Flow-based chemical dispense system

• US 6,763,860 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2002
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab, Inc.
• Inventors: Wu, Jun, Weber, Bruce W., Bailey, Clyde A., Zell, James M., Laughland, Gregory B., Jungmann, Ronald D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Douglas, Steven O.
• Application Number:
  US10/188,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20030012081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 141/9, 141/100-104, 141/83, 141/94, 141/95, 141/192, 141/198, 436/43, 436/50, 436/52, 436/55, 436/56, 436/174, 436/179, 436/800, 436/172, 422/67, 422/68.1, 422/82, 422/82.08, 422/105, 422/110, 422/119, 137/341, 137/625.41, 137/644.11, 137/3, 222/144.5, 222/146.5
• US Class Current: 141/104
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/84 Mixing plants with mixing receptacles receiving material dispensed from several component receptacles, e.g. paint tins
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/20 Measuring; Control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/21112 Volumetric flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2211 Amount of delivered fluid during a period
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/8311 with means for controlling the motor driving the pumps or the other dispensing mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/833 Flow control by valves, e.g. opening intermittently
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis

Abstract

A method and system for formulating and dispensing a chemical product to a dispense location is disclosed. The chemical product is formulated using one or more chemical concentrates. The chemical concentrates may be stored in concentrate containers and provided to a formulator by associated concentrate pumps. The concentrates are pulled from the containers through a manifold and to the formulator. The formulator discharges the chemical concentrates through a dispense hose having an outlet valve to the dispense location. The dispense location may be a jug or a drum. A flow meter connected between the formulator and the dispense hose. The flow meter monitors the component chemical concentrates flowing through the dispense hose and measures volumetric information associated with each component chemical concentrate. A flow controller analyzes the volumetric information generated by the flow meter and controls the volume of each component chemical concentrate dispensed to the dispense location.

Claims

1. A chemical dispense system for forming a chemical product at a dispense location comprising:

a formulator formulating the chemical product using a plurality of component chemical concentrates;

a flow meter operably connected between the formulator and a dispense hose dispensing the component chemical concentrates to the dispense location, the flow meter monitoring the component chemical concentrates flowing through the dispense hose and measuring volumetric information associated with each component chemical concentrate;

a flow controller analyzing the volumetric information generated by the flow meter and controlling a volume of each component chemical concentrate dispensed to the dispense location; and

a human-machine interface receiving the volumetric information measured by the flow meter and presenting the volumetric information on a graphical user interface through which an authorized user may interact with the human machine interface to monitor operations of the formulator.

2. A chemical dispense system as defined in claim 1, wherein the volumetric information received by the human-machine interface is in the form of account data associated with each of the plurality of component chemical concentrates dispensed to the dispense location.

3. A chemical dispense system as defined in claim 2, wherein the account data relate to financial information associated with a balance due on the volume of each of the component chemical concentrates dispensed to the dispense location.

4. A chemical dispense system as defined in claim 1, wherein the volumetric information received by the human-machine interface is in the form of chemical data associated with each of the plurality of component chemical concentrates dispensed to the dispense location.

5. A chemical dispense system as defined in claim 1 wherein the human-machine interface is a component of the formulator such that the authorized user may control the chemical dispense system through instructions input to the formulator.

6. A chemical dispense system as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a universal communicator connecting the human-machine interface to a corporate server over a network connection such that the dispensing operations on the system may be manipulated and defined from a remote location.

7. A chemical dispense system as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of concentrate pumps, each concentrate pump being associated with one of the plurality of component chemical concentrates and extracting an associated component chemical concentrate from a concentrate container upon receiving an instruction transmitted from the formulator.

8. A chemical dispense system as defined in claim 1, wherein the dispense location is a jug situated in a fill station.

9. A chemical dispense system as defined in claim 1, wherein the dispense location is a drum.

10. A chemical dispense system for forming a chemical product at a dispense location comprising:

a formulator formulating the chemical product using a plurality of component chemical concentrates;

a flow meter operably connected between the formulator and a dispense hose dispensing the component chemical concentrates to the dispense location, the flow meter monitoring the component chemical concentrates flowing through the dispense hose and measuring volumetric information associated with each component chemical concentrate; and

a flow controller analyzing the volumetric information generated by the flow meter and controlling a volume of each component chemical concentrate dispensed to the dispense location, wherein the controller the volumetric information relates to a current weight percent of a component chemical concentrate relative to one or more other component chemical concentrates at the dispense location at a given point in time, the controller analyzing the weight percent against an expected weight percent to regulate the volume of the component chemical concentrate flowing through the dispense hose such that the chemical product is formed at the dispense location with a predetermined weight percent of the component chemical concentrate.

11. A chemical dispense system as defined in claim 10, wherein the controller increases the volume of the component chemical concentrate flowing through the dispense hose if the current weight percent is less than the expected weight percent.

