JPH0420443Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the invention] a. Purpose of the invention (industrial application field) This invention is used by mushroom farmers to cultivate enoki mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms, and other mushrooms by placing them in culture containers such as wide-mouthed bottles. In addition, regarding the improvement of the steam sterilizer for mushroom culture media used to sterilize culture media such as sawdust, we have developed a method that can efficiently raise the temperature inside the sterilization container even when the ambient temperature is low, such as in winter. It is something to do.

(Conventional technology) When cultivating mushrooms such as enoki mushrooms, a culture medium mainly made of sawdust or the like is placed in a culture container such as a wide-mouthed bottle.
Mushrooms are grown in this culture medium. When cultivating mushrooms in this manner, the culture medium is heat sterilized with steam in advance so that the mushrooms can grow well without the proliferation of bacteria in the culture medium.

As a steam sterilizer for mushroom culture medium used when performing such sterilization treatment, for example,
There is one described in Publication No. 139232. As shown in FIG. 3, this conventional steam sterilization device for mushroom culture media has a steam sterilization system that connects a sterilization container to a boiler (not shown) through a steam supply pipe 3 having an open/close steam valve 2 in the middle.
High-temperature, high-pressure steam can be freely sent inside. 4 is an exhaust pipe for discharging the water vapor present in the sterilization container 1 to the outside, and there is an open/close type exhaust valve 5 in the middle.
has been established. Further, at the bottom of the sterilization container 1, one end of a drain pipe 11 having a trap 6 provided therebetween is opened.

When performing sterilization work using the steam sterilizer for mushroom culture media constructed as described above, first, as shown in FIG. The steam valve 2 is opened and high-temperature, high-pressure steam is sent into the sterilization container 1 to raise the temperature inside the sterilization container 1 to about 100°C.

Thereafter, a so-called flow firing process is performed in which high-temperature steam is sent into the sterilization container 1 while the exhaust valve 5 is kept open, and the air in the sterilization container 1 is discharged through the drain pipe 4.

At the end of this slow-burning process, the exhaust valve 5, which had been open until then, is closed and the pressure inside the sterilization container 1 is increased to bring the temperature inside the sterilization container 1 to about 120°C, which is necessary for sterilization. raise it to. The pressure inside the sterilization container 1 is kept constant by a pressure regulating valve (not shown), so as long as the exhaust valve 5 is closed and steam is continued to be supplied, the temperature inside the sterilization container 1 will remain at 120°C.
It is kept at a constant value.

After completing the sterilization process for a predetermined period of time, close all the valves including the steam valve 2, perform an uneven process to gradually lower the temperature and pressure inside the sterilization container 1, and then open the drain pipe 4. An intermediate exhaust valve 5 is opened to release the water vapor remaining in the sterilization container 1 into the atmosphere.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the conventional steam sterilizer for mushroom culture media constructed and operated as described above has the following disadvantages.

That is, in order to raise the temperature of the sterilized container 1 and the mushroom culture medium stored in the sterilized container 1, the exhaust valve 5 is kept open during the temperature raising process in which steam is sent into the sterilized container 1. , the pressure inside the sterilization container 1 does not increase, and the temperature of the water vapor sent into the sterilization container 1 is the boiling point of water at 1 atm.
The temperature will be around 100℃.

This does not pose a particular problem when the temperature around the sterilization container 1 is high, such as in the summer, but when the temperature around the sterilization container 1 is low, such as in the winter, the sterilization container 1 and its sterilization are It becomes difficult to raise the temperature of the mushroom culture medium stored in the container 1 to about 100°C, and the time required for the temperature raising process becomes unnecessarily long.

The sterilization container can have a double structure like a medical steam sterilizer, but in the case of a steam sterilizer for mushroom culture media, the manufacturing cost must be kept low.
Difficult to hire.

The steam sterilizer for mushroom culture medium of the present invention solves the above-mentioned disadvantages.

b. Structure of the invention (means for solving the problem) The steam sterilization device for mushroom culture medium of the present invention, like the conventional sterilization device described above, has a sterilization container 1 into which the mushroom culture medium can be freely taken out and put in, as shown in Fig. 1. High-temperature steam generated in a boiler can be fed into the boiler through a steam supply pipe 3 having a steam valve 2 in the middle that can be opened and closed.

