Warewasher and method for operating a warewasher
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional warewashers are maintenance- and energy-intensive, produce significant lost water, and experience downtimes due to reverse osmosis systems, which fail to meet water quality standards for effective washing without exceeding chloride, heavy metal, and salt content limits.
Innovation Solution
A warewasher equipped with a capacitive deionization unit that operates in multiple modes to demineralize and regenerate water, reducing the need for reverse osmosis systems, minimizing maintenance, and optimizing water usage, featuring a controllable capacitive deionization unit with cells that can switch between deionization, regeneration, and flush modes based on operating parameters like washing programs and ion concentrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If reverse osmosis systems are used to meet water quality standards, then water quality is improved, but maintenance requirements and energy consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operating parameters of the capacitive deionization unit by switching between deionization mode (for water purification) and regeneration mode (for electrode recovery). This parameter change allows the system to maintain water quality standards while reducing maintenance requirements, as the electrodes are automatically regenerated without manual intervention or system shutdown.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic switching between deionization and regeneration modes. During deionization mode, water is purified; during regeneration mode, electrodes are restored. This periodic action enables continuous operation without maintenance downtime while meeting water quality standards, resolving the contradiction between reliability and maintenance requirements.
2Reliability
If reverse osmosis systems are used to meet water quality standards, then water quality is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs parameter changes by operating the capacitive deionization unit in alternating deionization and regeneration modes. This approach consumes significantly less energy than reverse osmosis systems while maintaining water quality within legal limits, as it uses electrical charging/discharging cycles instead of high-pressure mechanical pumping.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical high-pressure system of reverse osmosis with an electrical field-based capacitive deionization system. This substitution dramatically reduces energy consumption while achieving the same water quality objectives, as electrical charging cycles require far less energy than maintaining high pressure for membrane filtration.
3Reliability
If reverse osmosis systems are used, then water quality standards are met, but system downtime increases due to maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic switching between deionization and regeneration modes, allowing continuous operation without shutdown. The automatic regeneration process restores electrode functionality during normal operation cycles, eliminating the maintenance downtime associated with reverse osmosis systems while maintaining water quality standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The capacitive deionization unit performs self-regeneration through automatic switching between operational modes. The system regenerates its own electrodes without external intervention or shutdown, enabling continuous water purification while meeting quality standards, thus eliminating maintenance-related downtime.
4Productivity
If conventional washing systems are used, then washing capacity is maintained, but water loss increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The capacitive deionization unit serves multiple functions: purifying fresh water for the final rinse zone and treating waste water from other zones. This multi-functionality allows the system to maintain washing capacity while significantly reducing water loss through effective water reuse and purification, addressing both productivity and water conservation goals.
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 solution enhances the reliability and throughput of warewashers by reducing downtimes and energy consumption, maintaining water quality within acceptable limits, and minimizing lost water, ensuring continuous operation and improved washing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a controllable capacitive deionization unit (50) connected on the input side to the at least one water feed (71) and connected on the output side to the at least one fresh water inlet (70)
Implementation Method 2
the at least one cell of the capacitive deionization unit is designed to be operated in a deionization mode and in at least one further operating mode
Data Source
AI summary
A warewasher has at least one treatment system comprising a jet system (60, 61, 62, 63, 202) with at least one jet for spraying treatment liquid onto the items within at least one treatment zone (32, 33, 201), a fresh water system and a control device (10), wherein the fresh water system has at least one water feed (71), with at least one fresh water inlet (70) for the introduction of fresh water into the at least one treatment zone (32, 33, 201) as well as a controllable capacitive deionization unit (50), wherein the at least one cell (50a, 50b) is designed to be operated in a deionization mode and in at least one further operating mode, wherein the control device (10) is designed to change the operating mode of the at least one cell (50a, 50b) in accordance with at least one operating parameter of the warewasher.