CZ2004982A3 - Circuit arrangement of steam sterilizer for sterilizing solutions - Google Patents

Abstract

A steam sterilizer comprising a steam generator (1) and a sterilization chamber (33) which is connected via a steam supply line (43) to a steam generator (1), has a feed water T-connection (16) connected to the supply line formed by the first two-way valve ( 10), a feed line (9) connected to the steam generator (1), at least one cooling circuit is connected to the feed water T-connection (16), in which at least one two-way valve and pump (11) are arranged for pumping water, this is common to both the cooling circuit and the power supply line.

Description

(57)

The steam sterilizer comprising the steam generator (1) and the sterilization chamber (33), which is connected through the steam supply pipe (43) to the steam generator (1), has a feedwater T-connection (16) connected to the feed branch formed by the first two-way valve (10). ), a supply line (9) connected to the steam generator (1), wherein at least one cooling circuit is connected to the feed water T-connection (16), in which at least one two-way valve and a pump (11) for pumping water are arranged; this is common to both the cooling circuit and the power branch.

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CONNECTION OF STEAM STERILIZER FOR SOLUTION STERILIZATION ··· · · »·· ····

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Technical field

The invention relates to a steam sterilizer for the sterilization of solutions comprising a steam generator and a sterilization chamber which operates in autonomous operation, i.e. does not need to be connected to working fluids and waste.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known that steam sterilizers are devices in which the inserted material is sterilized into a so-called sterilization chamber by the action of saturated water vapor under positive pressure. The patented patent is disclosed in U.S. Pat. The steam sterilizer must provide, in addition to the time period at a certain temperature of saturated water vapor, generally called sterilization exposure, a preparation procedure before the sterilization exposure itself and a termination procedure after the sterilization exposure. The task in the preparatory procedure is to remove the air from the inserted material and enter the sterilization temperature. The task in the termination procedure is to bring the pressure in the sterilization chamber to atmospheric pressure, depending on the material loaded and the degree of drying of the material required, how the atmospheric pressure equalization will take place.

Steam sterilizers designed for solutions in bottles, containers, etc. use several forms of termination procedure whose main task is to lower the solution temperature to a safe temperature at which the solution container can be removed from the sterilization chamber. Various methods of lowering the temperature of solutions are known. Cheap steam sterilizers utilize spontaneous cooling of the sterilization chamber with inserted containers with solutions, expensive steam sterilizers use eg spraying of closed bottles with cold water solutions while supplying compressed air to the surroundings of closed bottles. The difference between the two examples, apart from the cost of the steam sterilizer, is the length of time for which the solution temperature drops from the sterilization exposure temperature to the temperature at which the solution in the bottle can be removed from the sterilization chamber. In fact, different ways of cooling the solutions are continually sought depending on the acceptable costs, the existing cooling circuits are constantly being improved.

One known way of reducing the pressure and therefore the temperature of saturated steam produced by condensation of saturated steam for cooling the condensing device, e.g. in φ φ φφφ φφφφφ ·· ·· ·· · _♦ Α. tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru tvaru By means of this cooling device, a vacuum against atmospheric pressure in the sterilization chamber and corresponding temperatures of saturated water vapor present in the sterilization chamber can be achieved. The saturated water vapor environment is able to transfer temperature very well and evenly from one place of the sterilization chamber to another. This cooling principle can also be used for compact non-porous material. On the same principle, but with the aid of another device, the temperature reduction of the inserted material disclosed in the patent application GB 2 333 958 A works.

Sterilizers, which provide so-called autonomous operation, are increasingly required. that the steam sterilizer is able to operate without the connection of working and operating fluids (mostly cooling water and treated water for generating steam) and of course also to be able to operate without connection to the waste pipe.

It is known that steam sterilizers are devices in which a considerable amount of heat is generated during sterilization. The heat is stored in the water vapor, which is generated by heating either directly in the sterilization chamber or separately in the steam generator. After sterilization the steam is no longer needed, therefore it is allowed to condense and the resulting condensate is further cooled to a temperature below 100 ° C. At the same time, the requirement of autonomy of operation requires the solution of heat removal outside the small steam sterilizer. Otherwise, the charge in the waste container will be overheated and the condensation of the steam used will be prevented with a negative impact on the environment.

Various cooling circuits are designed to meet the above requirements, which usually require special pressurized sources, such as a connection to a cold pressurized water source for non-autonomous steam sterilizers, a coolant pump etc. Especially a special circulating cooling pump may increase the cost of steam sterilizers for solutions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aforementioned drawbacks are overcome by a steam sterilizer comprising a steam generator and a sterilization chamber which is connected via a steam supply line to the steam generator, which has the feed water T-connection connected to a power branch formed by a first two-way valve connected to the feed line. at least one cooling circuit in which at least one two-way valve and a pump for pumping water is arranged, which is common to both the cooling circuit and the supply branch.

