A system and a method for treating rinse water

Abstract

Described and claimed is a system (1) for treating rinse water, in particular, for treating rinse water which has been used for rinsing food and beverage containers. The system (1) comprises a treatment subsystem (23) for treating the received rinse water and a water quality sensing device (43) for continuously analyzing the treated rinse water. The system (1) only supplies treated rinse water via an outlet line (45) to a rinse line for further rinsing when the water quality of the treated rinse water is deemed sufficient for rinsing. In case the water quality of the treated rinse water is deemed insufficient for further rinsing, the system automatically provides industrial process water to the rinse line. Further, a method for treating rinse water is described and claimed.

Description

[0001] Applicant: GRUNDFOS HOLDING A / S

[0002] Title: A system and a method for treating rinse water

[0003] Our Ref.: GP 3839 WO

[0004] Description

[0005]

[0001] The present invention is directed to a system for treating rinse water used for rinsing food and beverage containers. The invention is further directed to a method for treating rinse water used for rinsing food and beverage containers.

[0006] 5

[0002] In the beverage and soft drink industry, generally the bottling industry, bottles, cans, and other containers for products need to be rinsed before the containers can be filled with product. The same issue arises generally in the food and beverage industry. Currently, the water used for rinsing food and beverage containers is sent to a drain and treated,

[0007] 10 for example, at a municipal water treatment plant. Cleaning food and beverage containers consumes large amounts of water that are oftentimes only lightly contaminated.

[0008]

[0003] In view of the above, it is considered an object of the present invention to provide a system and a method for reducing the water consumption when rinsing food and beverage containers.

[0009]

[0004] The problem underlying the present invention is solved by a system for treating rinse water as well as a method for treating rinse water according to the independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the system and the method are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0010] 20

[0005] In a first aspect a system for treating rinse water is provided. The system comprises an inlet line for receiving rinse water for treatment. The

[0011] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 rinse water has been used for rinsing, preferably for rinsing food and beverages containers. The system further comprises a treatment subsystem for treating the received rinse water to improve a water quality and obtain treated rinse water, a water quality sensing device for continuously

[0012] 5 analyzing the treated rinse water and determining a plurality of parameters indicative of a water quality of the treated rinse water, and an industrial process water quality sensing device. The industrial process water quality sensing device is configured for analyzing industrial process water intended for supply to the treatment subsystem. The industrial process

[0013] 10 water quality sensing device is further configured for determining a plurality of parameters indicative of an industrial process water quality, i.e., a water quality of the industrial process water. The system is configured for only supplying treated rinse water via an outlet line to a rinse line for rinsing when the water quality of the treated rinse water is deemed sufficient for rinsing. The system is configured to determine whether the water quality of the treated rinse water is sufficient for rinsing based on the industrial process water quality. The rinse line is preferably for rinsing food and beverage containers. The system is further configured for supplying industrial process water to the rinse line when the water quality of the

[0014] 20 treated rinse water is not deemed sufficient for rinsing, thereby enabling the system to continuously switch between supplying treated rinse water and industrial process water to the rinse line depending on the water quality of the treated rinse water.

[0015]

[0006] In other words, according to the first aspect a system is provided which enables a continuous operation of a rinse line with a reduced overall water consumption. The system may, for example, be used for treating rinse water that has been used for rinsing food and beverage containers such as, for example, bottles and cans used for softdrinks. Further, the system can also be used to treat and thereby improve the water

[0016] 30 quality of water that has been used for rinsing other products.

[0017] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025

[0007] The system receives rinse water that has been collected after rinsing and is now fed to the system according to the present embodiment for treatment. Thereby, it is intended to avoid that the rinse water is sent to the drain and essentially discarded. Instead, the present embodiment

[0018] 5 of the system aims to treat the collected used rinse water and improve its quality by removing contaminants and impurities so that the rinse water can be reused.

[0019]

[0008] The collected rinse water is provided to the system via an inlet line. At the system, the treatment of the received rinse water is performed by a so-called treatment subsystem. The treatment subsystem may comprise various elements for removing contaminations and impurities out of the received rinse water. For example, the treatment subsystem may comprise at least one of and preferably all of an oxygen peroxide supply unit, UV light unit, and a carbon filter in this order. Additionally, the treat¬

[0020] 15 ment subsystem may, for example, comprise a pre-filter unit and a postfiltering unit which each comprise safety filters. However, it is noted that additional or entirely treatment methods may be used in conjunction with the treatment subsystem to clean the received rinse water.

[0021]

[0009] After the rinse water has been treated for improving its water qual¬

[0022] 20 ity, the water is provided to a water quality sensing device. The water quality sensing device comprises a plurality of sensors measuring different parameters of the treated rinse water. Each of these parameters is indicative of the water quality of the treated rinse water. Examples of the parameters that may be determined are the subject matter of preferred embodiments and include at least one of a pH level of the treated rinse water, a temperature of the treated rinse water, an oxygen reduction potential of the treated rinse water, a turbidity of the treated rinse water, and / or a conductivity of the treated rinse water.

[0023]

[0010] The quality of the treated rinse water is analyzed continuously by

[0024] 30 the water quality sensing device. For example, the water quality sensing

[0025] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 device may provide the plurality of parameters that have been determined continuously to a control unit of the system. In other embodiments, the determined parameters are directly evaluated by the water quality sensing device. The measurement of the water quality is performed con¬

[0026] 5 tinuously and automatically, so that no user interaction is required. Preferably, the water quality sensing device provides the measured parameters in real time to the control unit so that swift action can be taken when the water quality of the treated rinse waters changes.

