Thursday, September 25, 2008
2008 R&D 100 Winner
Water electrolysis generates two streams of water: alkaline and acidic—but most commercial cleaning applications use just one of the two. The Tennant Co., Minneapolis, Minn., has come up with a floor scrubbing method that uses both streams of water to electrically activate water, making it act like a detergent. Called ech2o – Electrically Activated Water, the technology is now used in a line of walk-behind automatic floor scrubbers.
A bubble generator infuses tap water with oxygen, producing millions of micro bubbles which carry the dirt particles away from the cleaning surface. Oxygenated water then migrates through membranes toward an electrolytic cell. Reduction at the cathode and oxidation at the anode forms ions hydrated in solution. These acidic and alkaline output streams are blended, benefiting from the sanitizing effect of acid and the surfactant properties of alkaline. As a result, no detergent is needed and annual water use is cut by two-thirds from similar scrubbing systems.
Technology
Floor scrubbing method
Developer
Tennant Co.
