ES2288049A1 - Reusing system for water containing in cooling devices and industrial cleaning facilities of textile material, has tank for accumulation of surplus water from refrigeration machines of steam generators - Google Patents

Abstract

The system has a tank for accumulation of surplus water from the refrigeration machines of the steam generators. A variable deposit probe level is provided, which is connected to a solenoid valve that opens or closes the circuit of overall network of water. The accumulated water is put into circulation through an electro pump and reused in other cleaning type fixtures.

Description

Water reuse system in installations containing refrigeration devices.

Field of the invention

The invention is non-exclusive ascribed to the large-scale industrial cleaning sector of materials textiles such as dresses and suits, tablecloths, bedding, curtains, etc ... in which a high consumption of Water.

State of the art

Currently industrial laundry (dry cleaners) requires machinery whose devices refrigeration in dry cleaning and / or generation machines of steam, consume high amounts of water. Good part of this Water will be discarded and discharged to the sewer network.

Water begins to be a scarce commodity in many countries with clear territorial desertification processes. Saving in water consumption, in these countries it has become one of the preferential purposes of governments. They exist in the State of The technique described water saving devices in devices for washing, for example of fabric bands (ES2040819), which consist of overlapping treatment sections, in whose part lower is a wash water that is recirculated to each treatment section

Recirculation is the economizing principle of water consumption which is also described in WO02 / 08508. At recycling scheme described in the aforementioned patent, the water of industrial washing is purified and the wastewater evaporates and Purify by recycling both.

Also in the domestic environment they are described water reuse devices as described in ES2193889. In the aforementioned patent, all domestic drains (sinks, sinks, showers, bathtubs, washing machines, dishwashers, etc ..), after being filtered and / or purified, they go to a warehouse with check valve and general network connection for input of water. The recycled water contained in said tank, alone or mixed with water from the general network, it supplies irrigation water and / or the filling water of the cisterns of the toilets. This domestic water recycling device, with multiple variants, it is widely described in the state of the art. US5496468 describes, for example, a similar device in which the  reservoir where all the wastewater comes together, presents a concentric multicameral structure, with holes that allow the passage from one chamber to another from the exit along the central axis of the wastewater to the periphery. This device allows the filtration of used water and its subsequent purification during the accumulation and storage process. In GB2271372 it also describes a similar device in which a 2nd is disposed supplementary tank for high recycling cases that fill the First deposit or main deposit. WO97 / 33676 describes another variant of this same device that incorporates directing pumps the recycled water to each application of use (bathrooms or irrigation), the waste water accumulation tank being buried. US5106493 describes in detail a device of domestic water recycling, controlled by a microprocessor which opens or closes synchronously, according to the needs, the solenoid valves that operate the water flows of the device. ES2114764 even describes the possibility of chlorinating water recycled, prior to its new use.

In general, the systems described in the state of the technique, recycle wastewater produced in the field domestic with limited applications (irrigation and tank filling in the toilets in most cases), because the load pollutant from recycled water, even with treatments of purification and / or filtration to which it is subjected, is excessive to allow its use in other applications. System use of surplus water of the invention, in the textile industrial cleaning facilities, is a system alternative to those described, specially designed for cleaning industrial or semi-industrial and that is partly a reuse of the water used in them that returns to be used for industrial cleaning of textiles or garments, especially for the units of ironing, desmanchado and of wet wash, possibly present in these facilities industrial cleaning But, in addition to this reuse, the device of the invention allows the reuse of this water and its use in other devices, applications or functions industrial, agricultural or domestic, who need it and who can connect to the device Apparatus that, in the state of the technique, they are donors of wastewater to recycle according to devices described in said prior art, in the invention are going to be receivers of recycled water from of surplus water from industrial cleaning processes, especially dry cleaning.

Description of the invention

The invention is basically described in the claim 1. It consists of a water use system of textile industrial cleaning facilities, which consists of accumulate in a tank in a controlled way the surplus water of the cooling devices of the different constituents of these facilities and reuse said surplus water in others elements of the industrial cleaning facility other than cooling devices that produce said surplus water. The concept of reuse also includes the use of said water accumulated in other industrial facilities, agricultural or domestic that require water, with the exception of elements that supply water for human or animal consumption and that can be attached to the industrial cleaning facility. In addition to Industrial textile cleaning facilities.

The water reused in the present invention goes to come from 2 possible sources, alternatively or jointly:

to)

Of the refrigeration of dry cleaning machines.

b)

Of the steam generator cooler. The steam generator is used for the ironing and staining machines existing in the dry cleaners or industrial cleaning industries in general.

