JP2006175174A - Steaming and cooling system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a steaming and cooling system using safe steam eliminating any possibility of mixing of rust and boiler water treating chemicals in a pipe of a boiler and effectively using exhaust heat. <P>SOLUTION: The steam to be supplied to a cooker 4 closable tightly is defined as purified steam obtained by heating purified water or soft water by a secondary boiler 14 using the steam from a primary boiler as a heat source. This steaming and cooling system is provided with a decompression means 24 sucks the air in the cooker 4 to decompress the inside of the cooker 4 via a heat exchanger 28, and the cooling water in the heat exchanger 28 is used as wash water of a cooking pot 3 stored in the cooker 4. The purified water or the soft water to be supplied to the secondary boiler 14 is previously preheated by being used as the cooling water. The inside of the cooker 4 is vacuum-cooled till a set temperature by the decompression means 24 and then retained at the set temperature. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a steaming and cooling system that can be vacuum-cooled after cooking food.

A steaming cooler is known that steams food into a cooking container containing the ingredients to cook the ingredients by cooking (cooking), and after cooking, the cooking container is depressurized for vacuum cooling. ing. In such a steaming cooler, conventionally, steam from a normal boiler is supplied as it is into the cooking container to steam the ingredients in the cooking container. This was generally due to the perception that the steam from the boiler was clean.
Japanese Patent No. 2781373

  However, in reality, there is a risk that boiler water treatment chemicals such as rust in pipes and rust preventive agents are mixed in steam generated by the boiler. The steam supplied into the cooking container must supply cleaner and safer steam in consideration of direct contact with food. Moreover, the conventional steam cooler cannot utilize the exhaust heat after steaming.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its main object is to provide a steaming and cooling system using clean and safe steam that does not have the risk of mixing rust and boiler water treatment chemicals in piping. It is in. It is another object of the present invention to provide a steam cooling system that effectively uses exhaust heat.

  This invention was made in order to solve the said subject, and the invention of Claim 1 is the secondary boiler which uses the vapor | steam supplied from the primary boiler as the heat source for the steam supplied in the sealable cooking vessel. It is a steaming and cooling system characterized in that it is a clean steam obtained by heating pure water or soft water.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, by generating steam from pure water or soft water in the secondary boiler, it is possible to obtain steam that is cleaner and safer than a general ordinary boiler. And by using such clean steam, a foodstuff can be cooked more safely.

  The invention according to claim 2 is a water softening device that supplies soft water to the secondary boiler, a steaming operation valve to the cooking container, a decompression means in the cooking container, a return pressure means in the cooking container, and the secondary boiler. The steaming cooling system according to claim 1, further comprising: a control unit that controls the steam supply operation valve, the pressure reducing unit, the pressure-reducing unit, and the secondary boiler.

  According to invention of Claim 2, a steaming cooling system can be constructed | assembled as one unit provided with a steam supply operation valve, a pressure reduction means, a decompression means, a soft water apparatus, and a control means.

  Invention of Claim 3 is equipped with the pressure reduction means which attracts | sucks the air in the said cooking container via a heat exchanger, and depressurizes the inside of the said cooking container, The cooling water of the said heat exchanger is the said cooking container. Or it is utilized as washing water, such as a cooking pot accommodated there, It is a steaming cooling system of Claim 1 or Claim 2 characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, a heat exchanger for cooling and condensing steam in the air sucked from the cooking container is provided, and the cooling water of the heat exchanger is used as washing water for cooking pots and the like. The Therefore, the washing water can be warmed using the exhaust heat, and the cooking pan and the like can be washed using the warm water.

  Invention of Claim 4 is equipped with the pressure reduction means which attracts | sucks the air in the said cooking vessel via a heat exchanger, and depressurizes the inside of the said cooking vessel, The pure water or soft water supplied to the said secondary boiler Is a steam cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the steam is preheated by being used in advance as cooling water of the heat exchanger.

  According to invention of Claim 4, it has the heat exchanger which cools and condenses the vapor | steam in the air suck | inhaled from the said cooking vessel, The cooling water of this heat exchanger is utilized as water supply of a secondary boiler. . Therefore, the boiler feed water can be preheated using the exhaust heat, and the energy can be used effectively. Moreover, if the pure water or soft water of a secondary boiler is utilized as washing | cleaning water like the invention of Claim 2, a cleaning effect can be heightened.

