# US 12,180,092 B2 · System for controlling water used for industrial food processing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,180,092 B2 - Document ID: US12180092B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/937,717 - Filed: 2022-10-03 - Published: 2023-03-30 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2014-10-06 - Assignees: Smartwash Solutions, LLC - Applicants: Smartwash Solutions, LLC - Inventors: James M. Brennan; Danny Elmer Lindstrom; Christopher Michael McGinnis; Eric Child Wilhelmsen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180092B2 ## CPC - C02F 1/008: {Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F} - A23N 12/02: for washing or blanching (A23N12/06 takes precedence; blanching methods A23B7/06) - B01D 29/52: in parallel connection - B01D 29/60: integrally combined with devices for controlling the filtration - C02F 1/004: {using large scale industrial sized filters} - C02F 1/686: {Devices for dosing liquid additives} - C02F 1/001: {Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance (C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00)} - C02F 1/66: by neutralisation; pH adjustment (for degassing C02F1/20; using ion-exchange C02F1/42; for flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/52; for removing dissolved compounds C02F1/58) - C02F 1/76: with halogens or compounds of halogens {(C02F1/4674 takes precedence)} - C02F 2103/32: from the food or foodstuff industry, e.g. brewery waste waters - C02F 2209/008: comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas - C02F 2209/06: pH - C02F 2209/29: Chlorine compounds - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - A23N: MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR TREATING HARVESTED FRUIT, VEGETABLES OR FLOWER BULBS IN BULK, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PEELING VEGETABLES OR FRUIT IN BULK; APPARATUS FOR PREPARING ANIMAL FEEDING- STUFFS (machines for cutting straw or fodder A01F29/00; disintegrating, e.g. shredding, B02C; severing, e.g. cutting, splitting, slicing B26B, B26D) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) ## Abstract A sensor control system of a food processing system includes a logic processor operatively coupled to an electrode. The logic processor is configured to receive a sensor signal from the electrode, the electrode configured to collect the sensor signal from water used within the food processing system, process the sensor signal to determine a chemical measurement of the water, and generate an electrochemical cleaning control signal for the electrode to interact with the water to electrochemically clean the electrode based upon a user input signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control system of a food processing system, comprising: a logic processor for coupling to a sensor and to a relay, the logic processor being configured to: receive a sensor signal from the sensor, the sensor being configured to generate the sensor signal based on a property of process water used in the food processing system; and generate a control signal to open the relay when the property of the process water is out of a predefined specification. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control system of claim 1, wherein the property of the process water comprises a chlorine level of the process water, wherein the logic processor is configured to generate the control signal to open the relay when the chlorine level of the process water exceeds a threshold, and wherein the relay is configured to stop product feed in the food processing system when opened. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The control system of claim 1, wherein the property of the process water comprises a pH of the process water, wherein the logic processor is configured to generate the control signal to open the relay when the pH of the process water exceeds a first threshold, and wherein the relay is configured to stop addition of chlorine to the process water when opened. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The control system of claim 3, wherein the logic processor is configured to generate the control signal to open the relay when the pH of the process water is below a second threshold and wherein the relay is configured to stop the addition of chlorine to the process water to prevent chlorine outgassing when opened. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The control system of claim 1, wherein the property of the process water comprises a pH of the process water, wherein the logic processor is configured to generate the control signal to open the relay when the pH is below a threshold, and wherein the relay is configured to stop addition of chlorine to the process water to prevent chlorine outgassing when opened. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The control system of claim 1, wherein the logic processor comprises two or more channels for monitoring sensor signals from two or more wash stages of the food processing system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The control system of claim 6, wherein the logic processor comprises two or more control channels for controlling two or more pumps, two or more valves, or at least one pump and at least one valve to control a wash solution provided to the process water of the food processing system based on at least one of the sensor signal or one or more of the monitored sensor signals. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The control system of claim 7, wherein the two or more control channels are configured as a split line control for interfacing with the two or more wash stages of the food processing system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The control system of claim 1, wherein the logic processor is configured to communicate with one or more devices external to the control system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The control system of claim 1, wherein the logic processor is a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller. ### Claim 11 A method of controlling a food processing system, comprising: receiving, with a logic processor, a sensor signal from a sensor, the sensor signal being generated based on a property of process water used in the food processing system; and generating, with the logic processor, a control signal to open a relay in the food processing system when the property of the process water is out of a predefined specification. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the property of the process water comprises a chlorine level of the process water, wherein generating the control signal comprises generating the control signal to open the relay when the chlorine level of the process water exceeds a threshold, and wherein opening the relay stops product feed in the food processing system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the property of the process water comprises a pH of the process water, wherein generating the control signal comprises generating the control signal to open the relay when the pH of the process water exceeds a first threshold, and wherein opening the relay stops addition of chlorine to the process water. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein generating the control signal further comprises generating the control signal to open the relay when the pH of the process water is below a second threshold and wherein opening the relay stops the addition of chlorine to the process water to prevent chlorine outgassing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the property of the process water comprises a pH of the process water, wherein generating the control signal comprises generating the control signal to open the relay when the pH is below a threshold, and wherein opening the relay stops addition of chlorine to the process water to prevent chlorine outgassing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein: the receiving comprises receiving the sensor signal from a first wash stage of the food processing system; and the method further comprises receiving, with the logic processor, one or more additional sensor signals from one or more additional sensors, the one or more additional sensor signals being generated based on one or more properties of the process water used in the food processing system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the one or more additional sensor signals is received from a second wash stage of the food processing system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising generating, with the logic processor, one or more additional control signals for controlling one or more pumps, one or more valves, or at least one pump and at least one valve to control a wash solution provided to the process water of the food processing system based on at least one of the sensor signal or the one or more additional sensor signals. ### Claim 19 A computer program product for controlling a food processing system, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions executable by at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to: receive a sensor signal from a sensor, the sensor being configured to generate the sensor signal based on a property of process water used in the food processing system; and generate a control signal to open a relay when the property of the process water is out of a predefined specification. ### Claim 20 A control system of a food processing system, comprising: a logic processor coupled to an electrode, the logic processor being configured to: receive a sensor signal from the electrode, the electrode being configured to generate the sensor signal based on a property of process water used in the food processing system; and generate an electrochemical cleaning control signal for the electrode to interact with the process water to electrochemically clean the electrode. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The control system of claim 20, wherein the logic processor is further configured to generate, based on the sensor signal, a control signal to control adding a wash solution to the process water used in the food processing system. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The control system of claim 20, further comprising an additional logic processor coupled to the electrode, the additional logic processor being configured to generate, based on the sensor signal, a control signal to control adding a wash solution to the process water used in the food processing system. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The control system of claim 20, further comprising a pump that is configured to pump a wash solution into the process water in the food processing system based on the sensor signal.