Solid Chemical Dilution Control via Liquid Recirculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated chemical dispensers lack an efficient method to prepare a requested amount of use solution with a specific concentration of chemical products, particularly for solid chemical products, which requires precise measurement and application of diluents to ensure accurate concentration and volume.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a container with a weighing device and a controller to determine and manage the dispensing of a target amount of diluent and chemical product, applying the diluent to the solid chemical product until the desired use solution concentration and volume are achieved, using a liquid circulation subsystem and valves to recirculate and spray the diluent onto the product.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated dispensing systems are used for solid chemical products, then productivity and safety are improved, but manufacturing precision and measurement accuracy deteriorate due to difficulty in measuring and controlling solid chemical dissolution
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the measurement parameter from direct solid chemical measurement to liquid solution measurement. By measuring the concentration of the dissolved chemical in the liquid phase using conductivity or other sensing methods, the system achieves precise control of solid chemical dissolution while maintaining automated high-speed dispensing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical weighing and manual measurement methods with automated sensing systems (such as conductivity sensors) that can rapidly and accurately measure the concentration of dissolved chemicals in real-time, enabling both high productivity and high precision simultaneously
2Manufacturing precision
If manual measurement and delivery of chemical products is performed, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity decreases and exposure risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automated dispensing where the automated dispenser independently measures, dissolves, and delivers the correct amount of chemical product without human intervention. The system self-regulates the dissolution process and automatically controls the dispensing rate, maintaining precision while dramatically increasing productivity and eliminating operator exposure risks
3Ease of operation
If concentrated chemical products are handled manually, then ease of operation is improved, but harmful factors increase due to operator exposure risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the hazardous function of handling concentrated chemicals from human operators and transfers it to the automated dispensing system. The automated system contains and controls the concentrated chemical products throughout the dissolution and dispensing process, eliminating operator exposure risks while maintaining ease of operation through automated control
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an automated dispensing machine as an intermediary between the operator and the hazardous chemical products. This intermediary handles all interactions with concentrated chemicals, including measurement, dissolution, and delivery, thereby protecting operators from exposure while maintaining simple operation through automated interfaces
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
Ensures accurate preparation of use solutions with precise concentration and volume, reducing manual labor and exposure risks while maintaining efficiency in chemical dispensing across various applications.
Implementation Method 1
The target amount of the diluent and the target amount of the chemical product are measured by weight
Implementation Method 2
applying at least some of the diluent from the container to a solid chemical product to create a resultant use solution
Data Source
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AI summary
A solid chemical product is dispensed to prepare a requested amount of a use solution having a requested concentration of the chemical product. In some examples, a target amount of a diluent and a target amount of the chemical product required to prepare the requested use solution are determined. The target amount of the diluent is dispensed into a container. At least some of the diluent in the container is applied to the solid chemical product to create a resultant use solution, which is directed back into the container. The diluent from the container is applied to the chemical product until the amount of the use solution in the container satisfies the requested amount. In some examples, the target amount of the diluent and the target amount of the chemical product are measured by weight.