WO2014154332A1

WO2014154332A1 - Method and filling system for filling containers

Info

Publication number: WO2014154332A1
Application number: PCT/EP2014/000705
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ludwig Clüsserath
Original assignee: Khs Gmbh
Priority date: 2013-03-28
Filing date: 2014-03-14
Publication date: 2014-10-02
Also published as: DE102013103192A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for filling bottles or similar containers (4) with liquid contents using a filling system comprising at least one filler element (1) having a liquid channel (7) that forms a dispensing opening (8) for the liquid contents and that has a liquid valve (9). The filling system also comprises gas paths controlled by a control valve assembly (17), via which paths the interior of the container (4) that is arranged in a sealed position against the filler element (1) is first purged prior to filling, in at least one purge phase using an inert gas as the purge gas, and after the at least one purge phase is then pre-stressed to a pre-stressing pressure.

Description

Method and filling system for filling containers

The invention relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a filling system according to the preamble of claim 11.

A method for filling also oxygen-sensitive products in containers are known in different versions, especially in the form that before the actual filling, for example pressure filling (filling phase) first at least once rinsing of the respective container interior during a rinsing phase and then also before the actual filling (Filling phase)

Biasing the container interior (biasing phase) to a bias pressure equal to a fill pressure or substantially equal to a fill pressure. It is also known that at least one rinsing phase is combined with an evacuation of the container interior preceding this phase

(Evacuation and rinsing phase). In all known processes, purging and biasing as inert gas, i. As purge gas and bias gas in many cases CO2 gas used with the disadvantage of not inconsiderable operating costs and the known environmental impact.

The object of the invention is to provide a method which allows optimal filling, especially of oxygen-sensitive products at a reduced cost. To solve this problem, a method according to claim 1 is formed. A filling system is the subject of claim 1 1.

In one embodiment of the method according to the invention, during rinsing and possibly also during partial pre-stressing, the container is preferably inert gas of the first type nitrogen (N2) and at least for final biasing of the container as inert gas of the second type preferably CO2 gas and / or as inert gas of the third type a gas mixture of nitrogen and CO2 gas is used in the

(Gas mixture), however, the proportion of CO2 gas clearly outweighs. The invention is not only based on the finding that the operating costs can be considerably reduced by the use of nitrogen, but also the recognition that nitrogen theoretically seems suitable as a biasing gas for the filling of oxygen-sensitive products, but pure nitrogen actually in particular for carbonized Products or drinks (eg

Soft drinks or beer) is not suitable as a bias gas. Since nitrogen does not or only very poorly dissolves in liquid products, small bubbles would form when using nitrogen as the bias gas in the filled into the respective container contents, which then on unloading the filled container

Ambient pressure would lead to a release of CO2 gas from the carbonated medium and to an undesirable foaming of the filling material. This disadvantage could at most be replaced by an extension of the discharge and

However, this would lead to an unacceptable reduction in the performance of a filling system or a filling machine (number of filled containers per unit time) would be counteracted.

With the method according to the invention, this disadvantage is effectively prevented despite a reduction in the operating costs, and in particular the fact that either C02 gas and / or the nitrogen / CO2 gas mixture is used as the prestressing gas for the final prestressing, in which proportion clearly outweighs CO2 gas.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the at least one rinsing of the respective container interior takes place after its evacuation with a hot vaporous medium, preferably with steam, in each case in the vacuum or high vacuum, e.g. at a pressure in the container interior of about 90mbar to 200mbar (absolute) preferably of about 100mbar (absolute). The biasing of the container for the pressure filling is then preferably

exclusively with C02 gas.

For the purposes of the invention, "pressure filling" is generally to be understood as meaning a filling process in which the container to be filled in each case is in a sealing position against the container

Filling element is present and before the actual filling phase, ie before opening the Liquid valve is biased by at least one controlled, formed in the filling element gas path with the prestressing pressure or filling pressure clamping gas, which is then displaced during filling of the inflowing the container contents increasingly as return gas from the container interior.

The term "substantially" or "approximately" means within the meaning of the invention

Deviations from the respective exact value by +/- 10%, preferably by +/- 5% and / or deviations in the form of changes insignificant for the function.

Further developments, advantages and applications of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments and from the figures. In this case, all described and / or illustrated features alone or in any combination, in principle, the subject of the invention, regardless of their summary in the claims or their

Dependency. Also, the content of the claims is made an integral part of the description.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the figures of an embodiment. Show it:

Figure 1 in a simplified representation and partly in section, a filling element of a filling machine of rotating design, together with a arranged on the filling element in sealing position container in the form of a bottle.

