EP3374100A1

EP3374100A1 - Device and method which recovers heat from liquids during cleaning of a plant part that is to be cleaned of a beverage filling plant

Info

Publication number: EP3374100A1
Application number: EP16798435.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Juergen Soellner; Holger Mueller
Original assignee: Krones AG
Current assignee: Krones AG
Priority date: 2015-11-10
Filing date: 2016-11-10
Publication date: 2018-09-19
Anticipated expiration: 2036-11-10
Also published as: JP7163029B2; US11084068B2; WO2017081155A1; SI3374100T1; US20180178258A1; CN107847987A; DE102015119318A1; JP2021192911A; CN117019782A; JP2018533462A; EP3374100B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (1) for cleaning a plant part that is to be cleaned in a beverage filling plant, comprising a medium inflow (20) for supplying a cleaning medium to the plant part that is to be cleaned, and having a medium return flow (22) for removing the used cleaning medium from the plant part that is to be cleaned, there being provided a heating unit (4) for heating the cleaning medium in the medium inflow (20), there being provided a recuperator (5) for transferring heat energy from the cleaning medium removed via the medium return flow (22) to the cleaning medium to be supplied to the heating unit (4). Thus, heat is recovered from liquids that are to be discharged, making it possible to preheat other liquids required for cleaning.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD THE HEAT FROM LIQUIDS RECOVERED WHEN CLEANING A PLANT TO BE CLEANED A BEVERAGE FILLING SYSTEM

Device for cleaning a part of a beverage filling plant to be cleaned

Technical area

The present invention relates to a device for cleaning a plant part to be cleaned of a beverage filling plant, for example a filler area to be cleaned and / or a

Closer area in a beverage bottling plant.

State of the art

In beverage filling plants, it is known to purify system parts to be cleaned, for example, the filler, the capper and / or the transport devices mounted therebetween, according to rotation. For cleaning the system parts or the entire filling system are

different cleaning devices and cleaning method known, being roughly distinguished between an external cleaning and internal cleaning of the system parts.

For exterior cleaning, the exterior surfaces of the system components to be cleaned are cleaned by applying cleaning media via spray nozzles or downpipes.

This external cleaning usually also includes the rinsing of the inner walls of a

Enclosing the beverage bottling plant by means of the respective cleaning media.

When cleaning the interior, all product-contacting paths, ie in particular the

Fill product lines and other media lines within the beverage bottling plant, cleaned.

For this purpose, the system parts to be cleaned, in particular the respective Füllproduktwege, flows through the cleaning media and achieved in this way a cleaning. In the

closed systems of Beverage bottling plant, such as the valve node, the

Media advance and the other media lines, it is usually a so-called

Cleaning-in-place cleaning (CIP cleaning) carried out without the dismantling of

Plant parts can be carried out inside the production plant. The internal cleaning and the external cleaning can be carried out simultaneously or sequentially. In this case, usually a sequence of different cleaning media is used to achieve the desired cleaning effect.

By cleaning media is meant herein all media used during the cleaning process. The cleaning media are used during the cleaning process, for example in the following steps: pre-rinsing with clear water, cleaning with lye, rinsing with clear water, cleaning with acid, rinsing with hot water, sterilizing with hot steam. As cleaning media therefore at least clear water, hot water, acid, alkali and superheated steam are considered.

The provision and preparation of the respective cleaning media used is of great importance. In particular, it is essential for complete and hygienic cleaning of the system components to provide the respective cleaning media with the intended concentration of cleaning agents and at the prescribed temperature.

For the provision or preparation of the respective cleaning media different methods are known. In particular, the so-called lost cleaning and stack cleaning are facing each other. In the lost cleaning, the respective cleaning medium is placed in the part of the system to be cleaned and then either discarded and discharged directly from the expiration of the respective part of the system, or discarded and discharged after recirculation during a single cleaning phase. The cleaning media are freshly prepared and recalculated for each cleaning phase in the lost cleaning.

