Metalworking Fluid Filtration and UV Decontamination Without Biocides
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Solution Overview
Problem
Metal working fluids become contaminated with microbial contaminants, posing health risks and reducing effectiveness, necessitating frequent replacement and use of biocides, which are hazardous and environmentally problematic.
Innovation Solution
A decontamination apparatus using a combination of filtration and UV light treatment to reduce contamination, including a three-stage filter system and UV light treatment arrangement, with pH monitoring and adjustment, to maintain fluid quality without biocides.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If biocides are used to prevent bacterial growth in metal working fluid, then microbial contamination is reduced, but health and environmental risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes biocides from the metal working fluid system entirely, extracting the harmful substance while maintaining microbial control through alternative means (filtration and pH management). The system achieves contamination control without relying on biocidal chemicals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces chemical control (biocides) with a combination of mechanical filtration and pH management. The filtration system physically removes bacterial cells and debris, while pH control creates an environment less conducive to bacterial growth, eliminating the need for biocidal chemicals.
2Reliability
If metal working fluid is replaced frequently to maintain quality, then fluid effectiveness is preserved, but disposal costs and environmental impact increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous filtration and pH management to maintain fluid quality over extended periods. The filtration system operates continuously to remove contaminants, and pH control is maintained ongoing, allowing the fluid to remain effective much longer than conventional systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers and reuses metal working fluid by continuously filtering out contaminants and maintaining proper pH levels. Instead of discarding contaminated fluid, the system separates and removes only the harmful contaminants while retaining and reusing the beneficial base fluid.
3Reliability
If filter rating is increased to remove smaller particles, then microbial removal efficiency improves, but flow resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the filtration process into multiple stages with different filter ratings. The first stage uses a coarser filter (10-20 microns) to remove larger particles, and the second stage uses a finer filter (1-5 microns) to remove smaller microbial contaminants. This segmentation allows each filter to operate at optimal efficiency without excessive flow resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent addresses the filtration challenge by adding the dimension of time and multiple stages rather than using a single high-rating filter. The multi-stage approach spreads the filtration load across different rating levels, maintaining flow while achieving high microbial removal efficiency.
4Reliability
If UV light treatment is applied to kill bacteria, then microbial contamination is reduced, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary filtration to remove the majority of bacterial cells and organic matter before UV treatment. By pre-filtering the fluid to reduce bacterial load and organic content, the UV lamp has less work to do, significantly reducing its energy consumption while maintaining effective disinfection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a moderate UV dosage combined with filtration rather than relying on high-intensity UV alone. The filtration handles the bulk of contaminant removal, and UV provides supplementary disinfection, creating a balanced approach that minimizes energy use while achieving effective microbial control.
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
Effectively reduces microbial contamination, improving safety and extending fluid life, reducing biocide use, and minimizing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
a UV light treatment arrangement (20), to reduce microbial contamination and endotoxins in the metal working fluid
Implementation Method 2
a filter arrangement (60), to reduce particulate contamination in the metal working fluid
Data Source
AI summary
Metal working fluid decontamination apparatus (10) includes: an intake arrangement (40) for metal working fluid (42); a pump (16) for providing, in use, flow pressure to the metal working fluid (42); a decontaminator (50) for reducing contamination in the metal working fluid (42); and an outlet arrangement (34) for the metal working fluid. The metal working fluid (42) is a fully synthetic metal working fluid, which comprises water and a water soluble synthetic concentrate which does not comprise oil.