An ozone concentration measurement system

Abstract

The present invention relates to an ozone concentration measurement system (1) comprising an ozone gas inlet line (2), and at least one flow controller (3) located on the ozone inlet line (2).

Description

[0001] AN OZONE CONCENTRATION MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

[0002] The present invention relates to an ozone concentration measurement system and a measurement method in which this system is used.

[0003] It is known that chemicals used in bleaching (decolorizing) jeans in the denim industry cause harm to the environment and employees. Environmental solutions have been researched for a long time to prevent environmental damage. For this purpose, it has been studied since the 1990s to utilize the oxidation effect of ozone.

[0004] Ozone is used in two ways in denim bleaching. The first known method is sending ozone gas into the drum where the jeans are placed, and the second method is injecting ozone gas into the water and washing the jeans with ozone water. In the method called dry ozone, ozone is sent into the drum where the wet / moist jeans are located.

[0005] Denim fabric undergoes a long production process starting from raw fabric until it reaches a wearable state. These processes are divided into 2, namely dry and wet processes, and are applied to give the denim an effect. Recently, ozone applications in the textile sector have also become widespread. Since ozone applications do not require the use of toxic chemicals used in denim bleaching, their importance has increased even more. Bleaching is achieved by breaking off or disintegrating the indigo with ozone.

[0006] After the ozone processes, it is required to destruct the ozone used in production and release it into the atmosphere as oxygen. This is because ozone gas causes health problems when exposed above certain values. Therefore, it is dangerous to release the gas in the drum into the atmosphere or environment after high weight production. Several parameters are important during ozone gas destruction. Duration and ozone concentration are the criteria affecting the destruction phase. The destruction phase continues until the ozone concentration in the ozone environment decreases to a certain concentration value. This value is determined as the value that will not adversely affect human health. During the destruction process, the ozone concentration is measured by ozone analyzers. Ozone analyzers are diversified according to their measurement ranges and if there is a high concentration of ozone in the environment, an ozone analyzer with a high measurement range is used. However, due to their operating principle, these analyzers cannot precisely measure ozone concentration at low values. Measuring the ozone precisely at low values is important for human health and for the correct destruction process. However, precise measurements cannot be made at low ozone values with the analyzer used for high ozone concentration measurement. Therefore, in bleaching processes that require low ozone concentration, the same analyzer (the analyzer used for high ozone concentration measurement) remains inadequate to measure ozone concentration and cannot provide output.

[0007] In the state-of-the-art US patent application numbered US2005115004, the ozone concentration in an airtight container is measured by means of an analyzer.

[0008] The state-of-the-art European patent application numbered EP0858971 discloses a water treatment unit with a means to pressurize the ozone and water mixture.

[0009] The objective of the present invention is to enable eliminating the inefficiencies in the ozone destruction process by accurately measuring the ozone concentration used in denim bleaching processes at low and high concentrations, avoiding the effects that may adversely affect human health, and reducing the quality difference in the products subjected to the process by means of precise measurement of ozone concentration. An ozone concentration measurement system, which is realized to achieve the objective of the present invention and described in the claims, comprises an ozone inlet line through which ozone enters the system and a flow controller located on this line. The ozone concentration measurement system includes two ozone concentration analyzers, one high and one low. What is meant by high and low is the concentration of ozone that the two analyzers can measure relative to each other and that is contained in a gas mixture. A high concentration ozone analyzer measures a level above a predetermined level, while a low concentration ozone analyzer measures a level below a predetermined level. The ozone concentration measurement system also includes a control unit, and this control unit communicates with the flow controller and analyzers. This communication can be wired or wireless. The control unit first activates the flow controller and delivers the ozone gas mixture to both analyzers. If the ozone concentration is found to be above the predetermined level, the ozone and gas mixture is delivered only to the high concentration ozone analyzer; if it is found to be below the said level, the ozone and gas mixture is delivered only to the low concentration ozone analyzer. In this way, the ozone concentration in the ozone and gas mixture is precisely measured.

[0010] In another embodiment of the invention, the ozone inlet line is connected to an ozone generator and / or an ozone volume suitable for storing ozone therein for at least some time. In this way, the ozone concentration measurement system is fed with the ozone and gas mixture.

[0011] In another embodiment of the invention, the high concentration ozone analyzer and the low concentration ozone analyzer are in communication with a first flow controller and a second flow controller, respectively. In this configuration, analyzers are located on two parallel lines.