  The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that vacuum cooling of the cooking container is performed by the decompression means in a state where water is brought into contact with the cooking pot accommodated in the cooking container. 5. The steaming and cooling system according to any one of 4 above.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, at least the bottom of the cooking pan is made of water with condensed water accumulated at the bottom of the cooking container or with water supplied from the outside instead of or in addition to this. Will come into contact. And the foodstuff can be vacuum-cooled uniformly and effectively by vacuum-cooling in that state.

  Furthermore, the invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that the inside of the cooking container is kept at the set temperature after being vacuum-cooled to the set temperature by the decompression means. The steaming and cooling system according to item 1.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the food can be held at the set temperature by vacuum cooling after cooking. Therefore, even if, for example, rough heat removal is performed with this steaming cooler and then full-scale cooling is attempted with a separately prepared cooling device, the quality may vary due to the difference in waiting time until delivery to the cooling device. Can be prevented. Moreover, since it will hold | maintain in a pressure-reduced state so that it may become preset temperature, the penetration | infiltration of boiled juice etc. can also be improved by the vacuum impregnation effect by pressure reduction.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a steaming and cooling system using clean and safe steam without the risk of mixing rust in boilers or boiler water treatment chemicals. Moreover, the exhaust heat after cooking can also be used effectively.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The steaming and cooling system of the present embodiment accommodates food in a sealable cooking container, supplies steam to the cooking container (steaming), heats the food, and decompresses the cooking container after cooking. This includes a steam cooler that vacuum-cools the ingredients. This steam cooler includes a cooking container for storing food, steam supply means for supplying steam into the cooking container, decompression means for decompressing the cooking container, decompression means for decompressing the decompressed cooking container, and cooking container. It comprises drainage means for discharging accumulated condensed water, and control means for controlling these means.

  The cooking container is a container that can contain food and can be sealed. The cooking container may be a substantially rectangular parallelepiped processing tank provided with a door that can be opened and closed on the front surface, or a bottomed cylindrical kettle provided with a lid that can be opened and closed on the upper surface. In the present embodiment, a bottomed cylindrical container body opened only upward is provided with a lid that can be opened and closed in an airtight state via a packing. The bottom surface of the container main body and the top surface of the lid body are each formed to bulge outward in a gentle substantially hemispherical shape. In this way, it is preferable to form the cooking vessel with a spherical surface in order to increase pressure resistance.

  Ingredients are stored in the cooking container. In this embodiment, food is put into and out of the cooking container via a cooking pot that is detachably accommodated in the container body. The cooking pan of this embodiment is a bottomed cylindrical shape opened only upward. This cooking pan is typically made of metal such as stainless steel.

  The cooking pan is disposed away from the inner surface of the cooking container. For this purpose, a downward U-shaped material is arranged at the bottom of the cooking container, and a placing portion for the cooking pan is provided horizontally. Alternatively, a plurality of bars are laid horizontally on a slightly upper position from the bottom surface of the cooking container, and a placing portion for the cooking pot is provided. And a cooking pot is hold | maintained in the state which floated from the bottom face of the cooking container by mounting a cooking pot on the mounting part formed in this way. In that state, the peripheral side surface of the cooking pan is disposed away from the inner surface of the cooking container. By arrange | positioning in this way, when the vapor | steam by a steam supply means is supplied in a cooking container, the vapor | steam will spread over the perimeter of a cooking pan. Moreover, condensed water can also be stored in the bottom part of a cooking container.

  By the way, a cooking container and a cooking pan can be used in common, and it can also comprise so that a foodstuff may be directly injected | thrown-in to a cooking container without going through a cooking pan. In this case, the container body of the cooking container has an internal / external double structure, a continuous space is formed on the peripheral side surface and the bottom surface, and steam is supplied by the steam supply means to the space and the internal space of the cooking container. Vacuum recovery and subsequent recovery by the recovery means are performed.

  The steam supply means is means for supplying steam from the boiler into the cooking container. This steam is a clean steam obtained by heating pure water or soft water in a secondary boiler using steam from the primary boiler as a heat source. Thereby, boiler water treatment chemicals, such as rust in piping and a rust preventive agent, are not sanitized, and it is hygienic.

