EP3877317A1

EP3877317A1 - Method and filling system for filling containers

Info

Publication number: EP3877317A1
Application number: EP19797236.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ludwig Clüsserath; Jonathan Lorenz; Jochen Ohrem
Original assignee: KHS GmbH
Current assignee: KHS GmbH
Priority date: 2018-11-05
Filing date: 2019-10-29
Publication date: 2021-09-15
Anticipated expiration: 2039-10-29
Also published as: EP3877317B1; WO2020094460A1; DE102018127513B4; US11618662B2; US20210387840A1; CN112996744A; DE102018127513A1; CN112996744B

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for filling containers (2) with a fluid filling material, and to a filling system (1). The significant aspect of the invention is providing a method for filling containers with a fluid filling material using a filling system, wherein a discharge opening of a fluid valve (9) of a filling element (1.1) is arranged above a fill level of a fluid compartment (50.2) of a filling material container (50) of a mixer by a height (H1), wherein the container positioned in a sealing position with the filling element of the filling system is at least periodically pressurised in a pressurising phase with a pressurising gas at a positive pressure (P Kessel) of a gas compartment of the filling material container of the mixer to a pressurising pressure (P Spann), and in a subsequent filling phase with an open fluid valve, same is filled with the filling material from the fluid compartment of the filling material container via a product line of the filling system that is completely filled with the fluid filling material, wherein, at least during the filling phase, the return gas displaced out of the container by the in-flowing filling material is discharged into a ring channel via a return gas path of the filling element, and wherein, during the pressurising phase, at least before the subsequent filling phase starts, a pressurising pressure is generated in the container which is at a pressure level below the positive pressure in the gas compartment of the filling material container of the mixer.

Description

Process and filling system for filling containers

The invention relates to a method for filling containers with liquid contents and to a filling system.

Methods for filling containers of liquid filling material as well as filling systems or filling machines therefor, in particular also for pressure filling, are known in various designs from the prior art.

The present invention relates to a method and a filling system for pressure filling containers such as bottles or cans or similar containers. The mouth of the container is connected pressure-tight to the filling valve at least during the filling phase, so that the interior of the container can have a different pressure than the ambient pressure.

The filling itself can, for example, in the free jet process, in which the liquid filling material flows into the container to be filled from the liquid valve in a free filling jet or filling material jet, without the flow of the filling material through guide elements such as e.g. Discharge screens, swirl bodies, short or long filling pipes are influenced or changed.

As an alternative, the filling can also take place via the inner wall of the container to be filled, the filling material flowing to the container being directed below the liquid valve by deflecting screens or swirl bodies to the inner wall of the container, as a result of which particularly low-foaming filling of the container is achieved.

In a further variant, the filling can also take place under-layer by means of a long filling tube protruding into the bottle.

The phrase “pressure-tightly connected to the filling valve” in the sense of the present invention means that the container to be filled is pressed in the manner known to the person skilled in the art with its container mouth close to the filling element or to a seal there, surrounding the at least one dispensing opening lies. Filling systems of this type, in particular also those in the form of filling machines with a multitude of filling elements on a rotor that can be driven around a vertical machine axis, are known in various designs. In these known filling systems, the filling material for the filling elements is provided in a filling material kettle which is also provided on the rotor and is partially filled with the filling material. The filling speed at the individual filling elements, ie the flow rate at which the filling material flows to the respective container during filling, is basically determined by the geodetic fleas between the filling level in the filling vessel and the level of the discharge opening of a liquid valve of the filling element .

Particularly in the case of filling systems for pressure or counterpressure filling of containers arranged in the sealing position on the filling elements, a throttle arranged in a return gas path is often used to adjust and / or regulate the filling speed, with which the actual filling speed can then be reduced compared to the filling speed , which can be achieved due to the existing geodesic fleas. With these filling systems for pressurized or counterpressure filling, too, the filling material is fed to the filling points from the filling tank partially filled with the filling material, in which the pressure and in particular the level of the filling material level must be regulated within very narrow limits and with very high accuracy , so that the desired filling speed is also achieved. Even minor deviations in the geodesic fleas lead to large undesirable changes in the filling speed.

Most of the beverages filled as liquid filling material in containers by means of these filling systems are mixed beverages, in which a fluff component, which makes up by far the larger part of the volume of each product bottled, is another liquid additional component, for example in the form of a flavor-giving, highly concentrated aroma substance is added. In practice, this mixture is generated within a mixing system, which is also referred to as a "mixer" and precedes the filling machine or the filling system in the process sequence, in which the product mixed from the two components is then filled into the containers. Examples of such mixed beverages include water with liquid flavoring or flavoring additive, water with liquid flavoring or flavoring additive and sugar, water with liquid flavoring or flavoring additive and basic syrup, etc. Mixing beverages produced in this way are examples Fruit juices or cola drinks, also with added carbonic acid.