[0012] In another embodiment of the invention, the analyzers are in communication with an ozone destruction unit to which the ozone output is delivered. In another embodiment of the invention, the flow controller is configured to prevent backflow.

[0013] Thanks to the ozone concentration measurement system of the present invention, the ozone concentration can be measured precisely, the exhaustion of the catalyst material can be calculated efficiently, the effects of ozone that may adversely affect human health can be avoided and the frequency of maintenance and service of the ozone generator and destruction unit can be reduced.

[0014] The denim bleaching system, which is realized to achieve the objective of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying figures, in which:

[0015] Figure 1 - is the schematic view of an ozone concentration measurement system. Figure 2 - is the schematic view of an ozone concentration measurement system. Figure 3 - is the schematic view of an ozone concentration measurement system. Figure 4 - is the schematic view of an ozone concentration measurement system. Figure 5 - is the schematic view of an ozone concentration measurement system.

[0016] The parts shown in the figures are each given reference numbers as follows:

[0017] 1. Ozone concentration measurement system

[0018] 2. Inlet line

[0019] 3. Flow controller

[0020] 3 a. First flow controller

[0021] 3b. Second flow controller

[0022] 4. High concentration ozone analyzer

[0023] 5. Low concentration ozone analyzer

[0024] 6. Control unit

[0025] 7. Ozone generator

[0026] 8. Ozone volume 9. Ozone destruction unit

[0027] The ozone concentration measurement system (1) comprises an ozone gas inlet line (2), and at least one flow controller (3) located on the ozone inlet line (2).

[0028] The ozone concentration measurement system (1) of the present invention comprises a high concentration ozone analyzer (4) which is configured to measure the ozone concentration until it decreases to a predetermined level (Cl), and a low concentration ozone analyzer (5) which is configured to measure the ozone concentration until it increases to a predetermined level (Cl), and to both of which the ozone passing through the flow controller (3) is delivered, and a control unit (6) which is connected to the analyzers (4,5) and the flow controller (3), and configured to deliver ozone to both analyzers (4,5) via the flow controller (3) until a value is read by the analyzers (4,5), wherein the control unit (6) is configured to enable the flow controller (3) to deliver ozone gas to the high concentration ozone analyzer (4) if the read ozone concentration is above a predetermined level (Cl), and to enable the flow controller (3) to deliver ozone gas to the low concentration ozone analyzer (5) if the read ozone concentration is below a predetermined level (Cl). The gas mixture containing ozone gas passing through the flow controller (3) passes through two analyzers (4,5), one of which is the high concentration ozone analyzer (4) and the other low concentration ozone analyzer (5). As mentioned above, these analyzers (4,5) are designed to measure different ozone concentrations. One of them measures values above a predetermined level (Cl), while the other measures values below a predetermined level (Cl). The ozone concentration measurement system (1) primarily delivers the ozone and gas mixture to both analyzers (4,5) by means of the control unit (6) and if the read value is above the specified level (Cl), the mixture is delivered only to the high concentration ozone analyzer (4) and the value is read. Conversely, if the read value is below the determined level (Cl), only the low concentration ozone analyzer (5) reads a value. As a result, the control unit (6) activates the flow controller (3) to control the flow of the ozone and gas mixture so that it is only delivered to the respective analyzer (4,5). In other words, if the ozone concentration readings are above the determined level (Cl), it directs the mixture to the high concentration ozone analyzer (4), and if they are below the said level, it directs the mixture to the low concentration ozone analyzer (5). In this way, the ozone concentration measurement system (1) achieves precision in measurement. Thanks to precise ozone concentration measurement, it is ensured that the electronic, mechanical and software parts of the ozone generator (reactor, etc.) operate in a controlled manner. Another advantage is that by optimizing the ozone destruction processes, the moisture and gas mixture passing over the catalyst used in ozone destruction is restricted and the catalyst lifetime is extended.

[0029] In one embodiment of the invention, the ozone concentration measurement system (1) comprises an ozone generator (7) and / or an ozone volume (8), which supplies ozone to the ozone inlet line (2). The ozone inlet line (2) is in communication with the flow controller (3) at one end and with the ozone generator (7) and / or an ozone volume (8) at the other end.

