WO2021186482A1 - Production plant of a dilutable liquid saline concentrate for obtaining water intended for human consumption - Google Patents

Production plant of a dilutable liquid saline concentrate for obtaining water intended for human consumption Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2021186482A1
WO2021186482A1 PCT/IT2021/000013 IT2021000013W WO2021186482A1 WO 2021186482 A1 WO2021186482 A1 WO 2021186482A1 IT 2021000013 W IT2021000013 W IT 2021000013W WO 2021186482 A1 WO2021186482 A1 WO 2021186482A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
tank
calcium
salts
mixing tank
storing
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IT2021/000013
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Simona Berger
Original Assignee
Simona Berger
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Simona Berger filed Critical Simona Berger
Priority to CN202190000357.3U priority Critical patent/CN219460262U/en
Priority to EP21723919.3A priority patent/EP4106549A1/en
Publication of WO2021186482A1 publication Critical patent/WO2021186482A1/en

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Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F9/00—Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L2/00—Non-alcoholic beverages; Dry compositions or concentrates therefor; Their preparation
    • A23L2/385—Concentrates of non-alcoholic beverages
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L2/00—Non-alcoholic beverages; Dry compositions or concentrates therefor; Their preparation
    • A23L2/42—Preservation of non-alcoholic beverages
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L2/00—Non-alcoholic beverages; Dry compositions or concentrates therefor; Their preparation
    • A23L2/52—Adding ingredients
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L3/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
    • A23L3/26—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by irradiation without heating
    • A23L3/28—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by irradiation without heating with ultraviolet light
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L5/00—Preparation or treatment of foods or foodstuffs, in general; Food or foodstuffs obtained thereby; Materials therefor
    • A23L5/55—Rehydration or dissolving of foodstuffs
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L2/00—Non-alcoholic beverages; Dry compositions or concentrates therefor; Their preparation
    • A23L2/52—Adding ingredients
    • A23L2/54—Mixing with gases
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F1/008—Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F1/30—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by irradiation
    • C02F1/32—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by irradiation with ultraviolet light
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F1/44—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by dialysis, osmosis or reverse osmosis
    • C02F1/441—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by dialysis, osmosis or reverse osmosis by reverse osmosis
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F1/66—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by neutralisation; pH adjustment
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F1/68—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by addition of specified substances, e.g. trace elements, for ameliorating potable water
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02A20/00—Water conservation; Efficient water supply; Efficient water use
    • Y02A20/124—Water desalination
    • Y02A20/131—Reverse-osmosis

