GB2442869A

GB2442869A - Method and means for cleaning pipelines

Info

Publication number: GB2442869A
Application number: GB0719810A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hugh O'dea
Original assignee: WENDY O'DEA
Current assignee: WENDY O'DEA
Priority date: 2006-10-10
Filing date: 2007-10-05
Publication date: 2008-04-16
Anticipated expiration: 2027-10-05
Also published as: GB0620007D0; GB2442869B; GB0719810D0

Abstract

A method of cleaning a pipeline through which a fluid is delivered comprises providing a liquid cleaning composition; providing a variable temperature water supply; diluting the liquid cleaning composition with water from the variable temperature water supply: pumping the diluted cleaning composition through the pipeline by means of a pump; and flushing the pipeline by pumping water through the pipeline using the same pump. The apparatus used for carrying out the aforementioned method can comprise a mixing chamber 11, means for supplying water at a variable temperature to the mixing chamber 11, a pump for pumping water from the mixing chamber 11, a container containing a liquid cleaning composition, a venturi or air gap proportioner 26 through which passes the water supplied to the mixing chamber 11 and a connection between the container and the venturi or air gap proportioner 26 so that as the supplied water passes through the venture or air gap proportioner 26, the liquid cleaning composition will be drawn from the container and mixed with the water.

Description

METHOD AND MEANS FOR CLEANING PIPELINES

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a method and means for cleaning pipelines and, although it has been developed primarily in relation to the cleaning of pipelines through which beer is supplied, the invention is applicable to the cleaning of pipelines used for the transport of other fluids, for example, the pipelines through which milk is caused to flow in a milking parlour.

The pipelines through which beer is supplied from the cellar to the bar have to be cleaned at regular intervals, e.g. once a week, and methods currently employed involve the use of a 50 litre cleaning vessel that weighs about 5Okilos when full and sometimes has to be moved from the water supply to the cellar.

In British Patent Specification No. 2 339 877, to which reference should be made, there is described a method of cleaning a pipeline through which a fluid is delivered, said method corn prisi n g: -a) providing a liquid cleaning composition, b) diluting the liquid cleaning composition with water, C) pumping the diluted cleaning composition through the pipeline by means of a pump, and d) flushing the pipeline by pumping water through the pipeline using the same pump.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of cleaning a pipeline.

The beer industry is changing all the time and a current trend is the dispensing of extra cold beers. This can result in ineffective line cleaning creating high levels of infection. This results in poor palate and haze problems resulting in quality issues and customer complaints.

It is accordingly a specific object of the present invention to provide a method of cleaning pipelines through which cold beer is dispensed.

In British Patent Specification No. 2 339 877, there is also described means for cleaning a pipeline through which a fluid has been delivered, said means comprising:-a) a mixing chamber, b) a pump for pumping water from the mixing chamber, c) a container containing a liquid cleaning composition, d) a venturi or air gap proportioner through which the water passes, and e) a connection between the container and the venturi or air gap proportioner so that, as the water passes through the venturi or air gap proportioner, the liquid cleaning composition wilt be drawn from the container and mixed with the water in the mixing chamber from which it is pumped through the pipeline.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved means for cleaning a pipeline through which a fluid is delivered, particularly a pipeline through which cold beer has been dispensed.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of cleaning a pipeline through which a fluid is delivered, said method comprising:-a) providing a liquid cleaning composition, b) providing a variable temperature water supply, c) diluting the liquid cleaning composition with water from the variable temperature water supply, d) pumping the diluted cleaning composition through the pipeline by means of a pump, and e) flushing the pipeline by pumping water through the pipeline using the same pump.

The variable temperature water supply is preferably provided by the use of a thermostatic mixing valve connected to hot and cold water supplies.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided means for cleaning a pipeline through which a fluid has been delivered, said means comprising:-a) a mixing chamber, b) means for supplying water at a variable temperature to the mixing chamber, c) a pump for pumping water from the mixing chamber, d) a container containing a liquid cleaning composition, e) a venturi or air gap proportioner through which passes the water supplied to the mixing chamber, and f) a connection between the container and the venturi or air gap proportioner so that, as the supplied water passes through the venturi or air gap proportioner, the liquid cleaning composition will be drawn from the container and mixed with the water in the mixing chamber from which it is pumped through the pipeline.

As mentioned above, the variable temperature water supply is preferably provided by the use of a thermostatic mixing valve connected to hot and cold water supplies.

A four-way valve is preferably included in the venturi or air gap proportioner and is operable to permit the selection of a plurality of different dosage rates.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a schematic view of the water inlet system of an apparatus for use in cleaning pipelines, Figure 2 shows a thermostatic mixing valve, and Figure 3 shows a four-way valve.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

The apparatus illustrated in the drawings is specifically designed for use in cleaning pipelines through which beer has been supplied. The principles involved are, however, equally applicable to the cleaning of pipelines through which other fluids are transported, for example, the pipelines in a milking parlour or those through which liquid food products are delivered.