  The decompression means is means for decompressing the inside of the cooking container by evacuating the air in the cooking container, and includes a vacuum pump or an ejector or the like instead of or in addition thereto. The decompression means further includes a heat exchanger, and is configured to be able to decompress the inside of the cooking container by sucking the air in the cooking container through the heat exchanger. In this heat exchanger, the vapor in the suction air is cooled and condensed. In order to perform this cooling and condensation action, cooling water is supplied to the heat exchanger.

  The cooling water of the heat exchanger passes through the heat exchanger and is stored in the water storage tank. The water stored in the water storage tank becomes warm water whose temperature has been raised to some extent by passing through the heat exchanger in advance. Therefore, if this hot water is used for washing the cooking pan after use, the exhaust heat can be used effectively.

  Moreover, the pure water or soft water to the said secondary boiler can also be preheated using the said heat exchanger. That is, pure water or soft water is preheated by being used in advance as cooling water for the heat exchanger, and then supplied to the secondary boiler to become steam. Also in this case, exhaust heat can be used effectively. Furthermore, the pure water or soft water preheated by the heat exchanger is not only supplied to the secondary boiler, but may be used as washing water for cooking pots as described above.

  The return pressure means is means for returning the pressure in the cooking container decompressed by the pressure reduction means. Specifically, the outside air can be introduced into the decompressed cooking container, and the inside of the cooking container can be restored to atmospheric pressure. It is desirable to introduce outside air into the cooking container through a filter in consideration of hygiene.

  The drainage means is means for discharging the water in the cooking container to the outside. Condensed water accumulates at the bottom of the cooking container due to steam supply by the steam supply means. Alternatively, as will be described later, water may be supplied from the outside as desired during vacuum cooling. The drainage means discharges the water accumulated at the bottom of these cooking containers to the outside. In order to facilitate this drainage, the drainage line of the drainage means is usually connected to the bottom of the cooking vessel.

  The control means controls the steam supply means, the decompression means, the return pressure means, the drainage means, the secondary boiler, and the like. That is, each of these means is controlled by the control means, and typically, an air evacuation process, a steam supply process, a vacuum cooling process, and a return pressure process are sequentially performed. Such control can be performed using the output of a pressure sensor that detects the pressure in the cooking container or a temperature sensor that detects the temperature in the cooking container. Or the time which operates each said means can be adjusted, and the inside of a cooking vessel can also be adjusted to desired pressure or temperature.

  The control means performs pressure control and water level control of the secondary boiler. Secondary boiler pressure control refers to a steam supply valve that grasps the pressure of clean steam generated in the secondary boiler based on the pressure sensor for the secondary boiler and supplies steam from the primary boiler to the secondary boiler. It is done by operating. On the other hand, the water level control of the secondary boiler refers to controlling the level of pure water or soft water in the secondary boiler based on the water level sensor.

  An air exclusion process is a process of operating the decompression means and decompressing the inside of the cooking container to a set pressure or a set temperature. Thereby, the air in a cooking container is excluded and heat cooking by steam can be performed effectively. Such air evacuation can also be performed by excluding air from the lower part of the cooking container via the drainage means while supplying steam from the upper part of the cooking container by the steam supply means. If desired, the cooking container is kept in a reduced pressure state for a set time, and then the process proceeds to the steaming step.

The steaming step is a step of heating and cooking the food by supplying steam into the cooking container from which air has been removed by steaming means. This steaming process consists of low-pressure steaming cooking in which the cooking container is heated to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure and heated, and high-pressure steaming cooking in which the cooking container is heated to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure and heated. At least one of the above. After cooking, if desired, the inside of the cooking vessel is sealed to steam the ingredients.

  The vacuum cooling step is a step of cooling the food by reducing the pressure inside the cooking container by the pressure reducing means. At this time, if the condensed water is in contact with the bottom of the cooking pan, uniform and effective vacuum cooling can be achieved. Here, water may be supplied from the outside into the cooking container, and the water may be brought into contact with the cooking pan for vacuum cooling. At this time, in addition to the condensed water, water may be supplied from the outside, or the condensed water may be drained by the discharging means and then supplied from the outside. After vacuum cooling, the inside of the cooking vessel is maintained at a set temperature as desired.

  In the return pressure step, the inside of the cooking container is returned to atmospheric pressure by the return pressure means. If desired, the food that has been subjected to rough heat in the vacuum cooling step is transferred to a cooling device such as a vacuum cooler or a blast chiller and further cooled.