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This pressure source may be a common pump, which functions as a feed water supply to the pressure chamber of a separate steam generator and coolant for the cooling circuit.

It is advantageous that this pressure-separated steam generator is pressurized and the overpressure is maintained not only during the sterilization cycle, but also when the steam sterilizer is switched on when the sterilization cycle is not performed. If necessary, the generator is ready to quickly make available a large amount of pressurized saturated water vapor after the sterilization cycle has started. After completion of the sterilization cycle, the pressure inside the steam generator is again maintained at the desired value. Such a steam generator needs a pump to function, which is capable of supplying feed water to the steam generator even under overpressure in the generator.

In a steam sterilizer intended for the sterilization of solutions in autonomous operation, it is further advantageous to use the feed water for the steam generator as a cooling medium in the refrigeration circuit, which may be differently branched or may be more than one circuit. When using water for both the steam generator and the cooling circuit, it is very advantageous to use one pump to pressurize the water. The supply of cooling water or feed water is excluded for autonomous operation, as mentioned earlier.

All active elements of the arrangement are controlled by an automatic control system which has the flexibility to program the function. Thus, the function can be tuned to the optimum condition, even for batches and ambient temperatures that are exceptional, since the flexibility of the automatic control system allows the amount of heat leaving the small steam sterilizer to be varied into the environment.

It is also advantageous that, in the case of solid material, the rate of temperature reduction in the sterilization chamber can be much more accelerated compared to solutions, whereby not only cooling but even drying of the surface of the solid material occurs due to the heat contained therein. Especially for steam sterilizers with a usable volume of sterilization chamber up to one sterilization unit, which do not need an external cooling water supply and distilled or treated water supply by demineralization or reverse osmosis, and the connection to the waste pipeline is a common use of the pump for described purposes .

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Overview of the drawings

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a schematic connection of a steam sterilizer, FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 illustrate the ways in which feed water flows through a common pump, and FIG. a common pump with the same steam sterilizer function.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The connection of the steam sterilizer intended for the sterilization of solutions will be elucidated on the basis of a description of the elements of the construction of the steam sterilizer according to the invention, which is illustrated by way of example of the invention by means of illustrative examples of use.

The steam sterilizer for solution sterilization, the schematic connection of which is shown in FIG. 1, comprises a steam generator 1 equipped with a float switch 2 for level control and a heater 3 for generating steam. Other components of the generator and the steam are the thermal protection fuse 4 and the pressure relief valve 5 of the generated steam. In the jacket of the steam generator 1 there is further disposed a steam outlet neck 8 arranged in its upper part.

A supply line 9 is connected to the steam generator 1, the other end of which is connected via a first two-way valve 10 to the feed water T-connection 16, to which the pressure line 20 of the pump T1 for pumping water, e.g. distilled or treated. In addition, a suction line 21 is connected to the pump 20 connected to the storage container 13. The storage container 13 is provided with a first level switch 14 and a second level switch 15 for indicating min. and max. water level. To pump feed water into the reservoir 13, a feed pump 17 is connected to the supply line 19, one end of the supply line 19 being connected via the quick connect fill valve 18 to a reservoir filled with distilled or treated water (not shown in the drawing). In order to ensure complete emptying of the reservoir 13, it is connected to a discharge conduit 22 which is provided with a quick-release discharge valve 23.

The supply path is provided through the supply line, which is shown by the thick line in Fig. 2. This line consists of a storage tank 13, a pump H for pumping. V • e e vody ♦ vody vody vody vody vody vody,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, a feed water connection 16, a first two-way valve 10 which is connected to a feed line 9, which is connected to the steam generator 1.

The steam sterilizer for sterilizing the solutions further comprises a resealable sterilization chamber 33 for storing the material to be sterilized. It is provided with a door 34, wherein the sterilization chamber 33 is equipped with a safety valve 35 against exceeding the allowable overpressure. Further, the sterilization chamber 33 is equipped with a dual temperature sensor 40 for sensing the temperature inside the sterilization chamber 33. The sterilization chamber 33 is connected by a steam generator 1, a steam line 43 and a second two-way valve 44 to a steam outlet 8 of the steam generator. steam. The sterilization chamber 33 is also provided with a pressure transducer 45 for sensing the pressure in the interior of the chamber. A cooling coil 36 is disposed in the sterilization chamber 33.

