CHEMICAL DELIVERY DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM

• US 20110192433A1
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonny's HFI Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Hydra-Flex, Inc. (Sonny'S Enterprises, LLC)
• Inventors: Harris, Jaime L., Brown, Gary A., Molitor, Christopher, Kensinger, David, Fritze, Karl J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,421,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/57.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4418 in the form of liquids A47L15/4409, A47L15/4436, A47L15/4445 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4427 entrained in the water supply line by a pressure drop, e.g. resulting from a Venturi throat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/449 Metering controlling devices A47L15/4229 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/451 by injecting one liquid into another
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/483 using water for diluting a liquid ingredient, obtaining a predetermined concentration or making an aqueous solution of a concentrate
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/312 with Venturi elements; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2112 Level of material in a container or the position or shape of the upper surface of the material
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2117 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2211 Amount of delivered fluid during a period
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/832 Flow control by weighing
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/081 responsive to the weight of a reservoir or container for liquid or other fluent material; responsive to level or volume of liquid or other fluent material in a reservoir or container
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/2443 the carried liquid and the main stream of carrying liquid being brought together downstream of the container before discharge B05B7/2454 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/00 Cleaning by methods involving the use or presence of liquid or steam B08B9/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/02 Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/024 Cleaning by means of spray elements moving over the surface to be cleaned
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/04 Cleaning involving contact with liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 3/00 Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles cleaning in general B08B; cleaning peculiar to waterborne vessels B63B57/00, B63B59/00; ground equipment for cleaning aircraft B64F5/30
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 3/04 for exteriors of land vehicles B60S3/002, B60S3/004 take precedence; specially adapted for railway vehicles B60S3/006
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/02 by gauge glasses or other apparatus involving a window or transparent tube for directly observing the level to be measured or the level of a liquid column in free communication with the main body of the liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/292 Light , e.g. infrared or ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2962 : Measuring transit time of reflected waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/68 : using electrically actuated indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/72 : using magnetically actuated indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 17/02 : for weighing material of filamentary or sheet form
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 17/06 : having means for controlling the supply or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/18 : having electrical weight-sensitive devices

Abstract

A system for controlling and monitoring the chemical usage in a car wash systems that form an aqueous cleaning solution by diluting a cleaning chemical concentrate in a process water stream to form. Level sensors are mounted to the bulk containers containing the chemical concentrate to measure and track the usage of the chemical concentrates. The usage data is collected and used to adjust flow rate controllers controlling the dilution of the concentrate into the process water stream. The system can be integrated into continuous processes where the aqueous cleaning solution is dispensed immediately after production and batch processes where the cleaning solution is stored temporarily before being dispensed onto a vehicle.

Claims

1. A car wash, comprising:

at least one dispensing system for directing one or more car wash cleaning solutions onto a vehicle during a car wash cycle;

at least one mixing system for mixing a concentrated cleaning agent with a water stream to form the car wash cleaning solution, said mixing system including a concentrate flow control; and

at least one supply system for supplying the concentrated cleaning agent from a bulk storage container, wherein the supply system includes a monitoring assembly for determining an amount of the concentrated cleaning agent supplied to the mixing system on a per car basis.

2. The car of wash of claim 1, further comprising a control system, and wherein the monitoring assembly continually transits to the control system the amount of concentrated cleaning agent supplied to the mixing system for each car.

3. The car wash of claim 2, wherein the monitoring system comprises a load cell, and wherein the bulk storage container is continually weighed by the load cell.

4. The car wash of claim 2, wherein the bulk storage container comprises a chemically resistant bag, and where the chemically resistant bag is suspended from a gravimetric load cell.

5. The car wash of claim 2, wherein the monitoring system comprises a level sensor, said level sensor continually transmitting the amount of concentrated cleaning agent in the bulk storage container to the control system.

6. The car wash of claim 2, wherein the monitoring system comprises a flow meter, said flow meter continually measuring a concentrate flow rate between the bulk storage container and the mixing system.

7. The car wash of claim 2, wherein the control system actuates the concentrate flow control to control the amount of concentrated cleaning agent supplied to the mixing system based on a desired dilution rate with the water stream.

8. The car wash of claim 7, wherein the concentrate flow control comprises an orifice positioned within a concentrate inlet and wherein an actuated valve is selectively actuated to adjust an effective diameter of the orifice to control the amount of concentrated cleaning agent supplied to the mixing system.

9. The car wash of claim 7, wherein the concentrate flow control comprises a pump positioned within a concentrate inlet and wherein a pump drive is selectively driven to control the amount of concentrated cleaning agent supplied to the mixing system.

10. A method for monitoring and controlling cleaning agent usage in a car wash, comprising:

providing a supply system including a monitoring assembly for measuring an amount of a concentrated cleaning agent in a bulk storage container;

regulating the amount of concentrated cleaning agent supplied to a mixing system with a concentrate flow control such that the concentrated cleaning agent can be combined with a water stream at a predetermined dilution ratio to form the car wash cleaning solution; and

measuring the amount of concentrated cleaning agent supplied to the mixing system for each car wash event.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting the amount of concentrated cleaning agent supplied to the mixing system for each car wash event to a control system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of measuring the amount of concentrated cleaning agent supplied to the mixing system for each car wash event further comprises:

weighing the bulk storage container with a load cell to determine the amount of concentrated cleaning agent supplied to the mixing system for each car wash event.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of measuring the amount of concentrated cleaning agent supplied to the mixing system for each car wash event further comprises:

sensing a level of the concentrated cleaning agent in the bulk storage container with a level sensor.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of measuring the amount of concentrated cleaning agent supplied to the mixing system for each car wash event further comprises:

determining a flow rate of the concentrated cleaning agent from the bulk storage container to the mixing system with a flow meter.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

adjusting a concentrate flow rate between the bulk storage container and the mixing system with a concentrate flow control operating as directed by the control system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of adjusting the concentrate flow rate, further comprises:

positioning an orifice within a concentrate inlet between the bulk storage container and the mixing system; and

varying an effective flow cross-section of the orifice with an actuated valve, said valve increasing or decreasing the effective flow cross-section at the direction of the control system.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of adjusting the concentrate flow rate, further comprises:

positioning a pump within a concentrate inlet between the bulk storage container and the mixing system; and

driving the pump with the control system to selectively control the concentrate flow rate supplied to the mixing system.