JP2023038074A - Treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a treatment apparatus capable of cooling down treatment water while avoiding enlargement of the whole apparatus.SOLUTION: A treatment apparatus 1 that treats an object to be treated 2 comprises a treatment tank 3, circulation means 8, a heat exchanger 9, first cooling means 11, and second cooling means 12, where the treatment tank 3 is configured so as to house the object to be treated 2, the circulation means 8 comprises a circulation path 80, and is configured so as to circulate treatment water in the treatment tank 3, the heat exchanger 9 is provided for the circulation path 80, the first cooling means 11 supplies first cooling water to the heat exchanger 9, and is configured so as to cool down treatment water via the heat exchanger 9, and the second cooling means 12 supplies second cooling water to the heat exchanger 9 by the first cooling means 11 after cooling down treatment water, and is configured so as to cool down treatment water via the heat exchanger 9.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a processing apparatus used for heat processing, cooling processing, etc. of an object to be processed.

Conventionally, an object to be treated is stored in a treatment tank, treated water is circulated between the treatment tank and a heat exchanger, and the treated water passing through the heat exchanger is indirectly heated or cooled by steam, cold water, or the like. There is a processing apparatus for processing an object to be processed. For example, in Patent Document 1, the treated water is heated by supplying steam to the heat exchanger to indirectly heat-treat the object to be treated, and cooling water cooled by a cooling tower is supplied to the heat exchanger. Thus, a processing apparatus capable of indirectly cooling the object to be processed by cooling the processed water is disclosed.

Japanese Patent No. 4229420

However, when using a cooling tower to cool the treated water, there is a limit to the cooling capacity of the treated water. It is also possible to use a chiller instead of a cooling tower, but in that case, it is necessary to use a large-capacity chiller due to the high temperature of the treated water, etc., which leads to an increase in the size of the entire treatment equipment. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a treatment apparatus capable of cooling treated water while avoiding an increase in the overall size of the apparatus.

According to the present invention, a processing apparatus for processing an object to be processed includes a processing tank, a circulation means, a heat exchanger, a first cooling means, and a second cooling means, the processing tank comprising: The circulation means is configured to contain the object to be treated, the circulation means includes a circulation path and is configured to circulate the treated water in the treatment tank, and the heat exchanger is provided in the circulation path. , the first cooling means is configured to supply a first cooling water to the heat exchanger and cool the treated water via the heat exchanger, and the second cooling means is configured to cool the first cooling means A treatment apparatus is provided, configured to supply a second cooling water to the heat exchanger to cool the treated water via the heat exchanger after cooling the treated water by.

According to the present invention, by further cooling the treated water by the second cooling means after removing the rough heat of the treated water by the first cooling means, the cooling is smaller than when cooling is performed by one large cooling means As a result, it is possible to reduce the size of the entire treatment apparatus as compared with the case where the treated water is cooled by a single cooling means.

Various embodiments of the present invention are illustrated below. The embodiments shown below can be combined with each other.

Preferably, said first cooling means comprises a cooling tower and said second cooling means comprises a chiller.

Preferably, a fluid supply means is provided, and the fluid supply means supplies fluid to the heat exchanger after cooling the treated water by the cooling tower and before cooling the treated water by the chiller.

Preferably, a steam supply means is provided, the steam supply means is configured to supply steam to the heat exchanger to heat the treated water via the heat exchanger, and the fluid supply means is configured to supply steam to the heat exchanger. Fluid is also supplied to the heat exchanger after the treated water is heated by the steam means and after the treated water is cooled by the cooling tower.

Preferably, said fluid supply means supplies compressed air to said heat exchanger.

It is a schematic diagram showing a sterilization device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation of the sterilizer 1 of FIG. 1;

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. Various features shown in the embodiments shown below can be combined with each other. In addition, the invention is established independently for each feature.

1. Configuration of Sterilization Apparatus 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a sterilization apparatus 1 as a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The sterilization apparatus 1 of this embodiment is an apparatus for thermally sterilizing an object 2 to be processed and then cooling it. Although the type of the object 2 to be treated is not particularly limited, it is preferably used for foods, especially retort foods.

