JP3226862U - Sterilizer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sterilizing device for sterilizing bacteria including Legionella bacteria by using ozone. In particular, it provides a safe and low-cost sterilizer for alkaline hot water. SOLUTION: An ozone generator 32 for generating ozone, an ozone injection pipe 50 provided in a hot water pipe 20 of a hot bath facility 100, and a gas-liquid mixture for injecting ozone generated by the ozone generator installed in the ozone injection pipe. It has a section 40 and an ozone supply pipe 34 for supplying ozone generated by an ozone generator to the gas-liquid mixing section, and the ozone injection pipe injects ozone into the hot and cold water flowing through the hot water pipe, and the filter 28 and Sterilize the inside of the hot water piping path. The dissolved ozone concentration is 0.1 mg/L to 1.4 mg/L with respect to hot water. The hot water of the hot bath facility is alkaline, and by injecting ozone into the alkaline hot water, the ozone is hydrolyzed to generate hydroxyl radicals, and the hydroxyl radicals sterilize the inside of the filter and the hot water pipe route. [Selection diagram] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a sterilization device for a hot bath facility, particularly for Legionella spp.

In large baths such as hot bath facilities and accommodation facilities, there are many cases in which hot water stored in a bathtub is circulated, filtered, sterilized, and reused. However, a general hypochlorous acid-based bactericide may reduce the bactericidal effect on Legionella spp. depending on the water quality condition, and infection of Legionella spp. There is. With respect to this problem, the inventors of the present application focused on the fact that the hot bed of Legionella spp. is in the filter, and made the invention described in the following [Patent Document 1] in which aeration is performed during backwashing of the filter.

JP, 2005-193214, A

As in the invention described in [Patent Document 1], removing the hot bed of Legionella spp. by washing the filter is one of the effective means for suppressing the growth of the sputum. However, in order to further suppress the growth of Legionella bacteria, it is desirable to take multiple measures from various approaches.

In particular, it has been reported that the bactericidal effect of high-concentration free chlorine treatment with a general hypochlorous acid bactericide is weakened against alkaline hot spring water (alkaline spring). Monochloramine treatment with chlorine type has been proposed. Here, monochloramine is a compound in which ammonia and chlorine are bound to each other, and is known to have excellent residual properties as compared with free chlorine and to maintain the bactericidal effect even in an alkaline solution. However, sterilization treatment with monochloramine has a problem that harmful nitrous nitrite may be generated and the cost of the drug is high.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sterilizing apparatus for sterilizing bacteria including Legionella bacteria by using ozone. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a safe and low-cost sterilizer for alkaline hot water.

The present invention
(1) An ozone generator 32 for generating ozone, an ozone injection pipe 50 provided in the hot water pipe 20 of the warm bath facility 100, and ozone generated by the ozone generator 32 installed in the ozone injection pipe 50 are injected. It has a gas-liquid mixing section 40 and an ozone supply pipe 34 for supplying ozone generated by the ozone generator 32 to the gas-liquid mixing section 40, and the ozone injection pipe 50 flows down in the hot water pipe 20. The above problem is solved by providing a sterilizing device 80 characterized by injecting ozone into hot water to sterilize the inside of the filter 28 and the hot water piping path.
(2) Dissolved ozone concentration is 0.1 mg/L to 1.4 mg/L in hot and cold water, and by providing the sterilizer 80 described in (1) above, the above problems are solved.
(3) The hot and cold water of the warm bath facility 100 is alkaline, and by injecting ozone into the alkaline hot and cold water, the ozone is hydrolyzed to generate hydroxyl radicals, and the hydroxyl radicals cause the filter 28 and the hot water pipe passage The above problem is solved by providing the sterilizing apparatus 80 according to the above (1) or (2), which is characterized by sterilizing.
(4) The ozone supply pipe 34 is removable from the gas-liquid mixing section 40 or the ozone generator 32, and the ozone generator 32 is a movable ozone generator 32. By providing the sterilizer 80 according to any one of (1) to (3) above, the above problems are solved.