The aeration of the sterilization chamber 33 is provided via an aeration branch which consists of an inlet aeration line 47, a third two-way valve 48 and an antibacterial filter 50.

In the lower part of the sterilization chamber 33 there is a discharge port 51, to which a waste line 52 is connected, in which a fourth two-way valve 32 is connected, and a cooled part of the heat exchanger 25 is connected at the other end. of the exchanger 25 results in a waste container 54 which is not in any way connected to the storage container 13. Max. the waste water level is sensed by the third level switch 12. To empty the waste container 54, it is connected to a discharge line 55 provided with a quick-release discharge valve 56. In order to empty the waste container 54, a discharge hose 24 can be connected to the quick release emptying valve 56.

At the feed water T-connection 16, another cooling circuit T-connection 27 is connected, at the other ends of which the inlet condensation line 28 of the cooling coil 36 with the fifth two-way valve 29 and the inlet cooling line 30 with the sixth two-way valve 31 are connected. the heat exchanger section 25 is represented by the condensate outlet conduit 37 with the seventh two-way valve 38 and the heat exchanger section 25 is represented by the outlet conduit 39, both of which exit conduits meet in a merge T-joint 41 A single temperature sensor 53 is disposed in the heating portion of the heat exchanger 25.

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The merge T-joint 41 is connected to an air-cooled cooler 46, the outlet of which is represented by a common outlet pipe 42 leading into the reservoir 13. Air circulation through the cooler 46 is provided by a fan 49.

The operation of the steam sterilizer is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. It is understood that the steam heater 3 heats the water in the steam generator 1 if the prescribed overpressure set on the pressure regulator 7 is not reached. The lack of water is noted by the float switch 2, which provides the pump for pumping water by means of the pump 11 for pumping distilled or treated water through the first two-way valve 10.

After inserting the material, i.e., the bottles, containers, containers, etc., to be sterilized into the sterilization chamber 33 and closing the door 34, the air inside the sterilization chamber 33 must be removed. This is done by the so-called gravity method. By opening the fourth two-way valve 32, the passageway from the sterilization chamber 33 through the cooled portion of the heat exchanger 25 and from there through the outlet duct 26 to the waste container 54 is cleared. The air removal phase is completed when the temperature in the sterilization chamber 33 reaches the boiling point of water at atmospheric pressure.

After the air removal phase, the sterilization parameters are started with the second two-way valve 44 open, and the condensate formed is discharged from the sterilization chamber 33 through the fourth two-way valve 32, which in this phase alternately briefly opens and closes. Thus, the condensate enters the heated part of the heat exchanger 25 as described above, where it is cooled to a temperature of less than 100 ° C and is continuously discharged therefrom by the new condensate formed through the outlet conduit 26 into the waste container 54 where it is collected.

Upon reaching the prescribed saturated water vapor temperature under positive pressure in the sterilization chamber 33, the measurement of sterilization exposure time begins, the second two-way valve 44 being opened and closed so as to maintain the desired saturated water vapor pressure and thereby the desired temperature in the sterilizing chamber 33; the fourth two-way valve 32 opens and closes so that the condensate formed in the sterilization chamber 33 is discharged evenly through the cooled portion of the heat exchanger 25 into the waste container 54.

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After completion of the sterilization exposure, the second two-way valve 44 is closed. The fourth two-way valve 32 alternately opens and closes, thereby reducing the overpressure in the sterilization chamber 33 in a controlled manner at a given rate, the condensate and steam being fed in a known manner via the cooled portion of the heat exchanger 25 to the waste vessel 54 so that the steam is condensed. the condensate is further cooled to a temperature below 100 ° C. This phase of alternating opening and closing of the fourth two-way valve ends when a certain overpressure is reached in the sterilization chamber 33.

It is clear that the cooled part of the heat exchanger 25 is intensively heated by the flowing condensate or even steam from the sterilization chamber 33 and, in addition, the heated part of the heat exchanger 25 is heated by heat transfer. 60 ° C, at the temperature sensor 53, a pump 11 is started to pump distilled or treated water and a six-way valve 31 opens, resulting in cold water flowing through the inlet cooling conduit 30 to the heated portion of the heat exchanger 25 in which heat is transferred from the cooled part to the heated part. The heated distilled or treated water further flows through the outlet cooling line 39 via the merging link 41 to the cooler 46, where it is cooled by the flowing air, and further flows through the common outlet line 42 into the reservoir 13, thereby closing the first cooling circuit. The clear cooling line of the first cooling circuit is shown in FIG. 3. It should be noted that the heat from the distilled or treated water is discharged through the cooler 46 to the vicinity of the steam sterilizer. Upon reaching a given temperature at a temperature sensor 53, e.g. 50 ° C, the sixth two-way valve 31 is closed, the pump 11 is switched off. It should also be noted that, thanks to the just described first cooling circuit, which uses distilled or treated water also serving as feed water for the steam generator 1, distilled or treated water is cooled, if necessary, by a functioning first cooling circuit, e.g. 60 ° C to 50 ° C.