Water will be reused in the machines of wet wash, dry cleaning plates and stain removers. It is possible to take advantage of the water stored also in other industrial facilities, which are connected or coupled to the system of the invention, in agricultural facilities, for irrigation, for example or in domestic installations, such as sanitary facilities of toilet tanks. In general the water can be used for any use except for consumption human or animal

Water from the washing machine in Dry and / or steam generator will be stored in a tank which has at least one minimum level sensor and at least one sensor of maximum level. Said deposit will be connected to both the network General drinking water supply, as at the general exit of sewage, such as to cooldown points or water utilization (toilet tanks, irrigation, washing machines, plates and stain removers for dry cleaning, etc ...). Sensors maximum and minimum will act on a solenoid valve that opens or Close the water supply of the general network.

With the system of the invention they are achieved significant savings, both in water consumption, as in electricity when the water is reused at a nearby temperature at the temperature required by wet washing machines or domestic washing machines, according to the washing program used.

Detailed description of the invention

In a preferred embodiment of the invention (Fig. 1) the water to be reused, comes from the cooling of the dry cleaning machines (1), on the one hand and the cooler of steam generators (2) for another. The pipes used in the system (3) of the invention with plastic pipes commonly used in this type of facilities. In any In this case, the preferred pipe in the invention would be the pipe copper or flexible trilayer tube for 18 mm section pressure, without exclude any other commercial pipes, such as pipes Conventional PVC based.

At the entrance of the tank (5) for accumulation of water to be reused, a non-return valve (4) is provided. The Tank capacity will depend on each type of installation. The calculations of the invention have been made for a 750 l tank capacity. The material in which the deposit is made is not determinant for the invention. Preferably a plastic tank In this deposit there is a multilevel probe (6) coupled to a 24V solenoid valve (7) with transformer 220/24 V electric. This probe will float according to the level that reach the water accumulated in the tank giving a level signal of water inside it connected to the solenoid valve. Probe marks a minimum level that causes the solenoid valve to open in the water inlet direction of the general supply network (16). This solenoid valve, if the system works efficiently, goes to be closed for much of the time, not needed, except in on an exceptional occasion, provide extra water from the network. The probe also marks a maximum level that closes the solenoid valve To avoid overflow at peak times storage without water recycling, the tank is built with a overflow (8) at the maximum fill level, with direct exit to the sewer (13). There is also a way out bottom, with a cutting key (9). This key is also available for security reasons, especially when installing industrial cleaning is not going to be used, particularly the purposes during the week and during the holidays. In addition, in case of water breakdown Below, this cutting wrench allows repair and maintenance of the different elements of the device, especially of the electric pump The water to be reused is in the tank a temperature ranging between 25-40 ° C. In actually, the water reaches the tank at a temperature of 45-50ºC, although this temperature never exceeded 36ºC in the lower part of the tank where it leaves. The temperature is can be adjusted according to the height at which we have the probe minimum level, by convection currents. Also of optionally, a temperature sensor can be arranged in the tank, also connected to the solenoid valve, so that if the temperature exceeds a certain threshold, it opens and leaves penetrate the water tank in the network, cold, which will reduce the average accumulated water temperature.

The water to be reused will come out on the part bottom of the tank. This output is controlled by the key bypass (9) and by means of a non-return valve (10) its back to it. The water to be reused is taken to the points of reuse or reuse by means of an electric pump (11) of 1.5 Kw The pumping pressure varies depending on each installation. The electric pump used reaches 6 kg, but it has been estimated that The optimum working pressure ranges from 2-3 kg. Water reuse points are mainly those wet washing machines (12).

In another preferred embodiment of the invention (Fig. 2), applicable to industrial cleaning installations of textiles, particularly in dry cleaning and dry cleaners without steam generator and with autonomous irons, the system of water reuse of the invention is simplified, being the source of surplus water only washing machines or dry cleaning (1). In this 2nd embodiment, the surplus water of the Dry cleaning machine cooling device (1), connects directly to the tank (5) by means of the valve non-return (4) arranged at its entrance. The rest of the device It corresponds to the one already described. The water temperature in the Deposit is similar to the previous embodiment.

Also, being the most consumer elements of water wet washing machines, water is reused in they (12), or, in the plates (14) and stain removers (15), autonomous. Finally, the water to be reused can be used in the filling of toilet tanks (17), for irrigation or even in washing machines for domestic use.

