Wash Water Chemistry Control With Self-Cleaning pH Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current water chemistry control methods in food processing are inadequate, particularly in ensuring food safety and maintaining water quality, as they rely on manual methods and basic automation, which are inefficient and prone to errors in cold and wet environments.
Innovation Solution
A control system comprising a wash solution reservoir, pH sensors, pumps, a Clean-In-Place device, and a logic processor that generates control signals to adjust chemical levels in water, ensuring precise pH and chlorine management, with features like automatic cleaning and calibration to prevent fouling and maintain sensor accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If automated control systems with multiple sensors and pumps are implemented, then measurement precision and control reliability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is divided into independent functional modules: primary pH pump for wash solution addition, secondary pH pump for acid addition, multiple pH sensors distributed at different locations, and separate control logic for each component. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently while maintaining overall system precision without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where pH sensors continuously monitor water chemistry and automatically adjust pump operations through the control processor. This closed-loop feedback maintains measurement precision by constantly correcting deviations without requiring complex manual intervention systems.
2Reliability
If continuous monitoring and automatic control are implemented, then food safety reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous pH monitoring and automatic adjustment operations to ensure uninterrupted food safety protection. The pumps and sensors operate continuously or in frequent cycles, eliminating gaps in safety monitoring while using automated control to minimize unnecessary energy expenditure through intelligent operation scheduling.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system automatically adjusts chemical dosing based on real-time sensor feedback without requiring manual intervention. This self-regulating capability maintains food safety reliability continuously while reducing energy waste associated with manual operations and unnecessary pump cycling.
3Device complexity
If manual water chemistry management methods are used, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision and control accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Manual mechanical pH testing and chemical adjustment methods are replaced with automated electronic pH sensors and computer-controlled chemical dosing pumps. This substitution dramatically improves water chemistry control accuracy while the modular system design keeps complexity manageable through standardized components and automated operation.
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 provides real-time control and monitoring of water chemistry, enhancing food safety by maintaining consistent chemical levels and reducing manual intervention, thus improving the reliability and efficiency of the wash process.
Implementation Method 1
an air blast device configured to deliver a filtered and oil-free burst of air to dislodge adhering material on the sensors and configured to clean out the flow paths to the sensors
Implementation Method 2
a pressure transmitter configured to send a signal to the logic processor indicating a measurement of air pressure in the CIP device
Implementation Method 3
an air regulator protected by a filter, wherein the air regulator is configured to regulate the air pressure in the CIP device to the desired operating pressure
Implementation Method 4
a first pH sensor and a second pH sensor configured to sense pH of the water in the produce handling device and generate a sensor signal
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and a control system for water used in a food processing system are provided. For example, the control system includes at least one sensor configured to collect a sensor signal from a produce handling device, a logic processor configured to receive the sensor signal collected by the at least one sensor and generate a control signal for controlling adding wash solution to the water used in the food processing system, and a human machine interface (HMI) configured to display information from the logic processor to a user.