Furthermore, in the steam sterilizer for mushroom culture medium of the present invention, in order to exhaust the gas in the sterilization container 1, the first,
Two second exhaust pipes 7 and 8 are provided.

In the middle of each of these first and second exhaust pipes 7 and 8, first and second exhaust valves 9 and 10, which open and close independently of each other, are provided.

The exhaust capacity of both the first and second exhaust pipes 7 and 8 under atmospheric pressure is the exhaust capacity of one of the drain pipes (for example, the first exhaust pipe 7), which is higher than the steam supply capacity of the steam supply pipe 3. The sum of the exhaust capacities of both the first and second drain pipes 7 and 8 under atmospheric pressure is made larger than the steam supply capacity of the steam supply pipe 3.

(Function) When using the steam sterilizer for mushroom culture medium of the present invention configured as described above to sterilize mushroom culture medium when the ambient temperature is low, such as in winter, the first exhaust With the valve 9 open and the second exhaust valve 10 closed, the steam valve 2 in the middle of the steam supply pipe 3 is opened to send high-temperature steam into the sterilization container 1.

The water vapor sent into the sterilization container 1 through the steam supply pipe 3 is discharged through the first drain pipe 7, but the exhaust capacity of the first drain pipe 7 under atmospheric pressure is Since the steam supply capacity of sterilization container 1 is smaller than the steam supply capacity of
Accordingly, the temperature of the water vapor existing in the sterilization container 1 is
The temperature inside the sterilization container 1 reaches about 100℃, which is higher than 100℃, which is the boiling point of water at atmospheric pressure.
Rise quickly.

When the temperature inside the sterilization container 1 rises to about 100°C, the second exhaust valve 10, which had been closed until then, is opened and the high-temperature water vapor sent into the sterilization container 1 through the steam supply pipe 3 is released into the sterilization container 1. First and second drain pipes 7, 8
A so-called flow firing process is performed in which the air inside the sterilized container 1 is expelled.

Thereafter, as in the case of the conventional steam sterilizer for mushroom culture medium, only the steam valve 2 is opened and both the first and second exhaust valves 9, 10 are closed, and then all the valves 2, 9, 10 is performed to sterilize the mushroom culture medium.

Incidentally, a drain valve that can be opened and closed may be installed in the middle of the drain pipe 11 equipped with the steam trap 6 for discharging the condensed water accumulated at the bottom of the sterilization container 1, but the opening and closing of this drain valve is Because it is not directly related to the idea,
The explanation will be omitted.

In addition, if you want to slow down the temperature rise inside the sterilization container 1 during the heating process or the beginning of the sterilization process, you can reduce the amount of water vapor sent into the sterilization container 1 per unit time. The amount can be easily adjusted by dividing the steam supply pipe 3 into two parallel systems and adjusting the opening and closing of the steam valves provided for each system.

c. Effects of the invention The steam sterilizer for mushroom culture medium of the present invention is configured and operates as described above, and although it can be constructed with a simple structure and at a relatively low cost, it still sterilizes even when the ambient temperature is low. The temperature inside the container can be raised quickly, and the efficiency of sterilization of the mushroom culture medium can be improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a circuit diagram of the steam sterilization device for mushroom culture medium of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between temperature changes in the sterilization container and the opening/closing state of the valve when performing sterilization work with this sterilization device. , Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram of a conventional steam sterilizer for mushroom culture media, and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between temperature changes in the sterilization container and the opening/closing state of the valve when performing sterilization work with this sterilizer. It is. 1... Sterile container, 2... Steam valve, 3... Steam supply pipe, 4... Exhaust pipe, 5... Exhaust valve, 6... Steam trap, 7... First drain pipe, 8... Third 2nd exhaust pipe, 9...first exhaust valve, 10...second exhaust valve, 11...drain pipe.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In a steam sterilizer for mushroom culture medium, high-temperature steam generated in a boiler can be freely fed into a sterilized container into which the mushroom culture medium can be taken out and put in through a steam supply pipe with a steam valve that can be opened and closed in the middle. First and second exhaust pipes are provided for discharging the gas of The exhaust capacity of is smaller than the steam supply capacity of the steam supply pipe,
A steam sterilizer for mushroom culture media, characterized in that the total exhaust capacity of both the first and second exhaust pipes under atmospheric pressure is greater than the steam supply capacity of the steam supply pipe.