JP4021085B2 - Airflow type heat sterilizer using low temperature steam - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the present invention, raw materials to be sterilized such as various granular materials, chemicals and feeds are put into the steam flowing down the heat sterilization tube, and the raw materials to be sterilized are heated and sterilized with a large heat capacity possessed by the steam. The present invention relates to an air flow type heat sterilization apparatus, and more particularly, to an air flow type heat sterilization apparatus using low-temperature steam that can be sterilized at a lower vapor temperature by bringing the inside of the heat sterilization tube into a reduced pressure state.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a conventional steam-type heat sterilization apparatus using steam, for example, the one disclosed in JP-A-57-153654 has been used. This is a process of flowing superheated steam into the heat sterilization tube, charging the material to be sterilized from the input valve, and heating and sterilizing the material to be sterilized while flowing in the heat sterilization tube while mixing the superheated steam and material to be sterilized. The sterilized raw material and steam are separated by a separation device, and only the raw material is taken out.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the conventional steam-type heat sterilization apparatus using steam, since the superheated steam having a positive pressure of atmospheric pressure or higher is used, the steam temperature cannot be lowered to 100 degrees C or less. There was a problem that quality deteriorates due to damage. For example, raw materials to be sterilized such as onion powder, buckwheat flour and kisami Japanese tea as foods are too hot at a steam temperature exceeding 100 ° C. even if the sterilization time is limited to a very short time of about several seconds. Therefore, the scent and flavor are greatly deteriorated or the color changes.
[0004]
Further, the conventional heat sterilization apparatus has a disadvantage in that the separation of the raw material and the steam in the separation apparatus cannot be reliably performed. This is because the flow rate of the steam and the raw material changes and is slow, or vice versa, so that the raw material and the steam cannot be reliably separated.
[0005]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to enable heating with low-temperature steam of 100 ° C. or less, and to reduce the quality of raw materials that are susceptible to thermal damage without causing deterioration in quality, and with a large amount of heat possessed by the steam. It is to obtain an air flow type heat sterilizer using low-temperature steam that can be sterilized well and can reliably separate a raw material and steam by a separator.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The means taken to solve the above problems is to supply the raw material to be sterilized and the steam for heating to the heat sterilizing tube, heat sterilize the raw material to be sterilized in the steam flow, and sterilize by the separation device and in that the separation of steam, the heat sterilization tube to suction means for the following reduced pressure atmospheric pressure while continuously provided to heat sterilization tube, the separation equipment inlet and the separation chamber and the raw material outlet and a vapor outlet A spiral swirling blade as a flow rate adjusting means is attached to the separation chamber so that it can move up and down, and the mixed fluid of raw material and steam flowing into the separation device from the inlet gives centrifugal force with the swirling blade. Thus, the raw material with a large mass is swung out to the raw material outlet, and the vapor with a small mass swirls around the center to the vapor outlet, and moves the lower end of the spiral swirl blade upward. To narrow the flow area between swirl vanes The faster the falling velocity of the fluid, on the contrary, is intended to drop the flow rate by the lower end of the swirl vane moves downward spread flow area between the swirl vanes.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
By connecting suction means to the heat sterilization tube and sucking the inside of the heat sterilization tube with this suction means and maintaining a predetermined reduced pressure state, the steam in the heat sterilization tube is reduced pressure steam below atmospheric pressure, that is, 100 degrees C or less. Thus, the raw material to be sterilized can be sterilized at a steam temperature that does not cause quality degradation of 100 degrees C or less.
[0008]
When the steam used for heat sterilization is saturated steam, the pressure and temperature are uniquely determined. Therefore, the pressure in the heat sterilization tube is set to a predetermined pressure state below atmospheric pressure by the suction means. Steam temperature can be set. Also, when the steam to be used becomes superheated steam, if the amount of heat of the steam to be supplied is determined, the degree of superheat is determined according to the depressurized state in the heat sterilization tube, and a predetermined steam temperature can be obtained.
[0009]
The suction means may be any means that can maintain the inside of the heat sterilization tube in a predetermined vacuum pressure-reduced state. Various vacuum pumps such as a water-sealed pump, an ejector vacuum pump in which a circulation pump and an ejector are combined, or A steam ejector or the like can be used.
[0010]
Since the flow rate adjusting means for adjusting the flow rate of the fluid flowing down in the separation apparatus is provided in the separation apparatus, when the flow rate for separation is slow, the adjustment means is adjusted to increase the flow rate. Is too fast, the raw material and the vapor can be reliably separated by lowering the flow rate.
[0011]
As the flow rate adjustment means, it is possible to adjust the passage area of the flow path through which the fluid flows, and when the flow rate is slow, increase the flow rate by reducing the passage area. By decreasing the flow rate by increasing the passage area, the flow rate can be adjusted to be suitable for separation.
[0012]
【Example】
Examples of the present invention will be described below. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a heat sterilization tube 1, a steam supply unit 2, a raw material supply unit 3 to be sterilized, a separation device 4 for separating the sterilized raw material and steam, and a suction means The steam ejector 5 constitutes an air flow type heat sterilizer using low temperature steam.