Today, when filling carbonated soft drinks (CSD), the filling machine and mixer are connected to each other as independent process units of a filling system using appropriate process and electrical interfaces and are linked in terms of signals.

As a rule, the finished beverage is fed from the storage container of the mixer via a booster pump to the partially filled filling container of the filling system, which is designed as a ring bowl or a central filling container of the filling system. The gas pressure controls of the filler system and mixer work completely independently of each other.

According to the prior art, the liquid filling material is first fed into a filling machine as a partially filled ring vessel or tubular ring vessel or else as a partially filled central container, which serves both as an intermediate store and as a filling material distributor. The liquid filling material is in turn fed to the individual filling elements from these intermediate stores. The contents are then filled into the containers to be filled through the discharge openings of the liquid valves.

A disadvantage of these known procedures is, inter alia, that the mixer or mixing system in which the components forming the mixed drink (water and / or sugar and / or basic syrup and / or flavoring and / or carbonic acid) are mixed, and one by the filling machine represents a spatially and structurally separate unit, and that connecting lines between the mixer and the filling machine are therefore necessary, which represent a considerable cost factor. In addition to this piping, the filling container of the filling machine, which is designed as an intermediate store, also represents a considerable cost factor. Proceeding from this, the present invention is based on the object of providing a method and a filling system for filling containers with liquid contents, which avoids the aforementioned disadvantages and in particular on a filling container of the filling machine with a gas space designed as a buffer waived above the product level.

The method according to the invention is intended to enable the container to be filled with liquid contents even if the level of the contents of a liquid space of a contents container of a mixer is arranged lower than the closing level of an assigned filling valve. Such an arrangement leads to a so-called negative geodesic fleas.

This object is achieved with the features of claim 1. The subclaims relate to particularly preferred embodiment variants of the invention.

The essential aspect of the present invention is to provide a method for filling containers with a liquid filling material using a filling system, in which a delivery opening of a liquid valve of a filling element is arranged around a flea above a level of a filling material of a liquid space of a filling material container of a mixer, in which the container, which is in the sealing position with the filling element of the filling system, is at least temporarily pretensioned to a pretensioning pressure with a tensioning gas which is under an overpressure, the tensioning gas being removed from the gas space of the filling material container of the mixer, and in a time following Filling phase when the liquid valve of the filling element is open is filled with the filling material from the liquid space of the filling material container via a product line of the filling system which is completely filled with the liquid filling material at least during the filling phase, the return gas displaced from the incoming filling material from the container is discharged via a return gas path of the filling element into a collecting duct, and in which a preload pressure is generated in the container during the preloading phase, at least before the beginning of the subsequent filling phase a pressure level below the excess pressure of the gas space of the filling container of the mixer. According to the invention, the buffer store of the filling machine can be dispensed with and the complex piping is also eliminated. Furthermore, the mixing plant and the filling machine can thus be designed as a process engineering unit, in which the units which were previously independent of one another according to the prior art no longer work completely independently of one another. So far, duplicate functions (electrical and process engineering) can be avoided, which means that the manufacturing costs of such systems can be significantly reduced as a result. Furthermore, the space requirement in a production plant is reduced, which represents another significant advantage.

According to a preferred embodiment variant, it can be provided that at least part of the tensioning gas is discharged at least temporarily during the prestressing phase into a collecting channel which is at atmospheric pressure.

According to a further preferred embodiment variant, it can be provided that, at least during the prestressing phase, the tensioning gas is controlled and / or regulated to be discharged via its flow path into the collecting duct which is under atmospheric pressure such that an adjustable pressure difference between the overpressure of the gas space of the mixer and the preload pressure is generated in the container.

According to yet another preferred embodiment variant, it can be provided that the prestressing pressure in the container is controlled and / or regulated at least during the prestressing phase by means of a second control loop in such a way that it applies

P span— P boiler— P delta H1— P filling speed— P flow loss due to filling speed, where P span is the prestressing pressure in the container, PKessi is the pressure of the gas in the gas space of the filling material container of the mixer, P Delta HI is the pressure required to overcome the height H1, PFeed rate is the required negative pressure to accelerate the stationary filling material to the filling speed, and flow losses by filling speed are the required negative pressure in order to compensate for the pressure losses occurring through the flow of the medium. According to yet another preferred embodiment variant, it can be provided that the return gas is discharged via the flow path into the annular channel which is under atmospheric pressure during the entire duration of the filling phase, and the filling pressure by means of the pressure difference between the excess pressure and the preload pressure generated during the filling phase by means of the second control circuit regulated and / or controlled.

A control differential is generated in the respective container by means of control loops during the filling phase, which pressure difference is sufficient to allow the filling material to flow into the container. The filling speed determined by the pressure difference can be set and / or regulated (for example) by two process variants.

