Warewashing Titration Indicator for Accurate Conductivity Checks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional warewashing machines rely on conductivity cells for regulating cleaning products, which can yield inaccurate results or be inoperable, requiring manual titration by field personnel, leading to unreliable measurements of chemical product concentration.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that uses sensed information from a utility device to apply test conditions and display indicators for optimal titration times, ensuring accurate measurement of chemical solution conductivity during wash cycles, with a control box monitoring and controlling the dispensing of chemical products and rinse agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If conductivity cells are used to sense conductivity of cleaning product, then automated control of chemical concentration is achieved, but measurement accuracy deteriorates due to inaccurate or inoperable cell readings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system between the conductivity cells and the control process. Manual titration by field personnel serves as an intermediary verification method to validate the automated conductivity cell readings. The system allows both automated sensing and manual verification to coexist, using the intermediary human operator to resolve discrepancies when cell readings are inaccurate or inoperable.
2Reliability
If manual titration is performed by field personnel, then measurement reliability is improved through direct chemical testing, but operational complexity increases requiring periodic site visits and manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing the automated conductivity sensing to perform the primary measurement function without requiring manual intervention. Field personnel only need to perform manual titration when the system indicates conductivity cell issues or when verification is needed, significantly reducing the frequency and effort of manual operations while maintaining reliability.
3Reliability
If continuous monitoring of chemical solution is implemented, then compliance with regulations is ensured, but system complexity increases requiring sophisticated sensing and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements partial monitoring by using conductivity cells to continuously sense chemical concentration, but relies on manual titration for complete verification. This partial automated approach provides ongoing compliance monitoring without requiring a fully sophisticated continuous analysis system, balancing regulatory assurance with manageable system complexity.
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 provides accurate and reliable measurement of chemical product concentration, reducing the need for manual titration and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards by automating the determination of suitable titration times.
Implementation Method 1
a conductivity cell sense information related to a conductivity of the chemical solution
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method is disclosed for indicating satisfactory times for titrating a chemical solution, e.g., cleaning product, used by a utility device to clean and/or sanitize various types of articles. The utility device is described in an exemplary embodiment as being a warewashing machine that applies the chemical solution to articles provided to the machine on racks. The chemical solution is formed in a solution tank from a combination of at least one chemical product and at least one rinse agent. Whereas the chemical product is described as a detergent, the rinse agent is described as water. Over a time period including multiple wash cycles, the chemical product and the rinse agent are added to the solution tank, thereby changing conductivity of the chemical solution. The present invention senses various types of information associated with the formation of the chemical solution and applies one or more test conditions to the sensed information to determine satisfactory time periods for measuring concentration of the chemical product relative to the chemical solution. Indications of the occurrence of these satisfactory times are presented on a display module in a manner visible to field persons responsible for titrating the chemical solution.