  By the way, the cooking cooling system is constructed as a single unit by installing all or a part of each means, in particular, a cooking vessel, a decompression means, a secondary boiler, a water softener, and a controller on a common base. be able to.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing Example 1 of the steaming cooling system of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the steam cooling system of the present embodiment was cooled to the first set temperature by the steam cooler 1 that vacuum-cools the food to the first set temperature after cooking, and this steam cooler 1. And a cooling device 2 for further cooling the food to the second set temperature.

  FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the steam cooler 1 of the present embodiment. As shown in this figure, the steam cooler 1 of the present embodiment includes a cooking container 4 that detachably accommodates a cooking pan 3. The cooking container 4 is configured such that a lid body 6 is provided on a container body 5 so as to be openable and closable. The container body 5 has a bottomed cylindrical shape opened only upward, and its bottom surface 7 is formed to bulge downward in a gentle arc shape. A first flange 8 is formed at the upper end of the container body 5 so as to extend outward in the radial direction.

  On the other hand, the lid body 6 has a diameter corresponding to that of the container body 5 and has a short cylindrical shape opened only downward, and its upper surface 9 is formed to bulge upward in a gentle arc shape. A second flange 10 is formed at the lower end of the lid 6 so as to extend outward in the radial direction. Such a lid 6 is provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the container body 5. When the upper opening of the container body 5 is closed by the lid body 6, the first flange 8 of the container body 5 and the second flange 10 of the lid body 6 are overlapped via the packing 11. Thereby, the cooking container 4 can be sealed.

  The cooking pan 3 is formed smaller than the cooking container 4 and has a bottomed cylindrical shape that opens only upward. The cooking pan 3 is made of stainless steel, aluminum or the like. By the way, a plurality of bar members 12, 12,... Therefore, the cooking pan 3 is held in a state of being floated upward from the bottom surface of the container body 5 by holding the lower surface thereof by these bar members 12, 12. The cooking pan 3 is arranged coaxially with the container body 5. In that state, the outer peripheral surface of the cooking pan 3 is arranged separately from the inner peripheral surface of the container body 5.

  By the way, although the cooking container 4 and the cooking pan 3 are designed suitably, the cooking container 4 of a present Example shall be a thing within the small pressure vessel specification of a 1st type pressure vessel. Moreover, although the magnitude | size of the cooking container 4 and the cooking pan 3 is set suitably, in this Example, the cooking container 4 is set as the capacity | capacitance of 100 liters and the cooking pot 3 is set as 60 liters.

  A steam supply means 13 is connected to the cooking container 4 so that steam can be supplied into the cooking container 4. The steam supply means 13 of the present embodiment includes a primary boiler (not shown) and a secondary boiler (reboiler) 14. Using the steam from the primary boiler as a heat source, the soft water 15 is changed to steam in the secondary boiler 14. The clean steam thus generated is supplied into the cooking vessel 4. Although a primary boiler is comprised from a normal common boiler, there exists a possibility that boiler water treatment chemicals, such as rust in piping and a rust preventive agent, may mix in the steam by such a primary boiler. However, the steam supplied into the cooking container 4 can directly contact the food 16. Therefore, the soft water 15 is changed to steam by the secondary boiler 14 to generate clean steam, and this clean steam is supplied into the cooking vessel 4.

  Specifically, the secondary boiler 14 is a heat exchanger made of stainless steel, and heats the soft water 15 to convert it into steam. In order to heat the soft water 15, steam from the primary boiler is supplied to the secondary boiler 14 via the steam supply valve 17. The steam supplied from the primary boiler in this way heats the soft water 15 supplied into the stainless steel pipe by the secondary boiler 14 to generate clean steam. The steam from the primary boiler is discharged through the steam trap 18 after being used in the secondary boiler 14.

  In order to supply the soft water 15 to the secondary boiler 14, the steam supply means 13 includes a soft water device 19. The soft water device 19 of this embodiment converts the supplied water into soft water 15 using an ion exchange resin. The soft water 15 produced by the soft water device 19 is stored in the water supply tank 20, and the soft water 15 in the water supply tank 20 is supplied to the secondary boiler 14 via the first water supply pump 21.