[0030] In another embodiment of the invention, the ozone concentration measurement system (1) comprises first and second flow controllers (3a, 3b), which control the flow of ozone delivered to the high concentration ozone analyzer (4) and the low concentration ozone analyzer (5), respectively. In this preferred embodiment of the invention, there are two parallel ozone flow lines. First, the control unit (6) switches on both flow controllers (3a, 3b) and the ozone concentration is compared to a predetermined level (Cl) according to the value read on the analyzer (4,5). If the detected level is found to be above the predetermined level (Cl), the control unit (6) activates the first flow controller (3 a) and directs the entire gas mixture to the high concentration ozone analyzer (4). Conversely, if the detected level is found to be below the predetermined level (Cl), the control unit (6) activates the second flow controller (3b) and directs the entire gas mixture to the low concentration ozone analyzer (5). In this way, ozone concentration is measured precisely. In one embodiment of the invention, the ozone concentration measurement system (1) is configured to cooperate with an ozone destruction unit (9) to which ozone leaving the analyzers (4,5) is delivered. The ozone concentration measurement system (1) is located between an ozone generator (7) and / or an ozone volume (8) and an ozone destruction unit (9) and precisely measures the ozone concentration in the ozone and gas mixture passed therein. In this way, the exhaustion rate of the ozone destruction unit (9) can be precisely determined together with the amount of ozone destructed. The most important advantage of this is to ensure that there is no ozone gas in the gas discharged into the external environment. It is of great importance to prevent the uncontrolled release of ozone gas into the external environment in terms of human health. The release of ozone gas into the external environment poses a high health risk due to the highly reactive nature of ozone. Therefore, the presence of an ozone destruction unit (9) is very important for operator’s and environmental health.

[0031] In one embodiment of the invention, the ozone concentration measurement system (1) comprises a flow controller (3) configured to prevent backflow of the gas passing therein. This way, the entry of the ozone and gas mixture coming from the ozone volume (8) into the ozone generator (7) or of the ozone and gas mixture coming from the ozone generator (7) into the ozone volume (8) is prevented. This ensures a controlled measurement without compromising employee safety. In addition, damage to the device is prevented, thereby enabling the frequency of maintenance and service to be reduced.

[0032] In one embodiment of the invention, the ozone concentration measurement system (1) is used in a denim bleaching system. While the ozone concentration measurement system (1) can work with any device that uses ozone, a preferred application is ozone bleaching of denim fabric. Thanks to the ozone concentration measurement system (1) of the present invention, high and low ozone concentrations can be precisely measured and a suitable ozone destruction process can be performed. Another advantage of the invention is that by knowing the ozone concentration to be destructed, the inefficiency caused by the destruction time is eliminated.

[0033] Another advantage of the invention is that, thanks to the precise ozone concentration measurement, the electronic, mechanical and software parts of the ozone sources (ozone volume (8), ozone generator (7)) operate in a controlled manner.

Claims

CLAIMS An ozone concentration measurement system (1), comprising: an ozone gas inlet line (2), at least one flow controller (3) located on the ozone inlet line (2), and characterized by a high concentration ozone analyzer (4) which is configured to measure the ozone concentration until it decreases to a predetermined level (Cl), and a low concentration ozone analyzer (5) which is configured to measure the ozone concentration until it increases to a predetermined level (Cl), and to both of which the ozone passing through the flow controller (3) is delivered, a control unit (6) which is connected to the analyzers (4,5) and the flow controller (3), and configured to deliver ozone to both analyzers (4,5) via the flow controller (3) until a value is read by the analyzers (4,5), wherein the control unit (6) being configured to enable the flow controller (3) to deliver ozone gas to the high concentration ozone analyzer (4) if the read ozone concentration is above a predetermined level (Cl), and to enable the flow controller (3) to deliver ozone gas to the low concentration ozone analyzer (5) if the read ozone concentration is below a predetermined level (Cl). An ozone concentration measurement system (1) according to claim 1, characterized by an ozone generator (7) or an ozone volume (8) for supplying ozone to the ozone inlet line (2). An ozone concentration measurement system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the first and second flow controller (3a, 3b) which control the flow of ozone delivered to the high concentration ozone analyzer (4) and the low concentration ozone analyzer (5), respectively.

94. An ozone concentration measurement system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by an ozone destruction unit (9) to which ozone leaving the analyzers (4,5) is delivered.

5. An ozone concentration measurement system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the flow controller (3), which is configured to prevent backflow of the gas passing therein.

6. An ozone concentration measurement system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, for use in a denim bleaching system (1).

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