Fig. 2 in a simplified schematic representation of a horizontal section through the

Filling element in the region of its discharge opening.

The generally designated 1 in the figures filling element is together with a plurality of similar filling elements on the circumference of a vertical

Machine axis MA circumferentially drivable rotor 2 and together with a container carrier 3 forms a filling point of the filling system or a filling machine for pressure filling of containers 4 in the form of bottles. On the rotor 2 is a common for all filling elements of the filling system

Füllgutkessel 5 provided in the form of a ring boiler, which during the

Filling operation is partially filled with the liquid contents, namely to form a lower liquid space 5.1 and an upper gas chamber 5.2, which is filled with a standing under filling pressure P _F inert gas, eg CO2 gas. The liquid space 5.1 is formed with a housing 6 in a filling element 1

Liquid channel 7 connected to the underside of the filling element 1 a vertical Füllelementachse FA concentrically enclosing annular

Dispensing opening 8 forms. In the liquid channel, a liquid valve 9 is further provided, which can be opened to initiate the actual filling phase controlled and closed to complete the filling phase and whose valve body 1 is provided on a gas pipe 10 designed as a valve lifter. The gas pipe 10 is arranged coaxially with the Füllelementachse FA and forms a gas channel 12, which is open at the bottom, via the discharge opening 8 projecting end of the gas pipe 10 and at the upper end of the gas pipe 10 and there opens into a housing 6 formed in the gas chamber 13 ,

A same flush with the Füllelementachse a purge and / or return gas pipe 14 is further arranged, which during filling (filling phase) also serves as the filling level of the contents in the container 4 determining element and forms a gas channel 15 and is open at the bottom and at the top and there in a second im

Housing 6 formed gas space 16 opens. The gas chambers 13 and 16 are part of various, including control valves of a control valve assembly 17 containing controlled gas paths through which the gas channels 12 and 15 controlled by the

Gas chamber 5.2 and with annular channels 18 - 21 can be connected, which are provided for all filling elements 1 of the filling machine or the filling system together on the rotor 2. The annular channel 18 is used for example as

Relief channel to relieve the filled bottles 2 at the end of the filling phase. The annular channel 19 is during the filling operation with a vacuum or with

Negative pressure applied. The annular channel 20 serves as a biasing channel and leads during the filling operation consisting mainly of C02 gas

Inert gas mixture of CO2 gas and nitrogen under filling pressure P _F or im

Essentially under filling pressure P _F. Furthermore, when the from the respective Container 4 by filling gas displaced inert gas pressure filled back into the annular channel 20. The annular channel 21 performs during the filling operation under the scavenging pressure P _s standing and used as a purge gas inert gas. This may be, for example, nitrogen or even a hot vaporous medium such as water vapor.

With the filling elements 1 having filling system u.a. a filling of

Container 2 with the following process steps possible, in each case the

Liquid valve 9 and the various controlled by the control valve assembly 17 gas paths are in the closed state, unless the open state of these gas paths is not explicitly mentioned in the respective process step.

1 . Evacuate the container 4

In this method step, the interior of the respective container 4 arranged in sealing position on the filling element 1 is heated by corresponding activation of the control valve arrangement 17 and by connecting e.g. the gas channel 12 and the gas space 13 evacuated with the annular channel 19, for example, such that an approximately 90% vacuum in the container 4 is obtained, i. only about 10% of the original amount of air remain in the container or the pressure in the container 4 is about 0, 1 bar.

2. Rinse the container 4 with nitrogen

After expiration of a freely selectable, for example via an electronic control device evacuation time controlled by the control valve assembly 17, the gas chamber 16 and the gas channel 15 is connected to the annular channel 21. At the same time via the control valve assembly 17, the gas space 13 and the gas channel 12 are connected to the annular channel 19 so that the purge gas flows from the annular channel 21 via the lower end of the purge and / or return gas pipe 14 into the container and together with any existing air in the container flows back through the gas channel 12 and the gas space 13 in the annular channel 19. The purging with nitrogen takes place in a vacuum. It may be of particular advantage if the amount of gas flowing into the container 4 is throttled so far that the originally achieved evacuation pressure is exceeded only insignificantly. For example, only by 0.1 to 0.3 bar.

