Method and device for cleaning a channel using a diaphragm pump module

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for cleaning a channel, especially a transmission and/or cooling channel, in any type of device, machine, installation, and/or tool, particularly in any type of heat exchanger and/or a molding core, cavity and/or insert is proposed, wherein a channel is cleaned through dynamic, bi-directional pulsation of cleaning medium inside the to-be-cleaned channel, the method being realized by a cleaning apparatus equipped with a diaphragm pump module, plugged either only in the feed side of the transmission line or in the feed side and in the return side, which, after connecting the diaphragm pump module to the external energy source and shutting off the flow control system from the reservoir and the feed pump, allows for putting cleaning medium into a state of two-way dynamic pulsating motion.

Claims

1. A method of cleaning a cooling channel using a diaphragm pump module having at least one diaphragm pump chamber having a diaphragm arranged therein, wherein the cooling channel is fluidly connected to the at least one diaphragm pump chamber without any check valve between the diaphragm pump chamber and the cooling channel, the method comprising: putting, by coordinated reciprocal motion of the diaphragm, a cleaning medium in alternating bi-directional pulsating motion inside the cooling channel, wherein the cooling channel is directly connected to the diaphragm pump module in a closed loop, and wherein the bi-directional pulsating motion of the cleaning medium is not restricted by a check valve.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the diaphragm pump module is devoid of any check valve.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the diaphragm pump module is placed between the channel and a feed pump, and separated by a controllable shut-off valve.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one diaphragm pump chamber is placed between the channel and a reservoir, and wherein the at least one diaphragm pump chamber and the reservoir are separated by a flow control system.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the diaphragm pump module is adapted to work in any one of suction only mode, suction-pressure pumping mode, or pressure pumping only mode.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: feeding the channel with the cleaning medium; and thereafter limiting or cutting off a flow of the cleaning medium between a reservoir for the cleaning medium and the at least one diaphragm pump chamber by a flow control system.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the flow control system includes a cut-off valve.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the coordinated reciprocal motion of the diaphragm is initiated after the flow of the cleaning medium has been limited.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one diaphragm pump chamber comprises two diaphragm pump chambers each having a respective diaphragm arranged therein, and wherein the channel extends between the two diaphragm pump chambers.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the two diaphragms are coupled mechanically to each other with a pin, and wherein the two diaphragms are put to coordinated reciprocal motion by action of a fluid.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein one of the diaphragm pump chambers of the diaphragm pump module is provided in a feed line connecting a reservoir to the channel and comprising a feed pump and a shut-off valve on a reservoir side of the diaphragm pump module.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising cutting off the channel and the diaphragm pump module from at least one of the reservoir or the feed pump using the shut-off valve after filling the channel with cleaning medium.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

(1) The FIGURE describes schematics of the system with a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

(2) The following is a description of a preferred embodiment of a cleaning device and method. It is understood that any of the specific descriptions of this embodiment is not limiting but is merely an example. For example, while the example describes a two-diaphragm pump, also one of the two diaphragm pump modules can be omitted, so that the reciprocal motion is effected by the remaining single diaphragm pump module.

(3) According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the method of cleaning of transmission channels includes three stages. These stages are illustrated with reference to the FIGURE, but are not limited to the embodiment shown in the FIGURE.

(4) In a first cleaning phase, the cleaning medium with pH⇐2 at about 50° C., being a mixture of water and the cleaning agent, is pumped from a reservoir (2) into a channel (11) by means of a pump (4) with a 25 l/m flow rate. During the first cleaning cycle, the medium is pumped into the channel for 40 seconds, whereas subsequent cycles last 15 seconds.

(5) After filling the channel (11) with cleaning medium, the shut-off valve (5) closes and the two-diaphragm pump (6) is actuated with diaphragm (8), which alternately aspirate and pump the cleaning medium into the cut off channel, as a result of which the medium is put in a state of dynamic pulsation and turbulent motion within the channel. After the pulsating rinsing phase, the shut-off valve opens and the cleaning medium is pumped out of the channel (11) into the reservoir (2) where, after being filtered through the filter (3), it is mixed with the fresh solution and then, by means of the feed pump (4), the cleaning medium is sucked back into the channel in the next cleaning cycle.

