Method of generating sparged, electrochemically activated liquid

• US 8,025,786 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tennant Company
• Original Assignee: Tennant Company
• Inventors: Field, Bruce F., Gronlund, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phasge; Arun S
• Application Number:
  US11/655,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20070187261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: 205498-505, 205/556, 205/746, 205755-756, 204/242, 204/275.1
• US Class Current: 205/746
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/292 having rotary tools A47L11/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4618 for producing "ionised" acidic or basic water
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/46195 characterised by the oxidation reduction potential [ORP]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/008 Mobile apparatus and plants, e.g. mounted on a vehicle for biological treatment C02F2203/008
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/4618 Supplying or removing reactants or electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2305/023 Reactive oxygen species, singlet oxygen, OH radical

Abstract

A method is provided, which includes generating a cleaning liquid by a combination of a sparging process and an electrochemical process that produces an anolyte and a catholye.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) sparging a liquid with an electrolysis cell that lacks an ion exchange membrane;

b) electrochemically activating the sparged liquid to produce a sparged anolyte electrochemically activated (EA) liquid and a sparged catholyte EA liquid with a functional generator comprising an anode chamber and a cathode chamber, which are separated by an ion exchange membrane, wherein the sparged liquid feeds the anode chamber and the cathode chamber; and

c) performing the sparging step a) and the electrochemical activating step b) along a flow path through the electrolysis cell and the functional generator that lacks a liquid feedback path from an output of either the electrolysis cell or the functional generator.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

d) dispensing the sparged anolyte EA liquid and the sparged catholyte EA liquid separately.

3. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

d) onboard an apparatus, combining all of the sparged anolyte EA liquid with all of the sparged catholyte EA liquid to produce a combined sparged anolyte and catholyte EA liquid; and

e) dispensing substantially all of the combined sparged anolyte and catholyte EA liquid from the apparatus to a surface to be cleaned upon electrochemical activation in step b) without an intermediate step of storing.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of combining in step d) is performed without valving.

5. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

d) performing steps a), b), and c) onboard a mobile surface cleaning apparatus.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sparging of step a) further comprises sparging at least by a mechanical process.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid that is electrochemically activated in step b) consists essentially of tap water.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid that is electrochemically activated in step b) consists of tap water.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid of step a) comprises water and an electrolyte concentration that is greater than zero and does not exceed 1.0 moles per liter.

10. A method comprising:

a) electrochemically activating a liquid to produce an anolyte electrochemically activated (EA) liquid and a catholyte EA liquid with a functional generator comprising an anode chamber and a cathode chamber, which are separated by an ion exchange membrane;

b) sparging at least one of the anolyte EA liquid, the catholyte EA liquid or both of the anolyte EA liquid and the catholyte EA liquid with an electrolysis cell that lacks an ion exchange membrane; and

c) performing the electrochemically activating step a) and the sparging step b) without feeding any of the anolyte EA liquid, catholyte EA liquid or the liquid sparged by the electrolysis cell back to an input f the functional generator.

11. The method of claim 10 and further comprising:

d) separately dispensing at least one of the sparged anolyte EA liquid and the sparged catholyte EA liquid.

12. The method of claim 10 and further comprising at least one of the following steps:

d) combining all of the anolyte EA liquid with all of the catholyte EA liquid to produce a combined anolyte and catholyte EA liquid;

or

e) combining all of the sparged anolyte EA liquid with all of the sparged catholyte EA liquid to produce a combined sparged anolyte and catholyte EA liquid.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of combining in step d) is performed without valving.

14. The method of claim 10 and further comprising:

d) performing steps a), b) and c) onboard a mobile surface cleaning apparatus; and

e) dispensing substantially all sparged anolyte and catholyte EA liquid from the apparatus to a surface to be cleaned upon electrochemical activation in step a) and sparging is step b) without an intermediate step of storing.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the sparging of step b) further comprises sparging at least by a mechanical process.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the liquid of step a) consists essentially of tap water.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the liquid of step a) consists of tap water.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the liquid of step a) comprises water and an electrolyte concentration that is greater than zero and does not exceed 1.0 moles per liter.

19. A method comprising:

a) sparging a liquid with an electrolysis cell that lacks an ion exchange membrane to produce a sparged liquid;

b) feeding the sparged liquid into an anode chamber and a cathode chamber of a functional generator, the anode and cathode chambers being separated by an ion exchange membrane;

c) electrochemically activating the sparged liquid to produce a sparged anolyte liquid and a sparged catholyte liquid with the functional generator;

d) onboard an apparatus, combining all of the sparged anolyte liquid with all of the sparged catholyte liquid to produce a combined sparged anolyte and catholyte liquid; and

e) dispensing substantially all of the combined sparged anolyte and catholyte liquid as a working liquid from the apparatus to a surface to be cleaned upon electrochemical activation in step c).

20. The method of claim 19, and further comprising:

f) performing steps a) through d) along a flow path through the electrolysis cell and the functional generator that lacks a liquid feedback path to either the electrolysis cell or the functional generator.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of combining in step d) is performed without valving.