WO2006040525A2 - Appareil et procede de nettoyage - Google Patents

Appareil et procede de nettoyage Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2006040525A2
WO2006040525A2 PCT/GB2005/003876 GB2005003876W WO2006040525A2 WO 2006040525 A2 WO2006040525 A2 WO 2006040525A2 GB 2005003876 W GB2005003876 W GB 2005003876W WO 2006040525 A2 WO2006040525 A2 WO 2006040525A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
solvent
flocculant
tank
sensor
cleaning
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2005/003876
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2006040525A3 (fr
Inventor
David Jones
Original Assignee
Alphasonics Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Alphasonics Limited filed Critical Alphasonics Limited
Publication of WO2006040525A2 publication Critical patent/WO2006040525A2/fr
Publication of WO2006040525A3 publication Critical patent/WO2006040525A3/fr

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B08—CLEANING
    • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
    • B08B3/00—Cleaning by methods involving the use or presence of liquid or steam
    • B08B3/04—Cleaning involving contact with liquid
    • B08B3/10—Cleaning involving contact with liquid with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration
    • B08B3/14—Removing waste, e.g. labels, from cleaning liquid; Regenerating cleaning liquids
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B08—CLEANING
    • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
    • B08B3/00—Cleaning by methods involving the use or presence of liquid or steam
    • B08B3/04—Cleaning involving contact with liquid
    • B08B3/10—Cleaning involving contact with liquid with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration
    • B08B3/12—Cleaning involving contact with liquid with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations
    • B08B3/123—Cleaning travelling work, e.g. webs, articles on a conveyor
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F1/52—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F1/34—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage with mechanical oscillations
    • C02F1/36—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage with mechanical oscillations ultrasonic vibrations
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F1/66—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by neutralisation; pH adjustment
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2101/00—Nature of the contaminant
    • C02F2101/30—Organic compounds
    • C02F2101/308—Dyes; Colorants; Fluorescent agents
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2103/00—Nature of the water, waste water, sewage or sludge to be treated
    • C02F2103/34—Nature of the water, waste water, sewage or sludge to be treated from industrial activities not provided for in groups C02F2103/12 - C02F2103/32
    • C02F2103/40—Nature of the water, waste water, sewage or sludge to be treated from industrial activities not provided for in groups C02F2103/12 - C02F2103/32 from the manufacture or use of photosensitive materials
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2209/00—Controlling or monitoring parameters in water treatment
    • C02F2209/05—Conductivity or salinity
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2209/00—Controlling or monitoring parameters in water treatment
    • C02F2209/07—Alkalinity
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2209/00—Controlling or monitoring parameters in water treatment
    • C02F2209/09—Viscosity
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2209/00—Controlling or monitoring parameters in water treatment
    • C02F2209/44—Time
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2303/00—Specific treatment goals
    • C02F2303/16—Regeneration of sorbents, filters
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2303/00—Specific treatment goals
    • C02F2303/24—Separation of coarse particles, e.g. by using sieves or screens
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2305/00—Use of specific compounds during water treatment
    • C02F2305/04—Surfactants, used as part of a formulation or alone

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus and method, and in particular to a cleaning apparatus and method suitable for use in the cleaning of printing or painting equipment.
  • Printing equipment such as flexographic print rollers, ink trays, wiper blades etc. tend to become contaminated with ink or pigment during use.
  • colour transfer e.g. magenta ink from one print run being transferred to the cyan roller of another run.
  • the equipment is cleaned by rinsing it with a suitable solvent, e.g. water for water-based inks.
  • a suitable solvent e.g. water for water-based inks.
  • the solvent of course, becomes contaminated with ink and quickly becomes discoloured. This can lead to ineffective cleaning and/or ink transfer between components. It is therefore necessary to have a continuous supply of relatively clean solvent if an effective cleaning regime is to be maintained. However, continuous purchase of clean supply of solvent can be expensive. More importantly however, the disposal of contaminated solvent is costly and environmentally harmful.
  • the invention aims to provide an improved cleaning system and/or method and/or to provide an apparatus/method for reclaiming, recycling and/or reusing contaminated solvent with a view to minimising wastage and environment harm.