The sterilizer according to the present invention injects ozone into hot water to sterilize the inside of the filter and hot water piping path. In particular, it has an excellent sterilizing ability even when hot water to be injected is alkaline. This makes it possible to sterilize the alkaline hot bath facility safely and at low cost.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a hot bath facility equipped with a sterilizer according to the present invention. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between ozone injection time and dissolved ozone concentration. It is a graph which shows the injection time of ozone, and the number of Legionella spp. and general bacteria. It is a graph which shows the dissolved ozone concentration and the number of Legionella spp. It is a graph which shows transition of the number of Legionella spp. before and after ozone injection.

A sterilizer according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a sterilizer 80 according to the present invention and a hot bath facility 100 including the same. The present invention is particularly suitable for a hot bath facility of an alkaline spring, but the bath water is not limited to this, and can be applied to any bath water such as various hot spring water, ground water, tap water, etc. It is possible. Further, the sterilizer according to the present invention is basically suitable for a circulation type hot bath facility, but is not particularly limited thereto.

First, the warm bath facility 100 includes a bathtub 10 that stores hot and cold water having a predetermined temperature, and a hot water pipe 20 that sterilizes, filters, heats, and circulates the hot and cold water in the bathtub 10. Further, pump means 22 is installed in the hot water pipe 20, and when the pump means 22 operates, hot water in the bathtub 10 is sucked from the water suction port 12 and recirculated into the bathtub 10 from the discharge port 14. A known hair catcher 24 is provided on the upstream side of the hot water pipe 20 to collect and remove relatively large dust such as hair. Further, a sterilizer 80 according to the present invention, a filter 28 filled with a predetermined filter material, and a heating means 29 for heating hot water are connected to the downstream side of the hair catcher 24. Further, a water supply pipe 16 for appropriately replenishing water such as hot spring water, ground water, and tap water is connected to the bathtub 10. The water supply pipe 16 may be provided with a separate heating means so that hot water heated in advance to an appropriate temperature is replenished in the bathtub 10. Further, the filter 28 is connected with an exhaust pipe 26a for exhausting the ozone after use or surplus, and the exhaust pipe 26a is connected to an exhaust ozone treatment device 26 for decomposing and treating ozone.

Also, the sterilizer 80 according to the present invention is installed in the ozone generator 32 for generating ozone, the ozone injection pipe 50 provided in the hot water pipe 20 of the hot bath facility 100, the ozone injection pipe 50, and the ozone generation. A gas-liquid mixing section 40 that injects ozone generated by the device 32 into hot water flowing in the ozone injection pipe 50, and an ozone supply pipe 34 that supplies ozone generated by the ozone generator 32 to the gas-liquid mixing section 40. have. Although the ozone injection pipe 50 may be connected in series to the hot water pipe 20, it is preferably connected in parallel to the hot water pipe 20 as shown in FIG. In this case, the sterilizer 80 has flow rate control valves 36a to 36c for switching the flow path to the ozone injection pipe 50 and adjusting the flow rate of the hot water flowing down the ozone injection pipe 50. With the configuration in which the ozone injection pipes 50 are connected in parallel, the sterilizer 80 can be installed in the existing hot bath facility 100 with a relatively minor modification. Further, since the flow rate of hot and cold water to the ozone injecting pipe 50 can be adjusted independently, it becomes possible to control the injecting amount of ozone by the sterilizer 80 relatively easily. There is no particular limitation on the installation position of the sterilizer 80 as long as it is on the route of the hot water pipe 20, but in the hot bath facility 100, the filter 28 is likely to be the largest hotbed of Legionella spp. It is preferably provided immediately before the filter 28.

The ozone generator 32 used in the sterilizer 80 is not particularly limited, and for example, a known ozone generator having an oxygen concentrating section and an ozone generating section can be used. However, in a hot bath facility having a plurality of bathtubs 10 and hot water pipes 20, a movable portable ozone generator 32 is used and one ozone generator 32 is appropriately used for each hot water pipe 20. Is preferable from the viewpoint of reducing equipment costs. In this case, an ozone injection pipe 50, a gas-liquid mixing section 40 (with flow rate adjusting valves 36a to 36c) are provided on each hot water piping 20 side, and an ozone supply pipe 34 is provided in the gas-liquid mixing section 40 or the ozone generator 32. Use something that is removable. The gas-liquid mixing section 40 that constitutes the sterilizer 80 is also not particularly limited, but an orifice-type gas-liquid mixer that injects ozone by utilizing the fact that the flow velocity of the hot water flowing down inside rises at the orifice section. Is preferably used.

