Ozone laundering system and method

Abstract

An open-loop ozone washing system for safely washing with high levels of ozone is shown and described. In one embodiment, the system includes at least one washer having a drain in fluid communication with a sewer. The system also includes an ozone source, which is preferably an ozone generator. The system also includes an off-gas control system operably connected to at least one washer. Using such a configuration, the washer can safely wash with a liquid wash bath having about 2 ppm to about 20 ppm ozone. The present invention also includes kits and methods for converting traditional washing machines to open-loop ozone washing machines.

1 . An open-loop ozone laundry system comprising:
 at least one washer having a drain;   an ozone source; and   an off-gas control system operably connected to said at least one washer, wherein said washer is configured to safely wash with a liquid wash bath having about 2 ppm to about 15 ppm ozone.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , including a gas-trap located downstream of said drain. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein said gas-trap is connected at its upstream end to said drain and is disconnected from and positioned above a drain pan. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein said gas-trap is a j-trap. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said off-gas control system includes a vent. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said off-gas control system includes an exhaust fan. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said off-gas control system includes an ozone destruct. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein said ozone destruct includes a catalyst. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said ozone source includes an ozone generator. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said ozone source is an indirect ozone source. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said indirect ozone source includes a venturi for dissolving ozone. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said ozone source is configured to dissolve ozone into water as water is being added to said at least one washer. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 1 , further including an ozone sensor. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein said ozone sensor is operably positioned in between said ozone generator and a wash tub of said washer. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said ozone source includes a first reservoir having a first ozone concentration optimized for one type of laundry and as a second reservoir having a second ozone concentration optimized for a second type of laundry. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 1 , further including an ozone-kill injection system. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said ozone-kill injection system is configured to inject an ozone reducing agent into said at least one wash bath prior to opening said door of said washer. 
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said ozone-kill injection system further includes a supply of reducing agent. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein said supply of reducing agent includes a supply of hydrogen peroxide. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 1 , further including a liquid wash bath located in said at least one washer, said wash bath having greater than about 2 ppm ozone. 
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said liquid wash bath has an ozone concentration of about 2 ppm to about 15 ppm. 
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein said liquid wash bath has an ozone concentration of about 5 ppm. 
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said liquid wash bath consists essentially of water, ozone, and laundry prior to the addition of a reducing agent. 
   
   
       24 . An open-loop ozone laundry system comprising:
 at least one washer in fluid communication with a water intake, and having a door configured to be sealed during operation to reduce ozone escape;   an indirect ozone source configured to dissolve ozone into water traveling through said water intake;   an off-gas control system including an ozone destruct having a catalyst operably attached to said at least one washer;   an ozone-kill injection system configured to inject a reducing agent into said washer as desired; and   a liquid wash bath located in said at least one washer, said wash bath having about 2 ppm to about 15 ppm ozone, and consisting essentially of water, ozone and laundry prior to the addition of a reducing agent by said ozone-kill injection system.   
   
   
       25 . A method of converting traditional washing machines in fluid communication with a drain line to open loop ozone laundry machines, said method comprising the steps of:
 sealing said traditional machine;   connecting an ozone source for adding ozonated water to said machine;   connecting an off-gas control system to said washing machine; and   regulating said addition of ozone to said machine.   
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said sealing includes connecting a gas-trap to said drain line. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said sealing includes sealing said vent. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein said sealing said vent includes plumbing said vent to said drain line up stream of said gas-trap. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said sealing includes sealing an overflow line. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said sealing an overflow drain includes plumbing said overflow drain into said drain line upstream of said gas-trap. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said sealing includes sealing a chemical feed box. 
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said sealing includes sealing a vacuum breaker body. 
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said sealing includes installing a check valve downstream of said vacuum breaker body. 
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein connecting includes connecting an ozone source to a water intake of said machine. 
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein said ozone source is in communication with a venturi configured to dissolve ozone into water as it is being feed into said machine. 
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said connecting includes connecting at least one solenoid valve in between said water source and said machine. 
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said connecting includes connecting a first solenoid valve for regulating a high flow ozone source, and connecting a second solenoid valve for regulating a low flow ozone source. 
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein said high flow ozone source includes, depending on machine capacity and soil content, a liquid flow rate of about 5 to about 90 gal/min, and includes an ozone level of about 2 to about 20 ppm, and wherein said low flow ozone source rate includes a liquid flow rate of about 2 to about 20 gal/min and a includes an ozone level of about 2 to about 20 ppm. 
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein said high flow rate is used to add said ozonated water until a desired water level is reached, and wherein said low flow rate is used to add ozonated water to said machine to increase ozone concentration within the wash bath. 
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said connecting an off-gas control system includes teeing said off-gas control system to said drain line upstream of said gas-trap. 
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said off-gas control system includes an ozone destruct. 
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said ozone destruct includes a catalyst. 
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said off-gas control system includes an exhaust fan for pulling off-gas to said off-gas control system. 
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said regulating includes external logic. 
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said regulating includes interfacing existing controls of said machine with said ozone system. 
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 25 , further including modifying a chemical feed box to inject an ozone reducing agent at the desired time during the wash cycle. 
   
   
       47 . A method of converting traditional washing machines to open loop ozone laundry machines, said method comprising the steps of:
 sealing said traditional machine, wherein said sealing includes
 connecting a gas-trap to said drain line, 
 plumbing a vent to said drain line upstream of said gas-trap, 
 plumbing an overflow line to said drain line upstream of said gas-trap, and 
 installing a check valve down stream of a vacuum breaker body; 
   connecting an ozone source for adding ozonated water to said machine, wherein said connecting includes
 connecting an ozone generator having a venturi to a fluid intake of said machine, wherein said generator is configured to dissolve ozone into water as it is being added into said machine; 
 connecting at least one solenoid valve in between said ozone generator; 
   connecting an off-gas control system to said washing machine, wherein said connecting includes
 teeing an ozone destruct including a catalyst and an exhaust to said drain line up stream of said gas-trap and downstream of said vent plumbed to said drain line; and 
   modifying a chemical feed box to inject an ozone reducing agent at the desired time during the wash cycle.   
   
   
       48 . A conversion kit for converting traditional washing machines to open-loop ozone laundry machines, said kit comprising:
 an off-gas control system configured to connect to a traditional washing machine;   an ozone generator configured to connect to a traditional washing machine; and   instructions for modifying a chemical injection portion of said washing machine to an ozone-kill injection system configured to inject a reducing agent at the end of the wash cycle.