  • a first aspect of the invention provides a cleaning apparatus comprising; a working tank having one or more ultrasonic transducers arranged to impart ultrasonic vibration energy, either directly or indirectly to contaminated items as they pass at least partially through working tank, the working tank containing a solvent, in use, through which the contaminated items are at least partially passed; wherein the cleaning apparatus further comprises a solvent cleaning means for substantially removing contaminant from the solvent.
  • the working tank of the invention is capable of retaining a quantity (e.g. 100 litres) of solvent.
  • the working tank may be enclosed or open topped, but will be provided with at least one aperture such that the contaminated parts can be introduced into and removed therefrom as desired.
  • the working tank preferably has means (e.g. inlet and outlet apertures) through which clean solvent can be introduced and contaminated solvent removed.
  • the inlet and outlet apertures may be the same aperture.
  • the solvent can be either organic or inorganic depending on the application, e.g. for use in the removal of water-based ink from printing press parts, water may be a preferred solvent.
  • a surfactant may be added to the solvent to improve the cleaning properties thereof. Because ultrasonics are used in the cleaning process, a low or anti- foaming surfactant may be preferred. Additionally or alternatively, anti-foaming agents, viscosity and acidity modifiers may be added to the solvent.
  • the ultrasonic transducers may be fitted to the interior of the working tank to impart ultrasonic energy to the solvent.
  • the one or more ultrasonic transducer is fitted to the exterior of the tank to indirectly apply ultrasonic energy to the contaminated items via the tank wall and solvent.
  • the one or more ultrasonic transducer can be of any suitable type.
  • the one or more ultrasonic transducer comprises a piezoelectric stack (e.g. lead- zirconate-titanate or barium-titanate) sandwiched between a pair of conducting electrodes.
  • the one or more piezoelectric transducer is preferably actuated by the application of an alternating voltage to the electrodes.
  • the one or more ultrasonic transducer may be secured in-situ by any suitable means, e.g. rivets, welds, screws, clips or adhesive, although it/they are preferably removable for servicing, repair and/or replacement purposes.
  • the contaminated items may be introduced into and removed from the working tank by any suitable means, e.g. by hand. Preferably, however, the introduction of contaminated items and the removal of cleaned items is automated.
  • a conveyor system is used to transport items into and out of the working tank.
  • the conveyor comprises a slung-basket system whereby the baskets are dipped into, transported through and then removed from the solvent in a continuous manner. Where a conveyor is used, it is preferably user-overridable to facilitate loading and unloading of the baskets.
  • the working tank may be provided with a sensor for sensing the contamination level of the solvent in use.
  • the sensor may be of any suitable type, e.g. a conductivity sensor.
  • Alternative sensors may be optical (e.g. opacity), chemical (e.g. pH) or mechanical (e.g. viscosity) sensors.
  • the solvent cleaning means can be of any type capable of removing at least some of the contaminant from the used solvent.
  • the working tank and solvent cleaning means are provided in a loop such that contaminated solvent is circulated through the cleaning means, back into the working tank for re-use.
  • the solvent cleaning means may comprise; a flocculation tank; a filter; and a holding tank, wherein the flocculation tank comprises a stirrer for agitating the solvent and flocculant dispensing means for dispensing flocculant into the solvent and sensor for measuring a property of the solvent.
  • the flocculating tank comprises a stirrer, which may take any suitable form, for example a motorised paddle or a magnetic bar actuated remotely by another rotating magnet.
  • the walls of the flocculating tank may be provided with vanes and/or stators to improve the agitation of the solvent. Additionally or alternatively, the walls of the tank may be adapted to move, either rotationally or axially to stir or assist the stirring of the solvent.
  • the flocculant dispensing means is preferably adapted dispense flocculant into the solvent until the sensor senses a change or predetermined value of a property of the solvent, whereupon the flocculant dispensing means stops dispensing flocculant into the solvent.
  • the flocculant dispensing means may comprise a hopper-fed tube with a shut of valve, where the flocculant is a powder material.
  • the flocculant dispensing means may further comprise a sieving means to either remove large clumps of flocculant (e.g. where it has got wet during storage) or to more finely disperse the flocculant.
