JP2900275B2 - Sensor system for fully automatic measurement - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sensor system for fully automatic measurement suitably used in industrial fields such as fermentation industry and chemical industry.

Conventional technology Conventionally, in the industrial fields such as the fermentation industry and the chemical industry,
PH, ORP (redox potential difference), DO (dissolved oxygen amount) and the like are widely used as important control indicators in process control, and these are continuously measured throughout the production process.

Recently, in order to improve production efficiency and quality, attempts have been made to make the production process unmanned and fully automated by a method such as computer control.
It is desired that the measurement of P, DO, etc. be fully automated.

At present, as a measurement sensor used in the industrial fields such as the fermentation industry and the chemical industry to perform such measurement, a so-called industrial measurement sensor 100A, as shown in FIG. Alternatively, a fixed type which is directly attached to a socket 4 fixed to a wall 2 of a transport pipe 1 by welding or the like with a cap nut 6 and fixed is used.

However, this fixed type has a drawback that it cannot be removed even if an abnormality occurs in the sensor 100A during the reaction or transportation. For this reason, there are many cases where a plurality of sensors are installed for one measurement object so that measurement is not disabled even in the case of an abnormality.

Despite these problems, particularly in the fermentation industry, many of them are still fixed type sensors 10
0A is adopted. This is due to unique reasons that exist in the field of fermentation.

In other words, since the fermentation step is a large-scale culture of the target microorganism, it is extremely reluctant to mix other bacteria therein. If germs are mixed in, germs are also cultivated.
This is because not only the production efficiency is reduced, but also in some cases, the lot itself may be defective.

For this reason, among the equipment used for the culture, those that come into contact with the culture solution are subjected to a sterilization operation using high-temperature and high-pressure steam prior to the culture, and sensors for measuring the culture solution are sterilized without exception. Normally, these sensors 100A are attached to the socket 4 after calibration, in this state, they are sterilized, start measurement as they are, and are not taken out of the reaction tank, that is, the fermentation tank or the like until the culture is completed.

Therefore, even if the sensor 100A becomes abnormal during fermentation, no measure can be taken.

In order to solve the problem of the fixed type sensor 100A, in recent years, a movable type measurement sensor system 100B as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 has been proposed and used. .

That is, the movable type sensor system 100B has the piston part 102 and the cylinder 104, and the front part 104a of the cylinder 104 is attached to the socket 4 with the cap nut 6. Further, the piston section 102 includes a sensor section 106 and a hollow sensor holder 108 provided so as to surround the sensor section 106.
When the sensor holder 108 slides in the cylinder 104 in the axial direction, the sensor unit 106 can be freely inserted into and removed from the tank or the pipe.

At this time, a partition wall 108a is provided at the tip of the sensor holder 108, and the sensor holder is held in the cylinder 10 even during fermentation.
By pulling it out of the tank while keeping it in close contact with the inside of the tank 4, the partition wall 108a closes the cylinder 104, as shown in FIG. 6, and prevents the contents of the fermenter from flowing out. Is done.

In the state shown in FIG. 6, only the sensor unit 106 is taken out, and the sensor unit 106 can be inspected or replaced. Further, a high-temperature and high-pressure steam is supplied from the steam supply port 110, and the sensor once touches the atmosphere. The part 106 is again sterilized and can be inserted again into the fermenter.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention As described above, in order to fully automate the fermentation process including the measurement system, washing in the tank after the fermentation must be automated.

Usually, a high-temperature and high-alkaline solution is used as a cleaning liquid for cleaning the inside of the tank for the purpose of decomposing and cleaning proteins. However, since this liquid significantly deteriorates various sensors, the sensors are often removed at the time of cleaning. The cleaning operation is performed by showering the cleaning liquid from above the tank into the tank.

Also in the movable type sensor system 100B,
At the time of cleaning in the tank, as shown in FIG. 6, the sensors are pulled up. For this purpose, a cylinder protruding outward and upward from the inner wall of the tank
Since the cleaning liquid does not reach the inner surface of 104, hand washing work by an operator is required, and after all, the sensor unit 106 and the cylinder 104 must be removed from the socket 4 for hand washing, which is not fully automated. .

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to perform inspection, replacement, cleaning, calibration, and re-sterilization of the sensor unit without removing the sensor unit and the like from the socket, thereby achieving complete automation. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sensor system for fully automatic measurement, which is made possible and suitably used in industrial fields such as fermentation industry and chemical industry.

