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Ese02286en 01 Tank Optimization Controlling Hygienic Tank Cleaning
Ese02286en 01 Tank Optimization Controlling Hygienic Tank Cleaning
Controlling hygienic
tank cleaning
Using hygienic sensors to monitor tank cleaning
Applying effective chemicals or cleaning agents a fixed location in the tank onto a fixed location
and optimum temperature to the surface to be on the tank surface. As the jets hit the tank sur-
cleaned weakens the bond between the soil and face, they create an area, or footprint, where the
the surface to a point where the available force impact force and shear stress are active. After
(or action) can remove the soil.2 The unknown impact, the jets change to cascades of cleaning
factor is the available force. Time, chemical fluid, which run down the sides of the tank,
concentration and temperature can be controlled. creating a free-falling film. This free-falling film
generates shear stress on the interior walls of the
What is the available force, and how is it applied tank in an uneven pattern. Here time, chemistry
to the surface? This depends upon the method and heat are the decisive factors that determine
and technology used to distribute the cleaning when the tank is clean. The wall shear stress of
media in the tank. the free-falling film is fixed in the range of 1 to 5 Pa,
which is comparable to that present in a pipe in
One of the oldest methods of tank cleaning, the
which the liquid is pumped at a speed of 1.5 m/s.3
“fill, boil and dump” approachFigure
is still used
1. by many
industries for various applications. This simple
cleaning method involves filling the tank with water
and chemicals and heating its contents to the re- Image 1. Alfa Laval Static Spray Ball
quired temperature. The mixture is kept in the tank
for a sufficient amount of time in order to allow the The static spray ball gently
chemicals and temperature to react with the soil. sprays cleaning fluid onto
The tank is then emptied or its contents “dumped.” the tank walls, enabling the
fluid to fall freely down the
This is a very expensive and time-consuming tank wall and provide une-
cleaning method, and the amount of force applied ven cleaning coverage.
is minimal.
Tank cleaning
All three technologies apply force to the tank sur- The rotary spray head has a
face in different ways and with different degrees higher impact force and higher
of efficiency. The level of efficiency for the different wall shear stress compared
technologies is determined by the impact force to the static spray ball.
This reduces cleaning time.
(mechanical force) and the shear stress, which
significantly differ among the technologies.
The pulsating force and impact created provide a Wall shear stress in footprint creating by
combination of shear stress and variable falling impinging jet
film of cleaning fluid that covers all the internal
surfaces of the tank. Compared to the static spray
ball, the rotary spray head reduces the amount of Figure 2. Wall shear stress in footprint
cleaning time required to achieve the desired clean- creating by impinging jet
ing results.
Figure 3 and 4. Comparison of static spray ball and rotary jet head tank cleaning machines
The Sinner circle for tank cleaning with a static spray ball The Sinner circle for tank cleaning with a rotary jet head
Time
Time
Time
Action (flow) Action (flow)
Action (flow)
Chemistry Chemistry
Chemistry
Temperature Temperature
Temperature
Impact
Figure 3. Figure 4.
Adding the impact force of the rotary jet head results in savings in cleaning time, cleaning fluids and energy due to reduced
pump running time and less heating time of the tank cleaning fluid.
Reduction of cleaning time by 70% and the rotary jet head clean-ing fluids hit the tank
fluids consumption by 90% surface with the right impact force in order to
ensure optimal cleaning efficiency.
Recent studiesv) indicate how the impact force
from a rotary jet head is distributed in the impact The question remains: Is this possible to ensure
area on the tank wall. The highest impact force validation of the rotation and impact?
occurs at the centre of the impact area; it then
decreases by approximately 50% at a distance Real-time tank cleaning process control
of 40 mm from the centre of the impact area. Process control depends upon reliable real-time
It is also important to note that the rotary jet head in-line measurements using electronic sensors,
effectively cleans high-viscosity products, such such as the Rotacheck sensor, to monitor and
as sticky foodstuffs, using water at ambient verify the performance of a rotary jet head and
temperature in just 15 seconds after the jets hit tank CIP. Various such devices are readily avail-
the tank wall. able today. However, it is important to consider
In many applications, using a rotary jet head can the response time of the device as well as its
reduce cleaning time by 50–70% and cut water ability to register the actual pressure at which
and cleaning fluid consumption by up to 90% the jets hit the tank surface.
compared to using the conventional fill-boil-dump Fast response time is critical in order to measure
method or static spray ball technology. It is then the impact force of the water jets accurately and
easy to understand why so many companies are reliably. A response time of less than 25 milli
considering new ways to optimise tank cleaning seconds is considered necessary to register a
performance yet maintain control over the tank jet hit against the tank wall; however, the response
CIP process. time for many sensors is too long, exceeding the
Ways to control the tank cleaning process 25 milliseconds and therefore providing inaccu-
rate measurements. Consequently, the sensors
Because uptime is key to production efficiency, do not measure the entire actual impact and
optimising tank cleaning performance is critical. therefore do not properly validate the effect of
It is therefore important to optimise the tank cleaning the jet. Furthermore, the signal remains “high”
process to ensure repeatable tank cleaning per- on the sensor even after the jet has passed and
formance in the shortest possible amount of time. is no longer hitting the sensor.