As shown in FIG. 1, the sterilization apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a treatment tank 3, a water supply means 4, a drainage means 5, a pressure means 6, an exhaust means 7, a circulation means 8, and a heat exchanger. 9 , steam supply means 10 , first cooling means 11 , second cooling means 12 , drain discharge means 13 , compressed air supply means 14 as fluid supply means, and control means 15 . Each configuration will be specifically described below.

The processing tank 3 is a hollow container that accommodates the object 2 to be processed. Although the shape of the processing tank 3 is not particularly limited, in this embodiment, the processing tank 3 is provided with a horizontally arranged cylindrical member. It is possible. Therefore, by opening the door, the object to be processed 2 can be taken in and out of the processing tank 3, and by closing the door, the opening of the processing tank 3 can be airtightly closed. In this embodiment, the object 2 to be treated is placed on trays 20 accommodated over a plurality of stages on a carriage in the treatment tank 3, and heat sterilization is performed above the bottom surface in the treatment tank 3. .

The processing bath 3 is provided with a temperature sensor (not shown) for detecting the temperature inside the processing bath 3 and a water level detector (not shown) for detecting the water level inside the processing bath 3 . The water level detector may have any configuration, but may be an electrode type water level detector, for example.

The water supply means 4 supplies water into the processing tank 3 through the water supply path 40 . The water supply line 40 is connected to the bottom of the processing tank 3 and is provided with a water supply pump 41 and a water supply valve 42 toward the processing tank 3 . By opening the water supply valve 42 while the water supply pump 41 is in operation, water from the water supply source can be supplied into the processing tank 3 and stored in the processing tank 3 . In this embodiment, water is stored in the processing bath 3 up to a set water level at which the objects 2 to be processed stored in the processing bath 3 are not immersed.

The drainage means 5 drains water from the treatment tank 3 through the drainage channel 50 . The drainage channel 50 is connected to the bottom of the treatment tank 3 and is provided with a drainage valve 51 and a check valve 52 . By opening the drain valve 51, the water in the treatment tank 3 can be discharged to the outside.

The pressurizing means 6 supplies pressurized air (in other words, compressed air) into the processing tank 3 through the pressurizing passage 60 . By opening the pressurization valve 61 provided in the pressurization path 60, the pressurized air from the pressurized air source can be supplied into the processing bath 3, and the inside of the processing bath 3 can be pressurized to a pressure exceeding the atmospheric pressure. .

The exhaust means 7 exhausts gas through the exhaust path 70 from the inside of the processing tank 3 under a pressure exceeding the atmospheric pressure. The exhaust path 70 is connected to the upper portion of the processing bath 3, and is provided with an exhaust valve 71 and a check valve 72 in order from the processing bath 3 side. When the exhaust valve 71 is opened while the pressure in the processing tank 3 exceeds the atmospheric pressure, the gas in the processing tank 3 is discharged to the outside through the exhaust path 70, and the pressure in the processing tank 3 can be lowered. can.

The circulation means 8 circulates water (treated water) between the treatment tank 3 and the heat exchanger 9 . The circulation means 8 includes a circulation path 80 , a circulation pump 81 and an ejection nozzle 82 . One end of the circulation path 80 is connected to the bottom of the processing bath 3 , and the other end is connected to a jet nozzle 82 in the processing bath 3 via the circulation pump 81 and the heat exchanger 9 in this order. The jet nozzle 82 jets the treated water from the circulation path 80 toward the object 2 to be treated. The shape and number of the jet nozzles 82 are arbitrary, but it is preferable to configure them so that the treated water is evenly jetted over the objects to be treated 2 contained in the treatment bath 3 .

The heat exchanger 9 is provided in the circulation path 80 of the circulation means 8 . The heat exchanger 9 heats the treated water flowing through the circulation path 80 with steam supplied from the steam supply means 10 described later, and is supplied from the first cooling means 11 or the second cooling means 12 described later. Used for cooling with cold water. In the following description, the side through which the steam supplied from the steam supply means 10 and the cooling water (first cooling water or second cooling water) supplied from the first cooling means 11 or the second cooling means 12 flows The primary side of the heat exchanger 9, which is connected to the circulation path 80 and through which the treated water flows, is called the secondary side of the heat exchanger 9. FIG.