The apparatus is a modification of, and improvement on, the apparatus described in British Patent Specification No. 2 339 877, to which reference should be made for a detailed explanation of the construction and mode of operation of those parts of the apparatus that are the same as the apparatus of Patent Specification No. 2 339 877.

The electrical circuit of the apparatus includes a main on/off switch mounted on a housing 10 and operation of the switch controls the electrical supply to an interface module and to an electric pump (not shown). The housing 10 contains a mixing chamber 11 to which water and a liquid cleaning solution are supplied and the mixing chamber 11 contains a float-operated switch, which controls operation of a solenoid valve 12. When the main on/off switch is switched on, the electric pump is energised to deliver water or diluted cleaning composition from the housing 10 to the pipeline(s) to be cleaned. The inlet of the pump is connected to a delivery chamber 13 within the housing 10, the delivery chamber 13 being separated from the mixing chamber 11 by a weir 14 so that it is the overflow from the mixing chamber 11, over the weir 14, which is delivered by the pump to the pipeline(s) to be cleaned.

The liquid cleaning composition is stored within a container (not shown) which, in use, is normally mounted alongside the housing 10 and the line from the container for the liquid cleaning composition to the housing 10 contains a valve 15 (Figure 3) which is opened and closed on operation of a switch mounted on the housing 10. The valve 15 has four settings (as shown in Figure 3) to provide different degrees of opening of the valve 15 and thus four different rates of supply of the cleaning composition. The valve 15 will thus be set in the position corresponding to the required concentration of the cleaning composition. When the apparatus is in use and the valve 15 is open, appropriately diluted cleaning composition will be delivered to the pipeline(s) to be cleaned whereas, when the valve 15 is closed, water for flushing purposes will be delivered to the pipeline(s) once any residual cleaning composition has been flushed out of the mixing chamber 11.

Water is supplied to the mixing chamber from hot and cold water supplies that are connected to the inlets of a thermostatic mixer valve 16 (Figure 2), the outlet of which is connected by a line 17 to a bulkhead connector 18 mounted in an aperture in the wall of the housing 10. The bulkhead connector 18 is connected via tubes 19 and elbows 20 to the solenoid valve 12. The temperature at which the water is supplied to the solenoid valve 12 can be varied, by appropriate adjustment of the setting of the thermostatic mixer valve 16, within the range of, for example, from 45 C down to 15 C. The solenoid valve 12 is connected to an air gap proportioner 21 that includes a venturi for drawing the liquid cleaning composition from its storage container. The mode of operation of the air gap proportioner 21 is as described in British Patent Specification No. 2 339 877 and the method of operation of the apparatus is as described in Patent Specification No. 2 339 877, with two exceptions. The first is that the temperature at which the cleaning composition is caused to flow through the pipeline(s) can be adjusted by appropriate setting of the thermostatic mixer valve 16 and the second is that the four-way valve 15 is incorporated in the air gap proportioner so that an improved facility for adjusting the concentration of the cleaning composition is provided.

Adjusting the temperature of the cleaning composition ensures that the chemicals within the cleaning composition can operate with maximum efficiency. For many of the chemicals, the optimum temperature is within the range of from 350 to 40 C. In an alternative arrangement to that described above, the apparatus includes a "flojet" gas or compressed air pump and the chemical cleaning composition is added by a vacuum action. A mechanical ball cock and valve arrangement is used and the positions of the four-way valve are preset by the installation engineer.

Claims

Claims:- 1. A method of cleaning a pipeline through which a fluid is

delivered, said method comprising:-a) providing a liquid cleaning composition, b) providing a variable temperature water supply, C) diluting the liquid cleaning composition with water from the variable temperature water supply, d) pumping the diluted cleaning composition through the pipeline by means of a pump, and e) flushing the pipeline by pumping water through the pipeline using the same pump.
2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, in which the variable temperature water supply is provided by the use of a thermostatic mixing valve connected to hot and cold water supplies.
3. A method as claimed in either of the preceding claims, which includes providing means for adjusting the concentration of the liquid cleaning composition.
4. A method of cleaning a pipeline through which a fluid is delivered, said method being carried out substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. Means for cleaning a pipeline through which a fluid has been delivered, said means comprising:-a) a mixing chamber, b) means for supplying water at a variable temperature to the mixing chamber, c) a pump for pumping water from the mixing chamber, d) a container containing a liquid cleaning composition, e) a venturi or air gap proportioner through which passes the water supplied to the mixing chamber, and f) a connection between the container and the venturi or air gap proportioner so that, as the supplied water passes through the venturi or air gap proportioner, the liquid cleaning composition will be drawn from the container and mixed with the water in the mixing chamber from which it is pumped through the pipeline.
6. Cleaning means as claimed in Claim 5, in which the variable temperature water supply is provided by the use of a thermostatic mixing valve connected to hot and cold water supplies.
7. Cleaning means as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6, in which a four-way valve is included in the venturi or air gap proportioner and is operable to permit the selection of a plurality of different dosage rates.
8. Cleaning means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.