JP4630632B2 - Diaphragm valve for steam and steam sterilization system and method using the same - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a steam diaphragm valve and a steam sterilization system and method using the same, and in particular, aseptic properties such as a pharmaceutical water supply system (manufacturing / supply system) and a purified liquid supply system for food (manufacturing / supply system). The present invention relates to a steam diaphragm valve suitable for use in a drain line of a system that requires sterilization using steam in order to maintain the same, and a steam sterilization system and steam sterilization method using the steam diaphragm valve.

  In the field of food production such as the pharmaceutical field, sweeteners and functional foods, predetermined water for injection, purified water or purified liquid flows through the system. For example, in a pharmaceutical water supply system such as water for injection and purified water, it is often required that the entire system including the use point is maintained in a sterile state. In order to maintain sterility, the system is usually maintained by using steam (particularly water vapor) for a predetermined time or longer (for example, 20 minutes or longer) and a predetermined temperature or higher (for example, 121 ° C. or higher). The inside is sterilized, and medical water or purified liquid is supplied after sterilization. In this sterilization operation, steam drainage is generated when the system is heated and maintained, and if this drainage is not removed, the temperature of the portion where the drainage stays will drop. There is a need.

  In the conventional sterilization operation, for example, as shown in FIG. 6 (A), a drain line 102 located at the bottom of the system 101 is connected to a valve 104 attached to the main pipe 103 and a steam attached to the bypass pipe 105. A trap 106 is provided, and the drain is drained through the bypass pipe 105 and the steam trap 106 with the valve 104 closed. Instead of the steam trap 106, an orifice 107 (FIG. 6B) and a needle valve 108 (FIG. 6C) may be provided. In the figure, 109 is a normal on-off valve that shuts off the inside of the system 101 and the drain line 102 when purified water is supplied to a predetermined use point in the system 101 after sterilization, 110 is a temperature sensor, 111 is Each check valve is shown.

In the system configuration as described above, the sterilization operation is performed by the following steps, for example.
(1) Drain water from the system. Pump to the liquid level that can be pumped out and blow the rest with gravity.
(2) Further, the remaining water in the system is pushed out using air. When there are a plurality of valves, the valves are opened and closed sequentially.
(3) Open the valve on the main piping side at the bottom of the system and introduce steam into the system.
(4) Close the valve on the lowermost main piping side and let the drain flow to the bypass piping side.
(5) The temperature in the system rises and becomes, for example, 121 ° C. or higher.
(6) The temperature in the system is maintained at 121 ° C. or higher for a certain period of time (for example, 20 minutes or longer), and predetermined sterilization is performed.
(7) After the temperature is maintained, the main piping side valve is opened to blow steam. When there are a plurality of valves, the valves are opened and closed sequentially.
(8) In a positive pressure state (100 ° C. or higher), pressurize with air so as not to become negative pressure, and substitute and blow steam.

  However, in the system in which the bypass pipe is provided in the drain line as described above, the valve on the main pipe side is closed when the temperature is maintained. Therefore, the drain accumulates immediately before the valve on the main pipe side, and the part and the peripheral part are predetermined. There is a problem that the temperature cannot be maintained. In particular, in a system using a steam trap, the operation may become unstable because the steam trap discharges drainage by mechanical operation. For example, in the sterilization operation, there is a process of blowing in the system with air as described above. If so-called air lock is caused by this air, the drain may not be removed. Moreover, since the steam trap has a mechanical working part, regular maintenance is required.

  Therefore, the problem of the present invention is to pay attention to the problems in such a conventional system, prevent drain from accumulating in the drain line, and generate problems such as inconvenience associated with drain retention, particularly inability to maintain a predetermined sterilization temperature. An object of the present invention is to provide a steam valve that can be prevented, and to provide a steam sterilization system and method that can reliably perform a predetermined sterilization operation using the steam valve.

In order to solve the above problems, a steam diaphragm valve according to the present invention, have a fine channel capable of discharging the drain with venting of steam at minute flow rate the fully closed state, the fine small flow path, the diaphragm consisting of those characterized by Rukoto have a valve primary side lower portion of the opposed valve inner surface and the secondary side is formed by engraving a groove communicating.

The steam valve, when particularly used for sterilization can be achieved at high diaphragm valve sanitation. For example, the minute flow path can be formed by forming a groove communicating the primary side and the secondary side of the valve in the lower portion of the inner surface of the valve facing the diaphragm . In terms of maintenance, the diaphragm valve structure is easy. With regard to sanitary properties, the diaphragm valve structure is excellent because the valve passage side and the diaphragm actuator side are completely separated via the diaphragm.