[0027]

[0011] The system is further configured to decide based on the water quality of the treated rinse water whether the treated rinse water can be reused for rinsing. In particular, the system may determine whether the water quality is sufficient for rinsing food and beverage containers. In case the water quality is deemed sufficient for rinsing, the treated rinse water is provided via an outlet line to a rinse line. Preferably, the rinse line

[0028] 15 receiving the treated rinse water is the same as the rinse line from which the rinse water has previously been collected or among a group of rinse lines from which the rinse water is collected and provided for treatment to the system.

[0029]

[0012] In case the water quality of the treated rinse water is deemed not

[0030] 20 sufficient after passing through the treatment subsystem, the system is configured to supply industrial process water to the rinse water line instead of the treated rinse water. This advantageously allows the system to continuously provide water for the rinse line even in case that the rinse water collected at the rinse line is too heavily contaminated for a sufficient treatment in a single round through to the treatment subsystem.

[0031]

[0013] Industrial process water refers to water having a quality sufficient for rinsing, preferably for rinsing food and beverage containers. The industrial process water may be treated or untreated water from any supply, including untreated tap water or water from natural sources, pro¬

[0032] 30 vided its quality is adequate for the intended rinsing operation. In other

[0033] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 words, the term “industrial process water” denotes water of a quality suitable for use in the rinsing and preferably in the rinsing of food and beverage containers. Industrial process water encompasses water originating from any available supply, such as public distribution networks or nat¬

[0034] 5 ural sources including wells, rivers, or lakes. Depending on the inherent quality of the supplied water, the water may be used directly, for example as, untreated tap water, or may require treatment to achieve a quality sufficient for the intended rinsing operation. Unless otherwise indicated, the term does not impose restrictions on the specific origin, treat¬

[0035] 10 ment method, or regulatory classification of the water, provided that its use does not compromise the hygienic suitability of the containers to be rinsed.

[0036]

[0014] The switch between the industrial process water and the treated rinse water is preferably controlled using a control unit that is part of the system. The control unit may be formed as a single general-purpose computer that controls the valves for switching between treated rinse water and industrial process water. However, the control unit could also be formed as a decentralized or distributed system comprising a plurality of computing units. For example, the local control unit of the water qual¬

[0037] 20 ity sensing device could be part of a distributed control unit. In other embodiments, the control unit could also be formed as a cloud system or be partly in a cloud system.

[0038]

[0015] The system further comprises an industrial process water quality sensing device for analyzing the industrial process water which will be supplied to the rinse line when the water quality of the treated rinse water is not deemed sufficient for rinsing. The industrial process water quality sensing device analyzes the industrial process water and determines a plurality of parameters. There parameters are indicative of an industrial process water quality. In other words, the industrial process water quality

[0039] 30 sensing device continuously analyzes industrial process water. The latter is used as a fallback in case the treated rinse water is not clean enough,

[0040] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 i.e., not of sufficiently high quality, for rinsing. The industrial process water quality sensing device determines a plurality of parameters serve as an indicator for the water quality of the industrial process water. The system is configured to determine whether the water quality of the treated rinse

[0041] 5 water is sufficient for rinsing based on the industrial process water quality. Preferably, the plurality of parameters indicative of the industrial process water quality is a subset of the plurality of parameters indicative of the water quality of the treated rinse water. Further, preferably the plurality of parameters indicative of the water quality of the treated rinse water is

[0042] 10 identical to the plurality of parameters indicative of the industrial process water quality.

[0043]

[0016] Hence, the system also comprises a water quality sensing device which analyzes the water quality of the industrial process water that is provided in the alternative to the rinse line in case the treated rinse water quality is deemed insufficient for rinsing. It is preferred that the industrial process water quality sensing device measures at least a subset of parameters that are measured by the water quality sensing device analyzing the treated rinse water.

[0044]

[0017] The water quality of the industrial process water is then used as a

[0045] 20 benchmark for the water quality of the treated rinse water. In other words, whether or not the treated rinse water is of sufficiently high quality to be used for rinsing is (at least not entirely) determined based on predetermined parameters. Rather, the comparison is made against the industrial process water that would be used in the alternative for rinsing. Thereby, the system can be easily adapted to a different locations and different requirements without having to actually modify the control systems.

[0046]

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the system is configured for subjecting the treated rinse water to further treatment by the treatment subsys¬

[0047] 30 tem when the water quality of the treated rinse water is not deemed

[0048] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 sufficient for rinsing. In other words, when the rinse water has passed once through the treatment subsystem and afterwards the analysis of the water quality has shown that the treatment was not sufficient for reusing the rinse water, the treated rinse water is passed once more

[0049] 5 through the treatment subsystem to further improve the water quality so that the rinse water can eventually be reused and does not have to be discarded.

[0050]

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the system comprises at least one inlet storage tank for storing rinse water received at the inlet line before

[0051] 10 the water is subjected to treatment at the treatment subsystem. The inlet storage tank serves as a buffer tank allowing the system to collect rinse water in case the treatment subsystem is either fully loaded and cannot fed more rinse water or in case there is insufficient return flow from the rinse line for the treatment subsystem to be fully filled with dirty rinse water at the required flow rate to enable an efficient operation of the treatment subsystem.

[0052]

[0020] Preferably, the system is configured for storing treated rinse water which shall be subjected to further treatment by the treatment subsystem in the inlet storage tank with rinse water received at the inlet line

[0053] 20 before supplying the treated rinse water again to the treatment subsystem. Mixing the treated rinse water which has already been treated with freshly collected dirty rinse water has the advantage that potential contamination in the already treated rinse water that may not be present in the newly collected rinse water are diluted. In other cases, where the

[0054] 25 treated rinse water has already a significantly improved water quality, mixing the treating rinse water with freshly collected rinse water results in a mix of rinse water with a mediocre contamination that can be more easily treated by the treatment subsystem than the freshly received rinse water on its own.

