JPS6087887A - Piping of water-flow system and its sterilizing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the proliferation of bacteria by providing a sterilizing block consisting of a regulator for maintaining the temp. suitable for sterilizing the bacteria when the water flow is stopped and a heater interlocking with the regulator to the pipeline of a piping system. CONSTITUTION:Plural sterilizing blocks 2 incorporating a sterilizer 3 are provided at appropriate parts of a pipeline 1a. The sterilizer 3 is constituted of a temp. regulator 4 and a heater 5 interlocking with the regulator. when a valve mechanism 6 is interrupted and the flow of the superhigh-purity water is stopped, the heater 5 of the sterilizer 3 is operated and the temp. of the part of the pipeline 1a where the sterilizing block 2 is equipped is increased. The temp. regulator 4 is set so that the temp. can be increased to about 120 deg.C which is suitable for the sterilization of bacteria, and the power source of the heater 5 is cut off by the regulator when the temp. exceeds the set temp. When the temp. of the sterilizing block 2 is decreased to a specified temp. or below, the temp. regulator 4 is again operated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention prevents harmful bacteria from entering and multiplying in the pipes of various water systems, such as ultrapure water production systems used in the semiconductor industry, etc. The present invention relates to a piping system for a running water system and a sterilization method thereof.

Recently, ultrapure water production systems are used to obtain ultrapure water with low levels of fine particles, organic matter, living bacteria, etc. used for purposes such as improving product precision in a wide range of fields such as the semiconductor industry, food industry, and pharmaceutical industry. is now being used. Particularly recently, efforts have been made to improve the purity of this ultrapure water in order to improve the precision and yield of products.

Since an ultrapure water production system itself requires expensive equipment costs, it is important to ensure that ultrapure water of high purity can be obtained as efficiently as possible when this production system is operated. By the way, the problem with this ultrapure water production system is that bacteria can enter the piping system through piping joints, valves, etc., and bacteria that are easily contained in ultrapure water can multiply. That's true. Of course, in an ultrapure water production system, when the production system A is in operation and ultrapure water is normally continuously flowing through the utilization pipe 1, as shown in Figure 1, the invasion and proliferation of bacteria will not occur. It's not much of a problem.

However, if the operation of manufacturing system A is temporarily interrupted and the flow of water in the pipes in the utilization system stops for a long time, or if there are branches in the pipelines that are not used often, the pipes may be interrupted. If there is water stagnation in a part of the pipe, or if a spare pipe is connected due to a malfunction in the piping system, bacteria may enter the pipe through the joints or valves of the pipe. However, there is a problem in that this microorganism grows in the conduit where water does not flow, in a favorable area for the propagation of the invading bacteria, and contaminates the conduit when the water flows into the conduit again.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems in a flowing water system such as an ultrapure water production system, the present invention has been made to provide a solution to the problems described above in a flowing water system such as an ultra-pure water production system, by providing a system in which flowing water is stopped at an appropriate part of a piping system such as a utilization system piping. A heat sterilization means consisting of a temperature controller and a heater is provided, and when the rotation of flowing water in the pipe is stopped, the heat sterilization means brings the water in the pipe under temperature conditions suitable for killing bacteria. It heats up and enters the pipeline when the water flow stops. <The purpose is to provide a running water system piping system and its sterilization method that can reliably prevent the proliferation of Cutilia.

To explain an embodiment of the present invention shown in the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a piping system of an ultrapure water production system A,
Figure 52 shows the ultrapure water utilization system in the yarn route shown in Figure 1 +4/Route l
A part of the pipe line 1a is shown.

A plurality of sterilization blocks 2 each having a built-in sterilizer 3 are provided at appropriate portions of the conduit 1a. This sterilization device 3 is comprised of a temperature regulator 4 and a heater 5 that is interlocked with this regulator 4. The sterilizer 3 also includes a pipe line 1
It is configured to work in conjunction with a valve mechanism 6 such as an automatic valve or a manual valve that opens and closes the flow of ultrapure water in the pipe 1a, and when the valve mechanism 6 opens, the ultrapure water flows in the pipe 1a. Sometimes the sterilizer 3 does not operate, but when the operation of the entire ultrapure water production system is stopped or the valve mechanism 6 is shut off, it operates in synchronization with the signal generated when the ultrapure water is shut off. It is now possible to do so. That is, when the block mechanism 6 is shut off and the flow of ultrapure water is stopped, the heater 5 in the sterilizer 3 is activated, and the temperature of the pipe line 1a in the portion where the sterilization block 2 is provided begins to rise. The temperature controller 4 in the sterilizer 3 is set to heat the ultrapure water in the conduit 1a to about 120°C, which is a temperature suitable for sterilizing normal bacteria. temperature is J
, : When you press yJ, the power to heater 5 can be turned on. When the temperature of the sterilization block 2 falls below a certain value over time, the temperature regulator 4 is activated and the heater 5 is turned on again, and the ultrapure water in the conduit 1a is brought to the above-mentioned sterilization temperature. It is maintained heated to.

Considering that the piping systems of conventional ultrapure water production systems generally use synthetic resin pipes such as hard vinyl chloride, it is possible to install the heating sterilizer 3 as described above in synthetic resin piping systems. There is a problem with being able to ask questions. Therefore, when the present invention is applied to a piping system using synthetic resin pipes, it is necessary to install metal pipes such as stainless steel or other heat-resistant materials on both sides of the sterilization block 2 in the pipe line 1a, even if only for a predetermined length. It is necessary to use the heat-resistant pipe line 1b. However, if the water in the pipe line in the sterilizer 3 is partially heated to about 120°C, 1. If the pipe line 1b is directly connected to the synthetic resin pipe line 1a without considering the length of the heat-resistant pipe line ib, the synthetic resin pipe line 1a will be adversely affected by the hot water.