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a system for preparing a liquid concentrate that can be diluted to obtain water intended for human consumption and having the characteristics of a natural mineral water or also one not present in nature, the liquid concentrate thus obtained and the water intended for human consumption produced with the liquid concentrate thus obtained.
  • the second problem is that account must also be taken of the possible precipitation of salts precisely in the liquid concentrate, either at the moment of preparation, or over time, as a consequence of temperature variations, exposure to UV rays, etc.
  • the most critical aspect regards precisely the possible precipitation of Calcium Carbonate.
  • the technical task of the present invention is therefore to provide a system for preparing a liquid concentrate that can be diluted to obtain water intended for human consumption and having the characteristics of a natural mineral water or one that is not present in nature, which enables the aforementioned technical drawbacks of the prior art to be eliminated.
  • one object of the invention is to provide a system for preparing a liquid concentrate that can be diluted to obtain water intended for human consumption and having the characteristics of a natural mineral water or one that is not present in nature, wherein the liquid concentrate produced has a reasonable calcium-carbonate balance and a negligible or zero quantity of precipitated salts, particularly of Calcium Carbonate.
  • a system for producing a liquid saline concentrate that can be diluted to obtain water intended for human consumption, characterised in that it comprises a reverse osmosis demineraliser for preparing demineralised water, a sterilising means for sterilising said demineralised water, a source of CO2, a carbonator for carbonating said sterilised water, a mixing tank connected to said carbonator, a supply circuit for supplying salts to said mixing tank, an adjustment means for adjusting the pH of the liquid saline concentrate present in the mixing tank in an interval comprised between 4 and 9, a mechanical stirring means for stirring the liquid saline concentrate present in the mixing tank, said supply circuit comprising a plurality of storage tanks for storing salts in crystalline form or in liquid form connected to said demineraliser, and for each storage tank a corresponding dosing pump, said storage tanks comprising a tank for storing potassium bicarbonate salt and/or
  • salts in appropriate quantities based on the recipes, selected from among calcium ascorbate, calcium carbonate, calcium sulphate dihydrate, calcium citrate, calcium fluoride, calcium chloride dihydrate, calcium gluconate, potassium phosphate monobasic, potassium gluconate, potassium citrate, potassium fluoride, potassium chloride, potassium iodide, potassium aspartate, manganese ascorbate, manganese aspartate, manganese carbonate, manganese citrate, manganese chloride, manganese gluconate, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium citrate, magnesium ascorbate, magnesium succinate, magnesium chloride hexahydrate, magnesium sulphate heptahydrate, sodium ascorbate, sodium phosphate monobasic, sodium carbonate, sodium gluconate, sodium fluoride, sodium chloride, zinc gluconate, zinc ascorbate, zinc sulphate heptahydrate, sodium selenite, sodium selenate and s
  • the controller provided with suitable software, manages the necessary doses on the basis of the set recipes, everything being controlled by dosing pumps dedicated to every salt tank.
  • the salts are stored in crystalline form, further advantages are obtained compared to the case in which the salts are stored in concentrated liquid solutions.
  • figure 1 schematically shows one of the possible configurations of the system for producing the liquid saline concentrate.
  • the system 1 for producing a liquid saline concentrate 10 that can be diluted to obtain water intended for human consumption comprises a reverse osmosis demineraliser 2 for preparing demineralised water, a sterilisation means 3 for sterilising the demineralised water, a source 4 of CO2, a carbonator 5 for carbonating the sterilised water, a mixing tank 6 connected to the carbonator 5, a supply circuit for supplying salts to the mixing tank 6, an adjustment means 7 for adjusting the pH of the liquid saline concentrate 10 present in the mixing tank 6 in an interval comprised between 4 and 9, and a mechanical stirring means 8 for stirring the liquid saline concentrate 10 present in the mixing tank 6.
  • a supply pump 16 is provided in order to supply the demineralised CCk-saturated water from the carbonator 5 to the mixing tank 6.
  • the demineraliser 2 can be supplied with mains water.
  • the sterilising means 3 is positioned along the water circuit supplying the mixing tank 6, and may comprise one or more UV lamps.
  • a UV lamp is positioned downstream of the carbonator and upstream of a 0.2 micron filter; in the mixing tank, close to the water inlet, there is an additional UV lamp, and at the mixing tank outlet there is another 0.2 micron filter and in sequence a UV lamp.
  • the salt supply circuit comprises a plurality of storage tanks 9a, 9b, 9c for storing salts in crystalline form.
