Science Equipment Development (Fabrication of Wash Bottles)
Chapter One
Objectives of study
To determine the design and fabrication of bottle washers in bottling companies
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Inย smallย scaleย industriesย theย bottleย areย washedย inย the hands so the manpower, money and time areย waste to overcome the issues the bottle cleaningย machineย wasย createdย andย reduceย theย sizeย of theย machine for small industries as compared to largeย scaleย industries.
Paperย [1]ย Temperatureย isย theย mostย criticalย parameterย toย ensureย theย properย cleaningย ofย beverage containers in bottle washer machine. Theย requirementย andย importanceย ofย temperatureย control ofย differentย treatmentย zonesย ofย bottleย washerย machine for small scale beverage industry has beenย discussed. The sample water heating tank has beenย consideredย asย theย treatmentย zoneย ofย theย bottleย washerย machine.ย Theย temperatureย controlย ofย theย sample water heating tank with VIPA 315-SB PLCย usingย PIDย controlย hasย beenย discussedย andย implemented. Two tuning methods for PID control,ย namelyย Zieglerย Nicholsย tuningย andย auto-tuningย have been discussed and implemented. The novelย approach for implementation of MPC using OPCย server and MATLAB as an OPC client has beenย discussedย andย implementedย forย sampleย waterย heatingย tankย system.
Paperย [2]ย thisย paperย proposesย theย designย andย automationย ofย theย economicalย bottleย washerย machineย forย theย smallย scaleย beverageย industryย withoutย compromisingย itsย controlย capabilities.ย Theย importanceย andย requirementย of theย bottleย washerย machineย inย theย beverageย industryย hasย beenย discussed.ย Theย designย ofย theย proposedย bottleย washerย machineย forย RGBsย (Returnableย Glassย Bottles)ย hasย beenย createdย inย theย Creoย software.ย Theย differentย treatmentย zonesย andย workingย ofย theย bottleย washerย machineย hasย beenย discussed.ย Theย bottleย washerย machineย hasย beenย automatizedย usingย theย Siemensย S7-317-2-PN/DPย PLCย (Programmableย Logicย Controller)ย andย programmedย usingย aย ladderย diagramย inย theย SIMATICย Manager.ย Theย levelย controlย forย differentย treatmentย zonesย isย achievedย byย means of limit switches and temperature control forย differentย treatmentย zonesย isย achievedย byย usingย Pt1000 RTD, SSR (Solid State Relay) and heater.ย Paper [3]ย theย enhancedย mechatronicsย systemย designย isย basedย onย concurrentย Engineering.ย Thisย processย isย allย aboutย buildingย aย machineย inย virtualย environmentย beforeย constructingย inย actualย hardware.ย Hereย weย canย detectย faultย atย earlierย stageย byย creatingย animationย andย emulatingย itย inย virtualย environment.ย Ifย weย followย theย conventionalย processย thereย isย high chance to get faulty result and also have to spendย more time and money to finish the project whereasย by using concurrent engineering it is more useful toย developย theย projectย inย moreย efficientย andย costย effectiveย way this paper NaOH and such chemicalsย areย usedย toย cleanย theย returnableย glassย bottlesย toย reuse in beverage packing of glass bottles to reuseย inย theย industries.Theย machineย subjectedย toย twoย different speeds, 40,000 bottles per hour (BPH) andย 46,000 BPH.ย In thisย machineย weย processing theย bottleย at highย speed.
ย BOTTLEย WASHฤฐNGย ฤฐNย THEย BEVERAGEย ฤฐNDUSTRY
In the beverage industry, washing of RGBs for reuse is a necessary process to produce physically cleanย and spotless bottles that are also biologically clean to hold the highest consumer confidence and satisfyย public health standards. The bottles undergo distinct stages of cleaning and sterilization in the bottleย washer: pre-cleaning (pre-rinse, pre-wash) caustic wash, and final rinse. Caustic soda (NaOH) is used as aย cleansing agent because it is cheaper, less prone to thermal shock, and is more durable as a germicide thanย any other alkalis used for washing [3]. Temperature is the most critical parameter to ensure effectiveย cleaning of returnable glass bottles in the washer [7]. According to [4], at a solution temperature of 80 ยฐC,ย NaOH attacks glass and softens its surface, enables organic matter to dissolve, grease and oil to emulsify,ย and dirt removed in suspension. The bottle washing process consumes vast quantities of water. Modernย bottle washers use 150 โ 200 ml per bottle and makeup approximately 50 โ 60 % of a plantโs daily waterย usage [9].
The pre-cleaning phase is the initial stage of the washing process, where the RGBs turned upside-down soย that remnant impurities and residual liquid clinging to the bottom of the bottles fall out. Rough impuritiesย such as dust, sand, cigarette butts, crown corks, rainwater, mineral stains, microbes are deposited in aย collection pan and removed via a sieve-belt conveyor located at the spot the bottles are being turnedย upside-down [3]. Preheating of bottles also takes place in this zone, where a set of private jetting pipe jetsย bothย insideย andย outsideย ofย theย bottlesย byย recycledย waterย (containingย residualย heat)ย fromย theย finalย rinseย zone [6]. Preheating ensures a gradual rise in temperature of the bottles, preventing thermal shock as theย bottlesย enterย theย hotย causticย soakingย bathsย forย chemicalย andย thermalย cleaningย ofย microbiologicalย contaminantsย [13].