  And the soft water 15 supplied to the secondary boiler 14 is heated with the steam from the primary boiler, converted into clean steam as described above, and supplied into the cooking container 4 via the steam supply line 22. . A steam supply operation valve 23 is provided in the middle of the steam supply line 22. The steam supply operation valve 23 of the present embodiment is configured to be capable of adjusting the presence or absence of steaming into the cooking vessel 4 and the amount of steam when steaming, and is typically composed of a proportional control valve. By adjusting the steam supply operation valve 23, the pressure in the cooking vessel 4 and thus the temperature can be adjusted. The pressure in the cooking vessel 4 can be adjusted by controlling not only the steam supply operation valve 23 but also the pressure reducing means 24.

  The cooking container 4 is connected to a decompression means 24 for sucking the air in the cooking container 4 to the outside and decompressing the cooking container 4. In the present embodiment, a vacuum generator 27 is connected to the decompression line 25 connected to the cooking container 4 via the decompression operation valve 26. Specifically, the vacuum line 25 is provided with a vacuum pump 29 via a heat exchanger 28 and a check valve (not shown).

  By supplying cooling water to the heat exchanger 28, the vapor in the air sucked from the cooking vessel 4 can be cooled and condensed. The cooling water supplied to the heat exchanger 28 is stored in the water storage tank 30 after use. The water storage tank 30 is connected to a cleaning gun 32 and the like via a second water supply pump 31. In this way, the hot water heated by using the exhaust heat in the heat exchanger 28 can be used for washing the cooking pan 3 and the like after use.

  The cooking vessel 4 is connected to a decompression means 33 for decompressing after being decompressed by the decompression means 24. The return pressure means 33 of the present embodiment is provided with a return pressure line 34 connected to the cooking container 4 so as to be able to communicate with the outside air via the sterilization filter 35. In the middle of the return pressure line 34, a return pressure operation valve 36 is provided so as to be openable and closable. By opening the return pressure operation valve 36, the cooking container 4 can be opened to atmospheric pressure.

  The cooking container 4 is connected to a drainage means 38 for discharging condensed water 37 and the like accumulated in the cooking container 4 to the outside. Specifically, a drain line 39 is connected to the center of the bottom surface of the cooking vessel 4, and a drain valve 40 is provided in the drain line 39 so as to be openable and closable.

  Further, the cooking container 4 is provided with a pressure sensor 41. The pressure sensor 41 detects the pressure inside the cooking vessel 4. However, it is possible to use a temperature sensor instead of the pressure sensor 41. Any sensor can be used by converting pressure and temperature.

  The steam supply means 13, the decompression means 24, the decompression means 33, the drainage means 38, the secondary boiler 14 and the like are controlled by the control means 42. The control means 42 is a controller that controls each of the means 13, 24, 33, 38, and 14 based on the time grasped by the control means 42 and the detection signal from the pressure sensor 41. Specifically, the steam supply operation valve 23, the pressure reduction operation valve 26, the return pressure operation valve 36, the drain valve 40, the pressure sensor 41, and the like are connected to a controller 42, and the controller 42 has a predetermined program. Based on the above, steaming of the ingredients 16 in the cooking container 4 and subsequent vacuum cooling are performed as will be described later.

  Moreover, the controller 42 performs pressure control and water level control of the secondary boiler 14. The pressure control of the secondary boiler 14 is performed using a secondary boiler pressure sensor (not shown) provided in the stainless steel pipe. That is, based on this secondary boiler pressure sensor (not shown), the pressure of clean steam generated in the secondary boiler 14 is detected, and steam is supplied from the primary boiler (not shown) to the secondary boiler 14. The opening and closing of the steam supply valve 17 is operated. The water level control of the secondary boiler 14 is performed by controlling the water level of pure water or soft water in the stainless steel pipe of the secondary boiler 14 based on a water level sensor (not shown).

  By the way, as shown in FIG. 1, the steam cooler 1 of the present embodiment is provided with an auxiliary machine box 1B and the cooking container 4 on one base 1A, and constitutes one unit. . The auxiliary equipment box 1B is provided with a part or all of the respective means. In this embodiment, the decompression means 24, the decompression means 33, the drainage means 38, the secondary boiler 14, the soft water device 19, the controller 42, the water supply tank 20, and the water storage tank 30 are provided.