According to a first variant, the gas connection in the clamping gas channel is closed after the liquid valve has been opened. Immediately afterwards, a throttled connection is opened in the unpressurized return gas duct. The amount of gas flowing off and thus the filling speed can be determined or adjusted via the size of the throttle opening. If two filling speeds are required, two control valves with different throttle sizes are also required. In a further variant, the gas valve SV2 can also be designed as a control valve. The filling speed is regulated according to a profile specified for the beverage and the container. In this case, the discharge can also take place after the end of the filling phase via the same throttled gas path as during the filling phase.

The further exemplary variant provides for the installation of a control valve in the line from the product distribution channel via the flow meter to the filling valve. The control valve forms, together with the flow meter, a further, third control circuit for regulating the filling speed of the respective filling element. After prestressing, there is a pressure difference in the respective container which is sufficient to ensure a flow in the direction of the respective container. The actual flow rate, in particular the filling rate, is formed by the third control circuit, in particular via its control valve and / or flow meter, after the liquid valve has opened. This latter variant has the advantage that the return gas can flow back into the span gas channel and is therefore available for reuse at the next filling.

According to an advantageous embodiment variant, it can be provided in more detail that the filling speed is regulated during the filling phase by means of the second control circuit in such a way that after opening the liquid valve, the gas connection in the annular channel designed as a clamping gas channel is closed by means of the first control valve and immediately afterwards a throttled connection in the unpressurized return gas duct is opened by means of the second control valve.

Alternatively or additionally, it can be provided that the filling speed is regulated during the filling phase by means of a third control circuit which has a control valve, the flow meter and a third regulating and control device. Here, the third control loop can regulate and / or control the filling speed during the filling phase after opening the liquid valve via the control valve and / or the flow meter.

According to yet another preferred embodiment variant, it can be provided that the prestressing pressure in the container is controlled and / or regulated by means of the second control loop during the prestressing phase and the filling phase.

According to yet another preferred embodiment variant, it can be provided that during the filling phase, a constant gas flow is generated from the gas space of the filling material container in the direction of the container to be filled with liquid filling material, and thus the pretensioning pressure, in the annular space under atmospheric pressure Container is also regulated during the filling phase to a pressure level below the excess pressure of the gas space of the filling container of the mixer.

According to yet another preferred embodiment variant, it can be provided that by means of the second control circuit the filling pressure, under which the containers are filled with liquid filling material during the filling phase, is followed up by the pressure difference generated during the preload phase on the preload pressure. According to yet another preferred embodiment variant, it can be provided that the gas space of the mixer is pressurized with a tension gas which is under excess pressure by means of a first control circuit designed as a pressure control circuit.

According to yet another preferred embodiment variant, it can be provided that the gas space of the mixer is regulated to an overpressure which is higher than the CO 2 saturation pressure of the liquid filling material located in the liquid space.

According to yet another preferred embodiment variant, it can be provided that the liquid filling material is fed to the liquid space of the filling material container in such a way that the fleas of the filling material level of liquid filling material in the liquid space are kept constant or approximately constant.

For the purposes of the invention, the expression “essentially” or “approximately” means deviations from the respectively exact value by +/- 10%, preferably by +/- 5% and / or deviations in the form of insignificant for the function Changes.

Further developments, advantages and possible uses of the invention also result from the following description of exemplary embodiments and from the figures. All of the features described and / or depicted, in themselves or in any combination, are fundamentally the subject of the invention, regardless of how they are summarized in the claims or their relationship. The content of the claims is also made part of the description.

Although some aspects have been described in connection with a device, it goes without saying that these aspects also represent a description of the corresponding method, so that a block or a component of a device can also be used as a corresponding method step or as a feature of one Process step is to be understood. Analogously, aspects that have been described in connection with or as a method step also represent a description of a corresponding block or details or feature of a corresponding device. Some or all of the method steps can be carried out by a hardware Apparatus (or using a hardware apparatus) such as B. a microprocessor, a programmable computer or an electronic circuit. In some embodiments, some or more of the most important process steps can be performed by such an apparatus.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the figures using exemplary embodiments. Show it:

1 shows a schematic functional representation of an exemplary embodiment variant of a filling system according to the invention for filling containers with liquid contents,

2 shows, as an enlarged detail, the filling element shown in the functional illustration of FIG. 1.

3 shows a schematic functional representation of an exemplary further embodiment variant of a filling system according to the invention for filling containers with liquid contents,

Identical reference numerals are used in the figures for identical or identically acting elements of the invention. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, only reference signs are shown in the individual figures which are necessary for the description of the respective figure. The invention is also shown in the figures only as a schematic view to explain the mode of operation. In particular, the representations in the figures only serve to explain the basic principle of the invention. For reasons of clarity, we do not show all components of the device.

The filling system, generally designated 1 in the figures, comprises, inter alia, a rotating machine of the circumferential type for filling a liquid filling material into bottles 2 or similar containers and at least one filling material container 50 of a mixer which is otherwise not shown in detail. The filling system 1 can be designed in particular for free steel filling and / or filling via the container wall and / or for the long tube filling. The filling system 1 is preferably used for pressure filling containers 2, which are arranged at least during the actual filling phase in a sealing position on a filling element 1 .1.

