Gas Exchange Device Segmentation for Filling Line Cleaning Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
In bottling plants, particularly those filling carbonated beverages, it is challenging to determine if gas lines and valve devices are effectively cleaned during the flushing process, leading to potential blockages and contamination.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using a gas exchange device with multiple valve connections to control gas supply and removal, allowing for separate determination of flushing medium flow through individual gas lines, with flow measuring devices to quantify and qualify the cleaning process, ensuring all line sections are adequately cleaned.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flushing medium is used to clean gas lines and valve devices, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the ability to verify cleaning effectiveness deteriorates because flow measurement through individual gas lines cannot be performed
Solution Approach 1:
The gas exchange device is divided into multiple independently controllable valve connections (first line connection and second line connection). Each connection can be flushed separately and its flow can be measured independently, enabling verification of cleaning effectiveness in each gas line segment without requiring complex system-wide measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
A flow measuring device is introduced as an intermediary element in the flushing medium flow path. This device enables quantitative measurement of the flushing medium flow through each gas line connection, providing detectable data about cleaning effectiveness without interfering with the cleaning process itself.
2Measurement precision
If separate flow measurement is implemented for each gas line, then verification of cleaning effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow measuring device serves multiple functions: it measures flow during normal gas exchange operations and measures flow during flushing operations. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate measurement systems, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining precise measurement capabilities for verification purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device integrates control of multiple valve connections and coordination of flushing operations across different gas lines. By merging control functions and using a centralized system to manage sequential flushing of each line, the overall system complexity is reduced compared to having independent control and measurement systems for each gas line.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If flushing operations are performed on gas lines, then contamination and blockages are reduced, but production downtime increases due to cleaning process
Solution Approach 1:
The flushing operations are performed periodically rather than continuously. The control device coordinates sequential flushing of different gas lines, allowing the system to switch between flushing mode and normal operation mode. This periodic action minimizes the total time the system is not producing, while still achieving effective cleaning to prevent contamination and blockages.
Solution Approach 2:
The flushing medium is prepared and the flushing sequence is planned in advance. By preparing the cleaning medium and coordinating the flushing operations before they are needed, the system can perform cleaning during scheduled downtime rather than interrupting production unexpectedly, thus minimizing production loss while maintaining hygiene standards.
Data Source
AI summary
The method involves temporarily supplying gas to containers (10) during a filling operation via connection lines, where the lines differ in sections. The gas is exhausted from the containers using a gas exchange device. A rinsing mode is provided such that a filling device (4) and the connection lines are partly purged with rinsing medium e.g. hot water. A characteristic value is determined for the connection lines, where the value is provided for an amount of rinsing medium reaching the connection lines. The supply and removal of gas are controlled by the valve device. An independent claim is also included for a device for filling up liquids in containers, comprising a set of filling devices.