12. A chemical dispense system as defined in claim 10, wherein the controller stops flow of component chemical concentrate through the dispense hose if the current weight percent is greater than the expected weight percent.

13. A method for forming a chemical product at a dispense location, the method comprising:

transferring a component chemical concentrate from a concentrate container to a manifold;

passing the component chemical concentrate from the manifold through a dispense hose to the dispense location;

sensing the component chemical concentrate flowing between the manifold and the dispense hose to measure volumetric information associated with the component chemical concentrate;

analyzing the volumetric information to render a current weight percent of the component chemical concentrate dispensed to the dispense location;

controlling flow of the component chemical concentrate to the dispense location such that the chemical product is formed with a predetermined weight percent of the component chemical concentrate; and

logging the volumetric information in records such that proof of delivery of a volume of the component chemical concentrate dispensed to the dispense location is recorded.

14. A method as defined in claim 13 further comprising:

analyzing the volumetric information logged in the records to generate account data associated with the component chemical concentrate.

15. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein the account data relates to financial information associated with a balance due on the volume of the component chemical concentrate dispensed to the dispense location.

16. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the current weight percent of the component chemical concentrate is taken relative to one or more other component chemical concentrates dispensed to the dispense location at a given point in time and the analyzing act comprises:

comparing the current weight percent to an expected weight percent at the given point in time.

17. A method as defined in claim 16, wherein the controlling act comprises:

regulating flow of the component chemical concentrate to the dispense location such that the chemical product is formed with the predetermined percent weight of the component chemical concentrate.

18. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein the regulating act comprises:

maintaining flow the component chemical concentrate to the dispense location if the current weight percent is less than the expected weight percent.

19. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein the regulating act comprises:

stopping flow of the component chemical concentrate between concentrate container and the manifold if the current weight percent is greater than or equal to the expected weight percent.

20. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the dispense location is a jug situated in a fill station.

21. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the dispense location is a drum.

22. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the acts of transferring, passing, sensing, analyzing and controlling the chemical concentrate volume are simultaneously performed for a plurality of component chemical concentrates.

23. A method for forming a chemical product at a dispense location by dispensing a plurality of component chemical concentrates to the dispense location through a dispense hose, wherein the method comprises,

monitoring each component chemical concentrate flowing through the dispense hose to calculate a current weight percent of each component chemical concentrate based on a calibrated flow factor associated with each component concentrate, wherein the calibrated flow factor takes into account specific gravity of each component concentrate;

and

controlling a volume of each component chemical concentrate flowing through the dispense hose such that the chemical product is formed having a predetermined weight percent of each component chemical concentrate.

24. A method as defined in claim 23, wherein the controlling act comprises:

comparing the current weight percent of each component concentrate to the predetermined weight percent associated with each component concentrate.

25. A method as defined in claim 24, wherein the regulating act comprises:

increasing the volume of a specific component chemical concentrate flowing through the dispense hose if the current weight percent of the specific component chemical concentrate is less than the predetermined weight percent associated with the specific component chemical concentrate.

26. A method as defined in claim 24, wherein the regulating act comprises:

stopping flow of a specific component chemical concentrate through the dispense hose if the current weight percent of the specific component chemical concentrate is greater than or equal to the predetermined weight percent associated with the specific component chemical concentrate.

27. A computer program storage medium readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program for executing a computer process for forming a chemical product at a dispense location, the computer process comprising:

transferring a component chemical concentrate from a concentrate container to a manifold;

passing the component chemical concentrate from the manifold through a dispense hose to the dispense location;

sensing the component chemical concentrate flowing through the dispense hose to measure volumetric information associated with the component chemical concentrate;

analyzing the volumetric information to render a current weight percent of the component chemical concentrate dispensed to the dispense location;

controlling flow of the component chemical concentrate to the dispense location such that the chemical product is formed with a predetermined weight percent of the component chemical concentrate; and

logging the volumetric information in records such that proof of delivery of a volume of the component chemical concentrate dispensed to the dispense location is recorded.

28. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 27, wherein the computer process further comprises:

analyzing the volumetric information logged in the records to generate account data associated with the component chemical concentrate.

29. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 28, wherein the account data relates to financial information associated with a balance due on the volume of the component chemical concentrate dispensed to the dispense location.

30. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 27, wherein the current weight percent of the component chemical concentrate is taken relative to one or more other component chemical concentrates to the dispense location at a given point in time and the analyzing act comprises:

comparing the current weight percent to an expected weight percent at the given point in time.

31. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 30, wherein the controlling act comprises:

regulating the volume of the component chemical concentrate dispensed to the dispense location such that the chemical product is formed having the predetermined percent weight of the component chemical concentrate.

32. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 31, wherein the regulating act comprises:

maintaining flow of the component chemical concentrate flowing to the dispense location if the current weight percent is less than the expected weight percent.

33. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 31, wherein the regulating act comprises:

stopping flow of the component chemical concentrate to the dispense location if the current weight percent is greater than the expected weight percent.