Next, experimental results regarding the relationship between the amount of ozone injected into hot water and the numbers of Legionella spp. and general bacteria are shown below. The experiment was conducted in a hot bath facility 100 of an alkaline spring (bath water pH 7.6 to pH 7.9) having a capacity of 10 m ³ and a flow rate of the hot water pipe 20 (total flow rate including the ozone injection pipe 50) of 220 L/min. It was

First, the relationship between the injection time and the dissolved ozone concentration at point A (circulating water before ozone injection), point B (circulating water after ozone injection), point C (filtered water), point D (tub water) in FIG. 1 is shown. 2 shows. The ozone injection rate was 0.87 mg/L with respect to the ozone injection pipe 50. Here, in FIG. 2 and FIGS. 3 to 5 to be described later, white circles represent data of circulating water after ozone injection (point B), black circles represent data of filtered water (point C), and black squares represent bath water. The data of (Point D) is shown, and the black triangles show the data of circulating water before ozone injection (Point A).

From FIG. 2, the dissolved ozone concentration in the hot water of the circulating water (point B) after ozone injection was approximately constant at about 0.5 mg/L. Further, the dissolved ozone concentration of the filtered water (point C) after passing through the filter was 0.15 mg/L to 0.3 mg/L. The dissolved ozone concentration of the bath water (point D) and the circulating water before ozone injection (point A) was less than 0.15 mg/L. The dissolved ozone concentrations of the filtered water (point C), the bath water (point D), and the circulating water before ozone injection (point A) showed a slightly increasing tendency as the injection time passed.

Next, FIG. 3(a) shows the relationship between the ozone injection time and the number of Legionella spp. (CFU/100 mL) at point A (circulating water before ozone injection), point C (filtered water), point D (bath water). Shown in. The relationship between the ozone injection time and the number of general bacteria (cells/ml) is shown in FIG. 3(b). From FIG. 3(a), regarding filtered water (point C) and bath water (point D), Legionella bacteria were not detected after the ozone injection time of 32 minutes. In the circulating water before ozone injection (point A), some Legionella spp. were detected until the ozone injection time was 92 minutes, but it was not detected at the ozone injection time of 152 minutes. Also, from FIG. 3(b), the number of general bacteria showed a decreasing tendency as the ozone injection time increased.

From these results, it was confirmed that by injecting ozone into the alkaline spring water, both general bacteria and Legionella bacteria were reduced, and a high bactericidal effect was observed. Incidentally, it is generally said that ozone is rapidly decomposed in an alkaline aqueous solution, and the hydrolysis at this time produces hydroxyl radicals, hydroperoxy radicals, hydrogen peroxide and the like. Of these, hydroxyl radical has a stronger oxidizing power than ozone and has an excellent sterilizing ability. Therefore, when the sterilizer 80 according to the present invention is used in the alkaline hot bath facility 100, the injected ozone is hydrolyzed into hydroxyl radicals in the alkaline hot water, and the hydroxyl radicals in the filter 28 and the hot water pipe passage It is considered to exert a strong bactericidal effect against Legionella and general bacteria. It should be noted that ozone itself also has a bactericidal effect, and thus the present invention has a bactericidal effect even on a hot bath facility 100 other than alkaline.

Next, FIG. 4 shows the relationship between the dissolved ozone concentration in the circulating water before ozone injection (point A) and the number of Legionella bacteria (CFU/100 mL). From FIG. 4, Legionella spp. were detected at the dissolved ozone concentrations of 0.02 mg/L and 0.07 mg/L, but were not detected at the dissolved ozone concentration of 0.12 mg/L. It can be seen that a concentration of 0.1 mg/L or more, preferably 0.12 mg/L or more has an effective bactericidal action against Legionella spp. The upper limit of the concentration of dissolved ozone in hot water is not particularly limited, but it is considered that 1.4 mg/L is sufficient from the viewpoint of the capacity and cost of the ozone generator 32.

