water's most popular model. It offers a 24" diameter "regeneration zone" and 60" diameter "adsorption zone." It ships on three skids with a total footprint of 450 sq ft. The Model 6024 provides four times the treatment capacity of a Model 3012. They are both portable and reliable treatment options for CBM produced water.