Although tank CIP systems are automated, Registering the actual pressure at which the jet
these systems still require monitoring and control. hits the tank surface is equally important. This
Temperature, flow rate and chemical concentra- pressure is the actual impact force that the jet
tion are among the critical tank cleaning process exerts upon the tank surface. If the amount of
control parameters. However, the performance of pressure applied to the tank surface decreases,
the CIP system itself also requires monitoring and then the impact force decreases as well. As
control to ensure that it operates according to the pressure decreases so too does cleaning
design parameters. Take the rotary jet head tank efficiency, which consequently causes the
cleaning system, for instance; it is important that cleaning time to increase.
350 300
300 250
250 200
200 150
150 100
Figure 5. Jet impact profile of
100
a rotary jet head when50passing a Rotacheck sensor
50 0
13.75 13.8 13.85 13.9 13.95 14.0
Output unit (Pressure) 0
Time (Seconds)
400 13.75 13.8 13.85 13.9 13.95 14.0
Impact pressure at 5(Seconds)
Time bar Impact pressure at 3 bar
350
Impact pressure at 5 bar Impact pressure at 3 bar
300
250
200 Typical pressure characteristics of a water
jet from a rotary jet head at 3 bar and at 5
150
bar are shown.
100
50
0
13.75 13.8 13.85 13.9 13.95 14.0
Time (Seconds)
Impact pressure at 5 bar Impact pressure at 3 bar
Selection of the right CIP process control Tank CIP process control optimises plant
system hygiene and efficiency
Choosing the right system to monitor and control There are several ways to achieve optimal cleaning
tank CIP processes can be challenging. It is efficiency for your tanks. To determine the right
important to define your objectives for monitoring tank cleaning method for your process, it is im-
and control and to understand the available portant to define the cleaning criteria, understand
options and advantages. the options available and consider the level of
cleaning efficiency and process control required.
Basic sensors transmit a simple logic signal to Selecting the right tank cleaning method puts you
the plant’s surface readout (SRO) system or con- in control of the tank cleaning process and ensures
trol system, which indicates all jet hits and verifies that the best cleaning results can be achieved in
the operation of the rotary jet head. In addition to terms of accuracy, reliability and repeatability.
signal transmission, some sensors also have a
clear visual light signal that is visible to operators Whilst manual tank cleaning may seem sufficient
on the plant floor. Most are easy to install any- for some processes, there are advantages to
where on the tank, even on a pressurised tank. switching to an automated system; these include
cleaning consistency, reduced labour costs and
Advanced sensors, such as the Rotacheck+ increased production time. Enhancing automated
version which carries the 3-A symbol and has tank cleaning processes also has its advantages
been EHEDG-certified, offer the same advantages in terms of less downtime, higher energy savings
as basic sensors but include built-in intelligence. and reduced water and cleaning fluid consumption.
This consists of a teach-in function where the
sensor records and stores the unique and actual
cleaning pattern for any individual tank cleaning
machine based upon its initial cleaning cycle,
Image 4. Alfa Laval Rotacheck
which has the design parameters (set point) intact.
The addition of CIP process control systems, With so much invested in hygienic food and
whether basic or advanced sensors, can further beverage production, the additional expense of
enhance cleaning efficiency. The only way to vali- hygienic sensors to validate the tank cleaning
date that an automated tank cleaning system is process seems a small price to pay to ensure the
working effectively is to monitor and verify its optimal cleaning efficiency.
performance.
References
1
Sinner, H. 1959. The Sinner Circle “TACT.” Sinner’s Cleaning Philosophy. Henkel.
2
Jensen, B.B.B. 2009. “May the Force (and Flow) Be With You: Importance of Flow in CIP.”
Food Safety Maga-zine, 14:28-31, 51.
3
Jensen, B.B.B. et al. 2011-2012. “Tank Cleaning Technology: Innovative application
to improve clean-in-place (CIP).” EHEDG Yearbook 2011-2012, pp. 26-30.
4
Ibid.
5
Therkelsen, Niels Vegger. 2012. “Methods to determine the efficiency of nozzles for cleaning process
equipment,” Master’s Thesis. BioCentrum-DTU, Technical University of Denmark.
Orsolya Sørensen
Product Portfolio Manager, Tank Instrumentation, Covers & Accessories
Jens Andersen
Product Portfolio Manager, Tank Cleaning
ESE02286EN-01 0115