A new generation of efficient automatic cleaning equipment

Different types of tank cleaning equipment have different cleaning effects on the processing equipment. The new generation of rotary jet heads minimizes the cleaning process time and minimizes the cost of the cleaning process.

The processing industry faces increasing demands for health safety, production efficiency and profitability. The chemical, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries are no exception. It is a basic requirement for modern production to arrange production flexibly and efficiently so that the switching between different products can be carried out quickly and smoothly, and minimizing waste to a minimum. At the same time, attention must also be paid to environmental protection, for example, as many materials as possible are reused and reused. Equipment cleaning is one of the important ways to achieve these goals. As a result, people are starting to pay more and more attention to optimizing in-situ cleaning (CIP) systems.
Rotary or rotary jet heads provide an efficient way to quickly and quickly clean tanks, reactors or other processing equipment, thereby saving and fully utilizing cleaning agents and minimizing downtime between production batches This improves productivity and equipment utilization.

Cleaning process

The choice of cleaning equipment should depend on the shape of the container being cleaned, the internal structure, and the properties of the product it is touching. Another important aspect to consider is the reliability and controllability of each step in the cleaning process. One way to increase reliability is to increase automation and improve online controls.

The most primitive tank cleaning is done manually by means of brushes, high pressure spray guns or simply soak-boil-discharge. With the advent of the CIP, storage tanks are more automated, with fixed spray balls, rotating sprinklers, or rotating spray heads driven by the cleaning media and guide gears.

The advantages of automatic cleaning are obvious. This article will detail a number of highly efficient and automated next-generation cleaning devices.

Fixed spray ball

Traditional fixed-mounted spray balls were introduced in the early 20th century and are still widely used today. Fixed spray balls of various shapes, sizes, and capacities simply dispense cleaning fluid to the surface of tanks and containers.

Small strands of liquid continue to spray from each hole in the spray ball to a fixed point on the tank wall. Due to the size limitation of the nozzle, the impact force at the point of contact with the fine water flow is low, and the impact force at the place not directly sprayed is zero. Therefore, it is necessary to use a large-flow or high-concentration cleaning liquid to accomplish laundering. Increasing the cleaning effect also depends on increasing the temperature or prolonging the flushing time.

The fixed spray ball also “filters” particles in the cleaning liquid, and these particles can clog the spray ball, causing the cleaning to not be in place, and can only be discovered after a long time.

Recent monitoring results show that bacteria and microorganisms can easily adhere to a smooth surface, such as stainless steel. In order to ensure the effective removal of these microorganisms, it is necessary to rely on stronger mechanical impact.

Rotary shower head

Rotary showerheads are an alternative to traditional fixed spray balls. The fan-shaped vortex generated by the rotating showerhead sprays the surface of the container evenly in a vibration mode. The combination of vibration mode and physical impact force can quickly remove sediment, and use less water and chemicals than fixed spray spheres.

Rotary sprinklers can be retrofitted with fixed spray ball storage tanks.

Rotary spray head

The rotary spray head (FIG. 1) sprays the cleaning liquid over the entire interior surface of the tank through a rotating nozzle and forms a progressively dense mesh cover. The nozzles of the early rotary jet heads were integrated with the micro jets. By controlling the rotational speed with different water pressures, the cleaning action thus provided can be seen as an improvement of the garden sprinkler. Because it is difficult to maintain a stable rotation speed and a good cleaning effect, a large-diameter nozzle of 2.5 to 5.5 mm appears to provide a sufficient cleaning radius. At the same time, the cleaning medium is used to drive the turbine, and the nozzle is rotated at the same time in the vertical and horizontal directions through a gear transmission. In the first cycle, the water jet from the nozzles forms a staggered net-like distribution on the surface of the tank. The subsequent cycle period ensures that the distribution of the mesh is gradually intensive until the full coverage of the direct water jet is reached after 8 cycles.

Figure 1 Rotary spray head

The diameter of the nozzle can make the impact length and flow rate of the jet under the appropriate pressure reach the best state, and the electronic rotation sensor can monitor the coverage of the entire surface of the tank.

The high-speed jet formed by the combination of horizontal rotation and vertical rotation, as well as the water flow reflected from the tank wall, can act on the most difficult position. The advantages of this type of rotating sprinkler in storage tanks equipped with various complicated internal structures such as stirrers, baffles, etc. are even more prominent, because these more complex tanks usually require multiple spray balls, and a rotary jet head often Enough to clean the entire tank.

The nozzle size of the rotary jet head and the medium pressure of the rotary jet head determine the flow rate, the purge radius, the nozzle speed and the corresponding cleaning time. The normal working pressure of the rotary jet head is about 3-8 bar.