Since the sterilized solutions in the sterilization chamber 33 need to be further cooled to a temperature at which they can be safely removed, the fourth two-way valve 32 and the seventh two-way valve 38 alternately open and close and start and stop the pump t distilled or treated water flows back through line 28 to cooling coil 36 located in sterilization chamber 33 and further flows through outlet condensation line 37 to merge t-joint 41 and from there via a known route through cooler 46 to storage tank. * E e e e e · e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e of the container 13, thereby closing the second cooling circuit, indicated by the thick line in FIG. 4. Note that a defined amount of cold distilled or treated water supplied to the cooling coil 36 It condenses the condensation of saturated water vapor on the heat exchange surface of the cooling coil 36, thereby reducing the temperature and pressure of the saturated water vapor and hence the temperature of the material embedded in the sterilization chamber 33. After reaching the solution temperature of 80 ° C. less than the boiling temperature of the water at atmospheric pressure, the negative pressure relative to the environment, the sterilization chamber can be aerated through an antibacterial filter 50, an open third two-way valve 48 and an inlet air line 47.

As we have shown in this connection, a single pump 11 for pumping distilled or treated water supplies water to the steam generator 1 and two cooling circuits that are independent of each other, the cooling circuits can operate both simultaneously or independently of each other. If it is necessary to replenish the steam generator 1 with feed water and at the same time the water flow is required by one of the cooling circuits, the steam generator 1 is preferably supplied to ensure a trouble-free sterilization exposure.

The interoperability of all the two-way valves and the pump H is ensured by an automatic control system characterized by flexibility in programming the parameters of the entire sterilization cycle, so that in terms of the temperature drop rate in the sterilization chamber 33 and hence the solutions.

Another preferred option is the wiring of FIG. 5, wherein the first two-way valve 10 is replaced by a self-check valve 57, wherein the wiring function remains the same.

Industrial applicability

The subject of the patent can be used in steam sterilizers, which are intended for sterilization not only of solutions in bottles, containers, containers, etc., but also for solid massive materials such as metal, porcelain, glass objects.

Claims (4)

PATENT CLAIMS A steam sterilizer comprising a steam generator (1) and a sterilization chamber (33), which is connected via a steam supply line (43) to a steam generator (1), characterized in that the supply water T-connection (16) is connected to a power branch formed by a first two-way valve (10), a supply line (9) connected to the steam generator (1), wherein at least one cooling circuit is connected to the feed-water t-connection (16) containing at least one two-way valve and pump (11) for pumping water, which is common to both the refrigerant circuit and the power branch. Steam sterilizer according to claim 1, characterized in that the cooling circuit comprises a cooling circuit T-connection (27), one end of which is connected to the feed water T-connection (16) and the other end via a sixth two-way valve (31) to the inlet cooling circuit. a pipe (30) which is connected to the heated part of the heat exchanger (25) with a temperature sensor (53), whose outlet cooling pipe (39) is connected to a combining T-joint (41) which is connected to a cooler (46) which is connected via an outlet conduit (42) to a reservoir (13), the reservoir (13) communicating via a suction line (21) to a water pump (11) and further to a pressure line (20) which is connected to t - a supply water connection (16) which is connected both to the cooling circuit t-connection (27) and to the first two-way valve (10). Steam sterilizer according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the cooling circuit comprises a cooling circuit T-connection (27), one end of which is connected to a sixth two-way valve (31), while the other end is connected to the inlet condensate line (31). 28) with an inlet fifth two-way valve (29) which is connected via a condensation line (28) to a cooling coil (36) which is arranged inside the sterilization chamber (33) and is further connected to an outlet condensation line (37) with an inlet two-way a valve (38) which is connected to a merge T-joint (41), which is connected via a cooler (46) to a common outlet pipe (42) orifice (42) a storage vessel (13) to which a suction line (21) is further connected, which is connected to a water transfer pump (11) to which a pressure line (20) connected to a feed water T-connection (16) is connected, who is at connected to the T-joint (27) of the cooling circuits. Steam sterilizer according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that a non-return valve (57) is used instead of the first two-way valve (10).