RU2039477C1 - Device for peeling vegetables and fruit with steam - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: food-processing industry. SUBSTANCE: device for peeling the vegetables and fluid with steam consists of vertical stationary vessel with neck in its lower portion; vessel has opening in its upper portion for loading the products provided with cover; opening in its lower portion is used for unloading the products; this opening is also provided with cover. Device is provided with steam supply branch pipe and cuter casing firmly connected with vessel forming steam-and-water jacket in whose lower portion electric heaters are arranged, branch pipe with valve connected with branch pipe feeding the steam to vessel being arranged in upper portion. Free volume of steam-and-water jacket of device is no less than free internal volume of vessel. EFFECT: enhanced efficiency. 2 cl, 1 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to the food industry and can be used for mass steam cleaning of the peel of potatoes, beets, carrots, apples, etc. in canteens, cafes, restaurants, small vegetable processing enterprises.

 A device for steam cleaning vegetables and fruits from the peel, made in the form of an elongated vessel with a hole and a lid, equipped with a mechanism for turning or rotating the vessel around a horizontal axis. Steam is supplied to such a device through a pin from an external source of the steam boiler.

 Known devices for cleaning steamed vegetables and fruits from the peel, made in the form of a fixed vertical or inclined vessel with two holes: in the upper part for loading the product, in the lower part for unloading the product and a pipe in the upper part of the vessel for supplying steam from an external source.

 Closest to the proposed is a device made in the form of a stationary asymmetric vessel with a narrowing in the lower part. In the upper part of the vessel there is an opening with a cover (valve) for loading the product, in the lower part an opening with a cover (valve) for unloading the product. In the upper part of the vessel there is a pipe for supplying steam from an external source. The device is equipped with a mechanism for mixing the product during steaming.

 Known devices for steam cleaning vegetables, have the following disadvantages. For the operation of such a device, you need to have a steam boiler room at a short distance. In practice, steam boilers are rarely available near canteens and other enterprises that need large quantities of peeled potatoes. This drastically narrows the scope of these devices. The construction of steam boiler houses specifically for the operation of steam cleaning plants is economically unjustified. Another disadvantage of the known devices is the high consumption of steam due to heat loss in the steam lines from the boilers to the apparatus and heat loss through the walls of the device (vessel) into the environment.

 The purpose of the invention is the creation of a compact device for steam cleaning vegetables from the peel, equipped with its own independent source of steam.

 The goal is achieved due to the fact that the device for cleaning steamed vegetables from the peel is equipped with an additional outer casing, tightly connected to the vessel for processing the product, and forming a steam-water jacket. Electric heaters are located in the lower part of the steam-water jacket (casing), and in the upper part of the casing there is a steam pipe, using valves connected to a pipe for supplying steam to the vessel.

 The invention will reduce the steam consumption for the cleaning process and dramatically expand the scope of use of the device.

 The drawing shows the design of the proposed device.

 A device for peeling vegetables and fruits from peel is made in the form of a stationary vertical vessel 1. In the upper, tapering part of the vessel there is an opening that is closed from the inside by a valve (cover) 2, moving using rods (levers) 3. A funnel 4 is placed above the upper hole product downloads. In the lower, tapering part of the vessel 1 there is an opening for unloading the product, closed from the inside by a valve (cover) 5, which is moved using rods (levers) 6. In the upper part of the vessel there is a pipe 7 for supplying steam to the vessel and removing steam from the vessel. In the lower part of the vessel there is a pipe 8 for removing condensate from the vessel.

 The device is equipped with a stirring (tedding) mechanism of the product during steaming (not shown).

 An outer casing 9 is welded to the vessel from the outer side of the vessel 1 in its lower part. A cavity is formed between the outer part of the vessel 1 and the inner part of the casing 9, which is filled in the lower part with water and in the upper part with steam, i.e. steam-water shirt. In the lower part of the casing 9 there are several, for example, three, electric heaters (electric heaters) 10. The electric heaters 10 are connected by wires to an AC voltage source. In the lower part of the casing 9, a pipe 11 is made with a check valve for periodically feeding the apparatus with water. In the upper part of the casing 9 there is a pipe 12, using a valve 13 connected to the pipe 7 for supplying steam to the vessel 1. A pipe 15 is connected to the pipe 7 with a valve 14 for releasing steam from the vessel into the atmosphere after steaming the product. The device is equipped with a gauge glass or other elements to control the water level in the steam jacket, as well as a pressure gauge and safety valve.