Cleaning mode

The process mode of cleaning the tank depends on the selected cleaning equipment. The traditional gradual cleaning mode requires a complete program to achieve a uniform cleaning effect, while the “golden section” cleaning mode starts with a very rough water jet trajectory network and then passes through the subsequent cleaning trajectory (about the two furthest completed In the middle of the cleaning trajectory, a detailed cleaning is performed. In this way, the jetting fluid quickly clears the product on the tank wall and then performs an intensive cleaning mode until the tank surface is completely cleaned, thereby removing as much sediment as possible in the shortest possible time.

When the full cleaning mode is not required, the "golden section" mode uses less cleaning liquid than the conventional gradual cleaning mode, completing the cleaning in a shorter time. Moreover, because it is a unified cleaning mode, cleaning can be stopped at any time, while the traditional non-uniform cleaning mode cannot.

design

The wash process simulation software (Figure 2) shows how the rotary jet head can clean a specific tank. The simulation software provides data on the wetting density, the spacing of the net coverage trajectory, and the cleaning jet speed. With these data, the correct combination of tank cleaning equipment's optimal installation location and flow rate, cleaning time, and pressure can be determined. Thus, the most effective operating parameters can be established and the cleaning operation can be optimized during the initial design phase.

Figure 2 Before installation, the software simulates the performance of a rotating spray head in the tank.

Identification/Demonstration

Today, cleaning identification can be done in a variety of ways. Riboflavin or other overlay tests are widely used to ensure proper tank or container cleaning and to avoid microbiological and cross-contamination. During the cleaning verification process, three consecutive cleaning procedures are usually performed to confirm the effectiveness of the cleaning process.

In order to ensure the consistency of the tank cleaning after execution and passing the cleaning verification, an on-line monitoring system is required to monitor whether the cleaning equipment operates consistently. Regardless of the type of cleaning equipment used, there may be a risk of impurities or deposits blocking the outlet or nozzle of the cleaning fluid, or failure of the cleaning equipment due to other reasons. For a rotary jet head, the impact pressure generated by the jet flow can be detected, and the number and intervals of the jets touching the monitor are monitored to determine if the system is operating stably. If the monitoring sensor is not touched within a predetermined time interval, an audio signal or video signal is emitted or integrated into the process control system.

Rotary Jet Head Advantage

It is often difficult to effectively optimize the cleaning process, but the benefits to the processing industry from the application of rotary jet heads are obvious:
â–  Selection software ensures optimum installation position and comprehensive and effective cleaning, especially tanks with agitators, baffles, and hard-to-reach areas.
â–  Shorten cleaning time, reduce water consumption and cleaning agent usage while reducing energy consumption.
â–  Reduce safety hazards caused by manual and manual cleaning.
â–  Increase production time and reduce product loss.
â–  Provides consistent cleaning results and the cleaning process can be continuously monitored.

Cost comparison

Product manufacturers often do not understand the actual cost of cleaning or ignore the cleaning of various processing equipment, and therefore rarely consider how to optimize the cleaning process to reduce the potential cost.

There is no doubt that people are always reluctant to invest in more expensive cleaning equipment, but in fact must consider all the implied issues such as the cost and operating costs of the CIP system. The CIP system consisting of equipment tanks, piping systems and valves is mainly determined by the conditions of the cleaning equipment used and the container being cleaned. The total cost of tank cleaning using a fixed spray ball is typically 50% to 100% higher than with a rotary spray head.

In carrying out cost/benefit analysis, it is important to take into consideration the potential benefits of increased production and product quality, as well as the savings in wastewater treatment. Even if it is difficult to calculate, the total cost should be comprehensively calculated on the basis of ensuring a consistent cleaning effect when selecting cleaning equipment.

in conclusion

The new generation of rotary jet heads has been widely used in various industries, including food, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. The hygienic requirements of design, the ability to self-clean, and the stability and control of cleaning make the new generation of tank cleaning equipment ideal for where product cross-contamination must be prevented.

By design, they are particularly suitable for tanks with difficult-to-reach and clean surfaces and for tanks with high-viscosity, foaming and thixotropic products. The rotary jet head does not always have to be the right choice for a particular tank, but it is important to evaluate all the factors described in the actual design of the CIP system.

Today, based on actual tank drawings, tank cleaning equipment suppliers can design cost-saving systems, give advice on how to choose the best tank cleaning equipment, and perform related cost/benefit analysis. Rotary showerheads and rotary jet heads designed to meet modern hygiene standards provide opportunities to optimize the cleaning system and provide manufacturers with a number of benefits.

Reprinted from: Process Industry