The steam supply means 10 supplies heating steam to the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 to heat the treated water flowing through the circulation path 80 . The steam supply means 10 includes a steam supply line 100 for supplying steam from the boiler to the heat exchanger 9 , and the steam supply line 100 is provided with a steam supply valve 101 . By adjusting the opening degree of the steam supply valve 101, the temperature of the treated water circulating in the circulation path 80, and thus the temperature in the treatment tank 3, can be adjusted as desired. Specifically, the opening degree of the steam supply valve 101 is adjusted based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor of the processing tank 3 . In the illustrated example, the steam supply passage 100 has a portion of the pipeline downstream of the steam supply valve 101 (on the side of the heat exchanger 9 ) shared with the first cold water supply passage 112 of the first cooling means 11 . It becomes a road. Further, the steam supply passage 100 joins the first cold water feed passage 112 at a position on the downstream side (the heat exchanger 9 side) of the first cold water feed valve 114 .

The first cooling means 11 supplies cold water (hereinafter referred to as first cooling water) to the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 to cool the treated water flowing through the circulation path 80 . The first cooling means 11 comprises a cooling tower 110 . The water cooled by the cooling tower 110 is supplied as first cooling water (cooling tower water) to the heat exchanger 9 by the first water pump 111 via the first cold water supply path 112, and after passing through the heat exchanger 9 water is returned to the cooling tower 110 via the first cold water return path 113 . By indirectly cooling the treated water circulating in the circulation path 80 with the first cooling water, the temperature in the treatment tank 3 can be lowered and the object 2 to be treated can be cooled.

A first cold water supply valve 114 is provided in the first cold water supply path 112 , and a first cold water return valve 115 is provided in the first cold water return path 113 . When the first water pump 111 is operated with the first cold water feed valve 114 and the first cold water return valve 115 open, the first cooling water is circulated between the cooling tower 110 and the primary side of the heat exchanger 9. can be made On the other hand, by closing the first cold water feed valve 114 and the first cold water return valve 115, the flow of cold water to the heat exchanger 9 can be stopped.

The second cooling means 12 supplies cold water (hereinafter referred to as second cooling water) colder than the cold water (first cooling water) supplied by the first cooling means 11 to the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 to circulate. The treated water flowing through the passage 80 is cooled. The second cooling means 12 comprises a chiller 120 . The water cooled (generated) by the chiller 120 is supplied to the heat exchanger 9 as the second cooling water (chiller water) by the second water supply pump 121 via the second cold water supply path 122, and the heat exchanger 9 The water after passing through is returned to the chiller 120 via the second cold water return path 123 . By indirectly cooling the treated water circulating in the circulation path 80 with the second cooling water, the temperature in the treatment tank 3 can be lowered and the object 2 to be treated can be further cooled.

The second cold water feed passage 122 is provided with a second cold water feed valve 124 , while the second cold water return passage 123 is provided with a second cold water return valve 125 . When the second water pump 121 is operated with the second cold water feed valve 124 and the second cold water return valve 125 open, the second cooling water can be circulated between the chiller 120 and the heat exchanger 9. can. On the other hand, by closing the second cold water feed valve 124 and the second cold water return valve 125, the flow of cold water to the heat exchanger 9 can be stopped.

In the case of the illustrated example, the second cold water feed passage 122 has a part of the pipe line on the downstream side (the heat exchanger 9 side) of the second cold water feed valve 124 and the first cold water feed passage 112 of the first cooling means 11 . It is a common pipeline. In the second cold water return path 123, a part of the pipeline on the upstream side (the side of the heat exchanger 9) of the second cold water return valve 125 is shared with the first cold water return path 113 of the first cooling means 11. It has become. Here, the second cold water feed passage 122 is downstream of the first cold water feed valve 114 (on the side of the heat exchanger 9) and upstream of the junction of the steam supply passage 100 and the first cold water feed passage 112. It merges with the first cold water feed path 112 at a position. In addition, the second cold water return path 123 is upstream of the first cold water return valve 115 (on the side of the heat exchanger 9), and the drain discharge path 130 of the drain discharge means 13 described later joins the first cold water return path 113. It merges with the first cold water return path 113 at a position downstream of the part.

The drain discharge means 13 discharges the condensed water of the heating steam supplied to the heat exchanger 9 by the steam supply means 10 to the outside. The drain discharge means 13 includes a drain discharge valve 131 , a steam trap 132 and a check valve 133 provided in this order in a drain discharge passage 130 branched from the first cold water return passage 113 . The drain discharge means 13 branches off from the first cold water return path 113 on the upstream side (the heat exchanger 9 side) of the junction of the first cold water return path 113 and the second cold water return path 123 . By opening the drain discharge valve 131 when supplying steam to the heat exchanger 9, the condensed water of the steam can drop downward and be discharged to the outside.

