Solid Particulate Drum Cleaning to Reduce Water and Detergent Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aqueous textile washing processes face challenges in reducing water, energy, and detergent consumption while maintaining effective mechanical action, which leads to fabric damage and increased costs and environmental impact.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a rotatably mounted cylindrical cage with controlled perforations and storage compartments to manage solid particulate cleaning material, allowing for efficient interaction with substrates during washing and easy separation and storage, enabling reduced water and detergent use while minimizing fabric damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If water level in the drum is increased to improve mechanical action, then cleaning efficiency is improved, but energy consumption and water consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts water from the washing system and replaces it with solid particulate material. The drum is designed with raised portions that hold solid particles, which provide mechanical action without requiring large volumes of water. This directly addresses the contradiction by removing water as the primary mechanical action medium.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state of the cleaning medium from liquid (water) to solid (particulate material). The solid particles are held in raised portions of the drum and released during rotation, providing mechanical action through a different physical mechanism that doesn't depend on water volume.
2Productivity
If water level in the drum is increased to improve mechanical action, then cleaning efficiency is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts water from the washing system and replaces it with solid particulate material. The drum is designed with raised portions that hold solid particles, which provide mechanical action without requiring large volumes of water. This directly addresses the contradiction by removing water as the primary mechanical action medium.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the water-based mechanical action system with a solid particle-based system. The raised portions in the drum create controlled release of solid particles that provide mechanical cleaning action through friction and impact, substituting the hydraulic action of water with solid-mechanical action.
3Quantity of substance
If solid particulate material is used for cleaning, then water consumption is reduced, but separation and storage of particulate material becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the storage function with the cleaning function by integrating storage compartments directly into the drum structure. The raised portions serve dual purposes: storing solid particulate material and providing mechanical action during rotation. This eliminates the need for separate external storage and separation systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The drum structure provides self-service by incorporating built-in storage compartments that automatically manage the solid particulate material. The raised portions hold the particles during idle periods and release them during operation through rotation, eliminating the need for external intervention or complex separation mechanisms.
4Quantity of substance
If solid particulate material is used for cleaning, then water consumption is reduced, but effective storage and reuse of particulate material becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the storage function with the cleaning function by integrating storage compartments directly into the drum structure. The raised portions serve dual purposes: storing solid particulate material and providing mechanical action during rotation. This eliminates the need for separate external storage and separation systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The drum structure provides self-service by incorporating built-in storage compartments that automatically manage the solid particulate material. The raised portions hold the particles during idle periods and release them during operation through rotation, eliminating the need for external intervention or complex separation mechanisms.
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 system achieves efficient cleaning with reduced water and detergent consumption, minimizes fabric damage, and allows for the reuse of solid particulate material, providing economic and environmental benefits.
Implementation Method 1
a rotatably mounted cylindrical cage which comprises controlled perforations and storage compartments to manage solid particulate cleaning material
Implementation Method 2
rotatably mounted cylindrical cage... allowing for efficient interaction with substrates during washing and easy separation and storage
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2.1~2.6
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention provides an apparatus and method for use in the treatment of substrates, wereby the apparatus comprises housing means having mounted therein a rotatably mounted drum (17), access means through which said substrates may be loaded into said drum (17), and a multiplicity of solid particulate material delivery means.