Membrane Arrangement with Marker Liquid for Piston Pump Contamination Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the food processing industry, existing homogenizer piston pumps face challenges in maintaining a clear separation between hygienic and non-hygienic sides, leading to potential contamination risks and increased operational costs due to the use of hydraulic oil, which can negatively affect product quality and safety.
Innovation Solution
A membrane arrangement with a marker liquid is used between two membranes to detect any leakage or rupture, utilizing a conductive solution with a conductivity different from both the hydraulic oil and the product, and a sensor to monitor conductivity changes, ensuring effective separation and reducing the risk of contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If piston seals are used to separate hygienic and non-hygienic sides, then contamination risk is reduced, but operational complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the detection function from the seal system by introducing a separate sensor system that monitors the marker liquid. This allows the seal arrangement to be simpler while maintaining contamination prevention through active monitoring rather than relying solely on complex multi-seal mechanical arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using sensors to continuously monitor the marker liquid properties and provide real-time information about seal integrity. This feedback mechanism allows for early detection of contamination risks without requiring complex preventive seal arrangements.
2Ease of operation
If hydraulic oil is used for piston lubrication, then piston movement is enabled, but product contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a marker liquid as an intermediary substance between the hydraulic oil and the product. This marker liquid serves as a detectable barrier that allows piston movement to continue while providing a clear indication if contamination occurs, thus enabling operation while reducing contamination risk through monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical contamination prevention (complex multi-seal systems) with a sensor-based detection system using marker liquid. This substitution allows the hydraulic system to operate with simpler sealing while using electrical/conductive sensing to detect contamination events.
3Reliability
If double piston seals with water or steam are used, then lubrication and re-infection prevention are achieved, but operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the detection function from the steam/water barrier system by introducing a separate sensor-based monitoring system. This eliminates the need for continuous steam or water supply between seals, reducing energy consumption while maintaining re-infection prevention through electronic monitoring of the marker liquid.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback-based monitoring using sensors that detect marker liquid properties. This replaces the continuous energy-consuming steam/water barrier approach with an electronic monitoring system that provides real-time information about seal integrity without continuous utility consumption.
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 membrane arrangement effectively prevents contamination by detecting membrane ruptures and hydraulic oil leaks, reducing operational costs and ensuring food safety without the need for steam barriers, while allowing for the reuse of hydraulic oil and minimizing product losses.
Implementation Method 1
The marker liquid may be a conductive solution. More particularly, a conductivity of said conductive solution may be different from a conductivity of the product, and different from a conductivity of the hydraulic oil.
Implementation Method 2
a first membrane and a second membrane, wherein a marker liquid is placed in a membrane interior space formed between said first membrane and said second membrane
Data Source
AI summary
A membrane arrangement to be placed between a product chamber and a hydraulic oil chamber is provided. The membrane arrangement comprises a first membrane and a second membrane. Between the membranes in a membrane interior space a marker liquid is placed. By using a sensor it can be detected when product or hydraulic oil enters the membrane interior space, which in turn means that a rupture of any of the two membranes may be detected in a reliable and cost efficient way.