In the case of batch cleaning, by contrast, the respective cleaning media, for example fresh water, acid or alkali, are temporarily stored in stacking tanks between the individual cleaning cycles, used for the respective cleaning phase, then discharged from the outlet of the system component and then returned to the respective stacking tank. Before reuse or during the respective cleaning phase is the respective

Cleaning medium prepared, for example, by adding fresh water and

Cleaning concentrate and / or by filtering. There are also known combined solutions in which a part of the cleaning media is interposed, however, other cleaning media are discarded after use or after use in the cycle after completion of each cleaning cycle. When cleaning, it is important that after a successful cleaning of the

System parts with lye and / or with acid the respective treated system parts by

Rinsing with fresh water should be rinsed again completely free of chemicals, in order to prevent that in the subsequent filling operation no components of the cleaning chemicals get into the filling product. Furthermore, it may be advantageous for the plant areas to dry off quickly in order to either enable a subsequent further sterilization step, for example in aseptic plants, or at least to be able to start production again quickly. For this purpose, it is desirable that the rinse water and in particular the Nachspülwasser is applied as hot ß ß on the surfaces in order to allow rapid evaporation of the water to the system parts heated in this way. For example, a subsequent dry sterilization with vaporized hydrogen peroxide can then be started more quickly.

It is known to heat the respective cleaning medium and in particular the

Rinse water for intermediate rinsing or rinsing the respective surfaces of the system part to be cleaned to provide a heat exchanger, the required amount of heat is provided to the heat exchanger via process steam or Prozesshei ßwasser.

In order to heat cold process water by means of steam or hot water in a heat exchanger and to provide a large amount of water for a quick rinsing of the system parts to be cleaned, large amounts of hot steam or hot water are necessary in the short term. Accordingly, there is a high demand for steam in the known systems for the short period of cleaning and in particular the hot Shen rinsing before. The rapid heating also leads to a high material stress in the heat exchanger.

Furthermore, the regulation of the target temperature must be very accurate in order to avoid that cold water is introduced into the already cleaned plant areas in order to prevent a renewed microbiological burden. In order to prevent in the known systems, that the high steam demand for the process step of Nachspülens beyond the power limit of the available steam network, usually large-sized steam generators are kept. Presentation of the invention

Starting from the known prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to make the existing devices for cleaning beverage filling plants more efficient.

This object is achieved by a device having the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments emerge from the subclaims.

Accordingly, an apparatus for cleaning a plant part to be cleaned in a beverage filling plant is proposed, comprising a media supply for supplying a

Cleaning medium to the system part to be cleaned, and a media return for discharging the cleaning medium used from the plant part to be cleaned, wherein a heater for heating the cleaning medium is provided in the media flow. According to the invention, a recuperator for transferring heat energy from the cleaning medium discharged via the media return to the cleaning medium to be supplied to the heater

intended.

In that in addition to the heater for heating the cleaning medium in the

Media forward a recuperator is provided, by means of which at least a part of

Heat energy, which is still in the cleaning medium used, which has already passed through the system part and is discharged via the media return from the system part to be cleaned, is present, the cleaning medium is transferred in the media flow, the required heating energy of the heater can be reduced. This is the case in particular if, for example, for a rinsing or rinsing of the plant parts to be cleaned after the use of chemicals, a rinsing with a lost cleaning is carried out such that the water used is discarded after a single pass through the plant part to be cleaned. In this case, it is possible by means of the recuperator to transfer the heat energy already introduced into the used and finally discarded cleaning medium essentially to the freshly supplied cleaning medium. Accordingly, the required heating power of the heater can be reduced and the heater and / or their energy supply total are also smaller dimensions.

On the one hand, there is a saving in heating energy at all, since a significant part of the energy used for the heating is reused. On the other hand, it is possible to reduce the maximum energy requirement, for example, for heating the Nachspülwassers. If the heating energy is supplied via steam, this also results in the possibility of dimensioning a steam generator in the beverage bottling plant smaller. At the same time results in this way, however, a high level of hygiene safety, since it can be ensured in an efficient manner that the Nachspülwasser reaches at least the predetermined target temperature without, for example, a steam network of

Beverage bottling plant is at its limit. Furthermore, it can be achieved that newly supplied cleaning medium is preheated by means of the recuperator, so that the material load within the heater and within the recuperator is not so high, since the respective temperature differences or temperature gradients to be processed by the two-stage heating process, namely first on the recuperator and then by means of heating, are not so strong.

As a further advantage, it can be seen that by using the recuperator, the discarded cleaning medium has a significantly reduced temperature and, correspondingly, the thermal load on the sewage network is reduced. In addition, it may also refer to the use of stacking tanks for the provision of

Cleaning media are dispensed with, so that a compact overall system structure can be realized. By avoiding stacking tanks for the respective process water, hygienic risks, which can be associated with the stacking of cleaning media, can furthermore be avoided and the microbiology and hygiene of the entire cleaning and sterilization process can be correspondingly improved.