[0055] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025

[0021] In a further preferred embodiment, which forms an inventive context on its own, the system comprises an inlet water quality sensing device. The inlet water quality sensing device is configured for analyzing the rinse water received at the inlet line and determining a plurality of pa¬

[0056] 5 rameters indicative of an inlet water quality of the rinse water received at the inlet line. The system is configured for only supplying the inlet rinse water to the treatment subsystem, preferably via the inlet storage tank, when the inlet water quality is deemed sufficient for treatment. The system is configured for discarding the inlet rinse water otherwise.

[0057]

[0022] In other words, in the present embodiment the system comprises an inlet water quality sensing device which is provided for testing the rinse water that has been collected at the rinse line. So, before the water is actually received in the system and, in particular, before the water is subjected to the treatment subsystem or stored in the inlet storage tank,

[0058] 15 a plurality of parameters which are indicative of the water quality of the received rinse water are determined. The system is configured to establish based on the these parameters whether it is reasonable to subject the received rinse water to a treatment with the treatment subsystem. In other words, the system decides based on the water quality determined

[0059] 20 by the inlet water quality sensing device whether it can be expected that the received rinse water can be successfully treated in a way that the water quality of the treated rinse water can be sufficient for further rinsing. In case the water quality is too low, for example, because there are contaminants in the waterthat cannot be easily removed orthe contamination of the received rinse water is simply too high for a successful treatment, the received rinse water is immediately discarded. This allows for an efficient operation of the system and avoids a waste of resources on heavily contaminated water that cannot be cleaned with a reasonable effort.

[0060] 30

[0023] It is noted that the present preferred embodiment forms a separate inventive concept which can, in particular, be realized in a system

[0061] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 for treating rinse water that does not comprise a water quality sensing device for analyzing the treated rinse water. In other words, it would be possible to provide and operate a system for treating rinse water where the analysis of the water quality of the received used rinse water is suffi¬

[0062] 5 ciently accurate so that the received rinse water is only subjected to the treatment subsystem if the subsequent water quality of the treated rinse water will be sufficiently high for reusing the treated rinse water. In this case the subsequent water quality sensing device for the treated rinse water would not be essential.

[0063]

[0024] In a preferred embodiment the plurality of parameters indicative of the water quality of the treated water includes at least one of a pH of the treated rinse water, a temperature of the treated rinse water, an oxygen reduction potential of the treated rinse water, a turbidity of the treated rinse water, and / or a conductivity of the treated rinse water. Al¬

[0064] 15 ternatively, or additionally, the plurality of parameters indicative of the industrial process water quality of the industrial process water includes at least one of a pH level of the industrial process water, a temperature of the industrial process water, an oxygen reduction potential of the industrial process water, a turbidity of the industrial process water, and / or a

[0065] 20 conductivity of the industrial process water. Further, alternatively or additionally, the plurality of parameters indicative of the inlet water quality of the used rinse water received at the inlet line includes at least one of a pH level of the received rinse water, a temperature of the received rinse water, an oxygen reduction potential of the received rinse water, a turbidity of the received rinse water, and / or a conductivity of the received rinse water.

[0066]

[0025] In a second aspect a method for treating rinse water which has been used for rinsing is provided. The rinse water has preferably been used for rinsing food and beverage containers. The method comprises

[0067] 30 the steps of receiving rinse water at an inlet line for treatment, wherein

[0068] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 the rinse water has been used for rinsing, treating the received rinse water using a treatment subsystem to improve a water quality and obtain treated rinse water, continuously analyzing the treated rinse water and determining a plurality of parameters indicative of a water quality of the

[0069] 5 treated rinse water using a water quality sensing device, continuously analyzing industrial process water intended to be supplied to the rinse line and determining a plurality of parameters indicative of an industrial process water quality using an industrial process water quality sensing device, and only supplying treated rinse water via an outlet line to a rinse line when the water quality of the treated rinse water is deemed sufficient for rinsing, wherein whether the water quality of the treated rinse water is sufficient for rinsing is determined based on the industrial process water quality and wherein the rinse line is preferably for rinsing food and beverage containers, and supplying industrial process water to the rinse line

[0070] 15 when the water quality of the treated rinse water is not deemed sufficient, thereby being able to continuously switch between supplying treated rinse water and industrial process water to the rinse line.

[0071]

[0026] The method further comprises the steps of continuously analyzing the industrial process water supplied to the rinse line and determining a

[0072] 20 plurality of parameters indicative of an industrial process water quality of the industrial process water using an industrial process water quality sensing device, and determining whether the water quality of the treated rinse water is sufficient for rinsing based on the industrial process water quality. The plurality of parameters indicative of an industrial process water quality is preferably a subset of the plurality of parameters indicative of a water quality of the treated rinse water and further preferably identical to the plurality of parameters indicative of a water quality of the treated rinse water.

[0073]

[0027] The method preferably further comprises the step of subjecting

[0074] 30 the treated rinse water to further treatment by the treatment system

[0075] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 when the water quality of the treated rinse water is deemed insufficient for rinsing.

[0076]

[0028] Further preferably, the method comprises the step of storing rinse water received at the inlet line in at least one inlet storage tank before

[0077] 5 the received rinse water is subjected to treatment at the treatment subsystem.

[0078]

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the treated rinse water subjected to further treatment by the treatment subsystem is stored in the inlet storage tank with rinse water received at the inlet line before being supplied

[0079] 10 again to the treatment subsystem.