  • the storage tanks 9a, 9b, 9c comprise a tank for storing potassium bicarbonate salt and/or a tank for storing sodium bicarbonate salt 9a, at least one tank for storing a calcium salt 9b, and at least one tank for storing a salt other than a calcium salt 9c.
  • a tank for storing potassium bicarbonate salt 9a and a tank for storing sodium bicarbonate salt 9a are provided, in other system solutions only one of them.
  • the calcium salts can, for example but not necessarily, be selected from among one or more calcium salts including calcium ascorbate, calcium carbonate, calcium sulphate dihydrate, calcium citrate, calcium fluoride, calcium chloride dihydrate and calcium gluconate.
  • At least one salt other than a calcium salt can for example include a magnesium salt.
  • the magnesium salts can, for example but not necessarily, be selected from among one or more magnesium salts including magnesium hydroxide, magnesium citrate, magnesium ascorbate, magnesium succinate, magnesium chloride hexahydrate and magnesium sulphate heptahydrate.
  • the salts other than calcium salts can include, for example but not necessarily, potassium phosphate monobasic, potassium gluconate, potassium citrate, potassium fluoride, potassium chloride, potassium iodide, potassium aspartate, manganese ascorbate, manganese aspartate, manganese carbonate, manganese citrate, manganese chloride, manganese gluconate, sodium ascorbate, sodium phosphate monobasic, sodium carbonate, sodium gluconate, sodium fluoride, sodium chloride, zinc gluconate, zinc ascorbate, zinc sulphate heptahydrate, sodium selenite, sodium selenate and selenomethionine .
  • the storage tanks 9a, 9b, 9c can be connected to corresponding distributors (not shown) of weighed doses of salts in crystalline form or in liquid form.
  • the salt supply circuit can comprise one or more feed pumps 14a 14b, 14c, preferably one for each salt stored in each storage tank.
  • the system 1 is provided with a controller 11 configured to control the sequential feeding of the salts present in the storage tanks 9a, 9b, 9c to the mixing tank 6.
  • the controller 11 is programmed to control the feeding, first or last, of the bicarbonates, the potassium bicarbonate salt or the sodium bicarbonate salt if only one of them is provided for, in any order or together if both are provided for.
  • the storage tanks 9a, 9b, 9c contain crystalline salt or salt in liquid form.
  • the controller 11 is programmed to draw the exact quantity from the storage tanks 9a, 9b, 9c on the basis of the individual recipes.
  • the controller 11 can control the activation of the feed pumps 14a, 14b, 14c with the delays necessary for feeding the bicarbonates first or last.
  • the source 4 of CO2 is connected to the bottom of the mixing tank 6 by means of a bubbler 12 for bubbling CO2 into the liquid saline concentrate present in the mixing tank 6.
  • the mixing tank 6 is connected to a means for portioned packaging of the liquid saline concentrate.
  • the mixing tank 6 comprises an openable lid.
  • the lid can optionally have a hermetic sealing system.
  • the system 1 coordinated by the controller 11 , operates in the following manner.
  • the reverse osmosis demineraliser 2 obtains a first quantity of demineralised water from mains water.
  • the demineralised water is first sterilised and then saturated with CO2 by the carbonator 5.
  • the pump 16 is activated and the first quantity of CCk-saturated demineralised water is then introduced into the mixing tank 6 after undergoing a second sterilisation step.
  • the dosing pumps 14a, 14b, 14c are activated and the soluble salts present in the storage tanks are drawn in the programmed quantities and sequence according to the recipe and introduced into the mixing tank 6.
  • the mixing tank 6 is then fed by the bubbler 12 to maintain the liquid saline solution saturated with CO2, but only if the pH has not reached the required value.
  • the addition first or, preferably, last of the Sodium and/or Potassium bicarbonates makes it possible to avoid the formation of local concentrations of Ca 2+ ions in a carbonate environment, which could trigger the precipitation of CaCCb.
  • the process for producing the liquid concentrate makes it possible to obtain satisfactory concentrations of Calcium without the concentration of Chloride and Sulphate being too high (Chlorides and above all Sulphates impart a bitter taste to water), and to obtain adequate levels of Bicarbonate while maintaining the concentrations of Sodium and Potassium at acceptable levels.
  • the liquid saline concentrate produced in the mixing tank 6 is packaged in doses, particularly in capsules or bags, to be used by special equipment directly on the site where the mineral water is produced and consumed.
  • the mineral water is produced and dispensed by the equipment by diluting the liquid concentrate with demineralised sterilised water.
  • the dilution ratio is comprised between 1:10 and 1:60, in particular it is equal to about 1:20 for doses in capsules and about 1: 50 for doses in bags.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Nutrition Science (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
  • Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
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Abstract