The filling system 1 includes u. a. Filling elements 1 .1, of which a filling element 1 .1 is only shown by way of example in FIG. 1 and which are provided at uniform angular intervals on the circumference of a rotor 4 of the filling machine which can be driven around a vertical machine axis MA. On the rotor 4, which is only partially shown, there is a product line 5, common to all filling elements 1 .1 and completely filled with the liquid filling material, which is designed, for example, as a ring line and is completely filled with the liquid filling material during the filling operation, that is to say in particular has no gas cushion above a liquid level. In addition to the product line 5, there are also channels 30 and 40 on the rotor 4 for all filling elements 1 .1 of the filling machine, which channels are preferably in the form of ring channels.

The ring channels 30 and 40 can perform different functions depending on the filling method. For example, the ring channel 30 can be used to guide the inert gas under excess pressure, in particular as a clamping gas channel.

Alternatively or in addition, the ring channel 40 can be designed as a return gas or relief channel for relieving the containers 2 against the atmospheric pressure, and thus have atmospheric pressure.

In a housing 6 of the filling element 1 .1. a. a liquid channel 7 is formed which is connected via a line 8 to the product line 5 completely filled with liquid filling material. A flow meter 8.1 can be assigned to the line 8, by means of which the volume flow of liquid filling material, ie the quantity of filling material per unit of time, supplied to the liquid channel 7 via the line 8 can be detected. Flow meter 8.1 is advantageously designed as a magnetic-inductive flow meter, or MID for short.

Furthermore, a liquid valve 9 is provided in the liquid channel 7, specifically for the controlled delivery of the liquid filling material to the container 2. On the underside of the filling element 1 .1 there is a delivery opening which preferably concentrically surrounds the vertical filling element axis.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, a seal 12 is provided at the dispensing opening, which surrounds the dispensing opening in a ring and against which the respective container 2 is pressed with its container mouth 2.1 during filling, in particular also during pressure filling, ie. H. lies in the sealing position.

A neck ring holder 11 is also provided in the exemplary embodiment shown.

The liquid valve 9 essentially consists of a valve body 9. 1 arranged in the liquid channel 7, which cooperates with a valve seat formed on the inner surface of the liquid channel 7. Valve body 9.1 and valve seat form the closing plane of the filling element 1 .1.

In the embodiment shown, the valve body 9.1 is provided or formed on a valve or gas pipe 13 which is arranged coaxially with the filling element axis FA and is open at both ends, and which also serves as a valve tappet for actuating the liquid valve 9 and for this purpose interacts with an actuating device 14 with which the gas pipe 13 and thus the valve body 9.1 for opening and closing the liquid valve 9 can be moved axially in the filling element axis FA by a predetermined amount.

With the lower, open end, the gas pipe 13 protrudes through the discharge opening through the underside of the housing 6 and thus extends into the interior of the container 2 with this end during the filling. With its upper, likewise open end, the gas pipe 13 extends into a closed gas space 15.

Furthermore, a flow path 20 is formed in the filling element 1 .1, which is connected to the container interior via the gas space 15 and via the gas pipe 13. Through the flow path 20, the container interior can be fluidically connected to the ring channel 30 and / or the ring channel 40 via a first and / or a second controllable control valve SV1, SV2. All “control valves” of this invention are designed as “open” and “close” valves, that is to say as control valves with two possible steadily permissible operating states, namely an operating state “open” and an operating state "closed". The control valve SV 2 can also be designed as a control valve.

The flow path 20 is designed for a gaseous and / or liquid medium.

The flow path 20 is connected to the interior of the container 2 to be filled during the prestressing phase and / or the filling phase.

The container 2 can preferably be charged with an inert gas via the flow path 20 during the pretensioning phase, as a result of which the container 2 is pretensioned with an inert gas via the flow path 20 under a definable pretensioning pressure P sp.

Furthermore, return gas displaced from the container 2 can be discharged via the flow path 20 even during the filling phase. More in detail, the flow path 20 for prestressing during the prestressing phase of the container 2 can be fluidly connected to the annular duct 30 designed as a prestressing gas duct by activating the first control valve SV1. In addition, by activating the second control valve SV2 (also) during the filling phase, the flow path 20 can be fluidically connected to the annular channel 40, which is designed as a return gas or relief channel and is under atmospheric pressure. The flow path 20 can be designed as a gas path and / or as a gas channel system.

The ring channel 30, the ring channel 40 and the product line 8 are guided through a rotary connection 17 between the rotor 4 and a machine frame, the ring channel 40 preferably opening into the atmosphere in the region of the rotary connection 17, while the product channel 8 and the ring channel 30 are each connected via a connecting line 8.2 and 30.1 to the filling container 50 of a mixer, or mixer system, not otherwise shown in detail.

