Method for operating a water-conducting electrical appliance and water-conducting electrical appliance

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a water-conducting electrical appliance comprising a water-receiving element, an electrochemical cell, a metering device for metering a washing and / or cleaning agent that contains a conductance-modifier into the electrochemical cell, the method comprising: a) conducting water into the electrochemical cell; b) metering the washing and / or cleaning agent that contains the conductance-modifier into the electrochemical cell or into the water flowing therethrough; c) determining a conductance of the liquid located in the electrochemical cell following steps a) and b); and d) adjusting the determined conductance to a predefined conductance. The invention also relates to a corresponding water-conducting electrical appliance.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for operating a water-carrying electrical device and a water-carrying electrical device.

[0002] WO2018226706A1 describes a heating device that can be connected to water-bearing electrical appliances to provide hot water. The heating device is designed as an instantaneous water heater and includes a reservoir, a cold water connection, an inlet and outlet, a pump, and a hot water return. However, this system is complex and requires considerable installation space.

[0003] Other generic processes are described in US 6 461 446 B1 and in US 2009 / 165823 A1.

[0004] The invention thus addresses the problem of providing a method for operating a water-bearing electrical device and a water-bearing electrical device that are simple and require little installation space.

[0005] According to the invention, this problem is solved by a method with the features of claim 1 and a water-carrying electrical device with the features of claim 9. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are set forth in the following dependent claims.

[0006] The advantages achievable with the invention, besides a reduction in system complexity and a smaller installation space, include the provision of standardized operating conditions for the electrochemical cell. These standardized conditions are achieved by adjusting the conductivity of the liquid in the electrochemical cell to a predetermined value.

[0007] Since water exhibits regionally varying conductivity, heating the water typically requires different parameters. This leads to increased design complexity, for example, in terms of required electrode surface area and control effort to compensate for these variations. The invention solves this problem by adjusting the conductivity of the liquid in the electrochemical cell to a predetermined value, thus eliminating or at least minimizing this design and control complexity, as the electrochemical cell can always operate under identical conditions. The water-carrying electrical device has a compact design.

[0008] The invention relates to a method for operating a water-carrying electrical device with a water absorption element, an electrochemical cell, a metering device for metering a conductivity sensor-containing washing and / or cleaning agent into the electrochemical cell, comprising a) Directing water into the electrochemical cell; b) Dosing the conductivity-enabled detergent and / or cleaning agent into the electrochemical cell or into the water flowing through it; c) Determining the conductivity of the liquid in the electrochemical cell following steps a) and b); and d) Adjusting the determined conductivity to a predetermined conductivity value.

[0009] The power required to heat the liquid depends on its conductivity. By adjusting the electrical conductivity of the liquid—resulting from the supply of water and the conductivity-enhancing detergent and / or cleaning agent—to a predetermined value, the electrochemical cell can be operated under identical conditions, regardless of the conductivity of the water supplied to the electrochemical cell. This system is particularly advantageous in regions with low water hardness and therefore low water conductivity.

[0010] Preferably, drinking water is supplied to the electrochemical cell ∓ in step a). The conductivity of drinking water varies regionally.

[0011] According to the invention, step d) features Comparing the predetermined conductivity with the determined conductivity; and introducing water into the electrochemical cell if the determined conductivity is greater than the predetermined conductivity, and dosing the conductivity-enabled washing and / or cleaning agent into the electrochemical cell if the determined conductivity is less than the predetermined conductivity.

[0012] This allows the determined conductivity to be easily adjusted to the predetermined conductivity of the liquid in the electrochemical cell.

[0013] Preferably, step c) involves applying a predetermined voltage to the electrochemical cell, measuring the current flow in the electrochemical cell, and determining the conductance based on the measured current flow. This allows the conductance of the liquid in the electrochemical cell to be determined in a simple manner.

[0014] Preferably, the electrochemical cell is designed for an operating range above a conductivity value that occurs at a water hardness above 14°dH, more preferably above 17°dH, and even more preferably above 21°dH. The predetermined conductivity value is preferably stored in the water-carrying electrical device.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, when the measured conductance is equal to the predetermined conductance, the electrochemical cell is activated by heating the liquid inside it. The electrochemical cell is activated, for example, by applying an alternating voltage to its electrodes. Preferably, the liquid is directed from the electrochemical cell into the water-absorbing element during and / or after heating. There, the liquid can then wash and / or clean the water-absorbing element and / or any objects located within it.

[0016] Preferably, the liquid is directed from the electrical cell into the water absorption element and from there back into the electrical cell, so that it is circulated through the electrical cell and the water absorption element. In a preferred embodiment, during and / or after heating the liquid in the electrochemical cell, the liquid is circulated from a first region of the water absorption element through the electrochemical cell to a second region of the water absorption element. This further improves the washing and / or cleaning performance of the liquid.

