JPH0698734A - Continuous liquid sterilizer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize the fully automatic operation by simplifying the control over the completion time of liquid replacing and water replacing in a continuous liquid sterilizer having various kinds of through-puts. CONSTITUTION:The continuous liquid sterilizer is equipped with a balance tank 1, a liquid feed pump 2, a heat exchanger 3 and a three-way automatic changeover valves 4 and 6 and designed to continuously treat treating liquids having various kinds of through-puts. In this sterilizer, a controller for controlling the liquid flow rate of water or hot water for washing and sterilizing the apparatus therewith and the liquid flow rate in continuously replacing water in the interior of the liquid pipe of the apparatus with the treating liquid to a constant flow rate is installed to provide the full automation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fully automatic liquid continuous sterilizer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When sterilizing various liquid foods having various treatment amounts, it is necessary to replace or sterilize the liquid in the liquid pipe of the sterilizer before sterilizing the liquid food. Generally, this sterilization step includes (1) device cleaning, (2) sterilizer sterilization, (3) liquid replacement, (4) liquid sterilization, (5) water replacement, as shown in FIG.
(6) Device cleaning process.

Here, liquid replacement means replacement of residual hot water in the device when the device is sterilized with liquid food to be sterilized, and water replacement is cleaning of the device after sterilization of the liquid food. Before, it means the replacement of the residual liquid in the device with the cleaning water. Conventionally, in these replacement operations, the sterilizer is stopped, the residual liquid in the device is manually extracted, and then liquid such as liquid food to be passed next or water for cleaning the device is supplied.

[0004]

As described above, since it was necessary to temporarily stop the sterilization device as described above, it is impossible to fully automate the sterilization process, and the residual hot water inside the device is removed after sterilization of the device. Then, the liquid food is fed to enter the normal sterilization process, but at the sterilization temperature of 100 ° C. or higher, the first liquid fed has no liquid in front of it and back pressure is not applied.
There is a problem in that the liquid food heated to 00 ° C or higher boils and the quality of the food deteriorates.

The present invention solves the above problems,
With the aim of automating the entire sterilization device, which does not stop the device in a series of sterilization processes in which the quality of the liquid food to be sterilized does not deteriorate and the processing amount is many To do.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an inverter-equipped transfer between a balance tank and a heat exchanger in a treatment liquid sterilization path of an indirect heating sterilizer such as a plate heat exchanger. A liquid pump is provided, and a three-way automatic switching valve and a three-way automatic switching valve having a blow-out path are provided in the route returning from the heat exchanger to the balance tank side to form a circulation pipe line, and sterilization of liquid foods with various processing amounts When sequentially proceeding the steps, the liquid transfer pump for controlling liquid replacement such as liquid replacement from warm water after sterilization of equipment to liquid food and water replacement from liquid food after sterilization of liquid food to a constant flow rate The liquid continuous sterilizer was provided with other control devices so that the sterilization process was fully automated.

[0007]

The liquid replacement and water replacement of the liquid sterilizer are performed at a constant flow rate regardless of the difference in the processing amount, which is the flow rate during the sterilization operation of the processing liquid such as liquid food, so that the replacement time is constant. Since the automatic control can be easily performed and there is warm water that precedes the liquid replacement, the quality does not deteriorate.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings shown as embodiments. A balance tank 1 is a container for temporarily storing a processing liquid such as water for cleaning and sterilization or liquid food. Reference numeral 2 denotes a liquid feed pump with an inverter, which feeds the water or treatment liquid contained in the balance tank 1 to the circulation pipe line. The liquid feed pump can control the liquid food or water or the like sent to the circulation pipeline to a constant flow rate. A flow rate control valve may be provided in addition to the liquid feed pump. 3 is a plate heat exchanger, in which a heat medium is introduced on the primary side and a treatment liquid is introduced on the secondary side,
The processing solution is sterilized indirectly. Reference numeral 4 denotes a three-way automatic switching valve, which is connected to the outlet path 5 for the sterilized treatment liquid.

Further, 6 is a three-way automatic switching valve, which has a discharge passage by blow. The operation of the present invention will be described below. First, the cleaning and sterilization process before starting the liquid sterilization device will be described. Water is injected into the balance tank 1, and the liquid feed pump 2 passes through the heat exchanger 3 at a constant flow rate, that is, at the same flow rate as the maximum throughput of the sterilizer or at a fixed amount within the maximum flow rate, and then the three-way automatic switching valve. 4 from A to C
Further, the three-way automatic switching valve 6 is blown from A to C. When the cleaning is completed, the three-way automatic switching valve 6 is switched from A to B, and then the heat medium is flown to the primary side of the heat exchanger to heat the secondary side water to obtain hot water, and this hot water is circulated. And sterilize the device.

In this case, by making the flow rate of the liquid feed pump 2 constant, the time required for cleaning and sterilization becomes constant even when the processing amount is different. The case where the treatment amounts are different includes the case where the same liquids have different amounts of liquids to be sterilized and the case where different liquids are treated. Regarding the treatment amount, the treatment liquid after being sterilized by the sterilizer is temporarily stored in a tank and then filled in each container. For each container, if the processing liquid is sake, various containers such as a bottle, a 1-liter pack, and a cup are used.

Therefore, since the size of each container is different,
The processing speed is determined so that the filling speed is different and the liquid in the tank does not overflow or become empty. Next, the liquid replacement step will be described. Regarding the balance tank 1, the liquid feed pump 2, the heat exchanger 3, and the three-way automatic switching valves 4 and 6,
It is the same as the case of the washing and sterilization process. Three-way automatic switching valve 6
In, the liquid to be replaced is blown by switching from A to C. Even in this case, by controlling the flow rate by the liquid feed pump 2 to be constant, the time required for liquid replacement becomes constant.

[0012] This step can also be the same step when water is replaced after the liquid sterilization operation is completed. In particular, the flow rate in the liquid replacement or water replacement step can be shortened by shortening the time required for processing and minimizing the mixing of water and the processing liquid by setting the maximum processing amount of the sterilizer or a fixed amount within the maximum flow rate. can do.

[0013]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION By performing liquid replacement or water replacement of a liquid sterilizer at a constant flow rate, the time required for replacement becomes constant, and even if there are many kinds of processing amount, the replacement process can be automated easily, and liquid sterilization can be performed. The process can be fully automated. Also, even if the throughput of liquid food is different, a constant large flow rate can be achieved in the liquid replacement and sterilization process in the sterilizer, so that the mixing of water and liquid is reduced during liquid replacement, and the liquid is also recovered. It can be done effectively.

Further, by fully automating the liquid sterilization process, some liquid is always filled in the apparatus, and therefore liquid heated to 100 ° C. or more does not boil due to back pressure, and the sterilized food is kept. The quality deterioration of can be solved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a piping diagram of a liquid continuous sterilizer of the present invention.

[Fig. 2] Process diagram of sterilizer

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 balance tank 2 liquid feed pump 3 heat exchanger 4, 6 three-way automatic switching valve 5 outlet path

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A feed pump with an inverter is provided between the balance tank and the heat exchanger in the treatment liquid sterilization path of an indirect heating sterilizer such as a plate heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger is connected to the balance tank side. The return path is provided with a three-way automatic switching valve and a three-way automatic switching valve having a blow-out path to form a circulation pipe line. Realization of fully automated sterilization process by installing the liquid feed pump and other control devices that control liquid replacement such as liquid replacement to food and liquid replacement from liquid food to water after sterilization of liquid food so that the flow rate is constant A liquid continuous sterilizer characterized in that