After pre-cleaning (pre-rinse and pre-wash), the bottles enter the actual washing zone. The washing phaseย consists of a certain number of caustic solution (soaking) baths depending on the required treatment time.ย As the bottlesย getย submergedย andย pass through theย soaking baths, chemicalย destruction ofย dirtย occursย underย caustic action atย high temperatures (70 toย 80 ยฐC).
Chapter Three
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Researchย methodology
The PET bottle washing and sterilizing machine is designed to process a set of two (2) 75cl used PETย bottles in 10 seconds. The machine consists of the following major components: The shaft, pulleys, belt,ย bearings, and electric motor, wash brushes, pre-wash/washing and rinsing chambers, sterilizing channel,ย erection reservoirs and the main frame. The wash brushes are designed to fit into a stainless shaft which isย connected to an electric motor via a Vโbelt and pulley system. During the washing operation, the pre-ย washed PET bottles are fed into the rotational wash brushes. The electric motor transmits power throughย the V-belt to the shaft. As the shaft rotates, it actuates the wash brushes, which starts washing the fedย bottles. The wash brush shafts bear the bigger pulley so as to reduce the speed of the electric motor to aย desiredย washing speed.ย Theย operationalย processย ofย theย machineย is shown inย aย flowย diagramย ofย Figureย 2.
CHAPTER FOUR
TEST,ย RESULTS
ย Preliminaryย test
A preliminary test was carried out at the conceptual stage of this work. It was to find aย suitableย soakingย temperatureย forย PETย bottles. Theย test resultsย areย shown in Table 1.
Soaking temperature
Aย pre-washย soakingย temperatureย testย wasย carriedย outย toย determineย theย appropriateย temperature by which PET bottles can be washed without deforming them. Table 2ย showsย results ofย theย testย carried outย and stateย ofย theย bottles atย various temperatures.
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Discussion
In view of the need to reduce the waste generation of used PET bottles, a machine was designed andย fabricated for the purpose of washing and sterilizing reusable PET bottles for reuse. During the course ofย fabrication a brick wall was encountered involving the rotational wash brushes. The desired design for theย wash brushes could not be sourced and so it had to be improvised, using locally available materials. Afterย fabrication and assembling the machine was prepared for testing, the soak and rinse chambers wereย properly washed and the surrounding environment was cleared of all unsafe objects.ย The prototypeย machine was tested and was found to wash event site collected bottles of a set of two (2) in 10 seconds,ย Dump site collected bottles of a set of two (2) in 35 seconds and drainage system collected bottles of a setย ofย twoย (2) inย 55ย seconds.
The fabricated prototype soaking chamber was designed for a batch of twenty four (24) bottles. Theย chambersย were made of stainless steel and the rotating wash brushes were made of plastic bristlesย wrapped around a stainless steel rod of 5 mm thick. The machine runs on a single phase 0.5 hp electricย motor at a speed of 1440 rpm, the speed was further stepped down by pulleys to a wash speed of 470 rpm.ย Theย efficiencyย ofย theย machineย isย 81.91 %ย andย itย washingย capacityย isย 120ย bottlesย per hour.
Conclusion
Post-consumed PET bottles are non-biodegradable waste; they constitute a nuisance in our environment,ย and they are found littered in all nooks and crannies within our cities in Nigeria. A PET bottle washingย and sterilizing machine was therefore designed and fabricated using locally available materials. It wasย done to recycle used PET bottles at source and reduce it litter in the country. Test results of the prototypeย machine, showed that used PET bottles can be recycled by simply washing and sterilizing them. Theย fabricatedย prototypeย washesย aย setย ofย twoย (2)ย 75clย usedย PETย bottlesย inย 10ย seconds,ย withย anย efficiencyย of
81.91ย %.ย Itย washingย capacityย isย 120ย bottlesย perย hour.ย Thisย newย developmentย reducesย theย virginย reproductionย ofย PETย bottles.ย Thus,ย alleviatingย theย menaceย posedย byย itsย litterย inย theย country.ย Furthermore,ย it will provide formal and informal economic activity in the collection, sorting, washing, sterilizing andย theย re-use ofย PETย bottlesย inย Nigeria.
The machine subjected to two different speeds, 40,000 bottles per hour (BPH) and 46,000ย BPH. Temperature, NaOH, and additives concentration of the three soaking baths 1, 2, and 3 were withinย requiredย controlย ranges.ย Atย bothย speeds,ย causticย solutionย bathsย 1,ย 2,ย andย 3ย hadย averageย temperaturesย ofย 60 ยฐC, 80 ยฐC and 60 ยฐC, respectively, while average NaOH concentration at 1.99%, 1.81%, and 1.66 %ย respectively for the three baths. Mix LEG and Mix KTA were used as NaOH additives to aid in soil andย label removal. Mix LEG applicable only to NaOH solution bath one while Mix KTA for baths 2 and 3. Atย bothย speeds,ย averageย Mixย LEGย concentrationย wasย 0.29%ย inย bathย oneย whileย Mixย KTAย 55.02%ย andย 54.56 % in baths 2 and 3, respectively. At the average operating speed of 46,000 BPH for returnable glassย bottles, 450,095 bottles processed in 24 hours. The empty bottle inspector rejected 8.44 % of the totalย processed bottles. At the reduced speed of 40,000 BPH, a total of 430,812 bottles processed within 24ย hours operation with the EBI rejecting 4.18 % of the total processed bottles. The findings show that at theย sameย temperature,ย NaOHย andย additiveย concentrations,ย cleaningย isย moreย effectiveย whenย bottlesย subjectedย toย longerย soakingย times.
Reference
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