  • the solvent property sensed by the sensor can be its conductivity.
  • the flocculant dispensing means is preferably adapted to stop dispensing flocculant into the solvent when the conductivity of the solvent rises to a predetermined value.
  • Alternative sensors may be optical (e.g. opacity), chemical (e.g. pH) or mechanical (e.g. viscosity) sensors.
  • the flocculation tank is preferably provided with an outlet aperture for draining it as and when desired.
  • the outlet aperture where provided, is preferably fitted with a shut-off valve.
  • the filter can be of any suitable type.
  • the filter is a cloth-lined basket into which flocculated solvent can be dropped. Any other suitable filter could be used, e.g. a gauze or semi-permeable membrane.
  • the filter is preferably chosen to separate the liquid solvent from the flocculated contaminants.
  • the decontaminated liquid solvent is collected in the holding tank. When the filter becomes clogged or the filter basket, where provided becomes full, it can be removed/cleaned/replaced.
  • the holding tank may have a heating means associated therewith, e.g. an electric heating element to maintain the cleaned solvent at a desired temperature.
  • a heating means is provided, it is preferably thermostatically controlled.
  • a sensor may also be provided within the holding tank for sensing a property of the solvent, e.g. its temperature, acidity, opacity, viscosity etc.
  • chlorine bleach tablets can be added to the holding tank to break up micelles of magenta ink that can cause a slight discolouration of the cleaned water.
  • the operation of the invention is preferably automated and/or computer controlled, although manual overrides may be provided to enable manual intervention with some or all aspects of the operation of the invention.
  • a second aspect of the invention provides a solvent cleaning means for substantially removing contaminant from a solvent comprising; a flocculation tank; a filter; and a holding tank, wherein the flocculation tank comprises a stirrer for agitating the solvent and flocculant dispensing means for dispensing flocculant into the solvent and sensor for measuring a property of the solvent.
  • the flocculating tank comprises a stirrer, which may take any suitable form, for example a motorised paddle or a magnetic bar actuated remotely by another rotating magnet.
  • the walls of the flocculating tank may be provided with vanes and/or stators to improve the agitation of the solvent. Additionally or alternatively, the walls of the tank may be adapted to move, either rotationally or axially to stir or assist the stirring of the solvent.
  • the flocculant dispensing means is preferably adapted dispense flocculant into the solvent until the sensor senses a change or predetermined value of a property of the solvent, whereupon the flocculant dispensing means stops dispensing flocculant into the solvent.
  • the flocculant dispensing means may comprise a hopper-fed tube with a shut of valve, where the flocculant is a powder material.
  • the flocculant dispensing means may further comprise a sieving means to either remove large clumps of flocculant (e.g. where it has got wet during storage) or to more finely disperse the flocculant.
  • the solvent property sensed by the sensor can be its conductivity.
  • the flocculant dispensing means is preferably adapted to stop dispensing flocculant into the solvent when the conductivity of the solvent rises to a predetermined value.
  • Alternative sensors may be optical (e.g. opacity), chemical (e.g. pH) or mechanical (e.g. viscosity) sensors.
  • the flocculation tank is preferably provided with an outlet aperture for draining it as and when desired.
  • the outlet aperture where provided, is preferably fitted with a shut-off valve.
  • the filter can be of any suitable type.
  • the filter is a cloth-lined basket into which flocculated solvent can be dropped. Any other suitable filter could be used, e.g. a gauze or semi-permeable membrane.
  • the filter is preferably chosen to separate the liquid solvent from the flocculated contaminants.
  • the decontaminated liquid solvent is collected in the holding tank. When the filter becomes clogged or the filter basket, where provided becomes full, it can be removed/cleaned/replaced.
  • the holding tank may have a heating means associated therewith, e.g. an electric heating element to maintain the cleaned solvent at a desired temperature.
  • a heating means is provided, it is preferably thermostatically controlled.
  • a sensor may also be provided within the holding tank for sensing a property of the solvent, e.g. its temperature, acidity, opacity, viscosity etc.