  Next, the use of the steaming cooler 1 of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of use of the steam cooler 1 of the present embodiment. Although the foodstuff (food may be sufficient) 16 cooked with the steam cooler 1 of a present Example is not ask | required in particular, the case where a boiled food is made is demonstrated to an example here. For this purpose, first, the lid 6 of the cooking container 4 is opened, and the cooking pan 3 is set in the cooking container 4 (ST1). And the foodstuff 16 is thrown into the cooking pan 3 (ST2). Here, the ingredients of the simmered food and the broth are put into the cooking pan 3, and then the lid 6 is attached to the container body 5 to seal the cooking container 4 (ST3).

  In this initial state, the steam supply operation valve 23 and the pressure reducing operation valve 26 are closed, and the pressure recovery operation valve 36 and the drain valve 40 are opened. From this state, typically, an air exhausting step (ST4), a vacuum holding step (ST5), a steaming step (ST6), a steaming step (ST7), and a vacuum cooling (rough heat removal) step (ST8). The decompression step (ST9) is sequentially performed. However, these can be changed as appropriate, and for example, the steaming step (ST7) can be omitted.

  In the air evacuation step (ST4), the steam generating operation valve 23, the return pressure operation valve 36, and the drain valve 40 are closed, while the pressure reducing operation valve 26 is opened, the vacuum generator 27 is driven. Thereby, the air in the cooking container 4 can be discharged out of the cooking container 4 via the decompression line 25. Such air exclusion from the cooking container 4 may be performed up to a set pressure by using the pressure sensor 41 or may be performed only for a set time. This air exclusion process can also be performed by steaming with the steaming operation valve 23 open.

  After such pressure reduction, the pressure reducing operation valve 26 is also closed, and the vacuum holding step (ST5) is performed for a set time. By holding the foodstuff 16 in a reduced pressure state, it is possible to smoothly and surely permeate the ingredients with the soup stock and the anti-boiled-up agent due to the vacuum impregnation effect. In particular, since the anti-collapse agent should be infiltrated before the ingredients are boiled, it is effective to perform this vacuum holding step (ST5).

  In the steaming process (ST6) after maintaining the vacuum, the steaming operation valve 23 is opened and the steam is supplied into the cooking vessel 4 with the pressure reducing operation valve 26, the return pressure operating valve 36 and the drain valve 40 closed. To do. Thereby, the foodstuff 16 accommodated in the cooking pan 3 in the cooking container 4 can be cooked by heating. At this time, as described above, the steam supplied into the cooking vessel 4 is clean steam generated from the soft water 15 in the secondary boiler 14. Therefore, safe and reliable cooking can be realized. In addition, heating steam can be cooked in a short time by spreading clean steam around the cooking pan 3.

  In the steaming process (ST6) for steaming, the temperature in the cooking container 4 can be adjusted by adjusting the pressure in the cooking container 4 by steaming. In the present embodiment, cooking is possible by setting the temperature freely in the range of 60 ° C to 130 ° C. At this time, for example, an operation such as increasing the temperature stepwise is also possible. In this way, the saturated steam temperature is adjusted by adjusting the pressure of the cooking vessel 4. As a result, the food material temperature does not become higher than the saturated steam temperature in the cooking container 4, and cooking with less scorch is possible. In addition, boiling is prevented, and the dissolved gas in the food 16 is pre-extracted in the air exclusion step (ST4) and the vacuum holding step (ST5), so that spillage during heating can also be prevented. .

  After cooking for the set time, the steaming operation valve 23 is also closed, and the steaming step (ST7) is performed for the set time. However, as described above, this steaming step (ST7) may be omitted.

  In the subsequent vacuum cooling step (ST8), while the steam supply operation valve 23, the return pressure operation valve 36, and the drain valve 40 are closed, the vacuum generator 27 is driven with the pressure reducing operation valve 26 opened. Thereby, the air in the cooking container 4 can be discharged out of the cooking container 4 via the decompression line 25, and the inside of the cooking container 4 can be vacuum-cooled. At this time, by supplying cooling water to the heat exchanger 28, the steam in the air sucked from the cooking vessel 4 is cooled and condensed by the heat exchanger 28. The cooling water is warmed by the heat exchanger 28, and the warmed water 43 is stored in the water storage tank 30.