[0080]

[0030] Preferably, the method further comprises the steps of analyzing the rinse water received at the inlet line and determining a plurality of parameters indicative of an inlet water quality of the rinse water received at the inlet line using an inlet water quality sensing device, and

[0081] 15 only supplying the inlet rinse water to the treatment subsystem, preferably via the inlet storage tank, when the inlet water quality is deemed sufficient for treatment and discarding the inlet rinse water otherwise.

[0082]

[0031] Preferably, the plurality of parameters indicative of the water quality of the treated water includes at least one of a pH level of the

[0083] 20 treated rinse water, a temperature of the treated rinse water, an oxygen reduction potential of the treated rinse water, a turbidity of the treated rinse water, and / or a conductivity of the treated rinse water. Alternatively, or additionally, the plurality of parameters indicative of the industrial process water quality of the industrial process water includes at least

[0084] 25 one of a pH level of the industrial process water, a temperature of the industrial process water, an oxygen reduction potential of the industrial process water, a turbidity of the industrial process water, and / or a conductivity of the industrial process water. Further alternatively or additionally, the plurality of parameters indicative of the inlet water quality of the

[0085] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 rinse water received at the inlet line includes at least one of a pH level of the received rinse water, a temperature of the received rinse water, an oxygen reduction potential of the received rinse water, a turbidity of the received rinse water, and / or a conductivity of the received rinse water.

[0086] 5

[0032] With regard to the advantages and details of the embodiments of a method for treating rinse water which has been used for rinsing reference is made to the previous detailed description of embodiments of a system for treating rinse water.

[0087]

[0033] Subsequently, the invention will be described in more detail with

[0088] 10 reference to the drawings, wherein

[0089] Figure 1 shows a schematic drawing of an exemplary embodiment of a system for treating rinse water used for rinsing food and beverage containers, and

[0090] Figure 2 shows a flow chart depicting an exemplary embodiment of a method for treating rinse water which has been used for rinsing food and beverage containers.

[0091]

[0034] Figure 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a system 1 for treating rinse water. The rinse water has previously been used for rinsing food and beverage containers such as, for example, cans and bottles for soft

[0092] 20 drinks. The rinse water is collected at the food and beverage container rinse line and received an inlet line 3 of the system 1 .

[0093]

[0035] The received rinse water is first forwarded to a inlet water quality sensing device 5. The inlet water quality sensing device 5 measures a plurality of parameters indicative of a water quality of the rinse water.

[0094] 25 These parameters include, for example, a PH-level of the inlet rinse water, an oxygen reduction potential (ORF) of the inlet rinse water, a temperature of the inlet rinse water, a turbidity of the inlet rinse water and a conductivity of the treated rinse water. To this end, the inlet water quality

[0095] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 sensing device 5 comprises the necessary sensors which are well-known in the prior art.

[0096]

[0036] The inlet water quality sensing device 5 measures the parameters continuously in real-time and compares the measured parameters to

[0097] 5 threshold to determine whether the water quality of the inlet rinse water is sufficient so that the system 1 is able to treat the water and obtain a sufficient water quality for reuse. The comparison of the measured parameters with the threshold can either be made directly in the inlet water quality sensing device 5 or could, for example, be made in a control

[0098] 10 unit 7 of the system 1 . The parameters measured by the inlet water quality sensing device 5 may, for example, be transmitted via a wireless or wired connection to the control unit 7. To keep Figure 1 intelligible, no data connections are shown between the control unit 7 and other elements of the system 1 .

[0099]

[0037] In case it is determined that the water quality of the inlet rinse water is insufficient for treatment by the system, the inlet rinse water is immediately sent to a drain 9, i.e., the inlet rinse water is not treated but discolored and send, for example, to a municipal wastewater facility. Thereby, it is ensured that only rinse water that can be cleaned is processed fur¬

[0100] 20 ther whereas water which is deemed treatable is immediately discarded. For the sake of completeness it is noted that the system 1 will require corresponding valve arrangements that allow selectively sending the inlet waste water into the drain or sending the water towards the system 1 for treatment. These valves are not shown in figure 1 .

[0101]

[0038] The inlet water quality sensing device 5 is shown as a single device. The different sensors inside the device 5 are not shown. Further, it is not essential for the inlet water quality sensing device 5 to have all sensors integrated into a single device 5. Rather, the inlet water quality sensing device 5 could also be formed by a plurality of distinct sensors that are

[0102] 30 spaced apart from each other. However, in any case it is required for the

[0103] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 sensors to be arranged so that they can measure the water quality of the inlet rinse water before the water enters the actual system 1 for treating rinse water.

[0104]

[0039] Received rinse water with a sufficiently high quality for treatment,

[0105] 5 i.e., rinse water which is expected to be cleaned successfully from contaminants and impurities using the system 1 , is forwarded to an inlet water tank 1 1. The inlet water tank 1 1 serves as buffer tank preventing on the one hand an overflow of the treatment units of the system 1 and allowing on the other hand to collect sufficient rinse water to ensure that the treat¬

[0106] 10 ment units can be operated efficiently.

[0107]

[0040] Once sufficient amounts of rinse water have been collected in the inlet water tank 1 1 , rinse water is taken out of the tank 1 1 by means of a pump arrangement 13. The pump arrangement 13 comprises two centrifugal pumps 15a, 15b and controls the flow rate and pressure of the

[0108] 15 rinse water in the system 1 . The system comprises two centrifugal pumps 15a, 15b to ensure redundancy, i.e., to ensure that the system 1 remains in operation in case one of the pumps 15a, 15b should be down, for example, for maintenance, repair, or replacement.