The system for producing a liquid saline concentrate that can be diluted to obtain water intended for human consumption, comprises a reverse osmosis demineraliser (2) for preparing demineralised water, a sterilisation means (3) for sterilising the demineralised water, a source (4) of CO2, a carbonator (5) for carbonating the sterilised water, a mixing tank (6) connected to the carbonator (5), a supply circuit for supplying salts to the mixing tank (6), an adjustment means (7) for adjusting the pH of the liquid saline concentrate (10) present in the mixing tank (6) in an interval comprised between 4 and 9, a mechanical stirring means (8) for stirring the liquid saline concentrate (10) present in the mixing tank (6), the supply circuit comprising a plurality of storage tanks (9a,9b, 9c) for storing salts in crystalline or liquid form connected to the demineraliser (2), and per for each storage tank (9a, 9b, 9c) a corresponding dosing pump (14a, 14b, 14c), the storage tanks (9a, 9b, 9c) comprising a tank for storing potassium bicarbonate salt and/or a tank for storing sodium bicarbonate salt (9a), at least one tank for storing a calcium salt (9b), and at least one tank for storing a salt other than a calcium salt (9c), there being further provided a controller (11) for the sequential feeding of the salts present in the storage tanks (9a, 9b, 9c) to the mixing tank, the controller (11) being programmed to feed the potassium bicarbonate salt and/or the sodium bicarbonate salt first or last.