The evacuation and rinsing of the container 4 form an evacuation and

Rinsing phase, this evacuation and rinsing phase or only rinsing alone can be repeated several times before as another phase of the filling process, the biasing of the respective container 4 is initiated.

3. biasing the interior of the container 4 to biasing or filling pressure

This biasing occurs, for example, in at least two steps. First, the interior of the container in question 4 is partially pre-stressed with nitrogen from the annular channel 21, that is, to a pressure below the filling pressure PF. For this purpose, for example, the gas chamber 22 and the gas channel 15 are connected via the control valve assembly 7 with the annular channel 21, so that nitrogen flows from the annular channel 21 into the interior of the container 4 and thus causes the partial biasing of the container 4, for example, the flushing pressure Ps. Thereafter, the biasing of the container 4 takes place on the biasing or filling pressure P _F , for example, characterized in that controlled by the control valve assembly 17, for example, the gas space 23 and the gas channel 15 with the C02 gas under filling pressure P _F leading gas space 5.2 of the product chamber 5 is connected. This at least two-stage biasing (partial biasing with nitrogen and

subsequent complete biasing with CO2 gas) is monitored and / or stopped by a time-controlled or controlled by a sensor 22 detecting the pressure in the respective container 4.

It is understood that the partial biasing with the nitrogen on the annular channel 21 can be connected directly to the purging of the respective container 4 with nitrogen in that controlled by the control valve assembly 17, the

Connection of the gas channel 12 and the gas space 13 is interrupted with the annular channel 19. Furthermore, it is understood that the biasing of the container. 4 previously only a single or repeated rinsing of the container 4 can be done without evacuation.

Since the inert gas mixture taken up by the annular channel 20 contains predominantly CO2 gas, this inert gas mixture can preferably be used for prestressing in the

Vorspannphase be used, and for biasing after the

Partial biasing with nitrogen. The pre-tensioning of the container 4 then takes place,

- That first the partial biasing with nitrogen from the annular channel 21 and then the final biasing from the annular channel 20 carried out, or

- That first the partial biasing with nitrogen from the annular channel 21, then a further partial prestressing from the annular channel 20 and finally the final biasing from the gas space 5.2 done. In particular, when the biasing of the container 4 partially from the

Gas space 5.2 is ensured that the annular channel 20 during the

Filling process permanently supplied CO2 gas and thereby in this

Ring channel no prestressing of the container 4 from this channel impairing enrichment of nitrogen and / or oxygen takes place.

4. Pressure filling of the container 4

After biasing the container 4, the actual pressure filling takes place. For this purpose, when the liquid valve 9 is open via the control valve arrangement, the gas space 13 and the gas channel 12 connected to the annular channel 20 or the gas chamber 5.2, so that consisting of nitrogen and mainly but from CO2 gas

Inert gas mixture, which is displaced from the inflowing medium from the container interior, in the annular channel 20 or in the gas space can flow 5.2. The inflow of the contents is automatically terminated, for example, when the lower end of the purge and / or return gas pipe 14 is immersed in the level of contents in the container 4. Time-controlled then the liquid valve 9 is closed.

Alternatively, the filling process could be terminated even if the

Füllgutspiegel one, at the bottom of the purge and / or return gas pipe reaches arranged electrical probe, whereby the liquid valve 9 is closed.

5. Relieve the filled container. 4

To relieve the respective filled container 4 of the contents not occupied headspace of the container 4, for example, initially controlled via the control valve assembly 17 is connected to the annular channel 18, via the gas channel 12 and the gas space 13. Subsequently, a final relieving takes place Lowering the container carrier 3 and the container. 4

It is understood that during the pressure filling (filling phase), additional method steps controlled by the control valve assembly 17 are possible, for example, a slow filling at the beginning of the filling phase and / or a slowed brake filling at the end of the filling phase.

The inventive method offers significant economic advantages in terms of cost savings in the operating media purge gas and

Biasing gas, as also illustrated by the following example calculation for the filling of containers 4 with a volume of 0.5 liters:

basic information

Container content: 0.5 ltr.

After filling in the container remaining, from the 35 ml

Contents not occupied headspace:

In the filling element 1 and in particular also in 15 ml

Gas channel 15 remaining product volume:

Beer as a filling: 5.5 grC02

Density N2: 1, 15 kg / m ³

Cost N2: 0.15 cost units / kg

Density of CO2: 1, 81 kg / m ³

Cost of CO2: 0.25 cost units / kg

Vacuum after evacuation: 0.1 bar / absolute Filling pressure P _F : 3.0 bar overpressure

Nitrogen consumption at the first and second rinses: 150 ml N2 each

Partial preloading with N2: 35 ml

After the evacuation and rinsing phases remain 55 ml of nitrogen (based on atmospheric or atmospheric pressure) with a very small amount of air in

Interior of the container 4.