The steam sterilization system according to the present invention comprises such a steam diaphragm valve in a drain line in the system.

In this steam sterilization system, the lower portion of the inner surface of the valve where the micro-channel is formed is substantially the lowest position of the inner surface of the valve , that is, the lowest position in the steam diaphragm valve. It is preferable that the mounting posture of the diaphragm valve for steam is set so as to come. Therefore, the optimum mounting position of the vapor diaphragm valve to be an orientation inclined steam diaphragm valve. In this way, the primary and secondary sides of the valve communicate with each other in the lower part of the valve through the micro flow path, and the drain that tends to accumulate in the lower part due to gravity is smoothly removed through the micro flow path. It will follow.

  Such a steam sterilization system is suitable, for example, by being incorporated in a pharmaceutical water supply system or a purified liquid supply system for food.

In the steam sterilization method according to the present invention, the steam diaphragm valve as described above is used for the drain line in the system, the steam diaphragm valve is fully closed, the system is filled with steam, and the system is filled with a predetermined amount. By sterilizing the system by maintaining at a predetermined temperature or higher (for example, 121 ° C. or higher) for a period of time or longer (for example, 20 minutes or longer), and ventilating steam at a minute flow rate through the microchannel during the sterilization. It consists wherein the Rukoto drained drain.

In the steam diaphragm valve according to the present invention as described above, the minute flow path allows the steam to be constantly ventilated at a minute flow rate even when the valve is fully closed. Is always discharged with the passage of steam, and drainage does not accumulate on the primary side of the valve and in the valve. Therefore, if this steam diaphragm valve is used at a location where drain retention causes inconvenience such as a temperature drop, the occurrence of the inconvenience is surely prevented.

Conventionally, as a technology related to valves, many technologies have been proposed as to how to reliably establish a fully closed state, that is, how to reliably prevent leakage. There is no technical idea of positively leaking, in particular, positively leaking a small amount of steam. In this respect, it can be said that the diaphragm valve for steam according to the present invention has absolute novelty.

Then, by using the steam diaphragm valve according to the present invention for the steam sterilization system and the steam sterilization method, the problems associated with drain retention in the drain line of the conventional system and method can be solved at once, and a predetermined sterilization operation can be performed. It will surely be performed stably. In addition, the target draining operation can be performed only with this steam diaphragm valve, and the above-described bypass pipe and the steam trap, orifice, and needle valve provided therein are not required, so the structure of the draining line is simplified. And cost reduction.

The steam diaphragm valve according to the present invention can reliably prevent the accumulation of drain in the valve and on the primary side of the valve, and can be applied to any application in which problems occur due to the steam drain retention. In particular, if it is applied to the drainage line in the steam sterilization system and method for pharmaceutical water and food purification liquid supply systems, the structure of the drainage line can be simplified and the cost can be reduced while reducing the target sterilization operation. It becomes possible to carry out reliably and reliably without accompanying.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 3 show a steam diaphragm valve according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a diaphragm valve 1 as a steam valve according to the present invention as seen from the front side, and shows a fully closed state of the diaphragm valve 1. FIG. 2 shows the diaphragm valve 1 from the side. FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the diaphragm valve 1 viewed from the front side in the fully opened state.

The diaphragm valve 1 has an elastically deformable diaphragm 2, and this diaphragm 2 is moved (or elastically deformed) within the valve by an actuator 4 (both manual and automatic is possible) via a connecting portion 3. Thus, the in-valve passage 7 between the valve primary side portion 5 and the secondary side portion 6 is opened and closed. A plurality of minute grooves 8 are formed on the inner surface of the valve facing the diaphragm 2 so that the valve primary side portion 5 and the secondary side portion 6 always communicate with each other in the valve passage 7 when the valve is fully closed. In the embodiment, a total of three fine grooves 8 are engraved. These microgrooves 8 constitute the “microchannel capable of discharging drainage along with the flow of steam at a very small flow rate in the fully closed state” in the present invention.

