Hydrogen Peroxide Vaporizer for Sterilization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing evaporators for sterilizing containers using hydrogen peroxide face challenges in precisely regulating the amount of hydrogen peroxide supplied and achieving uniform vaporization, leading to unsaturated air regions and potential damage from residual mixture.

Innovation Solution

An evaporator design with a housing, a gaseous medium inlet, an injection device for hydrogen peroxide, and a heating device, where the injection device's longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the heating device's plane, ensuring uniform vaporization and precise regulation of the hydrogen peroxide gas mixture.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If hydrogen peroxide is evaporated and fed into containers with air stream, then sterilization effect is achieved, but precise regulation of hydrogen peroxide quantity is difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesterilization effectVSAvoidhydrogen peroxide quantity regulation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical state parameter of hydrogen peroxide from liquid to vapor phase through controlled evaporation. By regulating the evaporation process and temperature parameters, precise control of hydrogen peroxide vapor quantity is achieved, resolving the contradiction between achieving sterilization effect and precisely regulating the amount supplied.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If hydrogen peroxide mixture is rapidly vaporized in heat exchanger, then sterilization speed is improved, but residual mixture may permanently damage the heat exchanger

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesterilization speedVSAvoidheat exchanger durability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-mixing hydrogen peroxide with air stream before it reaches the heat exchanger. This preliminary mixing ensures that the hydrogen peroxide is already dispersed in small concentrations, allowing rapid vaporization without creating damaging residual concentrations that could harm the heat exchanger, thus resolving the contradiction between sterilization speed and equipment durability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Stability of the object's composition

If carrier gas flows transversely to hydrogen peroxide injection direction, then mixing is improved, but exact regulation of hydrogen peroxide amount is difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemixture uniformityVSAvoidhydrogen peroxide amount regulation
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses pneumatic principles by introducing carrier gas (air stream) that flows transversely to the hydrogen peroxide injection direction. This creates effective mixing through fluid dynamics while the system maintains regulation capability through controlled injection parameters, resolving the contradiction between mixture uniformity and precise amount regulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

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 design allows for precise regulation and uniform vaporization of hydrogen peroxide, ensuring effective sterilization with reduced risk of damage from residual mixture, enhancing the efficiency and safety of the sterilization process.

Implementation Method 1

a heating device (8) arranged inside the housing in order to vaporize the hydrogen peroxide

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 2

an injection device (12) for injecting a substance which contains hydrogen peroxide into the housing

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAtomization:

Data Source

PatentEP2173388B1Vaporizer for sterilization of plastic containers
Publication Date: 2012.02.22 KRONES AG
  • EP2173388B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2173388B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2173388B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a vaporizer (1) for sterilization of containers, with a housing (2), with a first opening (11) arranged in the housing (2) in order to allow a gaseous medium to be delivered to the housing, with an injection device (12) for injecting a substance containing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into the housing (2), with a heating device (8) arranged inside the housing (2) for vaporizing the hydrogen peroxide, and with a second opening (4) arranged in the housing (2) in order to remove a mixture of gaseous medium and vaporized hydrogen peroxide from the housing (2). According to the invention, the longitudinal direction (L) of the injection device extends perpendicular to a plane of the heating device (8), and the first opening (4) is adjoined by a tube section (10) which extends at least partially in a longitudinal direction (L) of the injection device (12), wherein at least part of the injection device (12) extends within the tube section (10).