When relieving go from the headspace of the container 4 and from the

More volume of the filling element 1 about 100 to 150 ml of inert gas lost. If the residual gas of 55 ml remaining after evacuation and rinsing in the container 4 is subtracted therefrom, which is also displaced into the annular channel 20 during the pressure filling, a remainder of about 45-90 ml remains, which in each case

Filling a container with a volume of 0.5 I would have to be replaced by fresh CO2 gas. This residual amount of fresh CO 2 gas to be replaced could be further reduced, for example, to 20 ml by an additional partial biasing with N 2, which would result in little additional admixture of N 2 but would not have a negative impact on fill quality.

The above volume data of the gaseous media, e.g. in ml are in each case based on normal pressure. From the above considerations, the following gas consumption results:

If a cost unit is, for example, EUR 1.00, then for a system with an output of 60,000 containers 4 per hour, each one will result

Container volume of 0.5 ltr. Having, in three-shift operation and at utilization of the filling machine of 75% and 280 production days / year (50/40 net production hours) the following costs for the inert gas consumed: N2: EUR 20.421, 00

CO2 gas: EUR 3,780.00

Total cost: EUR 24,102.00 Compared to traditional single or double

Pre-evacuation, in which the rinsing and tempering of the containers is carried out with CO 2 gas, the method according to the invention means a cost saving of at least 60-80%. It was assumed above that the rinsing of the container 4 with

Nitrogen (N2) takes place. In a further embodiment, heated water vapor (saturated steam) used as flushing medium is used, which is blown into the high vacuum of the evacuated container. At an internal pressure of the evacuated container 4, for example, about 100 mbar (absolute), the boiling point of water at about 45 ° C. With a supply overpressure for the water vapor from 0.5 bar to 2 bar, when the steam is injected into the vacuum, overheating occurs and thus hardly any condensation. The water vapor thus behaves like an inert gas in its rinsing action, but has the advantage that the residual vapor remaining in the container 4 after the rinsing phase has been condensed during tempering, in particular also during tempering with CO 2 gas. In a container with a volume of 500 ml and at a vacuum of 90%, this results in at least theoretically about 0.004 ml of condensate. What the

As regards consumption values, this embodiment of the invention also benefits

inventive method of the low density of water vapor. Thus, at a 90% vacuum, 12 liters of steam are produced from one gram of water.

Another significant advantage of the use of hot steam as a flushing medium in evacuated container 4 is that after biasing in the container 4, a high purity C02 atmosphere prevails, provided that the biasing occurs exclusively or at least substantially using CO2 gas. If, on the other hand, CO 2 gas or nitrogen is used during tempering, the atmosphere in the container during filling still has appreciable amounts of nitrogen and / or small amounts of oxygen. The in the flushing with On the other hand, steam that can be achieved in a high vacuum ensures a high-purity carbon dioxide atmosphere, which ensures virtually oxygen-free filling.

A 100% or substantially 100% CO 2 purity also has the advantage that no foreign gas bubbles are introduced into the medium during the filling and thus relieving reliably blistering is avoided, which cause a decarburization of CO2 from a carbonated medium. Even at high C02 proportions, the carbonized product will stand in the container after the discharge without rising C02 bubbles or foaming, which i.a. also allows higher performance during filling.

Since the rinsing or steam extracted by a vacuum pump via the annular channel 19 condenses predominantly on the way to this pump, the power requirement for the vacuum pump also decreases, which leads to smaller pumps and reduced power and water consumption.

The invention has been described above by means of exemplary embodiments. It will be understood that numerous changes and modifications are possible, even without departing from the spirit of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 filling element