[0109]

[0041] Downstream of the pump arrangement 13 a pre-filtering unit 17 is

[0110] 20 provided. The pre-filtering unit 17 is the first filtering element treating the used rinse water. The pre-filtering unit 17 comprises a safety filter 1 , which is preferably a cartridge filter. Safety filter 19 is a physical filter holding back particles in the rinse water that do not pass through the cartridge filter.

[0111] 25

[0042] The pre-filtering unit 17 comprises a set of pressure sensors 21 a, 21 b. The pressure sensors 21 a, 21 b are provided for establishing a pressure difference across the safety filter 19. The pressure difference across the safety filter 19 is compared to a threshold value. In case the pressure difference exceeds the threshold, it is established that the safety filter 19

[0112] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 is likely blocked and needs to be cleaned or replaced. The comparison may, for example, be performed by an integrated control unit that is part of the pre-filtering unit 17. Alternatively, the comparison and evaluation of the values sensed by the pressure sensors 21 a, 21 b can be made by

[0113] 5 the control unit 7 of the system 1 .

[0114]

[0043] In case the safety filter 19 is deemed blocked, i.e., in case the pressure difference exceeds the predetermined threshold, an operator of the system 1 can be informed and asked to perform the necessary maintenance. The maintenance may, for example, include replacing the safety

[0115] 10 filter 19, cleaning the safety filter 19 or backflushing the safety filter 19. The latter can also be done automatically by the system 1 .

[0116]

[0044] Downstream of the safety filter 19, a treatment subsystem 23 is provided. The treatment subsystem 23 comprises a hydrogen peroxide ( H2O2) supply unit 25, a UV light unit 27 and a carbon filter 29. The pre¬

[0117] 15 filtering unit 17 as well as a post-filtering unit 31 may also be part of the treatment subsystem 23. However, they can also be understood as being separate parts of the system 1 .

[0118]

[0045] The rinse water which has been pre-filtered using the pre-filtering unit 17 in the exemplary embodiment shown in figure 1 is first supplied

[0119] 20 with H2O2 by the H2O2 supply unit 25. The H2O2 supply unit 25 comprises an H2O2 reservoir 33 and a dosing pump 35. The amount of H2O2 supplied or injected into the rinse water is controlled based on the flow rate of the rinse water as well as the water quality of the treated rinse water, i.e., the water quality after the rinse water has passed the treatment subsystem

[0120] 25 23 as well as the pre- and post-filtering units 17, 31 .

[0121]

[0046] Once the used rinse water has been supplied with H2O2, the water passes through the UV light unit 27. The UV light unit 27 applies ultraviolet light to the rinse water which has already been provided with H2O2. To this end, the H2O2 supply unit 25 comprises a light source emitting UV light

[0122] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 at a dose amount of between 200 J / cm2and 1000 J / cm2. The dose amount of the UV light emitted by the UV light unit is controlled using a UV light sensor 37 which is part of the UV light unit 27. UV light units 27 for water are generally known in the prior art and therefore not described in

[0123] 5 more detail here. Here, the UV light disinfects the water and additionally serves as a catalyzer for the advanced oxygen reduction reaction caused by the H2O2.

[0124]

[0047] For the present embodiment of a system 1 for treating rinse water used for rinsing food and beverage containers, the combined use of

[0125] 10 H2O2 and UV light to treat the used rinse water is of particular relevance. Experiments of the inventors have shown that the combination of these two treatment techniques provides the most promising and most reliable improvement in the water quality given the specific contamination that is observed after rinsing food and beverage containers.

[0126]

[0048] Subsequently, the rinse water which has already been treated using H2O2 and UV light is passed through the carbon filter 29. The carbon filter 29 comprises activated carbon which is provided for scavenging free oxidants and partially mineralized contaminants remaining in the rinse water. The combination of the H2O2 supply unit 25, the UV light unit

[0127] 20 27 and the carbon filter 29 further improves the water quality of the treated rinse water allowing to reuse of about 95% of the rinse water.

[0128]

[0049] In the exemplary embodiment shown in figure 1 , the system 1 for treating rinse water further comprises the post-filtering unit 31 which is of similar, if not identical design as the pre-filtering unit 17. As such, the postfiltering unit 31 comprises a safety filter 39 in form of a cartridge filter 39. The safety filter 39 is provided for removing remaining impurities in the treated rinse water including impurities which may have been caused by the treatment subsystem 23. The post-filtering unit 31 further comprises a set of pressure sensors 41 a, 41 b which are provided for measuring a

[0129] 30 pressure difference across the safety filter 39. As previously discussed, the

[0130] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 pressure difference established using the sensors 31 a, 31 b can be used to determine whether the safety filter 39 is blocked. In an exemplary embodiment, the system 1 comprises more than one post-filtering unit 31 .

[0131]

[0050] After passing through the post-filtering unit 31 , the treated rinse

[0132] 5 water is analyzed by a water quality sensing device 43. The water quality sensing device 43 continuously measures a plurality of parameters in the treated rinse water that are indicative of a water quality of the treated rinse water and provides the measured parameters in real-time. For example, the water quality sensing device 43 measures the PH-level of the

[0133] 10 treated rinse water, an ORF of the treated rinse water, a temperature of the treated rinse water, a tubility of the treated rinse water, and a conductivity of the treated rinse water.

[0134]

[0051] As previously discussed with regard to the inlet water quality sensing device 5 which is provided for measuring the water quality of the

[0135] 15 used rinse water provided at the inlet line 3, the water quality sensing device 43 can be provided as a single unit integrating all sensors as shown schematically in figure 1 . However, the sensors could also be separate elements and could be distributed in different places. However, it is essential that the sensors that form the water quality sensing device 43 continuously provide parameters that are indicative of the water quality of the treated rinse water.