Description

PRODUCTION PLANT OF A DILUTABLE LIQUID SALINE CONCENTRATE FOR OBTAINING WATER INTENDED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION
DESCRIPTION
The present invention relates to a system for preparing a liquid concentrate that can be diluted to obtain water intended for human consumption and having the characteristics of a natural mineral water or also one not present in nature, the liquid concentrate thus obtained and the water intended for human consumption produced with the liquid concentrate thus obtained.
From a chemical viewpoint, the preparation of water intended for human consumption obtained by remineralisation of a virtually ion-free water is a complex problem, especially when it is chosen, for reasons of convenience, to start from a liquid concentrate produced on an industrial scale and subsequently sold in doses dilutable on site according to the requirements for the production of the final product.
It should be observed first of all that the ions most commonly and widely present in natural water are essentially Calcium, Magnesium and Bicarbonate, followed by Sodium, Potassium, Chloride and Sulphate. In addition, the chemical composition of natural mineral waters suggests that the most abundant species is Calcium Bicarbonate (Calcium hydrogen carbonate).
The first problem in obtaining a liquid concentrate that can be diluted for the production of “synthetic” mineral water characterised by a reasonable calcium- carbonate balance is therefore that Calcium Bicarbonate (unlike Carbonate) does not exist in a solid state, but exclusively in an aqueous solution.
The second problem is that account must also be taken of the possible precipitation of salts precisely in the liquid concentrate, either at the moment of preparation, or over time, as a consequence of temperature variations, exposure to UV rays, etc. In practical terms, the most critical aspect regards precisely the possible precipitation of Calcium Carbonate.
The technical task of the present invention is therefore to provide a system for preparing a liquid concentrate that can be diluted to obtain water intended for human consumption and having the characteristics of a natural mineral water or one that is not present in nature, which enables the aforementioned technical drawbacks of the prior art to be eliminated.
Within the scope of this technical task, one object of the invention is to provide a system for preparing a liquid concentrate that can be diluted to obtain water intended for human consumption and having the characteristics of a natural mineral water or one that is not present in nature, wherein the liquid concentrate produced has a reasonable calcium-carbonate balance and a negligible or zero quantity of precipitated salts, particularly of Calcium Carbonate.
The technical task, as well as these and other objects, according to the present invention, are achieved by providing a system for producing a liquid saline concentrate that can be diluted to obtain water intended for human consumption, characterised in that it comprises a reverse osmosis demineraliser for preparing demineralised water, a sterilising means for sterilising said demineralised water, a source of CO2, a carbonator for carbonating said sterilised water, a mixing tank connected to said carbonator, a supply circuit for supplying salts to said mixing tank, an adjustment means for adjusting the pH of the liquid saline concentrate present in the mixing tank in an interval comprised between 4 and 9, a mechanical stirring means for stirring the liquid saline concentrate present in the mixing tank, said supply circuit comprising a plurality of storage tanks for storing salts in crystalline form or in liquid form connected to said demineraliser, and for each storage tank a corresponding dosing pump, said storage tanks comprising a tank for storing potassium bicarbonate salt and/or a tank for storing sodium bicarbonate salt, at least one tank for storing a calcium salt, and at least one tank for storing a salt other than a calcium salt, there being further provided a controller for sequential feeding of the salts present in the storage tanks to the mixing tank, said controller being programmed to feed said potassium bicarbonate salt and/or said sodium bicarbonate salt first or last.
In general, it has been found to be convenient to use salts, in appropriate quantities based on the recipes, selected from among calcium ascorbate, calcium carbonate, calcium sulphate dihydrate, calcium citrate, calcium fluoride, calcium chloride dihydrate, calcium gluconate, potassium phosphate monobasic, potassium gluconate, potassium citrate, potassium fluoride, potassium chloride, potassium iodide, potassium aspartate, manganese ascorbate, manganese aspartate, manganese carbonate, manganese citrate, manganese chloride, manganese gluconate, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium citrate, magnesium ascorbate, magnesium succinate, magnesium chloride hexahydrate, magnesium sulphate heptahydrate, sodium ascorbate, sodium phosphate monobasic, sodium carbonate, sodium gluconate, sodium fluoride, sodium chloride, zinc gluconate, zinc ascorbate, zinc sulphate heptahydrate, sodium selenite, sodium selenate and selenomethionine .
The controller, provided with suitable software, manages the necessary doses on the basis of the set recipes, everything being controlled by dosing pumps dedicated to every salt tank.
If the salts are stored in crystalline form, further advantages are obtained compared to the case in which the salts are stored in concentrated liquid solutions.
The times and costs of procuring crystalline salts in the required quantities are extremely reduced, as they do not require the use of specialised labour resources or the use of water resources.
Furthermore, the storage of crystalline salts does not require any particular attention, unlike liquid saline concentrates, which require constant and continuous monitoring in order to evaluate quality and presence of precipitates.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the description of one embodiment of the system for preparing a liquid concentrate that can be diluted to obtain water intended for human consumption and having the characteristics of a natural mineral water or one that is not present in nature according to the invention, illustrated by way of example in the appended drawing, in which: figure 1 schematically shows one of the possible configurations of the system for producing the liquid saline concentrate.