The compressed air supply means 14 supplies compressed air as fluid to the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 to pressurize the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 . The compressed air supply means 14 includes a compressed air supply path 140 connected to a compressed air source and a compressed air supply valve 141 . In the illustrated example, the compressed air supply path 140 has a part of the pipeline on the downstream side (heat exchanger 9 side) of the compressed air supply valve 141 that is shared with the first cold water supply path 112 of the first cooling means 11 . It is a pipeline. In addition, the compressed air supply path 140 is upstream of the junction of the first cold water supply path 112 and the steam supply path 100 and downstream of the junction of the first cold water supply path 112 and the second cold water supply path 122. At a position, it merges with the first cold water feed path 112 . The compressed air source connected to the compressed air supply path 140 of the compressed air supply means 14 and the pressurized air source connected to the pressurized path 60 of the pressurizing means 6 can be shared. .

The control means 15 controls each of the above-described means based on detection signals from the temperature sensor and the water level detector, elapsed time, and the like. Specifically, the control means 15 includes a water supply pump 41, a water supply valve 42, a drain valve 51, a pressure valve 61, an exhaust valve 71, a circulation pump 81, a steam supply valve 101, a cooling tower 110, a first water supply pump 111, a first Cold water feed valve 114, first cold water return valve 115, chiller 120, second water pump 121, second cold water feed valve 124, second cold water return valve 125, drain discharge valve 131, compressed air supply valve 141 and the like are controlled. A temperature sensor, a water level detector, and the like are connected to the control means 15 . As will be described later, the control means 15 performs heat sterilization and subsequent cooling of the objects 2 to be treated in the treatment bath 3 according to a predetermined procedure (program).

It should be noted that the control means 15 configured as described above can be specifically configured by an information processing device having a CPU, a memory (for example, a flash memory), an input section, and an output section. Then, the processing by each component of the control means 15 configured by the information processing device is performed by the CPU reading and executing the program stored in the memory. For example, a personal computer, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), or a microcomputer is used as the information processing device. However, some functions of the control means 15 may be configured to be executed on a cloud connected by any communication means.

2. Operation of the sterilizer 1 The control means 15 controls various valves and pumps according to a predetermined procedure (program) to perform heat sterilization and subsequent cooling of the object 2 in the treatment tank 3 . Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the control means 15 controls the water supply step S1 into the treatment tank 3 and the sterilization step S3 in a state in which the object 2 is stored in the treatment tank 3. A transfer step S2, a sterilization step S3 for heat sterilizing the object 2, a first compressed air supply step S4 for supplying compressed air to the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 after the sterilization step S3, and heat sterilization by the first cooling means 11. A first cooling step S5 for cooling the subsequent workpiece 2, a second compressed air supply step S6 for supplying compressed air to the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 after the first cooling step S5, and a A second cooling step S7 for further cooling the object to be treated 2 and a step S8 for draining the water from the treatment tank 3 are sequentially performed. Each step will be described in more detail below.

<Water supply step S1>
In the water supply step S1, the control means 15 causes the water supply means 4 to supply water into the processing tank 3, and the water is stored in the processing tank 3 up to a set water level. Specifically, the water supply unit 4 supplies water by opening the water supply valve 42 while the water supply pump 41 is in operation. A water level detector can detect that water has been stored in the treatment tank 3 up to the set water level. The set water level is a water level at which none of the objects 2 to be treated in the treatment tank 3 is submerged, preferably a lower water level at which none of the objects to be treated 2 in the treatment tank 3 is immersed.

<Transition step S2>
In the transition step S2, the control means 15 drives the circulation pump 81 of the circulation means 8 to circulate the treated water between the treatment tank 3 and the heat exchanger 9, while supplying the treated water to the heat exchanger 9. The temperature in the processing tank 3 is raised by heating with the steaming means 10 . Specifically, the control means 15 supplies heating steam to the heat exchanger 9 by opening the steam supply valve 101 to heat the treated water. Further, in the transition step S2, the control means 15 opens the drain discharge valve 131 of the drain discharge means 13 to discharge the condensed water of the steam to the outside. On the other hand, in the transition step S2, the control means 15 controls the first cold water feed valve 114 and the first cold water return valve 115 of the first cooling means 11, the second cold water feed valve 124 and the second cold water return valve of the second cooling means 12. 125, the compressed air supply valve 141 of the compressed air supply means 14 is closed. When the transition time elapses from the start of the transition step S2, or when the inside of the treatment bath 3 rises to the sterilization temperature, the transition step S2 is terminated.