  • chlorine bleach tablets can be added to the holding tank to break up micelles of magenta ink that can cause a slight discolouration of the cleaned water.
  • the invention is preferably adapted for use in conjunction with a cleaning apparatus, e.g. for printing equipment, such that clean solvent can be used to clean contaminated items, and once contaminated, re-used after having been cleaned.
  • the solvent cleaning means is used in conjunction with cleaning apparatus comprising; a working tank having one or more ultrasonic transducers arranged to impart ultrasonic vibration energy, either directly or indirectly to contaminated items as they pass at least partially through working tank, the working tank containing a solvent, in use, through which the contaminated items are at least partially passed.
  • the working tank of the invention is capable of retaining a quantity (e.g. 100 litres) of solvent.
  • the working tank may be enclosed or open topped, but will be provided with at least one aperture such that the contaminated parts can be introduced into and removed therefrom as desired.
  • the working tank preferably has means (e.g. inlet and outlet apertures) through which clean solvent can be introduced and contaminated solvent removed.
  • the inlet and outlet apertures may be the same aperture.
  • the solvent can be either organic or inorganic depending on the application, e.g. for use in the removal of water-based ink from printing press parts, water may be a preferred solvent.
  • a surfactant may be added to the solvent to improve the cleaning properties thereof. Because ultrasonics are used in the cleaning process, a low or anti- foaming surfactant may be preferred. Additionally or alternatively, anti-foaming agents, viscosity and acidity modifiers may be added to the solvent.
  • the ultrasonic transducers may be fitted to the interior of the working tank to impart ultrasonic energy to the solvent.
  • the one or more ultrasonic transducer is fitted to the exterior of the tank to indirectly apply ultrasonic energy to the contaminated items via the tank wall and solvent.
  • the one or more ultrasonic transducer can be of any suitable type.
  • the one or more ultrasonic transducer comprises a piezoelectric stack (e.g. lead- zirconate-titanate or barium-titanate) sandwiched between a pair of conducting electrodes.
  • the one or more piezoelectric transducer is preferably actuated by the application of an alternating voltage to the electrodes.
  • the one or more ultrasonic transducer may be secured in-situ by any suitable means, e.g. rivets, welds, screws, clips or adhesive, although it/they are preferably removable for servicing, repair and/or replacement purposes.
  • the contaminated items may be introduced into and removed from the working tank by any suitable means, e.g. by hand. Preferably, however, the introduction of contaminated items and the removal of cleaned items is automated.
  • a conveyor system is used to transport items into and out of the working tank.
  • the conveyor comprises a slung-basket system whereby the baskets are dipped into, transported through and then removed from the solvent in a continuous manner. Where a conveyor is used, it is preferably user-overridable to facilitate loading and unloading of the baskets.
  • the working tank may be provided with a sensor for sensing the contamination level of the solvent in use.
  • the sensor may be of any suitable type, e.g. a conductivity sensor.
  • Alternative sensors may be optical (e.g. opacity), chemical (e.g. pH) or mechanical (e.g. viscosity) sensors.
  • the solvent cleaning means can be of any type capable of removing at least some of the contaminant from the used solvent.
  • the working tank and solvent cleaning means are provided in a loop such that contaminated solvent is circulated through the cleaning means, back into the working tank for re-use.
  • the operation of the invention is preferably automated and/or computer controlled, although manual overrides may be provided to enable manual intervention with some or all aspects of the operation of the invention.
  • a third aspect of the invention provides a cleaning apparatus comprising; a working tank having one or more ultrasonic transducers arranged to impart ultrasonic vibration energy, either directly or indirectly to contaminated items as they pass at least partially through working tank, the working tank containing a solvent, in use, through which the contaminated items are at least partially passed; wherein the cleaning apparatus further comprises a solvent cleaning means for substantially removing contaminant from the solvent, the solvent cleaning means comprising; a flocculation tank; a filter; and a holding tank, wherein the flocculation tank comprises a stirrer for agitating the solvent and flocculant dispensing means for dispensing flocculant into the solvent and sensor for measuring a property of the solvent.
