According to Revolutionary Scientist, German researchers have created a model of a new dishwasher system that employs superheated steam and can destroy bacteria in just 25 seconds.
Many people might find it unusual that scientists at a cutting-edge facility in Germany are attempting to understand the operation of a brand-new kind of dishwasher. Some scientists are particularly interested in finding solutions to everyday issues, even if they are frequently interested in discoveries, such as the discovery of subatomic particles, new celestial bodies in space, or cures for fatal diseases.
a bacteria that can withstand heat, such as Geobacillus stearothermophilus. G. stearothermophilus can withstand the cleaning process of a standard dishwasher before attacking food stored on cleansed dishes and ultimately ruining it. For the hotel sector, which depends on dishwashers to thoroughly clean the dishes, this may not seem like a big problem. However, it is a serious pain point.
switching to heated steam
Today’s dishwashers clean dishes using hot water and soap. This does the dishwashing, but the troublesome G.stearothermophilus escapes. To see how the heat-resistant bacteria would fare, researchers Natalie Germann and Laila Abu-Farah increased the heat and used superheated steam.
When you raise the temperature of the steam to a point where all water droplets evaporate, superheated steam is created. The steam is then totally gaseous, and dry, as opposed to moist. In this form, steam is substantially more heat-efficient than regular steam.
To test their theory, the researchers built a basic apparatus and employed simulations. It was made composed of a nozzle that could discharge superheated steam into a box containing a single plate of bacteria that could withstand heat.
What took place next?
This box’s interior reached 356 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius), with a pressure of 145 pounds per square inch (10 bar). The simulation started, and within two seconds, up to 50% less heat-resistant bacteria were present. After 25 seconds, they vanished permanently.
According to the researchers, a dishwasher that uses superheated steam might wash more dishes at once if it had more nozzles. Even though it would take more time to get rid of the heat-resistant bacteria, it would still be less time than it does in a traditional dishwasher. They want to proceed in this manner next.
However, not everyone considers the idea to be workable. In food processing facilities and healthcare facilities, superheated steam is already employed as a sterilizing agent. The infrastructure required to complete this project is somewhat onerous and may not be suitable for residences, let alone restaurants.
There is also another problem. Heat-resistant bacteria can undoubtedly be killed by really hot steam. However, it is unable to remove food debris from plates and bowls. Another alternative cleaning technique might be required for that, scientists told New Scientist.
Journal Physics of Fluids has published the study’s findings.