Since the water from the circulation pump 81 accumulates in the circulation path 80 and the tray 20 immediately after the circulation pump 81 is started, the water level in the treatment tank 3 drops. Therefore, if water is not properly replenished into the processing tank 3, the water stored in the processing tank 3 will be insufficient, and there is a risk that the circulation pump 81 will be entrapped with air. Therefore, the water level in the processing tank 3 is monitored by a water level detector, and when the water level in the processing tank 3 falls below the minimum water level, the water supply means 4 supplies water into the processing tank 3 until the set water level is reached. In addition, even if such water supply control is performed, the supply of water to the processing tank 3 cannot catch up immediately after the circulation pump 81 is started. Air trapping may occur. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the circulation pump 81 is started, the circulation pump 81 is operated intermittently or the flow rate of the treated water is gradually increased.

After completion of the transition step S2, the pressurizing valve 61 of the pressurizing means 6 and the exhaust valve 71 of the exhausting means 7 are closed in order to prevent the package (retort pouch, etc.) from bursting due to expansion of the workpiece 2 by heating. are controlled to pressurize according to the temperature in the processing tank 3 . After that, the water circulation by the circulation means 8 and the pressurization in the processing tank 3 are continued until the second cooling step S7 is completed.

<Sterilization step S3>
In the sterilization step S3, the control means 15 controls the supply of steam to the heat exchanger 9 by the steam supply means 10 while circulating water between the treatment tank 3 and the heat exchanger 9 by the circulation means 8. Water is heated to make sterilizing water, and the inside of the processing tank 3 is thereby maintained at the sterilization temperature, and the object 2 to be processed in the processing tank 3 is heated and sterilized. Specifically, the control means 15 adjusts the opening degree of the steam supply valve 101 to maintain the temperature detected by the temperature sensor of the treatment bath 3 at or above the sterilization temperature. Also in the sterilization step S3, the control means 15 opens the drain discharge valve 131 of the drain discharge means 13 to discharge the condensed water of the steam to the outside. On the other hand, in the sterilization step S3, the control means 15 controls the first cold water feed valve 114 and the first cold water return valve 115 of the first cooling means 11, the second cold water feed valve 124 and the second cold water return valve of the second cooling means 12. 125, the compressed air supply valve 141 of the compressed air supply means 14 is closed.

When the inside of the treatment tank 3 is at the sterilization temperature or higher and the sterilization time has elapsed, the control means 15 stops the supply of steam to the heat exchanger 9 by the steam supply means 10, and terminates the sterilization step S3. Specifically, the control means 15 closes the steam supply valve 101 of the steam supply means 10 . As described above, in the sterilization step S3, the pressurizing means 6 and the exhaust means 7 are controlled to set the inside of the processing tank 3 to a set pressure exceeding the atmospheric pressure (more than the saturated vapor pressure corresponding to the temperature inside the processing tank). high pressure).

<First Compressed Air Supply Step S4>
The first compressed air supply step S4 is performed for a predetermined time after the sterilization step S3 is finished and before the first cooling step S5 is started. In the first compressed air supply step S<b>4 , the control means 15 supplies compressed air to the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 from the compressed air supply means 14 to pressurize the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 . Specifically, the control means 15 supplies compressed air to the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 by opening the compressed air supply valve 141 of the compressed air supply means 14 . Further, the control means 15 keeps the drain discharge valve 131 of the drain discharge means 13 open. On the other hand, the control means 15 controls the steam supply valve 101 of the steam supply means 10, the first cold water feed valve 114 and the first cold water return valve 115 of the first cooling means 11, the second cold water feed valve 124 of the second cooling means 12 and the The second cold water return valve 125 is closed. The pressurization of the heat exchanger 9 by the compressed air supply means 14 is continued until or immediately after the start of the first cooling step S5. In other words, the first cooling step S<b>5 is started after or just before the pressurization of the heat exchanger 9 by the compressed air supply means 14 for a predetermined period of time. The control means 15 ends the first compressed air supply step S4 by closing the compressed air supply valve 141 .