[0136]

[0052] The parameters measured at the water quality sensing device 43 are used for multiple purposes. Firstly, the ORP measured by the water quality sensing device 43 is used to control the H2O2 supply unit 25. The

[0137] 25 H2O2 supply unit 25 is thus not only controlled based on the flow rate of the rinse water through the treatment subsystem 23 but also based on the water quality of the treated rinse water and, in particular, the ORP. Th inventors have noted that the ORP of the treated rinse water correlates particularly well with the amount of H2O2 that is required for treating

[0138] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 the rinse water. The water quality sensing device 43 thus provides a feedback loop so that the H2O2 amount injected into the rinse water can be optimized to minimize the H2O2 use and nevertheless achieve the necessary water quality in the treated rinse water. The control of the H2O2 sup¬

[0139] 5 ply unit 25 can be achieved via the control unit 7 of the system 1. It is noted that in figure 1 no control or communication lines are shown between the different parts of the system 1 and the control unit 7. However, it is understood that all devices can exchange data with the control unit 7 as necessary.

[0140] 10

[0053] The control unit 7 can, for example, be formed by a general purpose computer that is part of the system 1. However, it is also possible that the control unit is formed as a distributed system which may be formed by multiple smaller control units that are integrated into the various parts of the system 1 . Also, some are all functions of the control unit 7 can be placed in a distributed system or a cloud computing environment.

[0141]

[0054] In addition to measuring the water quality to control the H2O2 supply unit 25, the water quality sensing device 43 and, in particular, the water quality determined thereby is used to decide whether the water qual¬

[0142] 20 ity of the treated rinse water is sufficient to supply a food and beverage container rinse line with the treated water. In case the water quality of the treated rinse water is deemed sufficient for rinsing food and beverage containers, the treated rinse water is supplied via an outlet line 45 to a food and beverage rinse line (not shown). The food and beverage

[0143] 25 rinse line is not part of the system 1 .

[0144]

[0055] In case the water quality of the treated rinse water is not deemed sufficient for rinsing food and beverage containers, the treated rinse water is sent back to the inlet water tank 1 1 . Here, the already treated rinse

[0145] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 water is mixed with used rinse water received via the inlet line 3 and subjected to a further round of treatment using the pre-filtering unit 17, the treatment subsystem 23, and the post-filtering unit 31 .

[0146]

[0056] In order to keep the food and beverage container rinse line run¬

[0147] 5 ning in case the water quality of the treated rinse water is insufficient, the system 1 comprises a connection to clean or industrial process water 47. In case the water quality of the treated rinse water is deemed insufficient, the industrial process water connection 47 is activated and industrial process water is supplied via the outlet line 45 to the food and beverage

[0148] 10 container rinse line. The system 1 shown in figure 1 can thus advantageously rapidly switch between treated rinse water and fresh water to maintain a sufficiently high water quality for rinsing food and beverage containers.

[0149]

[0057] While the system 1 provides industrial process water from the industrial process water connection 47 to the food and beverage rinse line, the system 1 continues to treat used rinse water and analyze the quality of the treated rinse water using the water quality sensing device 43. In case the water quality of the treated rinse water is deemed sufficient again for rinsing food and beverage containers, the industrial process

[0150] 20 water connection 47 is turned off and treated rinse water is again supplied via the outlet line to the food and beverage container rinse line.

[0151]

[0058] In order to provide a benchmark for the water quality of the treated rinse water, an industrial process water quality sensing device 49 is provided at the industrial process water connection 47. The industrial process water quality sensing device 49 is similar or identical to the water quality sensing devices 5, 43 that are used to determine the water quality of the used rinse water received at the inlet line 3 and the treated rinse water, respectively. Therefore, to avoid unnecessary repetitions, with regard to the parameters measured by the industrial process water quality

[0152] 30 sensing device 49 used for sensing the industrial process water quality,

[0153] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 reference is made to the previous description. The parameters sensed at the water quality sensing device 49 are used as a benchmark for the treated rinse water, i.e., to establish whether the water quality of the treated rinse water is sufficient for rinsing food and beverage containers.

[0154] 5 Thus, unnecessary treatment of the used rinse water is avoided by using the water quality of the industrial process water as benchmark which would be used in the alternative.

[0155]

[0059] Subsequently, a method for treating rinse water used for rinsing food and beverage containers is described with reference to figure 2. In

[0156] 10 a first step 51 rinse water which has been used for rinsing food and beverage containers is received at an inlet line 3 of a system 1 for treating rinse water. In a second step 53 the water quality of the used rinse water received at the inlet line 3 is analyzed using the inlet water quality sensing device 5. As previously discussed, various parameters can be measured to establish the water quality of the received rinsewater.

[0157]

[0060] The measured parameters are compared to thresholds to determine whether the water quality of the received used industrial process water is sufficient for treatment in a third step 55. In case the water quality is deemed insufficient for treatment, i.e., the contamination of the used

[0158] 20 rinse water is deemed to heavy for successful treatment, the received rinse water is sent to the drain 9 in a fourth step 57. Alternatively, in case the water quality is deemed sufficient, the received used rinse water is collected in the inlet water storage tank 1 1 in a fifth step 59.

[0159]

[0061] In a sixth step 61 , water is drawn from the inlet storage tank 1 1 by

[0160] 25 the pump arrangement 13. The pump arrangement 13 is controlled by the control unit 7 and provides the flow and pressure required for further treatment of the received rinse water. In a seventh step 63, the used rinse water is filtered by the pre-filtering unit 17. To avoid unnecessary repetitions, the functioning of the pre-filtering unit 17 as well as all parts of the

[0161] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 treatment subsystem 23 and the post-filtering unit 31 will not be repeated in detail.