Means for Solving the Problems The above object is achieved by a sensor system for fully automatic measurement according to the present invention. In summary, the present invention provides a supply port and a discharge port for various fluids such as a cleaning solution, a calibration standard solution, pure water, sterilizing steam, high-pressure air, and a socket attached to a reaction tank or a transport pipe. In order to define a closed space only communicating with the fluid supply port and the discharge port inside the socket, a seal member is carried on an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface,
An adapter mounted inside the socket, a sensor holder slidably fitted inside the adapter, and a tip end provided with a partition wall for forming the closed space in cooperation with the adapter, and the sensor A sensor member slidably mounted via a seal member inside the holder, wherein the sensor member is located in a reaction tank or a transport pipe at the time of measurement, and the sensor holder is placed at the time of cleaning, calibration, and sterilization. It is lifted up together with the sensor member to form the closed space by the partition wall, and shuts off the inside of the reaction tank or the transport pipe. It is a sensor system for fully automatic measurement characterized by being near the mouth.

Next, a sensor system for fully automatic measurement according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment in which the sensor system 100 for fully automatic measurement according to the present invention is used in the field of fermentation.

In the present embodiment, the sensor system 100 for fully automatic measurement according to the present invention has a piston portion 12 and a cylinder 14,
The piston section 12 includes a sensor section 16 and a hollow sensor holder 18 provided so as to surround the sensor section 16.

In this embodiment, a socket is provided on the wall 2 of the fermenter 1 which is a reaction tank.
20 is fixed by welding or the like. A supply port 32 and a discharge port 34 for a fluid such as a cleaning liquid are connected to the socket 20 as described later in detail. The fluid is supplied to the supply port 32
After being supplied into the socket 20 from the outlet, it is discharged from the outlet 34. At this time, the supply port 32 is located below the socket 20 and closer to the tank wall 2, and the discharge port 34 is
It is preferable to be provided above 20 and at a position away from the tank wall 2. An adapter 22 is inserted into the socket 20 and attached to the socket 20 with a cap nut 24. The inner diameter of the adapter 22 is sized so that the sensor holder 18 can be slidably fitted.

The adapter 22 is generally cylindrical in shape and extends substantially the entire length of the socket 20, with one end located on the inner surface of the tank wall 2 and the other end, as can also be seen with reference to FIG. , Projecting slightly outward from the socket 20 and being screwed to the socket 20 with the cap nut 24 as described above using the shoulder 26 formed on the outer periphery. In addition, adapter 22
, A screw portion 28 is formed integrally with the shoulder portion 26 so as to extend further outward than the shoulder portion 26, and the cylinder 14 is fixed to the adapter 22 with the cap nut 30 using the screw portion 28.

In the central part of the adapter 22, a plurality of elongated through holes 36,
In this embodiment, four O-ring grooves 38, 40, 42, and 44 are formed on both sides of the through hole 36 on the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the adapter 22, respectively. Is done. In each of the O-ring grooves 38, 40, 42, and 44, a seal member, an O-ring 50 in this embodiment is provided, and a cleaning liquid or the like supplied to the through hole 36 from the supply port 32 to the inside of the socket 20, socket
Leakage into or out of the fermenter through between the adapter 20 and the adapter 22 and between the adapter 22 and the sensor holder 18 is prevented.

Further, as understood from the above description, the sensor unit 16
The sensor holder 18 surrounding the
By moving the shaft 12 in the axial direction, the sensor unit 16 can slide in and out of the fermenter 1 by sliding with respect to the cylinder 14 and the adapter 22. According to the present invention, the partition wall 52 is integrally formed at the tip of the sensor holder 18, and the piston portion 12 can be moved outward as needed even during fermentation. That is, by moving the piston portion 12 outward, the partition wall 52 can be pulled up to the outside of the tank while being in close contact with the inner surface of the adapter 22 together with the sensor holder 18, as shown in FIG. The partition wall 52 is engaged with an O-ring 50 disposed on the inner surface of the distal end of the adapter 22,
Adapter 22 is closed fluid tight. As a result, the contents of the fermenter 1 are prevented from flowing out through this portion to the outside, and the washing liquid and the like supplied from the supply port 32 into the socket 20 are separated from the partition wall 52 by the adapter 22. It does not flow into the tank from between.

Next, the operation of the sensor system for automatic measurement according to the present invention configured as described above will be described.

As described above, the sensor body for measurement is mounted on the socket 20 using the cap nuts 24 and 30, and the sensor system 100 for fully automatic measurement is incorporated in the reaction tank.

Next, by pushing the piston portion 12 to the left in FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrow, the sensor portion 16 is positioned in the fermentation tank 1 and the measurement of the measurement object (content) in the fermentation tank becomes possible. Become. The contents in the fermenter flow from the plurality of windows 54 formed at the tip of the sensor holder 18 to the sensor unit 16,
Appropriate measurement is performed when the content contacts the sensor unit 16.