<First cooling step S5>
In the first cooling step S5, the control means 15 causes the first cooling means 11 to pass the first cooling water to the heat exchanger 9 while the circulation means 8 circulates the water between the processing tank 3 and the heat exchanger 9. The treated water is cooled by cooling, thereby cooling the object to be treated 2 in the treatment tank 3 . Specifically, the control means 15 opens the first cold water feed valve 114 and the first cold water return valve 115 of the first cooling means 11, drives the first water feed pump 111, and closes the drain discharge valve 131 of the drain discharge means 13. By closing, the first cooling water is circulated between the cooling tower 110 and the heat exchanger 9 . In the first cooling step S5, the control means 15 controls the steam supply valve 101 of the steam supply means 10, the second cold water feed valve 124 and the second cold water return valve 125 of the second cooling means 12, and the compressed air supply means 14. The compressed air supply valve 141 is closed.

When the cooling time elapses from the start of the first cooling step S5, or when the temperature in the processing bath 3 drops to a preset first cooling temperature (when a predetermined time elapses after reaching the first cooling temperature), the first The first cold water feed valve 114 and the first cold water return valve 115 are closed, and the first water feed pump 111 is stopped. As a result, the supply of the first cooling water to the heat exchanger 9 by the first cooling means 11 is stopped, and the first cooling step S5 ends.

<Second Compressed Air Supply Step S6>
The second compressed air supply step S6 is performed for a predetermined time after the end of the first cooling step S5 and before the start of the second cooling step S7. In the second compressed air supply step S<b>6 , the control means 15 supplies compressed air to the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 from the compressed air supply means 14 to pressurize the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 . Specifically, the control means 15 supplies compressed air to the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 by opening the compressed air supply valve 141 of the compressed air supply means 14 . Also, the control means 15 opens the drain discharge valve 131 of the drain discharge means 13 . Further, in the second compressed air supply step S6, the control means 15 controls the steam supply valve 101 of the steam supply means 10, the first cold water feed valve 114 and the first cold water return valve 115 of the first cooling means 11, the second cooling means 12 of the second cold water feed valve 124 and the second cold water return valve 125 are closed. As a result, the first cooling water flowing through the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 is discharged from the drain discharge passage 130 . In addition, in the second compressed air supply step S6, for example, compressed air having a pressure of 0.35 MPa is supplied to the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 for 10 seconds as the "predetermined time". Further, after executing the second compressed air supply step S6 for a predetermined time, the control means 15 closes the compressed air supply valve 141 to end the second compressed air supply step S6.

<Second cooling step S7>
In the second cooling step S7, the control means 15 causes the second cooling means 12 to pass the second cooling water to the heat exchanger 9 while the circulation means 8 circulates the water between the processing tank 3 and the heat exchanger 9. The treated water is cooled by cooling, thereby cooling the object to be treated 2 in the treatment tank 3 . Specifically, the control means 15 opens the second cold water feed valve 124 and the second cold water return valve 125 of the second cooling means 12, and drives the second water feed pump 121 to control the chiller 120 and the heat exchanger. 9 to circulate the second cooling water. In the second cooling step S7, the control means 15 controls the steam supply valve 101 of the steam supply means 10, the first cold water feed valve 114 and the first cold water return valve 115 of the first cooling means 11, and the compressed air supply means 14. The compressed air supply valve 141 is closed.

When the cooling time elapses from the start of the second cooling step S7, or when the temperature in the processing bath 3 drops to a second cooling temperature lower than the preset first cooling temperature (after dropping to the first cooling temperature After a predetermined time has elapsed), the second cold water feed valve 124 and the second cold water return valve 125 are closed, and the second water feed pump 121 is stopped. As a result, the supply of the second cooling water to the heat exchanger 9 by the second cooling means 12 is stopped, and the second cooling step S7 ends.