Next, changes in the number of Legionella spp. (CFU/100 mL) before and after ozone injection at point C (filtered water) and point D (bath water) are shown in FIG. In the experiment of FIG. 5, ozone was injected by the sterilizer 80 (ozone injection rate: 0.87 mg/L with respect to the ozone injection pipe 50) on the 7th day from the start of measurement for 3 hours. From FIG. 5, Legionella spp. was not detected for 5 days after ozone injection, which indicates that the suppression effect on Legionella spp. by one ozone injection is effective for several days.

Next, the operation of the sterilizer 80 and the hot bath facility 100 according to the present invention will be described. Here, an example in which the ozone injection pipe 50 is connected in parallel to the hot water pipe 20 will be described. First, a predetermined amount of hot and cold water having a predetermined temperature is stored in the bathtub 10 of the warm bath facility 100. In addition, when the amount of water in the bathtub 10 is reduced, water is appropriately replenished from the water supply pipe 16. Further, during the bathing time of the warm bath facility 100, the pump means 22 of the hot water pipe 20 basically operates at all times, and hot water in the bathtub 10 is taken into the hot water pipe 20 from the water intake 12 at any time, and the hair catcher 24 Is passed to. Then, the hair catcher 24 collects and removes relatively large dust such as hair.

During the bathing time, the sterilizer 80 according to the present invention does not operate, and therefore the flow rate adjusting valve 36a is basically fully opened and the flow rate adjusting valves 36b and 36c are fully closed. As a result, the hot and cold water that has passed through the hair catcher 24 flows down through the hot water pipe 20 as it is to the filter 28, and is filtered by the filter medium filled in the filter 28. As a result, fine contaminants that could not be collected by the hair catcher 24 are collected and removed. Next, the hot and cold water that has passed through the filter 28 is sent to the warming means 29 and heated appropriately, and then flows back from the discharge port 14 into the bath 10.

Further, the filter 28 of the warm bath facility 100 is regularly backwashed. In this backwash, hot water is passed from the downstream side of the filter 28 using the five-way valve 28a, and the contaminants accumulated between the filter media are discharged to the outside through the drainage pipe 28b. By this backwashing operation, contaminants accumulated between the filter media are removed, and the filtering ability of the filter 28 is restored. The sterilizer 80 does not operate during this backwashing operation.

Next, the operation of the sterilizer 80 according to the present invention will be described. First, when the ozone generator 32 of the sterilizer 80 is portable, the ozone generator 32 is moved to the vicinity of the ozone injection pipe 50 of the hot water pipe 20 for sterilization. Then, the ozone generator 32 and the gas-liquid mixing section 40 are connected by the ozone supply pipe 34. Next, the pump means 22 is operated, and the flow rate adjusting valves 36a to 36c are automatically or manually adjusted so that the amount of hot and cold water supplied to the ozone injection pipe 50 becomes an appropriate preset flow rate.

Next, the ozone generator 32 is operated. Thereby, the ozone generator 32 generates ozone and supplies it to the gas-liquid mixing section 40 through the ozone supply pipe 34. When the gas-liquid mixing section 40 is an orifice-type gas-liquid mixer, the ozone supplied from the ozone supply pipe 34 flows down in the gas-liquid mixing section 40 by the suction force due to the increase in the flow velocity of the hot water in the orifice section. Pour into hot water. When hot water is alkaline (for example, alkaline spring water), the injected ozone is converted into hydroxyl radicals or the like by hydrolysis. Then, water is passed through the filter 28, which is the hottest bed of Legionella spp., to sterilize the Legionella spp. and general bacteria. The ozone injection by the sterilizer 80 is continuously performed for a predetermined time (several tens of minutes to several hours), whereby the sterilization process is performed on the hot water pipe path including the hot water pipe 20 main body and the filter 28. It should be noted that after use or excess ozone is discharged to the exhaust ozone treatment device 26 through the discharge pipe 26a and appropriate measures such as activated carbon treatment are applied, and then properly disposed.