A controllable first control valve 30.2 and a controllable second control valve 30.3 can be provided in the connecting line 30.1 for controlling the flow rate of span gas per unit time, that is to say the volume flow of gas. More in detail, the first control valve 30.2 is provided in a fluid-tight manner between the gas space 50.1 and the annular channel 30 in the connecting line 30.1, while the second Control valve 30.3 is arranged as a branch in the connecting line 30.1, the branch opening into the atmospheric environment, that is to say against atmospheric pressure. The mixer or the mixing system can in particular be a device for producing mixed products, and preferably also for producing carbonized or carbonated mixed products, as is known to the person skilled in the art, for example, from the prior art.

For this purpose, the liquid base or base component, which, for. B. is formed by beverage water, first degassed and then mixed with at least one preferably flavor-forming additional component (z. B. syrup) to the required final concentration. If the mixed drink is a carbonated drink, then the mixed drink is carbonated and buffered with CO 2 gas until it is filled into containers or bottles. Mixing products of this type are processed in mixing systems consisting of several components, which are often referred to as mixers.

The carbonized mixed product or mixed drink that can be produced with the mixing system can then be filled into container 2 in the manner described in more detail below with the at least one filling element 1 .1 of the filling system. Mixing systems of this type generally have a buffer store or tank for buffering between the mixing system and filler, which can have a relatively large volume, for example a volume of up to 1000 liters. In particular, the filling container 50 of the mixer is such a buffer storage of a mixing plant. The mixed product accommodated in the filling material container 50 is overlaid in the filling material container 50 with a CO 2 gas cushion, the pressure of which is higher than the CO 2 saturation pressure in the mixing product.

In other words, an upper gas space 50.1 loaded with CO 2 gas and a lower liquid space 50.2 filled with the completely mixed liquid filling material are thus formed in the filling material container 50.

The filling system 1 is preferably used for the pressure filling of the liquid filling material into the containers or bottles 2, in which the container 2, which is in the sealing position with the filling element 1 .1 of the filling system 1, at least temporarily also in a prestressing phase a gas is prestressed to a prestressing pressure P span, the gas used for the prestressing being the gas space under the excess pressure P boiler

50.1 of the filling container 50 of the mixer is removed.

The filling system 1 has a first control circuit RK1 assigned to the product container 50, which comprises a pressure sensor 52 for detecting the pressure in the gas space 50.1, a controllable control valve 53 and a first regulating and control device 54. The control circuit RK1 is used for supply line 55 to the gas space

50.1 controllable gas, preferably C02 gas, to regulate an overpressure P boiler. The overpressure P boiler is higher than the C02 saturation pressure of the mixed product located in the liquid space 50.2.

The gas space 50.1 can therefore be pressurized with a gas under pressure by means of the first control circuit RK1 designed as a pressure control circuit. The gas supplied to the gas space 50.1 via the feed line 55 can be supplied from a gas source, for example a separate gas source.

The liquid filling material, that is to say the mixed product, is fed to the filling material container 50, in particular the liquid space 50.2 of the filling material container 50, in a manner controlled and / or regulated, in particular level-controlled, via a supply line (not shown in detail), so that the fleas of the filling material level turn on liquid filling material in the liquid space 50.2 is kept constant or approximately constant.

The closing plane of the liquid valve 9 of the filling element 1 .1 is arranged around a flea (FH1) above the level of the filling material in the liquid space 50.2 of the filling material container 50 of the mixer. In other words, a negative geodetic flea (FH 1) is thus formed in the filling system 1 in that the closing level of the liquid valve 9 lies above the level of the filling material in the liquid space 50.2.

In the method according to the invention, the container 2, which is in the sealing position with the filling element 1 .1 of the filling system 1, is pretensioned at least temporarily with a pretensioning gas to a pretensioning pressure P sp in a pretensioning phase, the gas used for the pretensioning being the boiler under the excess pressure P Gas space

50.1 of the filling container 50 of the mixer is removed. Furthermore, in a subsequent filling phase with the liquid valve 9 of the filling element 1 .1 open, the container 2 is filled with the filling material from the liquid space 50.2 of the filling material container 50 of the mixer via a product line 8 of the filling system 1 which is completely filled with the liquid filling material. At least during the filling phase, the return gas displaced from the incoming filling material from the container 2 is discharged via a return gas path 20 of the filling element 1 .1 into an annular channel 40 serving as a return gas channel.

During the pretensioning phase, a pretensioning pressure P span is generated in the container 2 at least before the start of the subsequent filling phase, which is at a pressure level below the overpressure P boiler of the gas space 50.1 of the filling material container 50 of the mixer.

In addition, the filling system 1 has a second control circuit RK2 for controlling and / or regulating the pretensioning pressure P span that is formed in the container 2 at least during the pretensioning phase. The second control circuit RK2 can be designed as a pressure control circuit and for this purpose, for example, a first sensor device 56.1 and / or a second sensor device 56.2 for detecting a filling pressure, the first control valve 30.2 and / or the second control valve 30.3 and one in the connection line 30.1 between the second control valve 30.3 and the annular channel 30 provided third sensor device 56.3 for detecting the clamping gas pressure and a second regulating and control device 57.

