Liquid Detergent Viscosity Tuning for Stable Auto-Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatic cleaning machines with auto-dosing capabilities experience significant fluctuations in detergent dosing, leading to inconsistent cleaning performance, and existing precision-improving devices add complexity and cost, making retrofitting or replacement costly and troublesome.
Innovation Solution
Employing a liquid detergent with a total surfactant level of at least 25 wt % and a high-shear viscosity ranging from 10 mPa·s to 500 mPa·s, which exhibits shear-thinning properties, reducing dosing fluctuations without the need for additional precision devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If automatic dosing devices are used to automatically dispense detergent from a bulk cartridge, then the tedious manual filling task is eliminated, but significant deviations from the pre-determined detergent dosage occur leading to inconsistent cleaning performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the detergent composition, specifically formulating it with a viscosity of 10-500 mPa·s at 20°C and surfactant content of at least 25 wt%, to optimize its flow characteristics for automatic dosing devices. This parameter optimization enables the detergent to be accurately dispensed at high dosing rates without requiring additional precision-improving hardware, thus resolving the contradiction between automation and dosing accuracy.
2Manufacturing precision
If additional precision-improving devices such as a single dose chamber with sensors and controllers are installed, then dosing deviations are reduced, but the engineering complexity and cost of the automatic cleaning machine increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable bulk cartridge containing the optimized detergent composition that can be easily replaced by the user. This eliminates the need for complex, expensive, and difficult-to-retrofit precision-improving devices like single dose chambers with sensors and controllers. The simplicity of replacing a cartridge versus installing complex hardware resolves the contradiction between dosing accuracy and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
By optimizing the detergent's viscosity (10-500 mPa·s) and surfactant content (≥25 wt%), the patent enables accurate dosing through formulation alone, without requiring additional precision hardware. This chemical parameter optimization approach avoids the complexity and cost of mechanical or electronic precision-improving devices.
3Productivity
If the automatic dosing device operates at high dosing rate, then the cleaning cycle efficiency is improved, but the dosing fluctuations increase leading to significant deviations from target dosage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the detergent composition parameters, specifically setting the viscosity to 10-500 mPa·s and surfactant content to at least 25 wt%, which enables the detergent to maintain dosing consistency even at high dosing rates. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between productivity and dosing precision by allowing fast dosing without sacrificing accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The use of this detergent composition significantly reduces dosing fluctuations and improves cleaning performance consistency in automatic cleaning machines, maintaining effectiveness across multiple cycles without additional hardware.
Implementation Method 1
a high-shear viscosity ranging from about 10 mPa·s to about 500 mPa·s when measured at 20° C. at a relatively high shear rate of about 20 s−1
Data Source
AI summary
A method for reducing auto-dosing fluctuation of a washing machine equipped with an automatic dosing device, by using a liquid detergent with a relatively low high-shear viscosity. A cleaning system including a washing machine equipped with an auto-dosing device, in combination with a liquid detergent characterized by a relative low high-shear viscosity.