Electrochemical Water Activation in Mobile Surface Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cleaning systems leave unwanted residues on surfaces and pose health and environmental risks due to the use of chemical detergents, and they fail to effectively reduce surface tension and solvency without surfactants.
Innovation Solution
A mobile surface cleaner equipped with a functional generator that electrochemically activates water into anolyte and catholyte liquids, which are combined to create a cleaning solution that mimics surfactant properties without the need for chemical detergents, using an ion exchange membrane and electrodes to produce reactive species and meta-stable ions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If chemical detergents are used to clean surfaces, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but unwanted residue is left on surfaces and health/environmental risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical parameters of water through electrochemical activation, transforming it into anolyte and catholyte solutions with different pH levels and reactive species concentrations. This allows the cleaning solution to achieve effective cleaning without traditional chemical detergents, thereby eliminating unwanted residue and health/environmental risks while maintaining cleaning effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the chemical mechanism of traditional detergents (surfactants) with an electrochemical mechanism. By using electrolysis and electrochemical reactions in the functional generator, the system produces cleaning-active solutions through electrical energy conversion rather than chemical detergent formulation, substituting one mechanism for another to achieve the same cleaning function without harmful residues
2Reliability
If surfactants are used to reduce surface tension, then cleaning power is enhanced, but chemical detergent usage increases and environmental impact worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The functional generator changes the surface tension parameters of water through electrochemical activation. The anolyte and catholyte solutions produced have modified surface tension properties due to the presence of reactive species and altered molecular structure, enabling effective cleaning without traditional surfactants and reducing environmental impact
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces reactive species (such as hydrogen peroxide, ozone, and hydroxyl radicals) as intermediaries between the electrochemical activation process and the cleaning action. These reactive species mediate the cleaning process by reducing surface tension and enhancing wetting properties without requiring traditional chemical surfactants, thereby reducing environmental impact while maintaining cleaning power
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 electrochemically activated solution effectively reduces surface tension, enhances cleaning power, and sanitizes surfaces without surfactants, reducing residue and environmental impact while maintaining effective cleaning and disinfecting properties.
Implementation Method 1
A functional generator is coupled in the flow path, which comprises an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by an ion exchange membrane and which electrochemically activates the liquid from the liquid source
Implementation Method 2
an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by an ion exchange membrane
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
Figure 7
AI summary
An apparatus (100, 300, 370, 380, 400, 500, 600) and method are provided for producing an electrochemically-activated liquid (20, 22, 44, 45, 51, 52, 71, 160, 190, 192). The apparatus includes a mobile body (102, 306, 381) configured to travel over a surface (125, 302), a source (14, 70, 106, 502, 602) of a liquid, a liquid dispenser (194, 310, 352, 354, 362, 371, 406, 506, 606) and a flow path (16, 17, 18, 59, 70, 71, 160, 160A, 160B) from the liquid source to the liquid dispenser. A functional generator (10, 40, 162, 324, 504, 604) is coupled in the flow path, which comprises an anode chamber (24) and a cathode chamber (26) separated by an ion exchange membrane (27, 43) and which electrochemically activates the liquid from the liquid source which is passed through the functional generator (10, 40, 162, 324, 504, 604).