The second control circuit RK2 is preferably designed to generate a prestressing pressure P span in the container 2 during the prestressing phase, at least before the beginning of the subsequent filling phase, which is at a pressure level below the excess pressure P boiler of the gas space 50.1 of the filling material container 50 of the mixer.

This can take place in that the prestressing gas is at least temporarily and / or partially discharged into the annular channel 40, which is under atmospheric pressure, during the prestressing phase. This can also be done by releasing the tension gas supplied from the gas space 50.1 to the container 2 into the annular channel 40, which is under atmospheric pressure, during the entire duration of the prestressing phase. In particular, the prestressing gas or prestressing gas is controlled and / or discharged via the flow path 20 into the annular channel 40, which is under atmospheric pressure, in such a way that an adjustable pressure difference DF between the overpressure P boiler of the gas space 50.1 and the prestressing pressure P tension in the container 2 is thereby achieved is generated at least during the preload phase, the pressure difference DF being regulated and / or controlled by means of the second control circuit RK2. In this case, a setpoint pressure difference DF between the excess pressure P boiler of the gas space 50.1 and the pretensioning pressure P span in the container 2 can form a controlled variable of the second control circuit RK2.

Thereby, the regulation of the pre-tensioning pressure P tension can be integrated by means of the second control circuit RK2 by integrating the first sensor device 56.1 arranged between the flow meter 8.1 and the filling element 1 .1 and / or the second sensor device 56.2 arranged inside the filling element 1 .1 take place, the first and / or second sensor device 56.1, 56.2 detecting the actual values required for regulation.

In particular, by means of the second control circuit RK2, the pretensioning pressure P span can be regulated at least during the pretensioning phase such that

P clamping— P boiler— P delta H1— P filling speed— P flow losses due to filling speed

PKessei corresponds to the pressure, in particular the excess pressure of the gas in the gas space 50.1 of the product container 50 of the mixer.

P Delta HI corresponds to the suppression required to overcome fleas H1.

PFC ill speed corresponds to the - purely mathematically - required suppression in order to accelerate the stationary filling material to the filling speed.

P Flow losses due to the filling speed correspond to the required suppression, U GP to compensate for the pressure losses caused by the flow of the filling material. It is essential that the respective filling performance determines the flow speed of the filling material and thus also the flow losses, so that the flow losses change permanently.

The second control loop RK2 has a fast dynamic leadership behavior, i. H. After specifying a reference variable or change of reference variable (change of target value), a fast dynamic behavior is desired with which the control variable approaches the target value of the reference variable.

A typical time interval for a dynamic adaptation of the command variable of the second control circuit RK2 is in the range between 10 ms and 500 ms, particularly preferably in the range between 20 ms and 200 ms.

It can be provided that the amount of gas flowing off via the first and / or second control valve SV1, SV2 corresponds primarily to a filling rate of 50-400 ml / s.

The second control circuit RK2 can also be designed to regulate the pressure of the filling material, also called filling pressure control, during the filling phase. In this case, the containers 2 to be filled with liquid filling material are prestressed in a prestressing phase with a gas removed from the gas space 50.1 of the filling material container 50 of the mixer. If an already prestressed container 2 is now filled with liquid filling material in the subsequent filling phase, the biasing gas located in container 2 is displaced by the filling material flowing into container 2 and as so-called return gas from container 2 via the return gas path formed flow path 20 of the filling element 1 .1 into the annular channel 40 designed as a return gas channel, preferably during the entire duration of the filling phase.

In particular, the return gas is discharged through the flow path 20 into the annular channel 40, which is under atmospheric pressure, during the entire duration of the filling phase, and the filling pressure due to the pressure difference DF generated during the filling phase between the overpressure P boiler and the preload pressure P span by means of the second Control circuit RK2 regulated and / or controlled. The pressure difference DF between the overpressure P boiler of the gas space 50.1 and the pretensioning pressure P span in the container 2 can be regulated here during the filling phase by means of the second control circuit RK2 and in this way to a filling speed between 300-1000 mm WS (0.03-0. 1 bar) can be generated. The pressure difference DF is regulated approximately constant by means of the second control circuit RK2 both during the pretensioning phase and during the subsequent filling phase.

As already explained, in particular by means of the second control circuit RK2, a pressure difference DF is generated in the respective container 2 during the filling phase, which pressure difference is sufficient to allow the filling material to flow into the corresponding container 2. This adjustable pressure difference DF determines the filling speed with which the respective container 2 is filled with liquid contents during the actual filling phase. The maximum possible filling speed during the filling phase can be set and / or regulated (for example) by means of the second control circuit RK2.