  The number of the minute grooves 8 may be one, but in the case of one, the minute grooves 8 are not always positioned at the lowest position of the valve depending on the mounting form of the diaphragm valve 1, particularly its posture. For example, even when the diaphragm valve 1 is mounted tilted, a total of three microgrooves 8 are different from each other in this embodiment so that any one of the microgrooves 8 can be positioned at or near the lowest position of the valve. In the position. Since the drain tends to collect in the lower part due to its own weight, the drain that tries to accumulate in the lower part can be satisfactorily extracted along with the ventilation of the steam by providing a plurality of minute grooves 8 at appropriate positions as described above. Is possible. Also, since the position where the minute groove 8 is provided is known in advance before the valve is installed, any one of the minute grooves 8 is the most preferable position for drainage by intentionally setting the valve mounting posture to an inclined posture or the like. It can also be made to come to.

FIG. 4 shows a steam valve according to a reference embodiment of the present invention, and particularly shows an example in which a ball valve is applied. 11 shows a ball valve as the steam valve, in particular shows the fully closed state. The ball 12 is rotated in the valve by an actuator 14 (both manual and automatic) via a connecting portion 13. The ball 12 is provided with a comparatively large through hole 15 having a circular cross section extending in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 4. When the through hole 15 is rotated to the state shown in FIG. Then, when the ball 12 is rotated 90 degrees from the state of FIG. 4 and the valve primary side portion 16 and the secondary side portion 17 are communicated with each other through the through hole 15, the valve 12 is fully opened. The ball 12 is provided with through holes 18a, 18b, and 18c as minute passages that allow the valve primary side portion 16 and the secondary side portion 17 to always communicate with each other when the valve is fully closed. The valve primary side portion 16 and the secondary side portion 17 are communicated with each other through the through holes 18a and 18b, the through hole 15, and the through hole 18c.

  The through hole 18c as a minute passage is provided at a substantially central position with respect to the valve secondary side portion 17, but the through holes 18a and 18b as minute passages are formed in the valve primary side portion 16 in the vertical position. The valve is formed so as to extend obliquely and open near the inner surface of the passage of the valve primary side portion 16. Due to the installation structure of the through holes 18a and 18b, the drain that tends to accumulate on the primary side can be smoothly extracted to the secondary side regardless of whether the ball valve 11 is attached to the vertical pipe or the horizontal pipe. Can be done.

Configured diaphragm valve 1 as described above, in the steam diaphragm valve according to the present invention, the fine channel (8), steam at minute flow rate at the valve fully closed state is maintained in the ventilation ready at all times Therefore, the drain that tends to accumulate on the primary side of the valve is in a state of being always discharged with the passage of steam, and the drain does not accumulate on the primary side of the valve and in the valve. Therefore, by using this steam diaphragm valve at a location where drain retention causes inconvenience, the occurrence of the inconvenience is surely prevented and at least suppressed to the extent that it does not cause a problem.

Next, an embodiment of a steam sterilization system and a steam sterilization method using the above-described steam diaphragm valve according to the present invention will be described.
FIG. 5 shows a steam sterilization system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a case where the present invention is applied to a purified water supply system for medical use. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 21 denotes a purified water supply system. Purified water 22 is stored in a purified water tank 23 from, for example, a purified water production system (not shown) in the previous stage, and is then supplied from a supply port, for example, by a pump 24. In addition, the purified water is sent to each use point 26 through 25, and unused purified water is returned to the tank 22 through the return port 27.

  A steam sterilization system 32 according to an embodiment of the present invention is incorporated in the purified water supply system 21 as described below using a plurality of steam valves 31 according to the present invention. Reference numeral 33 denotes sterilizing steam (pure steam), and the steam supply line 34 is connected to the purified water tank 23. Reference numeral 35 denotes aseptic air (pressurized air), and the air supply line 36 is connected to the purified water tank 23 via an air filter 37. The steam valve 31 is provided with respect to the drain line of each part, and is provided at a lower position of each drain line. The steam valve 31a is provided for the drain line 38 to the line up to the pump 24, the inside of the pump 24 and the priming water line, and the steam valve 31b is the drain line 39 to the purified water supply line. The steam valve 31c is provided with respect to the drain line 40 with respect to the inlet line to the purified water tank 23, and the steam valve 31d is mainly provided with respect to the air filter 37. The steam valve 31 e is provided for the drain line 41 with respect to the return line to the purified water tank 23. 43a, 43b, 43c, 43d, 43e are temperature sensors for monitoring the temperature of each drain line, 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d, 44e are check valves, 45a, 45b, 45c, 45d, 45e are The open / close valves for blocking between the purified water line and each drain line in the purified water supply system 21 are shown.

