JP2001252337A - Powder and granular material sterilization device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve such problems that the property of a powder and granular material itself changes and secondary environmental pollution has not been avoidable heretofore in sterilizing cereals and their pulverized materials, yeast and microfruits because such sterilization has been dependent upon boiling, superheat steam or drugs thus far. SOLUTION: The means which eliminates the adverse influence on the powder and granular materials and the environment pollution by supplying atmosphere pressure heated steam to the powder and granular materials to be sterilized and in addition, continuously and efficiently sterilizing the powder and granular materials is provided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technology for continuously killing bacteria and the like adhering to the surface of granules such as cereals, crushed products, yeasts, and small fruits using steam heated at normal pressure. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional method for sterilizing powders and granules involves placing the powders and granules in a pressure vessel or the like and boiling them, or exposing the powders to superheated steam, ultraviolet rays or drugs.

[0003]

However, it has been difficult to change the physical properties of the granules due to excessive heat energy provided for sterilization or to sterilize the entire surface of the granules uniformly. In addition, there is also a drawback that sterilization treatment efficiency is generally low.

[0004]

The most important feature of the present invention is to use atmospheric pressure heated steam as a means for continuously sterilizing powders and granules.

[0005]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Bacteria and the like on the surface of a granular material are killed by uniformly exposing the granular material to atmospheric pressure steam at a temperature of 60 ° C. or more and a relative humidity of about 90% for a certain period of time.

[0006] In order to efficiently and continuously process powders to be sterilized, a function of applying mechanical micro-vibration to a part of the transportation path of the powders and causing the powders to jump up and partially convection is provided. It was provided.

On the other hand, for the same purpose of increasing the chance of contact between the granular material and the heated steam, the granular material is applied with static electricity or the like in advance and supplied to a sterilization process, and the cloud of the granular material is formed by an electromagnetic field provided in the sterilization process. The function to form is provided.

[0008] Furthermore, the above-described intermittent generation of convection or cloud of the granular material provides a function of suppressing the amount of heat transfer to the granular material to a certain level or less.

[0009]

FIG. 1 shows a cross section of an embodiment of the apparatus for sterilizing powdery and granular materials according to the present invention.

[0010] The granules in the hopper are continuously delivered and exposed to steam heated at normal pressure for a certain period of time to kill bacteria and the like adhering to the surfaces of the granules. Further, a clean air was blown on the granular material after the sterilization treatment, and a post-treatment step was performed to adjust the temperature and humidity to the next step.

The blower 1 is a fan motor for taking in external air into the sterilizer. At the same time, the blower 1 plays a role of controlling the amount of the heated steam supplied to the powdery material to be sterilized to a constant value.

The steam generating section 2 is provided with a tank for supplying clean water, an ultrasonic vibrator for vaporizing the water, a sheath heater, and the like, and generates steam having a temperature of 60 ° C. or more and a relative humidity of about 90%. Let it.

The sterilizing section 3 maintains a treatment atmosphere for killing bacteria and the like adhering to the surface of the granular material by using the atmospheric pressure heated steam guided from the steam generating section 2 described above.

The supply section 4 is a part of a hopper for accommodating the granular material to be sterilized, and has a function of applying static electricity to the granular material as required.

The flotation unit 5 physically jumps up or convections the above-mentioned powder and granules by mechanically repeating micro-vibration or electromagnetic field, and thereby uniformly applies the powder and particles to the above-mentioned normal pressure heating steam for a certain period of time. Make contact. In addition, the lower end of the sterilizing section 3 and the floating section 5 form a gap that balances the tightness with respect to the steam heated at normal pressure and the ease with which the granular material can pass.

[0016] These basic constitutions may be provided with a transporting unit for adjusting the temperature and humidity of the sterilized granular material to a temperature suitable for the next process.

In this embodiment, the gravity assisted type in which the target granular material is transported along the slope is shown. However, in another type using a belt conveyor in the transporting path, the transporting path can be provided horizontally. .

[0018]

As described above, the apparatus for sterilizing powders according to the present invention enables continuous sterilization of powders, which was difficult with the conventional method.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a basic equipment configuration of a granular material sterilizing apparatus.
(Example 1)

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Blower part 2 Steam generation part 3 Sterilization part 4 Hopper 5 Floating part

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A sterilizing apparatus for continuously killing bacteria and the like adhering to the surface of a granular material using normal pressure steam having a temperature of 60 ° C. or more and a relative humidity of about 90%. 2. The apparatus for sterilizing a granular material according to claim 1, wherein the granular material is partially removed by using mechanical micro-vibration so that all the granular material stays in the sterilizing atmosphere for a predetermined time. Sterilizer that is designed to convect the water. 3. A sterilizing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the granular materials to which a potential is applied is floated by an electromagnetic field so that each of the granular materials stays in a sterilizing atmosphere for a predetermined time. apparatus.