At this time, according to the configuration of the present invention, O-rings 50 provided on the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the adapter 22 and O-rings provided on the inner peripheral surface of the sensor holder 18 are provided inside and outside the fermenter 1. The seal is completely sealed by 50, and the contents in the fermenter 1 do not leak out. That is, the state of FIG. 1 is the state of “measurement”.

According to the invention, the piston part 12 can be pulled up in the direction of the arrow to the right in FIG. As a result, the partition 52 at the tip of the sensor holder 18 is engaged with the O-ring 50 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the adapter 22, and the contents in the fermenter 1 are brought into contact with the partition 52 and the inner peripheral surface of the adapter 22 at the distal end. To prevent it from flowing out of the fermenter. In this state, the through hole 36 of the adapter 22 and the window 54 of the sensor holder 18 coincide with each other, and a closed space S communicating only with the fluid supply port 32 and the discharge port 34 is defined. Further, the sensor unit 16 is located in the space S. This state is a “washing” state, and the inside of the fermenter 1 is
Cleaning is performed by showering the cleaning solution from above.

In this cleaning state, according to the present invention, the partition walls 52
Since it is arranged inside the fermenter, that is, at a position very close to the wall surface 2, the partition walls 52 are formed by showering in the fermenter.
The end face on the side facing the fermenter 1 and its vicinity can be sufficiently washed. On the other hand, the sensor section 16 is cleaned by a cleaning liquid flowing from the fluid supply port 32 in a system different from that in the tank. In order to efficiently clean the inner surface of the partition wall 52 with the cleaning liquid from the fluid supply port 32, the fluid supply port 32 is preferably formed at a position adjacent to the end face of the partition wall.

Also, in order to calibrate the sensor section 16, the fluid supply port 32
Thus, a calibration standard solution can be introduced instead of the cleaning solution. That is, a state of “calibration” is formed.

Further, by supplying high-temperature and high-pressure steam from the fluid supply port 32, a state is established in which the sensor unit 16 and each member in the vicinity thereof are "sterilized".

When performing the cleaning, calibration, and sterilization processes, different fluids are used.When moving to another process, high-pressure air is blown into the socket 20 from the fluid discharge port 34 to supply the fluid. After flowing out from the port 32, the liquid used in the previous step remaining in the space S is removed, and then pure water is supplied from the fluid supply port 32 to wash the inside of the space.
The high pressure air is again supplied from the outlet 34 to remove the pure water remaining in the space S, and the fluid to be used in the next step is supplied.
These steps can prevent fluid cross-contamination and at the same time ensure that no contaminants are present in the contents of the fermenter when the sensor is pulled up during fermentation and reinserted. There is an advantage that there is no.

According to the present invention, it is possible to pull out only the sensor unit 16 in the state shown in FIG. 2 and perform inspection and replacement.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to automate all the fermentation steps including the steps of “washing”, “calibration”, “sterilization”, and “measurement” of the sensor unit 16. Further, by providing the adapter 22 between the socket 20 and the sensor holder 18, the inside and outside of the fermenter 1 can be completely sealed, and the sensor part washing space S can be largely defined. Very convenient.

Effect of the Invention The sensor system for fully automatic measurement according to the present invention configured as described above performs inspection, replacement work, cleaning work, calibration work, and further re-sterilization work of the sensor part, and performs the sensor part and the like from the socket. Can be done without removal,
This has the advantage that complete automation can be achieved in industrial fields such as the fermentation industry and the chemical industry.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of a sensor system for fully automatic measurement according to the present invention, showing a measurement state. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 1, showing a cleaning state of the sensor unit. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the adapter. FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of a conventional fixed type sensor. FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view of a conventional movable type sensor. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5, showing a cleaning state of the sensor unit. 12: Piston part 14: Cylinder 16: Sensor part 18: Sensor holder 20: Socket 22: Adapter

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A socket provided with a supply port and a discharge port for various fluids such as a cleaning solution, a calibration standard solution, pure water, sterilizing steam, and high-pressure air, and a socket attached to a reaction tank or a transport pipe; An adapter mounted inside the socket, carrying a seal member on an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface to define a closed space communicating only with the fluid supply port and the discharge port inside the socket; A sensor holder having a partition for forming the closed space at the distal end in cooperation with the adapter, and slidably attached to the inside of the sensor holder via a seal member. Provided with a sensor member, and at the time of measurement, the sensor member is located in a reaction tank or a transport pipe, and is washed, calibrated,
At the time of sterilization, the sensor holder is pulled up together with the sensor member to form the closed space by the partition wall and shut off the inside of the reaction tank or the transport pipe. At this time, one end of the partition wall is located near the reaction tank or the transport pipe. The other end is near the fluid supply port, a sensor system for fully automatic measurement.