In the purified water supply system 21 in which such a steam sterilization system 32 is incorporated, the sterilization operation is performed by the following steps, for example.
(1) Drain water from the system. Pump to the liquid level that can be pumped out and blow the rest with gravity.
(2) The remaining water in the system is pushed out using sterile air. When there are a plurality of valves, the valves are opened and closed sequentially.
(3) Open the steam valve at the bottom of the system and introduce steam into the system.
(4) After raising the temperature in the system to about 100 to 110 ° C., the lowermost steam valve is closed. Even if the steam valve is fully closed, steam is vented at a minute flow rate through the minute flow path, and drainage is discharged accordingly.
(5) The pressure in the system, that is, the pressure on the primary side of the valve is maintained, and the temperature in the system rises to, for example, 121 ° C. or higher.
(6) The temperature in the system is maintained at 121 ° C. or higher for a certain period of time (for example, usually 20 minutes or longer), and predetermined sterilization is performed.
(7) After holding the temperature, open the valve and blow steam. When there are a plurality of valves, the valves are opened and closed sequentially.
(8) In a positive pressure state (100 ° C. or higher), pressurize with air so as not to become negative pressure, and substitute and blow steam.

  As described above, the retention of drain on the primary side of the steam valve 31 can be reliably prevented, the problem of the temperature decrease due to the steam drain retention can be solved, and the predetermined sterilization operation can be performed reliably and stably. Further, since the conventional bypass line is not required, the structure of the drain line can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

  In addition, although the example of the said steam sterilization system and method demonstrated in the range of the purified water supply system shown in FIG. 5, you may apply to the whole system including the use point 26. FIG. Specifically, a steam sterilization system similar to that shown in FIG.

The steam diaphragm valve according to the present invention can be applied to any application in which a problem occurs due to steam drain retention, and the problem can be solved. In particular, it is suitable for use in steam sterilization systems and methods for purified water for pharmaceuticals and purified water for foods.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view in the fully closed state of the valve | bulb for steam (diaphragm valve) which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a half cross-sectional view of the valve of FIG. 1 as viewed from the side. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view in the fully open state of the valve of FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view in the fully closed state of the valve | bulb for steam (ball valve) which concerns on the reference aspect of this invention. It is an equipment distribution diagram of a purified water supply system in which a steam sterilization system using a steam diaphragm valve according to the present invention is incorporated. It is a schematic equipment block diagram which shows the principal part of the conventional steam sterilization system.

Explanation of symbols

Microgrooves 11 present invention as fine channel according to the diaphragm valve 2 Diaphragm 3 connecting portion 4 actuator 5 valve primary part 6 valve secondary part 7 Ben'nai passage 8 the invention as a steam valve according to one invention Ball valve 12 as a steam valve according to the reference embodiment Ball 12
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 Connection part 14 Actuator 15 Through-hole 16 Valve primary side part 17 Valve secondary side part 18a, 18b, 18c Through-hole 21 as a microchannel based on the reference aspect of this invention Purified water supply system 22 Purified water 23 Purified water tank 24 Pump 25 Supply port 26 Use point 27 Return port 31, 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e Steam valve 32 Steam sterilization system 33 Steam (pure steam)
34 Steam supply line 35 Aseptic air (pressurized air)
36 Air supply line 37 Air filters 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Drain removal lines 43a, 43b, 43c, 43d, 43e Temperature sensors 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d, 44e Check valves 45a, 45b, 45c, 45d, 45e open / close valve

Claims (6)

Have a fine channel capable of discharging the drain with venting of steam at minute flow rate the fully closed state, the fine small flow path, communicating a valve primary side lower portion of the valve interior surface facing the diaphragm and the secondary side steam diaphragm valve characterized that you have been formed by engraving a groove. A steam sterilization system, wherein the steam diaphragm valve according to claim 1 is provided in a drain line in the system. The steam sterilization system according to claim 2 , wherein the mounting posture of the steam diaphragm valve is set so that a lower portion of the valve inner surface in which the minute flow path is formed is substantially the lowest position of the valve inner surface . 4. A steam sterilization system according to claim 2 or 3 incorporated in a pharmaceutical water supply system. The steam sterilization system according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the steam sterilization system is incorporated in a food purification solution supply system. The steam diaphragm valve according to claim 1 is used for a drain drain line in the system, the steam diaphragm valve is fully closed to fill the system with steam, and the system is maintained at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time or more. with sterilizing the inside of the system was characterized by Rukoto is draining by bubbling steam at minute flow rate through the fine channel in the sterile process steam sterilization.

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