  • a fourth aspect of the invention provides a method of cleaning comprising the steps, in any order, of; at least partially passing contaminated items through a working tank containing solvent; using one or more ultrasonic transducers, imparting ultrasonic vibration energy, either directly or indirectly to the contaminated items as they pass at least partially through the working tank; and cleaning the solvent using a solvent cleaning means to substantially remove contaminant from the solvent.
  • a fifth aspect of the invention provides a method of substantially removing contaminant from a solvent comprising the steps of; at least partially filing a flocculation tank with contaminated solvent; agitating the contaminated solvent using a stirrer; dispensing a quantity of flocculant into the contaminated solvent; sensing a property of the contaminated solvent using a sensor; stopping dispensing of the flocculant when the sensor senses a predetermined condition; and then emptying the flocculation tank into a holding tank through a filter.
  • Figure 1 shows a schematic of the first and fourth aspects of the invention
  • Figure 2 shows a schematic of the second and fifth aspects of the invention
  • Figure 3 shows a schematic of the third aspect the invention
  • FIG. 4 shows a schematic of the loading and transport system of the invention.
  • FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.
  • an apparatus 5 having a working tank 10 containing 100 litres of water 12.
  • a loading and transport system 14 is disposed above the working tank 10 such that contaminated items (not shown) can be passed through the water 12 in baskets 16.
  • Ultrasonic transducers 18 are fitted to the underside of the working tank 10, which assist the cleaning of the contaminated items by indirectly imparting ultrasonic vibrations to the water 12.
  • the working tank has a conductivity sensor 20 therein that senses the conductivity of the water 12. As the water 12 becomes more contaminated, its conductivity rises. The sensor 20 detects this rise and triggers an alarm signal when the water becomes too contaminated to clean effectively. When the alarm signal is raised, a valve 22 is opened thereby draining the working tank 10 through a pipe 24. A pump 24 is fitted in-line with the pipe 24 to assist in removing the water 12 from the working tank 10. A solvent cleaning means 35 is also provided for removing contaminants from the water 12. A second pump 28 then pumps the cleaned water back into the working tank 10.
  • the cleaning cycle i.e. draining the water 12, cleaning the water 12 and reintroducing it into the working tank 10 can be initiated manually (i.e. without recourse to the sensor 20).
  • the sensor 20 can serve as an additional automation device thereby preventing the apparatus operation outside of predetermined process parameters (i.e. when the water 12 is too contaminated).
  • FIG. 2 shows a solvent cleaning means 35 comprising a flocculation tank 30 containing a quantity of water 12.
  • the water 12 is stirred using a motor 32 driven paddle 34.
  • a conductivity sensor 36 is also is also disposed within the flocculation tank 30 in contact with the water 12.
  • a flocculant dispensing means 38 is also provided, as is a flocculation tank empting valve 40.
  • a basket 42 is located below the flocculation tank-emptying valve 40.
  • the basket 42 is lined with cloth 44, which serves to separate solid matter from the water 12 as the water 12 passes therethrough.
  • a holding tank 46 is also provided for collecting the filtered water 12.
  • the holding tank 46 can hold 300 litres of water 12 and is fitted with a thermostatically regulated heating element 48 for maintaining the water 12 at a relatively constant 45 0 C.
  • An acidity sensor 50 is also provided for sensing the acidity of the water 12.
  • the operation of the solvent cleaning means 35 is as follows:
  • Contaminated water 12 is introduced into the flocculation tank 30 via an inlet pipe 24.
  • the water 12 is stirred using the stirrer 34 and a quantity of flocculant is added to the water 12 using the flocculant dispensing means 38.
  • the conductivity of the water 12 is monitored throughout using the sensor 36. As the contaminants flocculate, then conductivity of the water 12 changes, which change is detected by the sensor 36. When a pre-determined conductivity level is reached (indicative of complete flocculation), no more flocculant is added.
  • the water 12 is then stirred for a further 60 seconds or so to ensure complete flocculation.
  • the motor 32 is then switched off, and the valve 40 opened.
  • the water 12 falls through the filter basket 42 into the holding tank 46.
  • Flocculated solid material is caught by the filter cloth 44, leaving de-contaminated water in the holding tank 46.
