System and method for industrial cleaning

Abstract

Provided herein are systems and methods useful for the cleaning, sanitizing, and/or microbial control of industrial equipment such as, for example, conveyance and production/manufacturing systems.

1 . An industrial cleaning system comprising:
 an electrochemical activation unit that is capable of generating an anolyte from a brine solution, the anolyte having a concentration of available chorine;   an anolyte dosing pump that is connected to the electrochemical activation unit;   a chlorine probe capable of measuring the concentration of available chlorine in a diluted anolyte; and   a controller unit operatively coupled to the chlorine probe and the anolyte dosing pump, wherein the controller unit activates the anolyte dosing pump when the measured concentration of available chlorine is lower than a predetermined concentration of available chlorine.   
     
     
         2 . The industrial cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein the chlorine probe has a substantially linear response to the concentration of available chlorine up to at least 50 ppm. 
     
     
         3 . The industrial cleaning system of  claim 2 , wherein the chlorine probe has a substantially flat response to changes in pH within a range of about 4.0 to about 9.0. 
     
     
         4 . The industrial cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined concentration of available chlorine is about 40 ppm at a pH range of about 4.0 to about 9.0. 
     
     
         5 . The industrial cleaning system of  claim 1 , further comprising a chlorine tank that receives the anolyte from the anolyte dosing pump. 
     
     
         6 . The industrial cleaning system of  claim 1 , further comprising a source of potable water connected to the system. 
     
     
         7 . The industrial cleaning system of  claim 1 , further comprising
 a catholyte dosing pump operatively coupled to the controller unit,   wherein the electrochemical activation unit is capable of further generating a catholyte, the catholyte having a concentration of caustic, and wherein the controller unit is capable of activating the catholyte dosing pump when the concentration of caustic is lower than a predetermined concentration of caustic.   
     
     
         8 . The industrial cleaning system of  claim 7  wherein the catholyte is diluted with water. 
     
     
         9 . A method for maintaining the concentration of available chlorine in an industrial cleaning system, the method comprising:
 providing an electrochemically activated solution comprising an amount of available chlorine;   measuring the concentration of available chlorine in the solution using a chlorine probe, wherein the chlorine probe has a substantially linear response to the concentration of available chlorine up to at least 50 ppm, and a substantially flat response to the concentration of available chlorine over a pH range; and   providing an additional amount of available chlorine to the system when the measured concentration is lower than a predetermined concentration of available chlorine.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the substantially flat response is at a pH range of about 4 to about 9. 
     
     
         11 . A method for cleaning a system, the method comprising:
 providing an electrochemically activated solution having a concentration of available chlorine;   determining a concentration of available chlorine that is suitable for cleaning at a given pH of the electrochemically activated solution;   measuring the concentration of available chlorine in the electrochemically activated solution;   activating a dosing pump when the measured concentration of available chlorine is lower than the determined concentration of available chlorine; and contacting the system with the electrochemically activated solution.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the concentration of available chlorine is about 40 ppm at a pH of about 4.0 to about 9.0. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising
 providing a second electrochemically activated solution having a concentration of a caustic;   measuring the concentration of caustic in the second electrochemically activated solution;   activating a dosing pump that is connected to (a) the second electrochemically activated solution and (b) the system; and   contacting the system with the second electrochemically activated solution.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the second electrochemically activated water solution is diluted with water. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the system is associated with industrial manufacturing. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the system comprises production equipment. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the system comprises conveyance equipment. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the system comprises food or beverage production equipment.