<Drainage process S8>
In the drainage step S8, the treated water is drained from the treatment tank 3 by the drainage means 5. As shown in FIG. At this time, the control means 15 opens the water discharge valve 51 in a state in which the pressurizing valve 61 is opened and the inside of the processing tank 3 is pressurized by the pressurizing means 6, so that the water can be quickly discharged from the processing tank 3 to the outside. . After that, the pressure valve 61 is closed and the exhaust valve 71 of the exhaust means 7 is opened to return the inside of the processing tank 3 to atmospheric pressure. can be taken out.

3. Effects As described above, the sterilizer 1 of this embodiment includes two cooling means, the first cooling means 11 and the second cooling means 12 . Then, the control means 15 controls various valves and pumps, so that after the first cooling means 11 removes the rough heat of the treated water in the first cooling step S5, the second cooling means in the second cooling step S7 12 to further cool the treated water. This makes it possible to make the whole sterilization apparatus 1 more compact than when the treated water is cooled by one cooling means.

In addition, since the first cooling means 11 includes the cooling tower 110, the heat exchanger 9 receives heat from the high-temperature treated water after the sterilization step S3, and the high-temperature first cooling water is cooled appropriately. It is possible. Furthermore, since the second cooling means 12 has the chiller 120 , it is possible to further cool the treated water after the rough heat has been removed by the first cooling means 11 having the cooling tower 110 .

In the sterilizer 1 of the present embodiment, in the first compressed air supply step S4, the control means 15 supplies compressed air to the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 by the compressed air supply means 14, and the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 is It is pressurized. As a result, it is possible to prevent rapid pressure reduction due to vapor condensation when the first cooling water is supplied in the next first cooling step S5. In addition, this prevents steam from blowing out from a safety valve (not shown) when the first cooling water is supplied, thereby preventing noise and vibration from being generated from the piping.

The sterilization apparatus 1 of the present embodiment has a configuration in which the first cooling means 11 includes the cooling tower 110. When the cooling tower 110 is used, the water flowing through the cooling tower 110 contains chemicals for preventing corrosion and suppressing the generation of slime. may be put in. In such a case, the introduced chemicals and other contaminants caused by the cooling tower 110 will flow through the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 together with the first cooling water. Flowing into the chiller 120 of the means 12 may cause the chiller 120 to malfunction.

In this regard, in the sterilization apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, in the second compressed air supply step S6, the control means 15 supplies compressed air to the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 by the compressed air supply means 14, and the heat exchanger 9 It is designed to pressurize the primary side. As a result, the first cooling water flowing through the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 in the first cooling step S5 is discharged from the drain discharge valve 131, and the inside of the heat exchanger 9 is purified. As a result, dirt caused by the cooling tower 110 does not flow into the chiller 120 of the second cooling means 12 in the next second cooling step S7, and it is possible to prevent the chiller 120 from malfunctioning.

The sterilizer 1 of this embodiment is configured to use the compressed air supply means 14 used in the first compressed air supply step S4 also in the second compressed air supply step S6. As a result, rapid pressure reduction due to vapor condensation is prevented in the first cooling step S5 without using separate configurations for the first compressed air supply step S4 and the second compressed air supply step S6, and the first cooling step It is possible to purify the heat exchanger 9 after S5.

4. Modifications The present invention can also be implemented in the following modes.

In the above-described embodiment, the sterilization device 1 as a processing device was provided with the steam supplying means 10 for supplying steam to the heat exchanger 9 . However, the processing apparatus need not be one that performs sterilization, and does not have to be equipped with the steaming means 10 . That is, the processing apparatus of the present invention can also be configured as an apparatus for simply cooling the object 2 to be processed such as food. Also in this case, by providing two cooling means, the first cooling means 11 and the second cooling means 12, it is possible to make the entire processing apparatus smaller than when the treated water is cooled by one cooling means. ing.

In the above embodiment, the first cooling means 11 has the cooling tower 110 and the second cooling means 12 has the chiller 120. However, both the first cooling means 11 and the second cooling means 12 have chillers. can be Even in this case, by sequentially cooling with two chillers, a smaller (smaller capacity) chiller can be used than when cooling with one chiller, and an increase in the size of the entire apparatus can be avoided. It becomes possible. Specifically, for example, the first cooling means 11 is a chiller capable of cooling to a first cooling temperature (eg, 10°C), and the second cooling means 12 is a chiller capable of cooling to a second cooling temperature (eg, 3°C). Then, an appropriate chiller can be used according to the temperature of the treated water in the circulation path 80 to be cooled, and it is possible to improve the cooling efficiency (save labor) while avoiding an increase in the size of the entire apparatus. becomes.