(6) In the case of heavily polluted channels with low throughput, the cleaning fluid is additionally aerated by compressed air in the form of air-bubbles by means of the micro-diffuser (10) positioned inside the feed line (15) close to the exit of the cleaning system. Looped exchange of cleaning medium and subsequent repetition of the cleaning process is carried out until the required flow rates have been reached or the results do not differ between the individual cleaning phases. The process is automatic and is operated by the PLC controller (13) which, based on the measurement data from the flowmeter (14), analyzes the flow difference between subsequent cleaning phases. Independent pollution level diagnosis is realized by monitoring the time required for temperature equalization, measured by two temperature sensors (12), one measuring the medium temperature in channel (11) and the other measuring temperature on the outside of the channel (11). Temperature sensors (12) are connected to the operating control system (13) that compares the reference thermal conductivity of a given channel with a currently determined one and decides on the cleaning process end or its continuation.

(7) The method is implemented by means of the device shown in the accompanying FIGURE, which is described in the following.

(8) The device includes a neutralizing medium reservoir (1), a cleaning medium reservoir (2), filters (3), a feed pump (4), a shut-off valve (5), a two-diaphragm pump (6) with diaphragms (8), compressed air sources (7), air valves controlling a diaphragm pump (9), a micro-diffusor (10), a cleaned channel (11), temperature sensors (12), an operating-control module (13), a flow meter (14), feed lines (15), return lines (16), additional flow control valves (17), a feed pump for neutralizing medium (18), a diaphragm connecting pin (19), power supply (20).

(9) Thus, the FIGURE illustrates a general aspect of the invention, which is summarized in the following using the reference signs of the FIGURE: A device for cleaning of transmission channels of e.g. liquids, and cooling channels of all equipment types, machines, installations, tools, especially molding cavities, which has fluid reservoirs: with active cleaning medium (2), and neutralizing medium (1), a feed pump (4, 18), valves (5, 17) integrated into the system and connected by means of transmission lines (15, 16), and an additional pump (6) that is built into the system behind the feed pump (4) and the shut-off valve (5), the pump (6) being devoid of check valves and equipped with two Teflon rubber diaphragms (8) mechanically connected by means of a pin (19), located at the inlet and outlet of a cleaned channel, one of which is built into the feed line (15) and the other into the return line (16), and/or has a micro-bubble diffuser (10), built into the feed line (15) at the output of the system, in front of the channel (11), connected to the compressed air source (7), aerating cleaning medium entering the channel (11), and/or has a diagnostics module consisting of two temperature sensors (12), one of which being located within the channel (11) and the other one being located as close as possible to the outer wall of the cleaned channel (11), both sensors being connected to the control module (13) analyzing measurement data.

(10) While the above example has been described with a compressed air supply for actuating the diaphragms, any other external power supply may be used instead, e.g., other gases, fluids, springs, magnets, pistons and others.

(11) Furthermore, while a single shut-off valve has been described for cutting off the flow, e.g., between diaphragm chamber and reservoir, the invention is not limited to this.

Example

(12) The method according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated more closely by the following example of execution.

(13) The process starts with filling the reservoir (1) with a mixture of water and neutralizing medium for passivation of the cleaning solution inside the channels after the cleaning process. Reservoir (2) is filled with a cleaning solution consisting of a mixture of water and a chemically active cleaning agent pH⇐2, then heated in reservoir (2) to about 50° C.

(14) After connecting the device to the channel (11) by means of the transmission lines (15, 16), a tightness and patency test is performed. If the test is successful, the machine performs the measurement of flow rates, using the ultrasonic flow meter (14). The neutralizing medium in the Reservoir (1) is pumped into the channel (11) for (1) minute by means of a second feed pump (18) at a pressure of 1-6 bar. The flow rate measurement data from the ultrasonic flow meter (14) is stored and analyzed by the controller PLC (13) and the channel (11) is dried by compressed air from the compressed air source (7).

