Conveyor ware washer, in particular industrial conveyor ware washer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10433703-B2
Application number	US-201415039858-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2014
Priority date	Nov 28, 2013
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

A conveyor ware washer (1), having a conveying device for conveying wash ware through treatment zones, has at least two wash zones (11, 12, 13), arranged one after the other and at least one final rinse zone (14) arranged downstream of the wash zones. An exhaust air system (20) removes exhaust air from the conveyor ware washer. The wash zone which is arranged closer to the final rinse zone has a heating device (40) for heating the wash liquid, which is to be sprayed in the relevant wash zone, to a minimum process temperature. A heat pump system transmits at least part of the thermal energy of the exhaust air, which has been removed or is to be removed from the conveyor ware washer, as useful heat to the wash liquid of the wash zone which is arranged further away from the at least one final rinse zone.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Conveyor ware washer having a conveying device for conveying wash ware in a conveying direction through treatment zones of the conveyor ware washer, wherein the conveyor ware washer has at least two wash zones that are arranged one after the other when viewed in the conveying direction and in each wash zone wash liquid from a wash tank associated with the wash zone is sprayed onto the wash ware, wherein the conveyor ware washer has at least one final rinse zone which, when viewed in the conveying direction, is arranged downstream of the at least two wash zones, in which final rinse zone fresh water is sprayed onto the wash ware, wherein the conveyor ware washer has a drying zone that is located downstream of the final rinse zone in the conveying direction, and wherein the conveyor ware washer additionally has an exhaust air system for removing exhaust air from the conveyor ware washer, characterized in that
a downstream wash zone of the at least two wash zones which, when viewed in the conveying direction, is arranged closer to the at least one final rinse zone, has associated therewith a first heating device that is arranged for heating the wash liquid, which is to be sprayed in the downstream wash zone, to a previously established or establishable first minimum process temperature, and
in that, in addition, a heat pump system is provided for transmitting at least some thermal energy of the exhaust air, which has been removed or is to be removed from the conveyor ware washer, as useful heat to the wash liquid, which is to be sprayed in an upstream wash zone of the at least two wash zones which, when viewed in the conveying direction, is arranged further away from the at least one final rinse zone;
wherein the heat pump system includes a compressor and an evaporator located along a path of a refrigerating medium of the heat pump system, wherein the evaporator is positioned for transmitting at least part of the thermal energy of the exhaust air to the refrigerating medium of the heat pump system, and the path includes, in order along the path between the compressor and the evaporator in a direction of refrigerating medium flow, a first heat exchanging condenser, a second heat exchanging condenser, a third heat exchanging condenser and a fourth heat exchanging condenser;
wherein the at least one final rinse zone has associated therewith a second heating device for heating the fresh water, which is to be sprayed in the at least one final rinse zone;
wherein:
the first heat exchanging condenser is arranged for transmitting part of the thermal energy of the exhaust air to the fresh water which is to be sprayed in the at least one final rinse zone for preheating the fresh water before the fresh water reaches the second heating device;
the second heat exchanging condenser is arranged for transmitting part of the thermal energy of the exhaust air to the wash liquid of the upstream wash zone;
the third heat exchanging condenser is arranged for transmitting part of the thermal energy of the exhaust air to drying air in the drying zone; and
the fourth heat exchanging condenser is arranged for transmitting part of the thermal energy of the exhaust air to the fresh water which is to be sprayed in the at least one final rinse zone, in advance of the fresh water being preheated by the first heat exchanging condenser.

2. Conveyor ware washer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first heating device is arranged to introduce thermal energy, which has not been recovered from the exhaust air, into the wash liquid to be sprayed in the downstream wash zone.

3. Conveyor ware washer as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first heating device is arranged to heat the wash liquid to the first minimum process temperature by way of electric energy, steam, gas or hot water.

4. Conveyor ware washer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanging condenser is arranged to heat the wash liquid, which is to be sprayed in the upstream wash zone, to a previously established or establishable second minimum process temperature.

5. Conveyor ware washer as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the second heating device is configured for heating the fresh water, which is to be sprayed in the at least one final rinse zone, to a previously established or establishable third minimum process temperature.

6. Conveyor ware washer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in addition, there is provided a heat transmitting system for transmitting at least part of the thermal energy of the exhaust air to the fresh water which is to be sprayed in the at least one final rinse zone.

7. Conveyor ware washer as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the heat transmitting system is arranged upstream of the fourth heat exchanging condenser, along a flow path of the fresh water, and is realized for preheating the fresh water which is to be sprayed in the at least one final rinse zone, to a temperature within a range of between 40° C. and 50° C.

8. Conveyor ware washer as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the second heating device is arranged to introduce thermal energy, which has not been recovered from the exhaust air, into the fresh water which is to be sprayed in the at least one final rinse zone, said thermal energy not having been recovered from the exhaust air which has been removed or is to be removed from the conveyor ware washer.

9. Conveyor ware washer as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the second heating device is arranged to heat the fresh water by way of electric energy, steam, gas or hot water.

10. Conveyor ware washer as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the fourth heat exchanging condenser is arranged to heat further the fresh water which is preheated in the heat transmitting system to a temperature within a range of between 55° C. and 65° C.

11. Conveyor ware washer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conveyor ware washer has at least three wash zones which, when viewed in the conveying direction, are arranged one after the other and are connected upstream of the at least one final rinse zone, wherein each of the at least three wash zones has a correspondingly associated wash tank for receiving wash liquid which is to be sprayed in the corresponding wash zone.

12. Conveyor ware washer as claimed in claim 11 , wherein in a most upstream wash zone of the at least three wash zones, which is arranged the furthest away from the at least one final rinse zone, the wash liquid is sprayed without being heated further.

13. A conveyor ware washer, comprising:
a conveying device for conveying wash ware in a conveying direction through the conveyor ware washer, wherein the conveyor ware washer has a first wash zone and a second wash zone, the second wash zone downstream of the first wash zone in the conveying direction, the first wash zone including an associated first wash tank for holding wash liquid to be sprayed in the first wash zone, the second wash zone including an associated second wash tank for holding wash liquid to be sprayed in the second wash zone, wherein the second wash zone has associated therewith a first heating device that is arranged for heating the wash liquid, which is to be sprayed in the second wash zone,
wherein the conveyor ware washer has a final rinse zone located downstream of the second wash zone in the conveying direction, in which final rinse zone fresh water is sprayed onto the wash ware, wherein the final rinse zone has associated therewith a second heating device for heating the fresh water, which is to be sprayed in the at least one final rinse zone;
wherein the conveyor ware washer has a drying zone located downstream of the final rinse zone in the conveying direction,
wherein the conveyor

Assignees

• Disch Harald
• Schrempp Martin
• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Disch Harald
• Schrempp Martin

Classifications

• F25B30/06

  characterised by the source of low potential heat · CPC title

• A47L15/0005

  Rinsing phases, e.g. pre-rinsing, intermediate rinsing, final rinsing · CPC title

• A47L15/241

  the dishes moving in a horizontal plane · CPC title

• Y02B30/52

  Heat recovery pumps, i.e. heat pump based systems or units able to transfer the thermal energy from one area of the premises or part of the facilities to a different one, improving the overall efficiency · CPC title

• A47L15/4291 Primary

  Recovery arrangements, e.g. for the recovery of energy or water · CPC title