The system 1 for producing a liquid saline concentrate 10 that can be diluted to obtain water intended for human consumption comprises a reverse osmosis demineraliser 2 for preparing demineralised water, a sterilisation means 3 for sterilising the demineralised water, a source 4 of CO2, a carbonator 5 for carbonating the sterilised water, a mixing tank 6 connected to the carbonator 5, a supply circuit for supplying salts to the mixing tank 6, an adjustment means 7 for adjusting the pH of the liquid saline concentrate 10 present in the mixing tank 6 in an interval comprised between 4 and 9, and a mechanical stirring means 8 for stirring the liquid saline concentrate 10 present in the mixing tank 6.
A supply pump 16 is provided in order to supply the demineralised CCk-saturated water from the carbonator 5 to the mixing tank 6.
The demineraliser 2 can be supplied with mains water.
The sterilising means 3 is positioned along the water circuit supplying the mixing tank 6, and may comprise one or more UV lamps.
For example, but not necessarily, a UV lamp is positioned downstream of the carbonator and upstream of a 0.2 micron filter; in the mixing tank, close to the water inlet, there is an additional UV lamp, and at the mixing tank outlet there is another 0.2 micron filter and in sequence a UV lamp.
The salt supply circuit comprises a plurality of storage tanks 9a, 9b, 9c for storing salts in crystalline form.
The storage tanks 9a, 9b, 9c comprise a tank for storing potassium bicarbonate salt and/or a tank for storing sodium bicarbonate salt 9a, at least one tank for storing a calcium salt 9b, and at least one tank for storing a salt other than a calcium salt 9c. In some system solutions both a tank for storing potassium bicarbonate salt 9a and a tank for storing sodium bicarbonate salt 9a are provided, in other system solutions only one of them.
The calcium salts can, for example but not necessarily, be selected from among one or more calcium salts including calcium ascorbate, calcium carbonate, calcium sulphate dihydrate, calcium citrate, calcium fluoride, calcium chloride dihydrate and calcium gluconate. At least one salt other than a calcium salt can for example include a magnesium salt.
The magnesium salts can, for example but not necessarily, be selected from among one or more magnesium salts including magnesium hydroxide, magnesium citrate, magnesium ascorbate, magnesium succinate, magnesium chloride hexahydrate and magnesium sulphate heptahydrate.
In addition to the magnesium salts, the salts other than calcium salts can include, for example but not necessarily, potassium phosphate monobasic, potassium gluconate, potassium citrate, potassium fluoride, potassium chloride, potassium iodide, potassium aspartate, manganese ascorbate, manganese aspartate, manganese carbonate, manganese citrate, manganese chloride, manganese gluconate, sodium ascorbate, sodium phosphate monobasic, sodium carbonate, sodium gluconate, sodium fluoride, sodium chloride, zinc gluconate, zinc ascorbate, zinc sulphate heptahydrate, sodium selenite, sodium selenate and selenomethionine .
The storage tanks 9a, 9b, 9c can be connected to corresponding distributors (not shown) of weighed doses of salts in crystalline form or in liquid form.
The salt supply circuit can comprise one or more feed pumps 14a 14b, 14c, preferably one for each salt stored in each storage tank.
The system 1 is provided with a controller 11 configured to control the sequential feeding of the salts present in the storage tanks 9a, 9b, 9c to the mixing tank 6.
The controller 11 is programmed to control the feeding, first or last, of the bicarbonates, the potassium bicarbonate salt or the sodium bicarbonate salt if only one of them is provided for, in any order or together if both are provided for. The storage tanks 9a, 9b, 9c contain crystalline salt or salt in liquid form.
The controller 11 is programmed to draw the exact quantity from the storage tanks 9a, 9b, 9c on the basis of the individual recipes.
The controller 11 can control the activation of the feed pumps 14a, 14b, 14c with the delays necessary for feeding the bicarbonates first or last.
The source 4 of CO2 is connected to the bottom of the mixing tank 6 by means of a bubbler 12 for bubbling CO2 into the liquid saline concentrate present in the mixing tank 6.
The mixing tank 6 is connected to a means for portioned packaging of the liquid saline concentrate.
Finally, the mixing tank 6 comprises an openable lid.
The lid can optionally have a hermetic sealing system.
In a preferred embodiment, the system 1 , coordinated by the controller 11 , operates in the following manner.
The reverse osmosis demineraliser 2 obtains a first quantity of demineralised water from mains water.
The demineralised water is first sterilised and then saturated with CO2 by the carbonator 5.
The pump 16 is activated and the first quantity of CCk-saturated demineralised water is then introduced into the mixing tank 6 after undergoing a second sterilisation step.
At this point the dosing pumps 14a, 14b, 14c are activated and the soluble salts present in the storage tanks are drawn in the programmed quantities and sequence according to the recipe and introduced into the mixing tank 6. The mixing tank 6 is then fed by the bubbler 12 to maintain the liquid saline solution saturated with CO2, but only if the pH has not reached the required value. The addition first or, preferably, last of the Sodium and/or Potassium bicarbonates makes it possible to avoid the formation of local concentrations of Ca2+ ions in a carbonate environment, which could trigger the precipitation of CaCCb.
The process for producing the liquid concentrate makes it possible to obtain satisfactory concentrations of Calcium without the concentration of Chloride and Sulphate being too high (Chlorides and above all Sulphates impart a bitter taste to water), and to obtain adequate levels of Bicarbonate while maintaining the concentrations of Sodium and Potassium at acceptable levels.
After further sterilisation, the liquid saline concentrate produced in the mixing tank 6 is packaged in doses, particularly in capsules or bags, to be used by special equipment directly on the site where the mineral water is produced and consumed. The mineral water is produced and dispensed by the equipment by diluting the liquid concentrate with demineralised sterilised water.
The dilution ratio is comprised between 1:10 and 1:60, in particular it is equal to about 1:20 for doses in capsules and about 1: 50 for doses in bags.
The materials used, as well as the dimensions, may in practice be any whatsoever according to needs and the state of the art.