[0162]

[0062] After filtering by the pre-filtering unit 17, H2O2 is injected into the used rinse water by the H2O2 supply unit 25 in an eighth step 65. The

[0163] 5 amount of H2O2 supplied is controlled based on the flow rate of the used rinse water which is provided by the pump arrangement 13. Further, the amount of H2O2 is also controlled based on the quality of the treated rinse water as will be explained subsequently in more detail.

[0164]

[0063] After injection of H2O2, the rinse water is exposed to UV light in a

[0165] 10 ninth step 67 from the UV light unit 27. The combination of H2O2 and UV light has been found to be particularly favorable for improving the water quality of rinse water that has been used for rinsing food and beverage containers.

[0166]

[0064] Once the rinse water has been treated using H2O2, the water is

[0167] 15 further filtered using the carbon filter 29 to remove remaining free oxidants and partially mineralized contaminants in a tenth step 69. As a purely precautionary measure, the rinse water is further filtered by the post-filtering unit 31 to remove remaining impurities and contaminants in an eleventh step 71 .

[0168] 20

[0065] To establish the water quality of the treated rinse water, in a twelfth step 73 the treated rinse water is analyzed using the water quality sensing device 43. The water quality sensing device 43 continuously analyses the treated rinse water by measuring a plurality of parameters as has been previously described. In case the water quality of the treated

[0169] 25 rinse water is deemed sufficient for rinsing food and beverage containers, the treated rinse water is subsequently provided in a 13thstep 75 via the outlet line 45 to a food and beverage container rinse line. In case the water quality of the treated rinse water is deemed insufficient, in a 14thstep 77, the treated rinse water is provided to the inlet water storage tank

[0170] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 1 1 so that it can be cycled once more through the pre-filter 17, the treatment subsystem 23 and the post-filter 31. In the inlet water storage tank 1 1 , the already treated rinse water is mixed with rinse water newly received from the rinse line via the inlet line 3.

[0171] 5

[0066] To ensure that the system 1 continuously provides water for rinsing food and beverage containers, the method further involves the steps of taking industrial process water from an industrial process water connection 47 in a 15thstep 79. The industrial process water is analyzed in the water quality sensing device 49 to provide benchmark water quality pa¬

[0172] 10 rameters for the water quality sensing device 43 that is used to analyze the treated rinse water. Finally, in a 16thstep 81 the industrial process water taken from the industrial process water connection 47 is provided via the outlet line 45 to the food and beverage container rinse line. Therefore, continuous provision of rinse water with sufficiently high quality either from the industrial process or taken out of the present system 1 for treating rinse water is ensured.

[0173]

[0067] The method allows a drastic reduction of the amount of rinse water that is required for rinsing food and beverage containers due to the possibility to recycle used rinse water, it is estimated that the water con¬

[0174] 20 sumption can be reduced by up to 90% using the exemplary embodiment of a method for treating rinse water as well as the system 1 for treating rinse water that has been previously described.

[0175] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025 Reference numerals

[0176] I system

[0177] 3 inlet line

[0178] 5 inlet water quality sensing device

[0179] 5 7 control unit

[0180] 9 drain

[0181] I I inlet water tank

[0182] 13 pump arrangement

[0183] 15a, 15b centrifugal pumps

[0184] 17 pre-filtering unit

[0185] 1 safety filter, cartridge filter

[0186] 21 a, 21 b pressure sensors

[0187] 23 treatment subsystem

[0188] 25 H2O2 supply unit

[0189] 15 27 UV light unit

[0190] 29 carbon filter

[0191] 31 post-filtering unit

[0192] 33 H2O2 reservoir

[0193] 35 dosing pump

[0194] 37 UV light sensor

[0195] 39 safety filter, membrane filter

[0196] 41 a, 41 b pressure sensors

[0197] 43 water quality sensing device

[0198] 45 outlet line

[0199] 25 47 industrial process water connection

[0200] 49 industrial process water quality sensing device

[0201] 51 - 81 first to sixteenth steps

[0202] Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025

Claims

Claims1. A system (1 ) for treating rinse water, the system (1 ) comprising an inlet line (3) for receiving rinse water for treatment, wherein the rinse water has been used for rinsing, preferably for rinsing food and bev¬5 erage containers, a treatment subsystem (23) for treating the received rinse water to improve a water quality and obtain treated rinse water, a water quality sensing device (43) for continuously analyzing the treated rinse water and determining a plurality of parameters indicative of a water quality of the treated rinse water, and an industrial process water quality sensing device (49), wherein the industrial process water quality sensing device (49) is configured for analyzing industrial process water intended to be supplied to the rinse line, and wherein the industrial process water quality sensing device (49) is further configured for determining a15 plurality of parameters which are indicative of an industrial process water quality, wherein the system ( 1 ) is configured for only supplying treated rinse water via an outlet line (45) to a rinse line for rinsing when the water quality of the treated rinse water is deemed sufficient for rinsing, wherein the system ( 1 ) is configured to determine whether the water quality of the treated rinse water is sufficient for rinsing based on the industrial process water quality, wherein the rinse line is preferably for rinsing food and beverage containers, and wherein the system (1 ) is further configured for supplying indus¬25 trial process water to the rinse line water when the water quality of the treated rinse water is not deemed sufficient for rinsing, thereby enabling the system (1 ) to continuously switch between supplying treated rinse water and industrial process water to the rinse line depending on the water quality of the treated rinse water. atentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 20252. System according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of parameters indicative of the industrial process water quality is a subset of the plurality of parameters indicative of the water quality of the treated rinse water and preferably identical to the plurality of parameters5 indicative of the water quality of the treated rinse water.

