GB694231A - A method and installation for homogenization of liquids - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0694231/III/1> Milk and other emulsions are homogenized by feeding the emulsion to the separating space of a centrifugal separator and dividing the emulsion into a sufficiently homogenized component which is discharged from the separator and an insufficiently homogenized component which is fed directly to a homogenizer at or in the vicinity of the centrifugal bowl wall, i.e. that portion surrounding the plates of the separator and rotating therewith. After passage through the homogenizer the now homogenized component may join the incoming feed to the separator. As shown in the Figure, milk enters at 21 and passes through throat 34 and pipe 22 to the inside of the separator bowl 36. Milk flows outwardly and upwardly, passing out by channel 39 and pipe 41, whilst cream flows inwardly through channels 26 and 27 to a homogenizer 28. The cream thrown outwardly is caught in a stationary chamber 32 which may be provided with baffles and passes down pipe 33 to the throat 34. The homogenizing element may include a cyclone where the cream is brought into rotation before discharge through the homogenizer orifice. A multiplicity of spaced homogenizers may be provided and they may be directed obliquely backwards reckoned in the direction of rotation of the centrifuge. Formation of foam may be avoided by operating under vacuum. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 comprises also a system where milk is passed first through a pre-heater from which at a temperature of 50 DEG C it is passed through a homogenizer of any type, then through a centrifugal separator, the homogenized milk being withdrawn and the cream recycled to the homogenizer. Instead of passing the whole of the milk through the homogenizer before separation, the stages may be reversed, the milk passing direct to the separator and the separated cream being homogenized and recycled. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.