Preferably, the recuperator upstream of the heater is arranged in the media flow to achieve a preheating of the respective cleaning media. In this way, there is a gradual increase in the temperature level for the cleaning medium, in order in this way To achieve more efficient heating of Nachspülwassers and a reduced material load of the heater and the recuperator.

In an advantageous embodiment, the heater is a heat exchanger, preferably a steam or hot water operated heat exchanger. The use of process steam

or process hot water, which is provided anyway in the beverage bottling plant, allows here an efficient heating of the cleaning medium.

Preferably, the media return is connected to a wastewater connection switchable and the waste water connection is provided downstream of the recuperator in the media return. Of the

Wastewater connection may be formed for example in the form of a gully. In this way, it can be realized that the cleaning medium withdrawn from the system part to be cleaned via the media return, before being discarded, carries the self-contained material

Amount of heat wholly or at least to a significant extent to the fresh, in the

Media supply befindliches cleaning medium transfers.

In a further development, the media return via a buffer circuit, which includes a buffer tank, connected to the media flow. In this way, a cleaning medium during the cleaning of the system part to be cleaned can be recycled and buffered until it is replaced by a subsequent cleaning medium. This allows efficient cleaning to be achieved.

Preferably, a fresh water connection upstream of the recuperator upstream of the media flow. Thus, the fresh water can first flow through the recuperator before it is used to clean the system parts to be cleaned. Accordingly, fresh water can first pass through the recuperator and then the heater to enter in this way

to gradually and efficiently raise the temperature of the fresh water.

The above object is further achieved by a method having the features of claim 7. Advantageous developments emerge from the dependent claim.

Accordingly, a method for cleaning a plant part to be cleaned is a

Beverage bottling plant proposed, comprising supplying a cleaning medium to the plant part to be cleaned and the discharge of the cleaning medium used by the cleaning system part, wherein the cleaning medium is heated by means of a heater prior to the supply of the cleaning medium to the system part to be cleaned. According to the invention, heat energy is transferred from the discharged cleaning medium to the heating medium to be supplied to the heating medium before heating the cleaning medium by means of the heating.

Brief description of the figures

Preferred further embodiments and aspects of the present invention are explained in more detail by the following description of the figures. Showing:

Figure 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of an embodiment of the proposed device, and

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the steam consumption of the heater over time. Detailed description of preferred embodiments

In the following, preferred embodiments will be described with reference to the figures. In this case, identical, similar or equivalent elements are denoted by identical reference numerals and a repeated description of these elements is partially omitted in order to avoid redundancies in the description.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a device 1 for cleaning a plant part of a beverage bottling plant to be cleaned. The cleaning of the system components takes place via cleaning media, which are supplied via a fluid flow 20 to be cleaned part of the system and are returned from the system part to be cleaned via a media return 22. The cleaning media can be performed in a corresponding circuit.

For external cleaning of the system part to be cleaned, the medium flow 20 opens, for example, in external cleaning nozzles or splash nozzles, with which the over the

Media supply 20 provided cleaning medium is applied to the surfaces to be cleaned of the system part to be cleaned. However, the media supply 20 can also be introduced into a closed region of the system part to be cleaned, for example in the product lines and other media lines, to be cleaned internally To carry out plant components. In this case, the cleaning medium can be used in particular in a CIP cleaning. The feeding of cleaning media either for external cleaning or for internal cleaning of system parts in beverage filling plants is known in principle.

The cleaning media used are recycled after passing through the part to be cleaned or after completed overflow of the surfaces to be cleaned on the media return 22 again.

In the case of an external cleaning, the cleaning medium used arrives, for example, via a collection of the cleaning medium drained from the surfaces at one or more drainage points of the system part to be cleaned back into the media return 22. Here, usually in the bottom region of the system part to be cleaned, a bottom plate or a

Anlagentisch provided, which provides appropriate outflows. The bottom region can also be designed, for example, in the form of a funnel-shaped bottom which collects all outflowing media at a single discharge point and then discharges it into the media return 22.

In an internal cleaning of the system part to be cleaned can also be provided that the used cleaning medium is discharged through the bottom portion of the system part to be cleaned, for example, when the cleaning medium flows out of the filling valves after passing through the Füllproduktweges and is collected accordingly in the bottom region of the system part to be cleaned. In the internal cleaning can also be a closed circuit of

Cleaning medium are present, in which the cleaning medium used over

corresponding cleaning channels, which are also referred to as CIP channels, is recirculated and the media return 22 is supplied.