In the system of the invention, with a machine dry cleaning and a steam generator, a water saving of at least 38% on the same installation of dry cleaning, with the same components, without the system water reuse To this saving in water consumption, which carries the corresponding economic savings evenly, the electrical saving (8-10%) that occurs in the wet washing machines attached to their water inlet system of the invention. The temperature required in the programs most common washing machines used in this type of washing machine, oscillates between 40-60 ° C. To reach these temperatures the washing programs that use them have an average duration of about 45 min, since the water in the network has to be heated, by means of resistors of 12 Kw of electrical consumption, until said temperature. With the device of the invention the average time of Washing programs range from 30-35 min which represents between 20-33% savings of time, with the consequent effects on load optimization of industrial washing processes and the added effect of a lower electricity consumption since time savings are produced in the water heating stage, when the water enters reuse at a temperature close to that required by the wet washing machines.

Another preferred embodiment of the invention It consists of parameterizing all the components of the device: water inflow and outflows for each component, values of temperature, residence time in the refrigerator, signs of maximum and minimum level in the tank, alarms by malfunction, etc .. and using a microprocessor, perform a remote control of the device, by PLC. In this way, the own device can send and receive messages, via mobile, by example, which optimizes its operation in real time and It allows remote operation.

The invention, therefore, allows a water and electricity savings in all those industries related to industrial textile cleaning: dry cleaners, dry cleaning, carpet cleaning, industrial laundry, curtain cleaning, upholstery cleaning, laundries hospitality, hospital, etc ... but it can also be application in activities that use refrigeration chambers, etc ... in general that have cooling devices that generate surplus water.

Description of the figures

Fig. 1: Shows a diagram of the device or device of the invention with dry machine and
steam generator:

one.-

Dry cleaning machine

2.-

Steam generator

3.-

Heat exchanger

4.-

1st Backflow valve

5.-

Deposit

6.-

Multilevel probe

7.-

Solenoid valve

8.-

Deposit overflow

9.-

Cutting key

10.-

2nd Non-return valve

eleven.-

Electric pump

12.-

Wet washing machine

13.-

Sewerage

14.-

Griddle

fifteen.-

Stain remover

16.-

Water from the general network of supply

17.-

Toilet cistern

Continuous line: water pipes; Line discontinuous: electric conduction.

Fig. 2: Shows a scheme of the device or device of the invention only with dry machine. Numbering corresponds to that of Fig. 1.

Claims (9)

1. Water reuse system facilities containing at least one device refrigeration, which consists of accumulating in a tank (5), of controlled form, excess water in said devices cooling and reusing said water accumulated in other elements from installation other than refrigeration devices that produce said surplus water and / or take advantage of said water accumulated in any other installation that requires it, industrial, agricultural or domestic, that fits the above water generating installation, with the exception of facilities that supply water for human consumption or animal. 2. System according to claim 1 characterized in that the installation whose cooling devices produce the surpluses of water to accumulate and reuse is an industrial textile cleaning installation and the cooling devices are preferably those existing in dry cleaning machines. (1) and / or steam generators (2). 3. System according to any one of claims 1 or 2 characterized in that the controlled accumulation of excess water is carried out in a tank (5), which has a multilevel probe (6), with minimum and maximum level sensors, whose values open or close a solenoid valve (7) of water supply of the general network (16), said tank also presenting a stopcock (9) in its lower part, where the water to be reused and an overflow outlet (8) in its upper part connected to the sewerage network (13). 4. System according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the water to be reused is in the tank at a temperature ranging between 25-40 ° C. 5. System according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that in the inlet and outlet ducts to the tank, non-return valves are arranged (4, 10). 6. System according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the elements of the installation where the water generated as surplus by the cooling devices is reused, are preferably wet washing machines (12), irons (14) or stain removers (15) . 7. System according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the other industrial, agricultural or domestic installations, coupled to the installation where water is generated by the cooling devices are, among others, domestic washing machines, toilet tanks (17), irrigation and washing devices for fruits, vegetables and vegetables. System according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the temperature of the tank (5) can be measured by means of a thermal probe allowing the information collected by said probe to open the solenoid valve (7) and supply cold water from the network (16) to said deposit (5). 9. System according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the different parameters involved in the system, among others: flow and temperature of the water coming from the cooling devices, water temperature in the tank, water levels, maximum and minimum, in said deposit, requirements for water flow and temperature supplies from wet washing machines, irons, stain removers, as well as from any other industrial, agricultural or domestic installation, coupled to the surplus water generating installation, they control by means of a microprocessor, preferably a PLC, that can be operated remotely.