In the above embodiment, the control means 15 controls the heat treatment after cooling the treated water by the cooling tower 110 (after the first cooling step S5) and before cooling the treated water by the chiller 120 (before the second cooling step S7). The second compressed air supply step S<b>6 was performed using the compressed air supply means 14 as the fluid supply means for supplying the fluid to the primary side of the exchanger 9 . However, it is also possible to use a cleaning water supply means that supplies cleaning water (liquid) instead of compressed air to the primary side of the heat exchanger 9 as the fluid supply means. If the second cold water feed valve 124 of the second cooling means 12 is opened and the second cold water return valve 125 is closed, the second cooling water (chilled water) can be used as the washing water.

In the above embodiment, the sterilizer 1 includes the compressed air supply means 14, and the control means 15 uses the compressed air supply means 14 to perform the first compressed air supply step S4 and the second compressed air supply step S6. Met. However, the control means 15 may be configured not to perform either the first compressed air supply step S4 or the second compressed air supply step S6.

Also, the sterilizer 1 may be configured without the compressed air supply means 14 . Even if the sterilizer 1 does not have the compressed air supply means 14, for example, after the first cooling step S5, the first cooling remaining in the heat exchanger 9 is performed as the second compressed air supply step S6. The water may be discharged by the drain discharge means 13. Even in this way, it is possible to suppress the inflow of dirt caused by the first cooling means 11 into the second cooling means 12 .

1: Sterilization equipment (processing equipment)
2: Object to be treated 3: Treatment tank 4: Water supply means 5: Drainage means 6: Pressurization means 7: Exhaust means 8: Circulation means 9: Heat exchanger 10: Steam supply means 11: First cooling means 12: Second Cooling means 13: Drain discharge means 14: Compressed air supply means (fluid supply means)
15: Control means 20: Tray 40: Water supply path 41: Water supply pump 42: Water supply valve 50: Drainage path 51: Drainage valve 52: Check valve 60: Pressurization path 61: Pressurization valve 70: Exhaust path 71: Exhaust valve 72 : Check valve 80 : Circulation path 81 : Circulation pump 82 : Ejection nozzle 100 : Steam supply path 101 : Steam supply valve 110 : Cooling tower 111 : First water pump 112 : First cold water supply path 113 : First cold water return path 114 : First cold water feed valve 115 : First cold water return valve 120 : Chiller 121 : Second water pump 122 : Second cold water feed passage 123 : Second cold water return passage 124 : Second cold water feed valve 125 : Second cold water return valve 130: drain discharge path 131: drain discharge valve 132: steam trap 133: check valve 140: compressed air supply path 141: compressed air supply valve S1: water supply process S2: transition process S3: sterilization process S4: first compressed air supply Step S5: First cooling step S6: Second compressed air supply step S7: Second cooling step S8: Drainage step

Claims (5)

A processing apparatus for processing an object to be processed,
A treatment tank, a circulation means, a heat exchanger, a first cooling means, and a second cooling means,
The processing tank is configured to accommodate the object to be processed,
The circulation means includes a circulation path and is configured to circulate the treated water in the treatment tank,
The heat exchanger is provided in the circulation path,
The first cooling means is configured to supply first cooling water to the heat exchanger and cool the treated water via the heat exchanger,
The second cooling means is configured to supply second cooling water to the heat exchanger after cooling the treated water by the first cooling means and cool the treated water via the heat exchanger. , processing equipment. The processing apparatus according to claim 1,
A processing apparatus, wherein said first cooling means comprises a cooling tower and said second cooling means comprises a chiller. The processing apparatus according to claim 2,
comprising fluid supply means;
The processing apparatus, wherein the fluid supply means supplies a fluid to the heat exchanger after cooling the treated water by the cooling tower and before cooling the treated water by the chiller. A processing apparatus according to claim 3,
Equipped with steam supply means,
the steam supply means is configured to supply steam to the heat exchanger to heat the treated water via the heat exchanger;
The fluid supply means supplies the fluid to the heat exchanger even after the treated water is heated by the steam supply means and after the treated water is cooled by the cooling tower. The processing apparatus according to claim 3 or claim 4,
The processing unit, wherein the fluid supply means supplies compressed air to the heat exchanger.

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