 In order for the steam pressure not to decrease by more than 0.2 MPa (by 2 atm) during steaming, the volume of the steam-water jacket should be no less than the free internal volume of the vessel.

 The device operates as follows. Before starting the device, for example, at the beginning of a shift or after a long break, it is necessary to rinse a portion of potatoes (20-30 kg) in a separate installation, for example in a bath with water. Before starting the device, valve 5 must be in the lower position (lower hole closed), valve 2 in the upper position (upper hole closed). Valves 13 and 14 must be open. Using a pump through the pipe 11, it is necessary to fill the cavity between the casing 9 and the vessel 1 with water (preferably chemically purified or boiled) to the upper calculated level, which can be controlled by a water meter glass or in another way. After filling the steam-water jacket with water, the valve 13 must be closed, turn on the electric heaters at maximum power and control the pressure in the steam-water jacket using a manometer. After the steam is formed in the water jacket and the pressure becomes close to the calculated one (P = 0.6 MPa 6 at), you need to load a portion of washed potatoes into the funnel 4. After reaching the calculated vapor pressure P = 0.6 MPa 6 at, close the valve 14, using the levers (rods) 3, lower the lid 2 to the lower position, as a result of which the prepared portion of potatoes from the funnel 4 is poured into the vessel 1, filling its lower half.

After loading a portion of potatoes into the vessel, you need to lift the lid 2 to the upper position, closing the upper hole, and open the valve 13, as a result of which steam from the steam-water jacket through the pipe 12, valve 13 and pipe 7 will begin to enter the vessel and the tubers will be steamed. The process of steaming potatoes should last 40-80 s (controlled by a timer). During steaming, you need to mix (stir) the potatoes in a vessel using a special mixing device. As a result of steaming topsheet tubers 2-4 mm thick warmed to a temperature above 100 ^{° C} and is saturated with a superheated water. At the end of the set steaming time, close valve 13 and quickly open valve 14. As a result, the pressure in the vessel will decrease to atmospheric pressure, and the peel softened and saturated with superheated water will easily separate from the tuber. After reducing the pressure to atmospheric, valve 2 must be lowered to the lower position, and valve 5 raised to the upper position. A portion of the processed potato is poured out of the vessel into a separate container with water or another device, where the tubers will be freed of peel residues using water.

 After unloading the portion of the processed potato from the vessel, it is necessary to lower the valve 5 to the lower position, raise the valve 2 to the upper position, close the valve 14, add water to the steam-water jacket through the pipe 11 so that its level reaches the upper calculated value again.

 Simultaneously with steaming one portion of potatoes or in advance in a separate device, you need to prepare for loading a new portion of potatoes, i.e. rinse it as mentioned earlier and load it into the funnel. After the steam pressure in the steam-water jacket as a result of electric heating rises again to the calculated one, the next potato peeling cycle can begin in the sequence described above.

 The total cleaning time for one portion of potatoes in such a device is approximately 10 minutes. The performance of the device depends on the capacity of the vessel and the steam-water jacket, as well as the power of the electric heaters.

 The use of this device eliminates manual labor when peeling potatoes, beets, carrots. The use of such a device instead of mechanical cleaning devices will lead to a significant reduction in waste during cleaning, eliminating the need for manual post-treatment of eyes and other defects. The use of the proposed device instead of the known steam cleaning devices with steam supply from the boiler houses results in a decrease in the specific steam consumption for cleaning due to a decrease in heat losses in the steam pipelines and in the vessel and will expand the possibilities of using steam cleaning.

 A preliminary design of the proposed device with a vessel and steam jacket capacity of 90 l, designed for a productivity of 150-300 kg / h on potatoes, was developed.

Claims (2)

 1. DEVICE FOR CLEANING WITH A STEAM OF VEGETABLES AND FRUITS FROM SKIN, comprising a stationary vertical vessel with a narrowing in the lower part, having an opening with a valve-lid in the upper part for loading the product, an opening with a valve-lid in the lower part for unloading the product and a pipe for supplying and steam outlet, characterized in that the device is equipped with an outer casing, firmly connected to the vessel and forming a steam-water jacket, electric heaters are placed in the lower part of the steam-water jacket, and in the upper part there is a pipe with a valve, with connected to a pipe for supplying steam to the vessel.  2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the free volume of the steam-water jacket is not less than the free internal volume of the vessel.

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