Accordingly, after opening the liquid valve 9, the gas connection in the annular channel 30, which is designed as a clamping gas channel, is closed by means of the first control valve SV1. Immediately afterwards, a throttled connection is opened in the unpressurized return gas duct 40 by means of the second control valve SV2. The amount of gas flowing off and thus the filling speed can be determined or adjusted by including the second control circuit RK2 via the size of the throttle opening, in particular of the second control valve SV2. If two filling speeds are required, two control valves with different throttle sizes are required. In this case, the discharge can also take place after the end of the filling phase via the same throttled gas path as during the filling phase.

Alternatively or additionally, the filling speed during the filling phase can also be set and / or regulated by means of a third control circuit RK3, which is indicated schematically in FIG. 3. The third control circuit RK3 can have a control valve 41, the flow meter 8.1 and a third regulating and control device 42. The control valve 41, which is infinitely adjustable, is in any position by means of the third control circuit RK3 between the operating positions “open” and / or “closed” (ie open position and / or closed position) The intermediate position can be controlled as a permissible operating position and thus adjustable, and preferably continuously. These arbitrary intermediate positions can also be controlled as permissible stationary operating positions.

In this embodiment variant of FIG. 3, the control valve 41 is installed in more detail in the line 8 from the product distribution channel 5 to the flow meter 8.1, namely between the product distribution channel 5 and the flow meter 8.1. The control valve 41 thus forms, together with the flow meter 8.1, the third control circuit RK3 for regulating and / or controlling the filling speed during the filling phase of the respective filling element 1 .1. After the prestressing, the pressure difference DZ prevails in the respective container 2, which is sufficient to ensure a flow in the direction of the respective container 2. The actual flow rate, in particular the filling rate, is regulated and / or controlled by the third control circuit RK3, in particular via its control valve 41 and / or flow meter 8.1, after opening the liquid valve 9. This last-mentioned variant has the advantage that the return gas can flow back into the annular channel 40 designed as a clamping gas channel and is thus available for reuse in the next filling.

Furthermore, the second control circuit RK2 is designed to achieve a steady gas flow from the gas space 50.1 of the filling material container 50 in the direction of the container 50 to be filled with liquid filling material by continuously discharging the return gas into the annular channel 40 which is under atmospheric pressure. testify so that the prestressing pressure P span in the container 2 can be regulated to a value below the excess pressure P boiler of the gas space 50.1 of the filling material container 50 of the mixer even during the filling phase.

Also, by means of the second control circuit RK2, the filling pressure, under which the containers 2 are filled with liquid contents during the filling phase, can be tracked to the pressure difference DF generated during the preloading phase at the preloading pressure P span. The invention has been described above using exemplary embodiments. It is understood that numerous changes and modifications are possible without thereby departing from the inventive concept on which the invention is based.

For example, it can also be provided that the product line 5 is not completely, but only almost completely filled with the liquid filling material, the space not filled with the liquid filling material being filled with a gas.

It should be noted, however, that the gas changes its volume greatly in the event of pressure fluctuations, which can have a negative effect on the filling process.

It is essential here that the gas volume is so small that the effects of the change in volume of the gas on the filling process are so small that the result of the filling process, for example the filling level accuracy, is not inadmissibly influenced or deteriorated. To ensure this, the gas volume in the product line 5 must be significantly smaller than the total volume of the product line 5.

The claims are made part of the description.

Reference symbol list

1 filling system

1 .1 filling element

2 containers

2.1 Container mouth

4 rotor

5 Product management

6 housing

7 liquid channel

8 line

8.1 Flow meter

8.2 Connection line

9 liquid valve

9.1 Valve body

10 closing level

1 1 neck ring holder

12 seal

13 gas pipe

15 gas space

17 slewing ring

20 flow path

30 ring channel

30.1 Connection line

30.2 first control valve

30.3 second control valve

40 collecting channel / ring channel

50 product containers

50.1 Gas room

50.2 Liquid space

52 pressure sensor 53 control valve

54 first regulating and control device

55 supply line

56.1 first sensor device

56.2 second sensor device

56.3 third sensor device

57 second regulating and control device

FA filling element axis

SV1 control valve

SV2 control valve

P clamping preload pressure

P Boiler overpressure gas space boiler

RK1 first control loop

RK2 second control loop

H1 height

DF pressure difference

Claims

1. Method for filling containers (2) with a liquid filling material using a filling system (1), in which a closing plane (10) of a liquid valve (9) of a filling element (1.1) by a flea (FH1) above a filling level of a liquid space (50.2) of a filling container (50) of a mixer, in which the container (2) in sealing position with the filling element (1.1) of the filling system (1) is at least temporarily with a gas onto one in a pretensioning phase Biasing pressure (P spanning) is biased, the gas used for the biasing being taken from a gas space (50.2) of the filling material container (50) of the mixer which is under an excess pressure (P boiler), and in a subsequent filling phase with the liquid valve open ( 9) of the filling element (1.1) with the filling material from the liquid space (50.2) of the filling material container (50) via a Pr which is preferably completely filled with the liquid filling material Product line (5) of the filling system (1.1) is filled, in which, at least during the filling phase, the return gas displaced by the incoming filling material from the container (2) is discharged via a return gas path (20) of the filling element (1.1) into a collecting channel (40). leads, and in the container (2) during the pretensioning phase, at least before the beginning of the subsequent filling phase, a pretensioning pressure (Pspan) is generated which is at a pressure level below the excess pressure (P boiler) of the gas space (50.2) of the product container (50 ) of the mixer.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the tensioning gas is discharged at least temporarily during the prestressing phase into the annular channel (40) which is under atmospheric pressure.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, at least during the pretensioning phase, the prestressing gas is discharged via the flow path (20) in a controlled manner and / or regulated into the annular channel (40) which is under atmospheric pressure in such a way that an adjustable one Pressure difference (DF) between the excess pressure (P boiler) of the gas space (50.2) and the preload pressure (P span) is generated in the container (2).