  • a small amount of discolouration can occur to the water 12 in the holding tank 46.
  • This problem is overcome by adding a bleach tablet to the water 12, which serves to break-up any micelles that may be present.
  • the concentration of bleach can me monitored using the acidity sensor 50. Clean water 12 can be extracted from the holding tank 46 using an outlet pipe 52.
  • Figure 3 shows the cleaning apparatus and solvent cleaning means 35 used in conjunction with one another to form a complete cleaning apparatus. Because the contaminated water 12 can be circulated (i.e. cleaned and re-used), the apparatus can be used for extended periods of time. Also, because the holding tank 46 can hold up 300 litres of water 12, there is normally more than an adequate supply of clean water 12 to use the apparatus continuously.
  • the apparatus simply needs periodic topping up with water 12 (as some is inevitably spilt or evaporates), replenishment with flocculant and the filter cloth 44 changing.
  • the volume of solids collected by the filter cloth 44 is significantly less than the volume of contaminated water produced by cleaning, thereby reducing operation and waste disposal costs.
  • Figure 4 shows the transport and loading system 14 comprising a conveyor 52 wrapped around a pair of rollers 54.
  • Support frame elements 56 are attached to the conveyor 52.
  • Pivotally mounted on the support frame elements 56 are baskets that can be manually or automatically loaded with contaminated equipment (not shown) to be cleaned.
  • Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the invention, with component parts labelled as per Figure 1 to 3. Also shown in Figure 4 is a control circuit 58 for controlling the operation of the system, i.e. the valves, sensors, motors, pumps, heater etc.

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Cleaning By Liquid Or Steam (AREA)
  • Separation Of Suspended Particles By Flocculating Agents (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention porte sur un appareil de nettoyage comprenant un réservoir doseur ultrasonore (10) contenant un solvant (12) à travers lequel des articles contaminés passent (14). Le solvant contaminé (12) est ôté en vue du nettoyage au moyen d'un réservoir de floculation (30) et d'un filtre (44). Des adjuvants peuvent être ajoutés dans le solvant (12) afin de modifier ses propriétés. Le solvant nettoyé (12) est ensuite réutilisé afin de nettoyer d'autres articles contaminés. Cette invention vise à réduire la quantité de solvant (12) utilisé dans un processus de nettoyage, mais aussi à réduire la quantité de contaminants nocifs libérés dans l'environnement.
PCT/GB2005/003876 2004-10-11 2005-10-10 Appareil et procede de nettoyage WO2006040525A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0422658.5 2004-10-11
GB0422658A GB0422658D0 (en) 2004-10-11 2004-10-11 Cleaning apparatus and method

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2006040525A2 true WO2006040525A2 (fr) 2006-04-20
WO2006040525A3 WO2006040525A3 (fr) 2006-06-01

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB2005/003876 WO2006040525A2 (fr) 2004-10-11 2005-10-10 Appareil et procede de nettoyage

Country Status (2)

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GB (1) GB0422658D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO2006040525A2 (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2918588A1 (fr) * 2006-10-19 2009-01-16 Enviro Plus Sarl Procede de nettoyage de materiel souille par de la peinture et dispositif pour sa mise en oeuvre
CN109665682A (zh) * 2019-03-06 2019-04-23 王玉芹 一种油墨废水净化回收装置
EP3468728A4 (fr) * 2016-06-10 2020-07-08 Geosentinel Pty Ltd Procédé et appareil de lavage d'un équipement commercial

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3033710A (en) * 1957-03-12 1962-05-08 Branson Instr Method of surface cleaning using ultrasonic energy
US4527901A (en) * 1983-11-21 1985-07-09 Ultrasonic Power Corporation Ultrasonic cleaning tank
WO1997000140A1 (fr) * 1995-06-14 1997-01-03 Berg Gmbh Dispositif de nettoyage et de coagulation
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EP3468728A4 (fr) * 2016-06-10 2020-07-08 Geosentinel Pty Ltd Procédé et appareil de lavage d'un équipement commercial
CN109665682A (zh) * 2019-03-06 2019-04-23 王玉芹 一种油墨废水净化回收装置

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