  In the present embodiment, considering the capability of the decompression means 24 of the steam cooler 1, in the vacuum cooling step (ST8), only rough heat removal is performed by cooling to the first set temperature, and then vacuum cooling is performed. Cooling is performed in earnest up to the second set temperature by the cooling device 2 such as a machine. In this embodiment, the food material 16 cooled to the first set temperature in the vacuum cooling step (ST8) can be held at the first set temperature. This is based on the difference in processing amount between the steam cooler 1 and the cooling device 2, in order to prevent a difference in quality due to a waiting time difference until the food 16 after steam cooling is carried into the cooling device 2. It is. Holding under reduced pressure also has the effect of improving the soaking of the broth into the ingredients due to the vacuum impregnation effect.

  The holding at the first set temperature may repeat the operation of driving or stopping the decompression means 24 at regular time intervals, or the pressure (that is, the temperature) in the cooking container 4 is measured by the sensor 41 and a predetermined value is obtained. When the pressure rises to the upper limit pressure, the operation of driving the pressure reducing means 24 to reduce the pressure to the predetermined lower limit pressure and letting it stand, and reducing the pressure to the lower limit pressure when reaching the upper limit pressure again may be repeated. Or you may make it hold | maintain the pressure in the cooking container 4 to a predetermined pressure by operating the decompression means 33 and driving the decompression means 24 continuously, introducing air into the cooking container 4.

  The degree of cooling and holding in the vacuum cooling step (ST8) is appropriately set, but in the present embodiment, the first set temperature is set in a range from 50 ° C to 70 ° C. This is because the risk of miscellaneous bacteria growth appears at temperatures below 50 ° C, while cooking proceeds when it exceeds 70 ° C.

  By the way, at the time of vacuum cooling, it is preferable that the water which touches the bottom of the cooking pan 3 is in the bottom of the cooking vessel 4. In this case, the food 16 in the cooking pan 3 can be effectively and uniformly cooled by the heat of vaporization when the water is evaporated. As this water, condensed water 37 accumulated in the cooking vessel 4 may be used, or instead of or in addition to this condensed water 37, water may be supplied from the outside. For example, as shown by a dotted line in FIG. 2, the water supply line 45 is connected to the cooking container 4 via the water supply valve 44, and the drain valve 40 is once opened immediately before the vacuum cooling step (ST 8) to condense water 37. After draining, the drain valve 40 may be closed and the water supply valve 44 may be opened to supply a desired amount of water into the cooking vessel 4. In this case, the amount of water supply can be grasped by a flow meter (not shown) provided in the water supply line 45.

  As described above, after the heat is removed after cooking, the decompression means 33 is operated when desired to restore the pressure in the cooking vessel 4 to atmospheric pressure. That is, the return pressure operation valve 36 may be opened. Thereafter, the lid is removed (ST9), and the ingredients 16 and the cooking pan 3 are taken out from the cooking container 4 (ST10, ST11). As shown in FIG. 1, the extracted food 16 is transferred to a hotel pan 46 or the like, and is carried into a treatment tank 48 of the cooling device 2 via a wagon 47 or the like. Cool to temperature.

  The cooling device 2 may be a blast chiller or the like, but a vacuum cooler is used in this embodiment. The vacuum cooler 2 has a conventionally known configuration, and includes a process tank 48 that can be sealed, a vacuum pump and an ejector that decompress the inside of the process tank 48, and is realized by the decompression unit 24 of the steam cooler 1. And a decompression mechanism (not shown) having a function of vacuum-cooling to a lower temperature, a return pressure mechanism (not shown) for returning the pressure in the decompressed processing tank 48, and the like.

  On the other hand, in the steam cooler 1, after opening the pressure-reducing operation valve 36, the drain valve 40 is also opened, and the water in the cooking container 4 is drained. By newly setting the cooking pan 3, it is possible to immediately move on to the next cooking. And the cooking pot 3 after use taken out is washed (ST12). For this cleaning, the hot water 43 stored in the water storage tank 30 can be used, and the exhaust heat can be used effectively.

  By the way, in the initial state (ST3), the vacuum holding step (ST5), the decompression step and the last draining step, the pressure reducing operation valve 26 is closed in the embodiment, but the pressure reducing operation valve 26 is open. Also good. Further, in the steam supply step (ST6), the drain valve 40 may be controlled to be opened occasionally. Furthermore, in the vacuum cooling step (ST8), the amount of water stored in the cooking vessel 4 can be changed as appropriate. In particular, in this embodiment, the target temperature in the vacuum cooling step (ST8) is rough heat removal up to 50 ° C., so if the temperature of the water supplied from the outside is below the target temperature, inhibition of food cooling There is no factor. In the above control, the set pressure or temperature in each step is not limited to a specific pressure or temperature, and may be a pressure range or a temperature range having a certain range.

  FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram illustrating Example 2 of the steam cooler 1. The steaming cooler 1 of the second embodiment is basically the same configuration as the steaming cooler 1 of the first embodiment. For this reason, the following description will focus on the differences between the two. In addition, portions corresponding to those in the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals.

  In the second embodiment, the water storage tank 30 in the first embodiment is shared with the water supply tank 20. That is, in Example 2, only the water supply tank 20 is provided, and the water storage tank 30 in Example 1 is omitted.

  In the second embodiment, the soft water from the water softener 19 is passed through the heat exchanger 28 and then stored in the water supply tank 20, and the soft water 15 in the water supply tank 20 is supplied to the secondary boiler 14. Therefore, the soft water can be preheated in the heat exchanger 28 in advance using the exhaust heat generated with the use of the steam cooler 1, and the generation of clean steam from the soft water 15 in the secondary boiler 14 is smooth. It is possible to save energy.

  Also in the second embodiment, the soft water 15 in the water supply tank 20 can be used for cleaning the used cooking pan 3 and the like through the cleaning gun 32 and the like. Since it is warm water using soft water as washing water and using exhaust heat, the washing power can be further enhanced.

  Also in the steaming cooler 1 of the second embodiment, after cooking the food material 16, it is vacuum-cooled to the first set temperature and then transferred to the cooling device 2 such as a vacuum cooler and vacuum-cooled to the second set temperature. Can do.

  In addition, the steaming cooling system of this invention can be suitably changed not only in the structure of said each Example. For example, steam cooking can be performed in the steam cooler 1 by using a perforated pan for the cooking pan 3. Moreover, in each said Example, it was set as the structure which cools with the cooling device 2 after taking rough heat after cooking with the steaming cooler 1, but only with the steaming cooler 1 depending on target cooling temperature etc. Of course, it can be used. Moreover, it can be used only by the steam cooler 1 by making the decompression means 24 of the steam cooler 1 into a high capacity. Furthermore, in the said Example, although the upper surface of the cooking pan 3 was open | released, you may cover the cover of the moisture-permeable waterproof material which lets a vapor | steam pass but does not let water pass.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows Example 1 of the steaming cooling system of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the steaming cooler of Example 1. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the usage example of the steaming cooler of Example 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the steaming cooler of Example 2. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 Steaming cooler 2 Cooling device (vacuum cooler, etc.)
3 Cooking pan 4 Cooking vessel 13 Steaming means 14 Secondary boiler (reboiler)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 19 Soft water apparatus 24 Pressure reduction means 28 Heat exchanger 33 Pressure-reduction means 38 Drain means 42 Control means (controller)

Claims (6)

It is assumed that the steam supplied into the sealable cooking vessel (4) is clean steam obtained by heating pure water or soft water in the secondary boiler (14) using steam from the primary boiler as a heat source. A steaming cooling system that features it. A steaming operation valve (23) to the cooking vessel (4);
Decompression means (24) in the cooking vessel (4);
Pressure return means (33) in the cooking vessel (4);
A water softener (19) for supplying soft water to the secondary boiler (14);
The said steam supply operation valve (23), the said pressure reduction means (24), the said pressure return means (33), and the control means (42) which controls the said secondary boiler (14) are provided, These are provided. Steaming cooling system as described in. A pressure reducing means (24) for sucking air in the cooking container (4) through a heat exchanger (28) and decompressing the cooking container (4);
The cooling water of the heat exchanger (28) is used as washing water for the cooking vessel (4) or a cooking pan (3) accommodated therein. Steaming cooling system as described. A pressure reducing means (24) for sucking air in the cooking container (4) through a heat exchanger (28) and decompressing the cooking container (4);
The pure water or soft water supplied to the secondary boiler (14) is preheated by being used in advance as cooling water for the heat exchanger (28). The steaming and cooling system according to item 1. The vacuum cooling in the cooking vessel (4) is performed by the decompression means (24) in a state where water is in contact with the cooking pan (3) accommodated in the cooking vessel (4). Item 5. The steam cooling system according to any one of items 1 to 4. The inside of the cooking vessel (4) is vacuum-cooled to a set temperature by the decompression means (24), and is then held at the set temperature. Steaming cooling system.

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