Distributed Decontamination Vaporizer Network Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing decontamination systems for large and heterogeneous enclosures face challenges in efficiently distributing decontaminants like hydrogen peroxide due to pressure drops, condensation issues, and varying sterilant requirements across different regions, limiting the size of enclosures that can be effectively sterilized within acceptable time frames.
Innovation Solution
A network of interconnected controllers and vaporizers that monitor local conditions such as temperature, humidity, and sterilant concentration, allowing for adjustable decontaminant injection rates and flow rates of carrier gas to ensure uniform distribution and optimal sterilant exposure throughout the enclosure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a single large vaporizer is used to decontaminate large enclosures, then the decontaminant dose can be increased, but pressure drops and condensation issues occur, limiting effective distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides a single large vaporizer into multiple smaller vaporizers distributed throughout the enclosure. Each vaporizer independently delivers decontaminant to its local region, avoiding the pressure drops and condensation problems associated with single large vaporizers while maintaining effective decontaminant doses throughout the entire space.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a centralized single-point decontaminant delivery approach to a distributed multi-point approach, adding spatial distribution as a new dimension. Multiple vaporizers are positioned at different locations within the enclosure, enabling three-dimensional distribution of decontaminant and eliminating the limitations of single-point delivery.
2Productivity
If decontaminant injection rate is increased to reduce sterilization time, then productivity improves, but uniformity of distribution deteriorates due to pressure drops and condensation
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the decontaminant delivery function across multiple vaporizers, allowing each unit to operate at optimized injection rates without creating excessive pressure drops. This enables faster sterilization cycles while maintaining uniform distribution, as each localized vaporizer delivers decontaminant directly to its region without the pressure loss problems of long-distance delivery in single-vaporizer systems.
Solution Approach 2:
Each vaporizer is equipped with independent control capability, allowing the injection rate to be adjusted locally based on regional requirements. This enables optimized decontaminant delivery to each specific zone, ensuring uniform distribution across the entire enclosure while maintaining high productivity through parallel operation of multiple vaporizers.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple independent vaporizers are used to improve distribution, then uniformity improves, but integration of decontaminant concentrations fails without interconnected controllers
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple independent vaporizer controllers into an interconnected networked control system. This integration allows real-time communication between controllers, enabling them to share information about decontaminant concentrations and coordinate their operations to achieve uniform distribution throughout the enclosure while maintaining the benefits of multiple distributed vaporizers.
Solution Approach 2:
The interconnected controller system implements feedback mechanisms where each controller monitors local decontaminant concentrations and adjusts its vaporizer's injection rate accordingly. This feedback control ensures that decontaminant concentrations are integrated properly across all regions, maintaining uniformity while enabling coordinated operation of multiple vaporizers to achieve target sterilization levels.
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
This approach enables more efficient and effective decontamination by maintaining desired sterility assurance levels while minimizing condensation and ensuring appropriate decontaminant doses are delivered uniformly across the space, overcoming limitations of larger vaporizers and reducing sterilization time.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of vaporizers to inject vaporized hydrogen peroxide into a carrier gas
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of monitors for detecting conditions in each of the different regions of the enclosure... sterilant concentration
Implementation Method 3
the network of interconnected controllers controls the rate at which each vaporizer injects vaporized sterilant into the carrier gas in accordance with the detected conditions
Data Source
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AI summary
A sterilization system includes a plurality of vaporizers that are controlled by a network of interconnected controllers. The network includes a plurality of control units with each control unit controlling an associated vaporizer to adjust independently the rate at which the associated vaporizer injects vaporized sterilant into the different regions of an enclosure. The network also includes a master control unit configured to control each control unit over the network to coordinate the aggregate injection of sterilant vapor.