2 rotor

3 container carriers

4 containers

5 product boiler

5.1 liquid space

5.2 gas space

6 housing

7 fluid channel

8 discharge opening

9 liquid valve

10 valve tappets or gas pipe

11 valve body

12 gas channel

13 gas room

14 rinsing and / or return gas pipe

15 gas channel

16 gas room

17 control valve arrangement

18 - 21 ring channel

22 pressure sensor

FA filler element axis

MA machine axis

Claims

claims

Method for filling bottles or similar containers (4) with a liquid product using a filling system with at least one filling element (1) with a liquid channel (7) forming a discharge opening (8) for the product and a liquid valve (9) and with gas passages controlled by a control valve arrangement (17), via which the interior of the container (4) arranged in sealing position on the filling element (1) is first flushed, at least in at least one rinsing phase, with a steam and / or gaseous medium used as flushing gas before the actual filling following the at least one rinsing phase following with a vapor and / or gaseous medium is biased to a biasing pressure (P _F ),

characterized in that for the rinsing in the at least one

Rinsing phase, a vapor and / or gaseous medium of a first type and at least for a final biasing on the biasing or filling pressure (PF) a vapor and / or gaseous medium of a second and / or a third of the first respectively different type is used.

A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the vapor and / or gaseous medium of the first type, a hot vapor medium, preferably steam or saturated steam or an inert gas of a first type and / or the vapor and / or gaseous medium of the second type an inert gas of a second type and / or the vapor and / or gaseous medium of the third type are an inert gas mixture.

A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the inert gas of the first type is nitrogen and / or that the inert gas of the second type is a C02 gas and / or the inert gas of the third type is a nitrogen-CO2-gas mixture in which the proportion on C02 gas is greater than the proportion of nitrogen. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the proportion of C02 gas in the inert gas of the third type is at least 70% by weight based on the total weight of the mixed gas.

Method according to one of claims 2-4, characterized in that after the partial prestressing, the final biasing of the containers (4) to the biasing or filling pressure takes place exclusively with the inert gas of the second type and / or with the inert gas of the third type.

Method according to one of claims 2-5, characterized in that after the partial prestressing the further biasing takes place first with the inert gas of the third type and then the final prestressing with the inert gas of the second type.

Method according to one of claims 2 - 6, characterized in that during pressure filling of the container (4) a from the container interior of the contents displaced, the inert gas of the first type and the second type containing return gas in a gas space or gas channel (20) is derived from which this return gas is used as inert gas of the third type for biasing the containers (4).

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized

in that the at least one rinsing phase is preceded by an evacuation of the containers (4) and / or that the rinsing and / or the evacuation and rinsing are repeated several times.

Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

characterized in that the rinsing with the vapor and / or gaseous

Medium of a first type takes place in the evacuated container interior, wherein the container interior preferably a pressure of about 90mbar to

120mbar (absolute), preferably a pressure of 100mbar.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that when purging with steam in the evacuated container interior, the biasing with CO2 gas.

Filling system for filling bottles or similar containers (4) with a liquid filling material, with a plurality of filling elements (1), with a plurality of gas chambers (5.2) or gas channels (18-21) common to all filling elements (1), with controlled gas paths of the filling elements (1) and of which during filling operation at least one gas space or channel (21) is a hot vapor medium, preferably steam, or a pressurized inert gas of a first type, a gas space or gas channel (5.2) an inert gas of a second type and at least one further gas space or gas channel (19) lead a vacuum, wherein the controlled gas paths of the interior of the sealing in the filling element (1) arranged container (4) before the actual filling first at least in at least one rinsing phase with the hot vapor medium or with the inert gas of the first type, rinsed and following the at least one rinsing phase with an inert gas on egg biasing pressure (P _F ) is biased,

characterized by at least one further gas space or gas channel (20) for an inert gas of a third type, which contains the inert gas of the first and second types in mixture for the filling elements (1) of the filling system, in which mixture the proportion of the inert gas of the second Type is greater than the proportion of the inert gas of the first type. 12. Filling system according to claim 11, characterized in that a

Control valve assembly (17) of each filling element (1) for connecting the interior of the container (4) formed with the vacuum-carrying gas channel (19) and with the gas channel (21) carrying the hot vapor medium or the inert gas of the first type during the rinsing phase is.

13. Filling system according to claim 1 or 12, characterized in that a

Control valve arrangement (17) of each filling element (1) for connecting the respective container interior for a partial biasing with the inert gas of the first type leading gas channel (21) is formed.

14. Filling system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

characterized in that a control valve arrangement (17) of each filling element (1) for connecting the container interior for a final biasing with the inert gas of the first type leading gas space (5.2) and / or with the inert gas of the third type leading gas space (20) is. 15. Filling system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

in that the inert gas of the first type is nitrogen and / or the inert gas of the second type is CO2 gas and / or the inert gas of the third type is a gas mixture of the inert gas of the first and second type, wherein in the gas mixture the proportion of CO2 gas the proportion of nitrogen outweighs.