Temperature-Based Automatic Flushing for Drinking Water Line Hygiene
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for automatically flushing liquid lines, such as drinking water systems, fail to ensure optimal hygiene due to inadequate frequency or timing of flushing, leading to potential bacterial growth and water wastage, especially in unused lines.
Innovation Solution
A method that utilizes time- or volume-controlled flushing processes, where a temperature profile of the liquid is measured and evaluated to adjust the flushing behavior, ensuring that flushing occurs only when necessary, thereby preventing unnecessary rinsing and conserving water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flushing frequency is increased to ensure better hygiene, then bacterial growth is prevented, but water consumption increases and residents are disturbed during night sleep
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses temperature sensors to continuously monitor the liquid in the pipes and provides feedback to the control unit. The control unit adjusts flushing operations based on this feedback, initiating flushing only when temperature indicates stagnation conditions that could lead to bacterial growth, thereby preventing unnecessary flushing and reducing water consumption while maintaining hygiene.
Solution Approach 2:
The flushing system transitions from a static, fixed-schedule operation to a dynamic, condition-based operation. The flushing frequency and timing are continuously adjusted based on real-time temperature measurements, allowing the system to adapt to actual usage patterns and environmental conditions, optimizing both hygiene and water conservation.
2Reliability
If flushing frequency is increased to ensure better hygiene, then bacterial growth is prevented, but disturbance to residents during night sleep increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit receives temperature feedback and intelligently schedules flushing operations. When flushing is determined to be necessary, the system can delay initiation until more appropriate times, avoiding nighttime disturbances while still achieving the hygiene objective through targeted flushing at optimal moments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary temperature monitoring and evaluation to determine flushing necessity before actually initiating flushing. This allows the control unit to plan flushing operations in advance, scheduling them at times that minimize disturbance to residents while still preventing bacterial growth.
3Loss of substance
If temperature-based flushing control is implemented, then unnecessary flushing is prevented and water is saved, but system complexity increases due to temperature sensors and evaluation logic
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces complex mechanical flushing control mechanisms with a simpler electronic control unit that uses temperature sensor data. The control unit applies predetermined evaluation logic to temperature readings to automatically determine flushing needs, substituting mechanical complexity with electronic sensing and logical decision-making, which is easier to implement and maintain.
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 effectively reduces bacterial growth by ensuring adequate disinfection through optimized flushing based on usage patterns, minimizing water consumption by avoiding unnecessary flushing cycles.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature profile of the liquid is measured
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for automatically flushing liquid lines, in particular drinking water lines. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a device for automatically flushing liquid lines, in particular drinking water lines. The invention is based on the technical problem of specifying a method and a device for automatic rinsing, which enables a rinsing behavior that is better adapted to the circumstances and is more reliable. The technical problem is solved by a method for automatically flushing at least one liquid line, in particular a drinking water line, in which a temperature profile of the liquid is measured, in which the measurement data are evaluated and in which the automatic flushing of the at least one liquid line is influenced by a result of the evaluation , solved. The technical problem is also solved by a device for automatically flushing liquid lines, in particular drinking water lines, which has means (2) for measuring the temperature, means (28) for recording, storing and evaluating the measured temperature values and means (16) for carrying out a has rinsing process.