The supplied via the media flow 20 and recycled via the media return 22

Cleaning medium can be circulated in the device 1, wherein the supply from the media return line 22 to a buffer tank 26 is provided via a circulation line 24. Out of the buffer tank 26 out the cleaning medium via a supply line 28, which also includes a pump 29, again led to the media flow 20.

To be able to provide different cleaning media and to be able to regenerate recirculated cleaning medium, for example, the supply of a Acid concentrate via an acid supply 30 and the supply of a lye concentrate via a liquor feed 32 is provided. Accordingly, the concentrate received in the buffer tank 26 cleaning medium for producing or maintaining a desired concentration of alkali or acid according to the liquor feed 32 or the acid supply 30 are supplied. The desired concentration can be monitored via provided in the circulation line 24 sensors that determine the supply of acid or alkali via a corresponding control.

Fresh water can be fed into the system via a fresh water connection 34. The fresh water port 34 accordingly allows the supply of fresh water to either achieve a replacement of a first cleaning medium by a second cleaning medium, or to compensate for the loss of cleaning medium by the cleaning itself and the evaporation of cleaning medium.

The cleaning medium, which is received in the buffer tank 26 or is applied or processed in the buffer tank 26, can be removed from the device 1 via a wastewater connection 36.

The cleaning medium can also be guided past the buffer tank 26 via a bypass 27. This is particularly advantageous if clear water is used as the cleaning medium, which is used for example for pre-rinsing directly after production, or which is used for intermediate rinsing or rinsing. The water does not have to be buffered in the buffer tank 26. During pre-rinsing, in which a significant proportion of filling product is still transported with the pre-rinsing water, the cleaning medium can also be led via the bypass 27 directly to the waste water connection 36 and discarded.

Accordingly, for example, to make a pre-cleaning, a cleaning medium in the form of fresh water via the fresh water connection 34 are introduced into the media flow 20, to be cleaned part of the system to be cleaned with the fresh water, and

Cleaning medium then via the media return 22 and the bypass 27 directly into the

Wastewater connection 36 are passed. A circulation does not take place here.

For a subsequent cleaning of the system parts to be cleaned, the fresh water then supplied via the fresh water connection 34 is then either liquefied via the liquor feed 32 or acid via the acid feed 30 to provide the cleaning medium according to the respective acid or alkali concentrates. These cleaning media can then be buffered over the buffer tank 26 for cleaning and to provide a corresponding exposure time and be circulated by means of the pump 29. During this cleaning phase, the chemical composition is always checked and readjusted by the additional introduction of fresh water or by the dosing of acid or alkali concentrates.

Since the temperature is essential in the cleaning of parts to be cleaned in addition to the composition of the chemistry and the mechanical application of cleaning pulses as a third component, the cleaning medium is heated by a heater 4.

The heater 4 is provided in the media flow 20 such that the cleaning medium, which is supplied via the media flow 20 to be cleaned system parts, is brought by means of the heater 4 to the intended target temperature. The heater 4 is shown in the

Embodiment provided in the form of a heat exchanger, which via a

Steam line 40 process steam is supplied. The condensate is recycled via a condensate line 42. In the heater 4, which is provided as a corresponding steam heat exchanger, according to the media flow 20 supplied cleaning medium on the

Target temperature are brought. For this purpose, downstream of the heater 4, a temperature sensor may be provided, via which the heat output of the heat exchanger can be controlled.

Furthermore, upstream of the heater 4, a recuperator 5 is provided in the media flow 20. The recuperator 5 is firstly flowed through by the heating medium 4 to be supplied to the cleaning medium. In other words, the recuperator 5 is in the media flow 20 and is flowed through by the cleaning medium, which is to be supplied to the system part to be cleaned, before it enters the heater 4. The cleaning medium of the media flow 20 is guided in a first chamber system of the recuperator 5. The recuperator 5 is flowed through in its second chamber system by the recycled via the media return 22 cleaning medium. Accordingly, at least a significant part of the heat energy, which in the recycled via the media return 22

Cleaning medium is present, to which the medium flow 20 flowing through

Cleaning medium are transferred before the cleaning medium flows through the heater 4. By means of the recuperator 5, a preheating of the cleaning medium can be achieved accordingly before it flows into the heater 4.