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pretension pressure (P sp) in the container (2) is controlled and / or regulated at least during the pretension phase by means of a second control circuit (RK2), that applies

P clamping - P boiler - P delta H1 - P filling speed - P flow losses due to filling speed, where (P spanning) the preload pressure in the container (2), (PKessei) the pressure of the gas in the gas space (50.1) of the filling material container (50) of the mixer , P Delta m is the vacuum required to overcome the height (H1), (PFeed speed) the vacuum required to accelerate the stationary filling material to the filling speed, and (flow losses through filling speed) the vacuum required to overcome the Any pressure losses occurring in the flow of the filling material must be compensated.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the return gas is discharged during the entire duration of the filling phase via the flow path (20) into the ring channel (40) which is under atmospheric pressure and the filling pressure is also discharged through the filling phase generated pressure difference (DF) between the excess pressure (P boiler) and the preload pressure (P span) is regulated and / or controlled by means of the second control circuit (RK2).

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the prestressing pressure (P span) in the container (2) during the prestressing phase and the filling phase is controlled and / or regulated by means of the second control circuit (RK2) according to claim 4 becomes.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a constant gas flow from the gas space (50.1) of the product container (50) in the direction of the during the filling phase by a continuous discharge of the return gas into the annular channel (40) under atmospheric pressure is generated with the container (50) to be filled with liquid filling material and thus the prestressing pressure (P span) in the container 2 also during the filling phase to a pressure level below the excess pressure (P boiler) of the gas space (50.1) of the filling material container (50) of the mixer is regulated.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filling speed is regulated during the filling phase by means of the second control circuit (RK2) such that after opening the liquid valve (9), the gas connection in the annular channel designed as a clamping gas channel (30) is closed by means of the first control valve (SV1) and immediately thereafter a throttled connection into the unpressurized return gas duct (40) is opened by means of the second control valve (SV2).

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filling speed is regulated during the filling phase by means of a third control circuit (RK3) which has a control valve (41), the flow meter (8.1) and a third regulating and control device (42) having.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the third control circuit (RK3) regulates the filling speed during the filling phase after opening the liquid valve (9) via the control valve (41) and / or the flow meter (8.1) and / or that controls.

1 1. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that by means of the second control circuit (RK2) the filling pressure with which the containers (2) are filled with liquid filling material during the filling phase, the pressure difference (DF) generated during the preloading phase. is tracked on the preload pressure (P sp).

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gas space (50.1) by means of a first control circuit (RK1) designed as a pressure control circuit is pressurized with a pressure gas under pressure (P boiler).

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gas space (50.1) is regulated to an overpressure (P boiler) which is higher than the C02 saturation pressure in the liquid space (50.2) liquid filling material.

14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the liquid filling material is supplied to the liquid space (50.2) of the filling material container (50) in a level-controlled manner such that the fleas of the filling material level of liquid filling material in the liquid space (50.2) are constant or approximately is kept constant.

15. Filling system (1) for filling containers (2) with a liquid filling material, in which the closing plane (10) of a liquid valve (9) of a filling element (1 .1) by a flea (FH 1) above a filling material level of a liquid space ( 50.2) of a filling material container (50) of a mixer, in which the container (2) in sealing position with the filling element (1 .1) of the filling system (1) is at least temporarily with a gas to a preload pressure (P sp) in a preload phase can be prestressed, the gas used for the prestressing being removed from a gas space (50.2) of the filling material container (50) of the mixer which is under an excess pressure (P boiler), and in a subsequent filling phase with the liquid valve (9) of the filling element (1. 1) with the filling material from the liquid space (50.2) of the filling container (50) via a product line (5) of the filling system (1 .1) completely filled with the liquid filling material bar, in which, at least during the filling phase, the return gas displaced by the incoming filling material from the container (2) can be discharged into a ring channel (40) via a return gas path (20) of the filling element (1 .1), and in which the container (2) during the pretensioning phase, at least before the start of the subsequent filling phase, a pretensioning pressure (P spanning) can be generated which is at a pressure level below the excess pressure (P boiler) of the gas space (50.2) of the filling material container (50) of the mixer.