In order to solve this problem, for example, by setting the heat-resistant pipe line 1b to a sufficient length, the hot water inside the pipe can be heated to a temperature that does not interfere with the synthetic resin pipe line 1a at both ends of the pipe. However, setting one heat-resistant pipe line 1b of sufficient length in the sterilizer 3 part means that the heat-resistant pipe line 1 in the entire utilization system pipe line l is lowered.
The length of b becomes large, which poses a problem in practical use.

Therefore, in the present invention, heat radiation fins 7 made of a material with good thermal conductivity such as aluminum or copper are provided on the outer periphery of the heat-resistant pipe line 1b, and at both ends of the heat-resistant pipe line 1b, the hot water inside is provided. The temperature drops rapidly, so the length of the heat-resistant pipe line 1b can be set short,
This allows for easy introduction of Ml into the system piping system.

In addition, in the two-legged embodiment, it has been explained that the sterilizer 3 is installed in the sterilizer block 2, but the sterilizer block 2 refers to the location in the utilization system pipe 1 where the sterilizer 3 is installed. Therefore, it is not necessarily necessary to use a frame-shaped setting 41.
It doesn't have to be 11. Therefore, although not shown in the drawings, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which a 7-hent heater and a temperature regulator are directly attached to the outer periphery of the heat-resistant pipe line tb. It goes without saying that the sterilizer 3 must be provided with an abnormal temperature protection device as a safety mechanism for the heater 5.

In the present invention, as described above, heat sterilizers that are activated when the flow of water flowing through the pipes is interrupted are provided at appropriate locations in the piping system in the ultrapure water production system. Therefore, for some reason, the production system stops operating at night or during the day, and the flow of water in the pipes stops, causing bacteria to enter the pipes through the pipe joints or valves, resulting in stagnation. Even if there is a risk of bacteria multiplying in the water, the stagnant water in the sterilizer 3 is heated to a temperature of about 120°C, which is suitable for killing bacteria, so the bacteria can be removed from the area within the sterilizer 3. It is possible to reliably kill the bacteria and prevent further invasion and proliferation of bacteria into the pipes other than those parts.

Of course, the sterilizer 3 is equipped with a temperature regulator 4, so after the ultrapure water in the pipe line 1b of the device reaches a predetermined temperature, the operation of the heater 5 is stopped and the pipe line is no longer in operation. The piping system is kept safe as it prevents high temperatures.

When the sterilizer 3 heats the pipe 1b in that part to a high temperature of about 120°C as described above, the pressure inside the pipe becomes about 2 kg/crn'. If an outlet such as a pressure release valve is provided in the pipe, water in the pipe is reduced by steam pressure and becomes a gas phase, providing more favorable conditions for killing bacteria. Note that the capacity of the heater 5 of the sterilizer ζ3 is relatively small, so the ultrapure water is ! As long as the sterilizer 3 is in operation, there is no particular problem as long as the temperature of the flowing ultrapure water rises a little, as long as the water is flowing.

In addition, when the piping system is a synthetic resin pipe, it is possible to prevent damage to the synthetic resin pipe due to temperature by providing a heat radiation means such as heat radiation fins 7 on the pipe 1b in the sterilization device 30 section. can.

f) Although the embodiment described in v describes the utilization system piping of an ultrapure water production system, the present invention can be applied not only to the utilization system piping but also to all piping systems including other pipelines in the production system. Needless to say. Also, it is not necessarily limited to the piping system of the ultrapure water production system.
It can also be used in various other piping systems for running water systems where it is difficult for bacteria and other germs to enter. Furthermore, the temperature for the reduction +5Q is not limited to l 20 'c.

As described above, in the present invention, it is possible to prevent the invasion and proliferation of bacteria in the pipes when the water flow in the pipes of the piping system is stopped, and it is possible to obtain pure water with high purity at all times. do.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. fli'51 is a flowchart showing a piping system of an ultrapure water production system exemplified as a running water system, Fig. 2 is a partial side view showing the configuration of a part of the piping system according to the present invention, and Fig. 3
The figure is a partial side view showing another embodiment of the piping system according to the present invention. In the figure, ■ = Utilization system pipe, engineering a: pipe, l
b: Heat-resistant pipe line, 22 sterilization block, 3: #C bacteria device, 4
: Temperature controller, 5: Heater, 6: Valve mechanism, 7: Radiation fin,

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] (1) Temperature adjustment at appropriate locations in the piping system to partially maintain the pipe at a temperature suitable for killing bacteria when the flow of water in the pipe stops. A piping system for a running water system, characterized in that a sterilization block consisting of a regulator and a heater interlocked with the regulator is installed. 2. A sterilizer consisting of a temperature regulator and a heater linked to the regulator is installed at an appropriate location in the pipeline, and when the flow of water in the pipeline stops, the sterilization process is carried out. A method of sterilizing a running water system piping system, which is characterized by partially maintaining the pipe line at a temperature suitable for killing bacteria by operating a block. 3. A piping system for a running water system according to claim 1qA, wherein heat radiating means such as radiating fins are provided in the pipelines on both sides of the sterilization block.