(15) Once the diagnostics stage is completed, the device automatically moves on to the proper cleaning process. The feed pump (4) pumps the cleaning medium into the channel (11) for 1-3 min at a pressure of 1-6 bar (depending on the diameter and length of the channel). After filling the channel (11) with the cleaning medium, the system is cut off by a shut-off valve (5) and then the two-diaphragm pump (6), with Teflon rubber diaphragms (8) located on the input and output sides of the cleaned channel and mechanically connected with each other by means of the pin (19), is activated. Diaphragms (8) perform a pulsating movement alternately pushing the cleaning medium backward and forwards in the closed loop of the channel (11), as a result of which the medium is put in a state of dynamic pulsation and turbulent motion within the channel (11). The diaphragms' operating speed is defined by the operating control module (13). In the case of heavily contaminated channels the micro-diffusor (10) by means of the source of compressed air (7) injects air micro-bubbles into the cleaning medium, constituting between 1% and 60% of the overall pumped medium volume, which results in a lower density of the medium mixture.

(16) At the end of the channel pulsation cleaning cycle the shut-off valve opens and the medium is pushed by means of the feed pump (4) into the Reservoir (2), where it is filtered by means of the filter unit (3) and then is re-pumped into the system. After the cleaning phase of channel (11) is completed, the channel is dried by compressed air and the diagnostic test is performed again to verify the efficiency of the cleaning process. The cleaning/diagnostics processes are repeated until the differences in flow rates between subsequent cleaning steps are lower than 3% or the user's defined flow rate is reached. In parallel, independent diagnostics of contamination level is being carried out by monitoring the time needed to even out the temperatures indicated by the two temperature sensors (12). The sensors are positioned so as to measure the medium temperature inside the channel (11) and the temperature outside of channel (11). Sensors (12) data is read by the operating control module (13), which computes and compares the reference thermal conductivity of a given channel with currently measured results and then decides whether the cleaning process should be finished or continued. Upon completion of the cleaning and the final diagnostics process, channel (11) is dried with compressed air.

(17) Finally, some further embodiments are described. These embodiments can be combined with any other embodiment or aspect described herein. Reference signs, referring to the FIGURE, are purely illustrational but not limiting.

(18) According to a first embodiment, a method of cleaning of transmission and cooling channels in all types of devices, machines, installations, tools, especially molding cavities, characterized in that the active chemical solution filling the cleaned channel (11) is put into dynamic bi-directional pulsation by means of a module with a two-diaphragm pump (6) with a shut-off valve (5), both connected in such a way that the cleaned channel is inserted between two diaphragms (8) coupled mechanically by means of the pin (19), which, after connecting the pump to the compressed air source (7) and cutting off the loop from the reservoir (2) and the feed pump (4) with the shut-off valve (5), results in putting the cleaning medium in alternating pulsating motion inside the channel (11).

(19) According to a second embodiment, the method of cleaning of transmission and cooling channels in all types of equipment, machines, installations, tools, especially molding cavities, characterized in that the cleaning medium, while being pumped into the cleaned channel (11), is aerated with micro-bubbles by means of a diffuser (10) integrated into the feed line (15) at the system output, powered with compressed air from the compressed air source (7), thereby decreasing the density of the mixture and reducing the fluid flow resistance, the amount of air being fed depending on the degree of patency of the channel and varying from 1% to 60% of the volume of the pumped medium.

(20) According to a third embodiment, the method of cleaning of transmission and cooling channels in all types of devices, machines, installations, tools, especially molding cavities, characterized in that the measurement of the cleaning process is carried out by determining the time needed for equalization of temperatures indicated by two temperature sensors (12), one of which measures medium temperature in the channel (11) and the second one measures temperature on the outer side of the channel, this measurement being made at the end of cleaning with heated chemical solution and just before the start of neutralization with cool neutralizing medium and transferring this information to the operating control unit 13, which allows for comparison of the result to the nominal value.

(21) According to a fourth embodiment, the device for cleaning transmission channels of e.g. liquids, and cooling channels in all types of equipment, machines, installations, tools, especially molding cavities, containing fluid reservoirs, a pump, valves built into the system and connected by means of transmission lines, characterized in that it has a two-diaphragm pump (6), built into the system behind the feed pump (4) and the shut-off valve (5), the pump (6) devoid of check valves, one of the pump diaphragms being built into the feed line (15) and the other into the return line (16), and/or has a micro-bubble diffuser (10) built into the feed line (15) at the output of the system and connected to the compressed air source (7) that aerates the fluid, and/or has a diagnostic module consisting of two temperature sensors (12), where one sensor is located within the channel (11) and the other sensor is as close as possible to the outer wall of the cleaner channel (11), both connected to the control module (13).