Industrial Component Cleaning via Soaking and Air Flotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cleaning methods for industrial components, such as leaf filters, are inefficient, environmentally harmful, and costly, often requiring aggressive chemicals, high-pressure washing, or thermal treatments that can damage components and lead to clogging, making them unsuitable for sustainable and efficient filtration processes, especially in biodiesel production where variable raw materials are used.
Innovation Solution
A device and method for cleaning industrial components using a continuous or semi-continuous process involving multiple soaking baths with alkaline solutions, air flotation, and rinsing, which allows for off-site cleaning, reducing chemical use, energy consumption, and carbon emissions, while avoiding damage through the use of a hoist system, ultrasonification, and testing for quality assurance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If strong alkaline solutions are used for cleaning, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but environmental harm and safety risks worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters by using mild alkaline solutions (pH 8-11) instead of strong alkaline solutions, and by adjusting temperature parameters (40-95°C) to enhance cleaning effectiveness without requiring aggressive chemicals. This resolves the contradiction by achieving reliable cleaning through parameter optimization rather than relying on strong caustic agents.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary substance - a mild alkaline cleaning solution containing specific agents - that mediates between the cleaning requirement and environmental/safety constraints. This intermediary allows effective cleaning while minimizing harmful effects, replacing the direct use of strong acids and bases.
2Productivity
If high-pressure hosing is used for cleaning, then cleaning speed is improved, but component damage worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the mechanical high-pressure hosing system with a chemical soaking process. Instead of using mechanical force to remove contaminants, the system uses chemical action through prolonged exposure to mild alkaline solutions, thereby achieving cleaning without damaging component strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by soaking the component in mild alkaline solution before any mechanical removal. This preliminary chemical treatment softens and loosens contaminants, making subsequent gentle rinsing effective without requiring high-pressure hosing that could damage the component.
3Reliability
If thermal treatment is used for cleaning, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but component damage worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter to moderate levels (40-95°C) rather than high-temperature thermal treatment. This parameter change allows cleaning effectiveness to be achieved through enhanced chemical reaction rates at mild temperatures, avoiding the component damage associated with high-temperature pyrolysis or heating.
4Reliability
If mechanical scraping is used for cleaning, then cleaning thoroughness is improved, but component damage worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical scraping with a chemical soaking process. By using mild alkaline solutions that chemically soften and dissolve contaminants, the system achieves thorough cleaning without the mechanical stress and surface damage caused by scraping tools.
5Object-generated harmful factors
If off-site cleaning is implemented, then environmental impact is reduced, but process complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cleaning process into distinct functional stages: soaking in mild alkaline solution, air flotation for oil removal, and rinsing. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently and can be implemented in a modular off-site facility, reducing environmental impact while keeping the process manageable through clear process separation.
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 thorough, safe, and environmentally friendly cleaning of industrial components, reducing waste and costs, allowing for the reuse of components, and improving sustainability by minimizing carbon emissions and energy consumption, while ensuring effective removal of pollutants without damaging the components.
Implementation Method 1
an air flotation bath to treat the industrial components further, after soaking, with air flotation
Implementation Method 2
The device may comprise an ultrasonification system to provide, in addition to a chemical removal of pollution, a mechanical removal of pollution by the action of ultrasonic sound on particulate pollutant matter
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention pertains to a device and a method for cleaning industrial components. The device comprises at least one line for cleaning the industrial components in a continuous or semi-continuous cleaning process, in which the line comprises one or more soaking baths, an air flotation bath and a rinsing device. The device further comprises a hoist system to introduce the industrial components in, consecutively, each of the one or more soaking baths, in the air flotation bath and in the rinsing device.