The ozone injection by the sterilizer 80 according to the present invention is performed outside the bathing time when the user cannot use the bath 10. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, since the sterilizing effect of the sterilizing device 80 is effective for several days, sterilizing by the sterilizing device 80 does not have to be performed every day and may be performed at predetermined intervals. Above all, it is most preferable to perform the sterilization by the sterilizer 80 immediately before the replacement of the bath water. In this configuration, after sterilizing the inside of the filter 28 and the hot water piping path by ozone injection, the hot water is discarded and is not used for bathing. Although the dissolved ozone concentration in the bath water after the ozone injection by the sterilizer 80 is low as shown in FIG. 2, it is unlikely to adversely affect the human body. It is possible to further improve safety by performing sterilization treatment by, and then discarding hot water into which ozone is injected.

As described above, when ozone is injected for a predetermined time set in advance, the ozone generator 32 is automatically or manually stopped. Further, the flow rate adjusting valve 36a is fully opened and the flow rate adjusting valves 36b and 36c are fully closed to stop the water flow to the ozone injection pipe 50. Next, the ozone supply pipe 34 is removed, and the ozone generator 32 and the gas-liquid mixing section 40 are separated. Then, the ozone generator 32 waits until the next ozone injection. When ozone is injected immediately before the bath water is replaced, the hot water in the bathtub 10 is completely discharged, and then new hot water is supplied from the water supply pipe 16 to the hot water at a predetermined temperature. Store a predetermined amount.

As described above, the sterilizer 80 according to the present invention injects ozone into hot water to sterilize the inside of the filter and the hot water pipe path. In particular, when the hot water to be injected is alkaline, the injected ozone changes into hydroxyl radicals having a high oxidative action, so that an extremely excellent sterilizing ability is exhibited. Accordingly, the sterilization of the alkaline hot bath facility 100 can be performed safely and at low cost.

Further, in the configuration in which the ozone injection pipe 50 is branched from the hot water pipe 20 and provided in parallel, the sterilizer 80 can be installed in the existing hot bath facility 100 by a relatively minor modification. Further, in a warm bath facility having a plurality of bathtubs 10 and hot water pipes 20, a portable portable ozone generator 32 is used, and one ozone generator 32 is reused in each hot water pipe 20. By doing so, the equipment cost can be further reduced.

It should be noted that the configuration, mechanism, operation, piping route, ozone supply method, injection method, etc. of each part such as the hot bath equipment 100, the sterilizer 80, the gas-liquid mixing section 40, the ozone generator 32, etc. shown in this example are examples. Therefore, the present invention is not particularly limited to this example, and the present invention can be modified and implemented without departing from the scope of the present invention.

20 hot water piping
28 Filter
32 Ozone generator
34 Ozone supply pipe
40 Gas-liquid mixing section
50 Ozone injection pipe
80 Sterilizer
100 hot bath equipment

Claims (4)

An ozone generator that generates ozone, an ozone injection pipe provided in a hot water pipe of a hot bath facility, a gas-liquid mixing unit that is installed in the ozone injection pipe and injects ozone generated by the ozone generator, and the gas liquid An ozone supply pipe for supplying ozone generated by the ozone generator to the mixing unit, and the ozone injection pipe injects ozone into hot water flowing down in the hot water pipe, Sterilization device characterized by sterilization. The sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the dissolved ozone concentration is 0.1 mg/L to 1.4 mg/L with respect to hot water. The hot water of the hot bath facility is alkaline, and by injecting ozone into the alkaline hot water, the ozone is hydrolyzed to generate hydroxyl radicals, and the hydroxyl radicals sterilize the inside of the filter and the hot water pipe route. The sterilizer according to claim 1 or 2, which is characterized. The ozone supply pipe can be attached to and detached from the gas-liquid mixing section or the ozone generator.
Further, the sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ozone generator is a portable ozone generator that is movable.

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