Thus, the required heating power of the heater 4, which is required to reach the target temperature of the cleaning medium in the media flow 20 can be reduced. In this way, by the use of the recuperator 5, the maximum necessary energy that must be transmitted by means of the heater 4 to the cleaning medium in the media flow 20 can be reduced. Thus, then the burden can be reduced, for example, the steam network of beverage bottling plant.

Particularly advantageous is the use of a lost cleaning, in which the

Cleaning medium is discharged through the waste water connection 36, that in the discarded cleaning medium still existing heat energy is transferred to a significant part of the new cleaning medium before the then preheated new cleaning medium is heated in the heater 4 to its target temperature.

Using the example of rinsing after completion of the chemical cleaning, the effect can be understood particularly well here. In particular, for rinsing, fresh water is brought into the supply line 28 via the fresh water connection 34, pumped via the pump 29 through the recuperator 5 and then heated to the target temperature by means of the heater 4. The still in the cleaning system cleaning medium of the previous

Cleaning step is, for example, at an elevated temperature, so that the recirculated via the media return 22 cleaning medium correspondingly raises the fresh water in the recuperator 5 to a first temperature level. Accordingly, the heating power of the heater 4 can be reduced.

Furthermore, upon further inflow of fresh water via the fresh water connection 34, a significant part of the heat energy, which is contained in the rinse water recirculated via the media return 22, can be transferred to the fresh water.

Furthermore, the discarded cleaning medium, which is passed into the waste water connection 36, after passing through the recuperator 5 is no longer so hot, so that an excessive thermal load of the sewage network is avoided. It follows that, especially when rinsing the system parts to be cleaned, in which advantageously rinsed with very hot water to achieve a fast drying of the flushed system parts, the heating power of the heater 4 can be reduced overall. Thus, the required amount of steam, which is provided via the steam line 40, can be reduced.

FIG. 2 schematically shows the course of the steam extraction for a heater as a dot-dash curve, which according to the prior art worked without the use of the recuperator.

By the solid line, however, the course of the steam extraction of the heater 4 of the present structure using the recuperator 5 is shown. It follows immediately that the maximum extraction of steam from the steam network is significantly reduced, so that a peak load of the steam network can be reduced. In this way it can be achieved that a steam generator for a steam network of the plant can be reduced in its dimensions, so that accordingly the entire beverage filling plant can be made more efficient.

As far as applicable, all the individual features illustrated in the individual embodiments can be combined and / or exchanged without departing from the scope of the invention.

Reference number list

1 Device for cleaning a system part to be cleaned

20 Media advance

22 Media return

24 circulation line

26 buffer tank

27 bypass

28 feed line

29 pump

30 acid intake

32 liquor feed

34 fresh water connection

36 wastewater connection

4 heating

40 steam line

42 condensate line

5 recuperator

Claims

claims

1. Device (1) for cleaning a system part to be cleaned in one

A beverage filling plant, comprising a media feed (20) for feeding a

Cleaning medium to be cleaned part of the plant, and with a media return (22) for discharging the cleaning medium used from the to be cleaned

Plant part, wherein a heater (4) for heating the cleaning medium in the

Media feed (20) is provided, characterized in that a recuperator (5) for transferring heat energy from the via the media return (22) discharged cleaning medium to the heating (4) to be supplied

Cleaning medium is provided.

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the recuperator (5) upstream of the heater (4) in the media flow (20) is arranged.

3. Device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the heater (4) is a heat exchanger, preferably a powered by steam or hot water

Heat exchanger is.

4. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the media return (22) with a waste water connection (36) is connected switchable and the waste water connection (36) downstream of the recuperator (5) in the media return (22) is provided.

5. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the media return (22) via a buffer circuit, which comprises a buffer tank (26), with the media flow (20) is connected.

6. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the media flow (20) upstream of the recuperator (5) a

Fresh water connection (34) is connected upstream. A method of cleaning a plant part of a beverage filling plant to be cleaned, comprising supplying a cleaning medium to the plant part to be cleaned and discharging the cleaning medium used from the beverage to be cleaned

Plant part, wherein before the supply of the cleaning medium to the system part to be cleaned, the cleaning medium is heated by a heater (4), characterized in that prior to heating the cleaning medium by means of the heater (4) heat energy from the discharged cleaning medium to the heating (4 ) is transferred to be supplied cleaning medium.

A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the transmission of the heat energy by means of an upstream of the heater (4) arranged Rekuperators (5) is performed.