NEWS
carefulness essential when people are
working at the pasteuriser and that may
only be transported and connected by
trained employees wearing appropriate
protective equipment.

Alternatively – although this is
not a good idea –chlorine dioxide is
used to combat the biofilm. As is well
known, chlorine dioxide evaporates at
temperatures of around 32°C and quickly
corrodes all metals nearby, including the
st. st. housing of the tunnel pasteuriser.

This can lead to significantly increased
cleaning needs and a greatly reduced
service life of the system.

Anolyte – The Gentle Alternative
In the summer of 2023, the master
brewers at a major brewery asked
Innowatech’s customer service for
help. The brewery had been using
Innowatech Anolyte® for various
disinfection applications for almost ten
years. Considering the good experiences
made with regard to the disinfection
effect and the easy handling without
any hazardous substances, the
process water treatment in the tunnel
pasteuriser was to be expanded.

However, the biofilm formation
in the approximately three-year-old
pasteuriser (throughput: ca. 50,000
bottles per hour) had increased
significantly in recent months, so that
cleaning was required more and more
frequently. Increasing the amount of
biocide used did not yield the aspired
result but caused new problems with
biological wastewater treatment instead.

Fortunately, the existing Innowatech
Aquadron® system still had capacities
in terms of Anolyte production and
therefore the disinfection of the
pasteuriser’s process water could be
switched to Anolyte at short notice. Due
to the Anolyte’s low active ingredient
concentration at around 500 ppm active
chlorine, all it took was a slightly larger
dosing pump. The control for the active
ingredient dosing was taken from the
existing system.

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The result of using Anolyte: The
high effectiveness against germs
and biofilm already showed after
just one week: the biofilm formation
was significantly reduced. Thanks to
consistent disinfection with Innowatech
Anolyte®, after four weeks almost no
deposits were detectable. For further
optimisation, the two previously used
inhibitors had to be replaced by an
Anolyte-compatible hardness stabiliser.

Uninterrupted Data Collection
Because the process steps in the
pasteuriser’s five heat-up and five
cooling tanks (see diagram) are so
different, the dosing of the active
ingredient concentration needs to
be coordinated in detail. Dosing is
monitored fully automatically by the
Innowatech Multi-Measurement Centre
(MMC). Next to free chlorine and redox,
temperature, conductivity and pH are
measured, evaluated and documented
there. To determine the ideal amount
of biocide, the data are continuously
evaluated, passed on to the control
system and ultimately to the dosing
pumps for dosing. The temperature and
conductivity of the water can also be
used to identify the risk of corrosion in
the tanks. This information is also used
to prevent corrosion in the pasteuriser.

The MMC is also useful when
it comes to treating cooling water
in evaporative coolers. Ongoing
documentation and the uninterrupted
treatment of the cooling water with
Anolyte in
extremely low
concentration (usually
in line the
drinking water
regulations) obviate need
for microbial
counting each two
weeks. Conclusion: Advanced Gentle Water
Treatment and Disinfection
By using anolytes that contain about 80
percent HO-CL, bacteria, viruses and
fungi can reliably be eliminated, which
prevents the formation of biofilm. The
development of resistance is excluded.

The high level of purity and effective
disinfection can even be increased by
using the Innowatech HyCleanConcept
spray systems in bottling plants to
extend the shelf life of beverages.

No hazardous substances handling:
Innowatech Anolyte® is produced just-in-
time from water and a minimal amount
of common salt. It is thermally stable
and of a very low concentration (< 0.2%
active chlorine). Neither the starting
material nor the biocide are hazardous
substances or hazardous to water. The
formation of disinfection by-products
such as THM and chlorate is greatly
reduced or eliminated entirely (chlorite).

Gentle water disinfection by using
Anolyte also has a positive effect on
wastewater treatment and disposal; it
generally does not cause an increase in
AOX, COD, etc.

Last but not least, the cost for
operating the tunnel pasteuriser can be
significantly reduced if there is no need
to constantly buy expensive biocides
and inhibitors. In the specific case
described, this amounts to about EUR
6,000 per year. Cleaning costs and fresh
water consumption are also reduced.

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