Automated cleaning system for a beverage dispenser

A method of establishing a baseline strength of a chemical mixture flowing through a cleanable circuit of a beverage dispenser, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a flow controlling device in said cleanable circuit that maintains a total flow rate of incoming water at a constant value Qtot;
• b) providing a pump connected to said cleanable circuit for pumping a chemical into said incoming water of said cleanable circuit, thereby creating said chemical mixture;
• c) calculating a required chemical flow rate Qchem value to achieve a desired value of dilution ratio (DR) of the chemical mixture by utilizing said desired value of DR and said constant value of Qtot in an equation;
• d) determining from said required chemical flow rate Qchem value a required pump excitation voltage (V) by at least one step selected from the group consisting of:
• i. an equation-based pump voltage determination step, and
• ii. a calibration-based pump voltage determination step;
• and
• e) performing an electrical conductivity (EC) baselining step on said cleanable circuit of said chemical mixture while said pump is activated at said required pump excitation voltage (V), and while said total flow rate is at said constant value Qtot,
• whereby an ECbaseline value, which is associated with said desired value of DR, is obtained, for use as said baseline strength of said chemical mixture for comparing subsequent EC measurements on at least one member of a cleanable circuit's flow-sharing cleanable circuit group.

A method of establishing a baseline strength of a chemical mixture flowing through a cleanable circuit of a beverage dispenser, the method implemented by a computing device comprising a processor and a memory comprising computer readable instructions for causing the processor to execute the steps of:

• a) allowing incoming water to flow through said cleanable circuit while measuring a total flow rate Qtot, to thereby obtain a measured value of said total flow rate of said incoming water;
• b) providing a pump connected to said cleanable circuit for pumping a chemical into said incoming water of said cleanable circuit, thereby creating said chemical mixture;
• c) calculating a required chemical flow rate Qchem value to achieve a desired value of dilution ratio (DR) of the chemical mixture by utilizing said desired value of DR and said measured value of said total flow rate Qtot in an equation;
• d) determining from said required chemical flow rate Qchem value a required pump excitation voltage (V) by at least one step selected from the group consisting of:
• i. an equation-based pump voltage determination step, and
• ii. a calibration-based pump voltage determination step;
• and
• e) performing an electrical conductivity (EC) baselining step on said cleanable circuit of said chemical mixture while said pump is activated at said required pump excitation voltage (V), and while said measured value is at said total flow rate Qtot,
• whereby an ECbaseline value, which is associated with said desired value of DR, is obtained, for use as said baseline strength of said chemical mixture for comparing subsequent EC measurements on at least one member of a cleanable circuit's flow-sharing cleanable circuit group.

A method of establishing a baseline strength of a chemical mixture flowing through a cleanable circuit of a beverage dispenser, the method implemented by a computing device comprising a processor and a memory comprising computer readable instructions for causing the processor to execute the steps of:

• a) providing a flow controlling device in said cleanable circuit that maintains a total flow rate of incoming water at a constant value Qtot;
• b) providing a pump connected to said cleanable circuit for pumping a chemical into said incoming water of said cleanable circuit, thereby creating said chemical mixture;
• c) calculating a required chemical flow rate Qchem value to achieve a desired value of dilution ratio (DR) of the chemical mixture by utilizing said desired value of DR and said constant value of Qtot in an equation;
• d) determining from said required chemical flow rate Qchem value a required pump excitation voltage (V) by at least one step selected from the group consisting of:
• i. an equation-based pump voltage determination step, and
• ii. a calibration-based pump voltage determination step;
• and
• e) performing an electrical conductivity (EC) baselining step on said cleanable circuit of said chemical mixture while said pump is activated at said required pump excitation voltage (V), and while said total flow rate is at said constant value Qtot,
• whereby an ECbaseline value, which is associated with said desired value of DR, is obtained, for use as said baseline strength of said chemical mixture for comparing subsequent EC measurements on at least one member of a cleanable circuit's flow-sharing cleanable circuit group.