Food Processing Equipment Cleaning With In-Line Plasma-Activated Water
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning procedures in food processing systems are time-consuming, require multiple cleaning fluids and steps, and are difficult to integrate into production lines while meeting high hygiene standards.
Innovation Solution
A food processing system that includes a cleaning device using plasma activated water (PAW) as the cleaning fluid, which is produced in-line and can be used for sanitizing, disinfecting, and sterilizing food contacting surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional cleaning procedures are used with multiple cleaning fluids and steps, then hygiene standards are met, but the cleaning process becomes time-consuming and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the cleaning fluid by using plasma-activated water instead of traditional cleaning agents. This parameter change allows the system to meet hygiene standards with a single cleaning step, reducing both time and complexity while maintaining effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The plasma-activated water serves multiple functions simultaneously - it cleans, sanitizes, and disinfects surfaces. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate cleaning steps and multiple fluids, directly reducing cleaning time and process complexity while ensuring hygiene compliance.
2Reliability
If multiple cleaning fluids and steps are used, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and integration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple cleaning functions (cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting) into a single integrated process using plasma-activated water. This consolidation reduces device complexity and makes integration into production lines easier while maintaining cleaning effectiveness through the superior properties of PAW.
3Reliability
If traditional cleaning methods are used, then hygiene standards are met, but the cleaning process becomes cumbersome and difficult to integrate into production lines
Solution Approach 1:
By changing to plasma-activated water as the cleaning medium, the system achieves hygiene compliance with a simplified single-step process. This parameter change enables easy integration into production lines as the method requires no complex multi-fluid delivery systems or multiple operational steps.
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 PAW significantly reduces the time and complexity of the cleaning process, enhances antibacterial and anti-biofilm properties, and allows for effective clean-in-place and sanitize-in-place methods without the need for multiple cleaning fluids.
Implementation Method 1
the cleaning fluid is plasma activated substance, for example a fluid like water and/or a gas
Data Source
AI summary
A food processing system that includes at least one food and/or feed processing device and at least one cleaning device. The at least one food and/or feed processing device includes at least one part with a surface which during use will come in contact with a food product. The at least one cleaning device is configured for cleaning at least the surface. The at least one cleaning device includes means for providing a cleaning fluid. The cleaning fluid is a plasma activated substance. The at least one cleaning device comprises or is coupled to a device for preparing the plasma activated substance and is provided in a porous structure of the device.