[0017] Preferably, steps c) and d) are carried out during the heating of the liquid in the electrochemical cell. This ensures that the electrochemical cell is operated under constant conditions during heating.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the conductivity generator is selected from the group consisting of alkali carriers, inorganic or organic acids, salts of organic acids, phosphonates, surfactants, and / or mixtures thereof. The conductivity generator can form part of the washing and / or cleaning agent, in which case the washing and / or cleaning agent may, for example, continue to contain detergent and / or cleaning agents. Alternatively, the washing and / or cleaning agent can consist entirely of the conductivity generator. The conductivity generated by the conductivity generator is higher than that of the water used to dilute the washing and / or cleaning agent containing the conductivity generator.

[0019] The invention further relates to a water-bearing electrical device comprising a water absorption element, an electrochemical cell, a dosing device configured to dose a sensor-containing washing and / or cleaning agent into the electrochemical cell or into the water flowing through it, and a control unit configured to execute a method according to one or more of the embodiments described above.

[0020] The electrochemical cell has electrodes in the form of an anode and a cathode, to which a voltage can be applied. Preferably, the electrochemical cell is designed to heat the liquid contained within it when an alternating voltage is applied to the anode and the cathode.

[0021] Preferably, the water-bearing electrical appliance is designed as a washing machine or dishwasher.

[0022] Preferably, the device further comprises a circulation system designed to pump water from a first area of ​​the water receiving element through the electrochemical cell into a second area of ​​the water receiving element.

[0023] An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and is described in more detail below. It shows Fig. 1 shows a partial flowchart of a method according to the invention.

[0024] Fig. 1Figure 1 shows a partial flowchart of a method according to the invention. The method is carried out in a water-bearing electrical device that has an electrochemical cell into which water is fed and a conductivity-enhancing detergent and / or cleaning agent is dosed, so that a liquid is present in the electrochemical cell. In step 1, the conductivity of the liquid in the electrochemical cell, consisting of water and conductivity-enhancing detergent and / or cleaning agent, is determined. Subsequently, step 2 is carried out in which the determined conductivity is compared with a predetermined conductivity value.

[0025] If, in step 3, the measured conductivity is higher than the predetermined conductivity, water is introduced into the electrochemical cell to adjust the conductivity of the liquid to the predetermined value. If, in step 5, the measured conductivity is equal to the predetermined conductivity, the electrochemical cell is activated in step 6, heating the liquid inside. If, in step 7, the measured conductivity is lower than the predetermined conductivity, in step 8, detergent and / or cleaning agent containing a conductivity sensor is added to the electrochemical cell to adjust the conductivity of the liquid to the predetermined value. After steps 4, 6, and 8, step 1 can still be repeated.

Claims

1. Method for operating a water-conducting electrical appliance having a water-receiving element, an electrochemical cell and a dosing device for dosing a conductivity agent-containing washing and / or cleaning agent into the electrochemical cell, comprising a) conducting water into the electrochemical cell; b) dosing the conductivity agent-containing washing and / or cleaning agent into the electrochemical cell or into the water flowing through said cell; c) determining a conductivity of the fluid located in the electrochemical cell after steps a) and b); and d) adjusting the determined conductivity to a predetermined conductivity. characterised in that step d) comprises - comparing the predetermined conductivity with the determined conductivity; and - conducting water into the electrochemical cell if the determined conductivity is greater than the predetermined conductivity, and dosing the conductivity agent-containing washing and / or cleaning agent into the electrochemical cell or into the water flowing through said cell if the determined conductivity is less than the predetermined conductivity.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that step c) comprises applying a predetermined voltage to the electrochemical cell, measuring a current flow in the electrochemical cell, and determining the conductivity on the basis of the measured current flow.

3. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the electrochemical cell is designed for a working range which is above a conductivity present at a water hardness above 14°dH, more preferably above 17°dH, even more preferably above 21°dH.

4. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that, if the determined conductivity is equal to the predetermined conductivity, the electrochemical cell is put into operation in such a manner that the fluid inside it is heated by applying an alternating voltage to the anode and the cathode.

5. Method according to claim 4, characterised in that during and / or after the heating of the fluid in the electrochemical cell, the fluid is circulated from a first region of the water-receiving element through the electrochemical cell to a second region of the water-receiving element.

6. Method according to claim 4 or claim 5, characterised in that during the heating of the fluid in the electrochemical cell, steps c) and d) are carried out.

7. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the conductivity agent is selected from the group consisting of an alkali carrier, inorganic or organic acid, organic acid salt, phosphonate, surfactant and / or mixtures thereof.

8. Water-conducting electrical appliance, comprising - a water-receiving element, - an electrochemical cell, - a dosing means designed to dose a conductivity agent-containing washing and / or cleaning agent into the electrochemical cell, - a control unit configured to perform a method according to any of the preceding claims.

9. Water-conducting electrical appliance according to claim 8, characterised in that it is designed as a washing machine or dishwasher.

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