Claims

1. A system (1) for producing a liquid saline concentrate (10) that can be diluted to obtain water intended for human consumption, characterised in that it comprises a reverse osmosis demineraliser (2) for preparing demineralised water, a sterilisation means (3) for sterilising said demineralised water, a source (4) of CO2, a carbonator (5) for carbonating said sterilised water, a mixing tank (6) connected to said carbonator (5), a supply circuit for supplying salts to said mixing tank (6), an adjustment means (7) for adjusting the pH of the liquid saline concentrate (10) present in the mixing tank (6) in an interval comprised between 4 and 9, a mechanical stirring means (8) for stirring the liquid saline concentrate (10) present in the mixing tank (6), said supply circuit comprising a plurality of storage tanks (9a, 9b, 9c) for storing salts in crystalline form or in liquid form connected to said demineraliser (2) and for each storage tank (9a, 9b, 9c) a respective dosing pump (14a, 14b, 14c), said storage tanks (9a, 9b, 9c) comprising a tank for storing potassium bicarbonate salt and/or a tank for storing sodium bicarbonate salt (9a), at least one tank for storing a calcium salt (9b), and at least one tank for storing a salt other than a calcium salt (9c), there being further provided a controller (11) for the sequential feeding of the salts present in the storage tanks (9a, 9b, 9c) to the mixing tank (6), said controller (11) being programmed to feed said potassium bicarbonate salt and/or said sodium bicarbonate salt first or last.
2. The system (1) for producing a dilutable liquid saline concentrate according to the preceding claim, characterised in that it comprises one or more storage tanks for storing calcium salts selectable from one or more of the following salts: calcium ascorbate, calcium carbonate, calcium sulphate dihydrate, calcium citrate, calcium fluoride, calcium chloride dihydrate and calcium gluconate. The system (1) for producing a dilutable liquid saline concentrate according to any preceding claim, characterised in that it comprises one or more storage tanks for storing magnesium salts selectable from one or more of the following salts: magnesium hydroxide, magnesium citrate, magnesium ascorbate, magnesium succinate, magnesium chloride hexahydrate and magnesium sulphate heptahydrate. The system (1) for producing a dilutable liquid saline concentrate according to any preceding claim, characterised in that it comprises one or more storage tanks for storing salts other than calcium salts selectable from one or more of the following salts: potassium phosphate monobasic, potassium gluconate, potassium citrate, potassium fluoride, potassium chloride, potassium iodide, potassium aspartate, manganese ascorbate, manganese aspartate, manganese carbonate, manganese citrate, manganese chloride, manganese gluconate, sodium ascorbate, sodium phosphate monobasic, sodium carbonate, sodium gluconate, sodium fluoride, sodium chloride, zinc gluconate, zinc ascorbate, zinc sulphate heptahydrate, sodium selenite, sodium selenate and selenomethionine. The system (1) for producing a dilutable liquid saline concentrate according to any preceding claim, characterised in that said source (4) of CO2 is connected to the bottom of said mixing tank (6) by means of a bubbler 12 for bubbling CO2 into the liquid saline concentrate present in the mixing tank (6).
6. The system (1) for producing a dilutable liquid saline concentrate according to any preceding claim, characterised in that said mixing tank (6) is connected to a means for portioned packaging of said liquid saline concentrate.
7. The system (1) for producing a dilutable liquid saline concentrate according to any preceding claim, characterised in that said mixing tank (6) comprises an openable closure lid.
PCT/IT2021/000013 2020-03-18 2021-03-18 Production plant of a dilutable liquid saline concentrate for obtaining water intended for human consumption WO2021186482A1 (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN202190000357.3U CN219460262U (en) 2020-03-18 2021-03-18 System for producing liquid brine concentrate
EP21723919.3A EP4106549A1 (en) 2020-03-18 2021-03-18 Production plant of a dilutable liquid saline concentrate for obtaining water intended for human consumption

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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IT202020000001216 2020-03-18
IT202020000001216U IT202000001216U1 (en) 2020-03-18 2020-03-18 PLANT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A DILUTABLE LIQUID SALINE CONCENTRATE FOR OBTAINING WATER INTENDED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION

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Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2004103097A2 (en) * 2003-05-23 2004-12-02 Sara Lee/De N.V. Mineral concentrate
EP2582635A1 (en) * 2010-06-16 2013-04-24 Berger, Simona Process and plant for the preparation of a dilutable liquid concentrate to obtain water destined for human consumption and having the characteristics of a natural mineral water, liquid concentrate and water destined for human consumption thus obtained
US20170000164A1 (en) * 2013-12-18 2017-01-05 Nestec S.A. Process for supplying magnesium and/or calcium enriched water based beverage and associated manufacturing apparatus

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2004103097A2 (en) * 2003-05-23 2004-12-02 Sara Lee/De N.V. Mineral concentrate
EP2582635A1 (en) * 2010-06-16 2013-04-24 Berger, Simona Process and plant for the preparation of a dilutable liquid concentrate to obtain water destined for human consumption and having the characteristics of a natural mineral water, liquid concentrate and water destined for human consumption thus obtained
US20170000164A1 (en) * 2013-12-18 2017-01-05 Nestec S.A. Process for supplying magnesium and/or calcium enriched water based beverage and associated manufacturing apparatus

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CN219460262U (en) 2023-08-04
IT202000001216U1 (en) 2021-09-18

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