3. System ( 1 ) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the system ( 1 ) is configured for subjecting the treated rinse water to further treatment by the treatment subsystem (23) when the water quality of the treated rinse water is not deemed sufficient for rinsing.10 4. System (1 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the system (1 ) comprises at least one inlet storage tank (1 1 ) for storing rinse water received at the inlet line (3) before the water is subject to treatment at the treatment subsystem (23).

5. System (1 ) according to claims 3 and 4, wherein the system (1 ) is15 configured for storing treated rinse water which shall be subjected to further treatment by the treatment subsystem (23) in the inlet storage tank (1 1 ) with rinse water received at the inlet line (3) before supplying the treated rinse water again to the treatment subsystem (23).20 6. System (1 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the system (1 ) comprises an inlet water quality sensing device (5), wherein the inlet water quality sensing device (5) is configured for analyzing the rinse water received at the inlet line (3) and determining a plurality of parameters indicative of an inlet water quality of25 the rinse water received at the inlet line (3), and wherein the system ( 1 ) is configured for only supplying the inlet rinse water to the treatment subsystem (23), preferably via the inlet storage tank (1 1 ), when the inlet water quality is deemed sufficient atentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025for treatment and wherein the system (1 ) is configured for discarding the inlet rinse water otherwise.

7. System (1 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of parameters indicative of the water quality of the treated5 water includes at least one of a pH level of the treated rinse water, a temperature of the treated rinse water, an oxygen reduction potential of the treated rinse water, a turbidity of the treated rinse water, and / or a conductivity of the treated rinse water, and / or wherein the plurality of parameters indicative of the industrial10 process water quality of the industrial process water includes at least one of a pH level of the industrial process water, a temperature of the industrial process water, an oxygen reduction potential of the industrial process water, a turbidity of the industrial process water, and / or a conductivity of the industrial process water, and / or wherein the plurality of parameters indicative of the inlet water quality of the rinse water received at the inlet line (3) includes at least one of a pH level of the received rinse water, a temperature of the received rinse water, an oxygen reduction potential of the received rinse water, a turbidity of the received rinse water, and / or20 a conductivity of the received rinse water.

8. A method for treating rinse water which has been used for rinsing, preferably for treating rinse water which has been used for rinsing food and beverage containers, the method comprising the steps (51 -81 ) of receiving rinse water at an inlet line (3) for treatment, wherein the rinse water has been used for rinsing, treating the received rinse water using a treatment subsystem (23) to improve a water quality and obtain treated rinse water, continuously analyzing the treated rinse water and determin¬30 ing a plurality of parameters indicative of a water quality of the treated rinse water using a water quality sensing device (43),atentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 2025continuously analyzing industrial process water intended to be supplied to the rinse line and determining a plurality of parameters indicative of an industrial process water quality using an industrial process water quality sensing device (49), and5 only supplying treated rinse water via an outlet line (45) to a rinse line when the water quality of the treated rinse water is deemed sufficient for rinsing, wherein whether the water quality of the treated rinse water is sufficient for rinsing is determined based on the industrial process water quality, wherein the rinse line is pref¬10 erably for rinsing food and beverage containers, and supplying industrial process water to the rinse line when the water quality of the treated rinse water is not deemed sufficient, thereby being able to continuously switch between supplying treated rinse water and industrial process water to the rinse line.15 9. Method according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of parameters indicative of a industrial process water quality is preferably a subset of the plurality of parameters indicative of a water quality of the treated rinse water and further preferably identical to the plurality of parameters indicative of a water quality of the treated rinse water.

10. Method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the method further comprises the step of subjecting the treated rinse water to further treatment by the treatment system when the water quality of the treated rinse water is deemed insufficient for rinsing.25 1 1. Method according to any of claims 8 to 10, wherein the method further comprises the step of storing rinse water received at the inlet line (3) in at least one inlet storage tank (1 1 ) before the received rinse water is subjected to treatment at the treatment subsystem (23). atentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 202512. Method according to claims 10 and 1 1 , wherein treated rinse water subjected to further treatment by the treatment subsystem (23) is stored in the inlet storage tank (1 1 ) with rinse water received at the inlet line (3) before being supplied again to the treatment subsys¬5 tem (23).

13. Method according to any claims 8 to 12, wherein the method further comprises the steps of analyzing the rinse water received at the inlet line (3) and determining a plurality of parameters indicative of an inlet water quality of the rinse water received at the inlet line (3)10 using an inlet water quality sensing device (5), and only supplying the inlet rinse water to the treatment subsystem (23), preferably via the inlet storage tank (1 1 ), when the inlet water quality is deemed sufficient for treatment and discarding the inlet rinse water otherwise.

14. Method according to any of claims 8 to 13, wherein the plurality of parameters indicative of the water quality of the treated water includes at least one of a pH level of the treated rinse water, a temperature of the treated rinse water, an oxygen reduction potential of the treated rinse water, a turbidity of the treated rinse water,20 and / or a conductivity of the treated rinse water, and / or wherein the plurality of parameters indicative of the industrial process water quality of the industrial process water includes at least one of a pH level of the industrial process water, a temperature of the industrial process water, an oxygen reduction potential of the industrial process water, a turbidity of the industrial process water, and / or a conductivity of the industrial process water, and / or wherein the plurality of parameters indicative of the inlet water quality of the rinse water received at the inlet line (3) includes at least one of a pH level of the received rinse water, a temperature30 of the received rinse water, an oxygen reduction potential of the atentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 1 1 / 12 / 202529 / 30 received rinse water, a turbidity of the received rinse water, and / or a conductivity of the received rinse water.Patentanwdlte Hemmer Lindfeld Frese GP 3839 WO, 11 / 12 / 2025

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