[0013]
The heat sterilization tube 1 is formed of a U-shaped pipe, and a steam supply unit 2 and a raw material supply unit 3 to be sterilized are sequentially arranged on the upstream side. Steam retained heat while the steam supplied from the steam supply unit 2 and the granular material supplied from the raw material supply unit 3 to be sterilized flow down in the U-shaped heat sterilization tube 1 while mixing. The material to be sterilized is sterilized by heating.
[0014]
The material to be sterilized supply unit 3 includes a hopper 6 and a valve 7, and supplies the material to be sterilized once stored in the hopper 6 into the heated sterilization tube 1 by opening the valve 7. is there.
[0015]
The separation device 4 separates the heat-sterilized raw material to be sterilized, which has flowed down in the heat sterilization tube 1, and the mixed fluid of steam for each component, and the separated raw material is a valve 8 below the separation device 4. , 9 are fed to a predetermined location, and one separated steam is sucked into the suction part 10 of the steam ejector 5.
[0016]
Details of the separation device 4 are shown in FIG. An inlet 16, a separation chamber 17, an outlet 18 and a steam outlet 19 for the raw material separated from the steam are formed in the casing 15. In the separation chamber 17, a spiral swirling blade 20 as a flow rate adjusting means is attached in the vertical direction, and a cylindrical member 21 is disposed at the center of the swirling blade 20. The upper communication hole 22 of the cylindrical member 21 communicates with the steam outlet 19. The mixed fluid of the raw material and steam that has flowed into the casing 15 from the inlet 16 is given centrifugal force by the swirl vane 20, and the raw material to be sterilized having a relatively large mass is spouted to the outside. It turns around the center.
[0017]
The swirl blade 20 is made of a thin spring material, and its upper end is in contact with the inner wall 23 in the casing 15, and its lower end is in contact with the lower end convex portion 24 of the cylindrical member 21. Mount slidably. In the present embodiment, an example in which the swirl vanes 20 are arranged in three stages in the vertical direction is shown. A raw material outlet 18 is provided below the swirl vane 20 and connected to the valve 8 shown in FIG.
[0018]
The cylindrical member 21 is provided with a communication passage 25 in the center and communicates with the upper communication hole 22. A plurality of communication holes 22 are provided to communicate with the steam outlet 19. An adjustment screw 26 is provided by extending the communication hole 22 of the cylindrical member 21 upward. A packing 28 is attached to the outer periphery of the adjustment screw 26 via a cap 27 to prevent external leakage of the internal fluid.
[0019]
The cap 27 is screw-coupled to the casing 15 and is provided with a female screw portion at the center to be screw-coupled to the adjustment screw 26. By rotating the nut portion 29 at the upper end of the adjusting screw 26, the adjusting screw 26 moves up and down, and the convex portion 24 at the lower end of the cylindrical member 21 also moves up and down, so that the lower end of the swirl vane 20 also moves up and down. Is.
[0020]
When the lower end of the swirl vane 20 moves upward, the area of the flow path between the swirl vanes 20 is narrowed, and the flow speed of the fluid increases. Conversely, when the lower end of the swirl vane 20 moves downward, the swirl vane The flow path area between 20 becomes wide, and the flow velocity is reduced. The state shown in FIG. 2 shows a state in which the convex portion 24 is in contact with the lower stopper 30 and the swirl vane 20 is located at the lowermost end and the flow path area is the largest.
[0021]
The mixed fluid of the raw material and steam that has flowed into the separation chamber 17 from the inlet 16 is given a swirl force by the swirl vane 20, and a raw material having a mass larger than that of the steam is swung out by the centrifugal force, and the outer case. The inner peripheral surface of the sing 15 is dropped to the raw material outlet 18 and is discharged out of the system through the valves 8 and 9.
[0022]
On the other hand, the steam with a small mass swirls around the center of the swirl vane 20, passes through the communication passage 25 and the communication hole 22 of the cylindrical member 21, and is discharged out of the system from the steam outlet 19.
[0023]
When the flow rate of the mixed fluid passing through the swirl vane 20 is slow, the flow rate is increased and the predetermined centrifugal separation can be performed by pulling up the adjusting screw 26 to reduce the passage area between the swirl vanes 20. If the flow rate of the mixed fluid is high, the flow rate can be lowered by pulling down the adjusting screw 26 to increase the passage area, and predetermined centrifugation can be performed.
[0024]
A steam ejector 5 serving as a suction means in FIG. 1 is connected to a steam pipe 11 for supplying driving steam from a steam source (not shown), and an outlet side of the steam ejector 5 is a separator 12 for separating water droplets and foreign matters in the steam. It connects with the steam supply part 2 via.
[0025]
The steam supply unit 2 heat-exchanges the steam supplied from the steam ejector 5 with the separate steam supplied from the steam pipe 13 and supplies the steam to the heat sterilization pipe 1 as steam at a predetermined temperature. In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which heat is exchanged by steam supplied from the steam pipe 13, but in order to adjust the steam temperature supplied to the heat sterilization pipe 1, not only the steam from the steam pipe 13 but also dowsum, etc. Other heating media can also be used.
[0026]
For example, when the raw material to be sterilized in the heat sterilization tube 1 is heat sterilized with low-temperature steam at 80 ° C., the ultimate vacuum of the steam ejector 5 becomes a pressure corresponding to the saturation pressure of steam at a temperature slightly lower than 80 ° C. Thus, a predetermined temperature state can be maintained by selecting and adjusting the amount of steam supplied to the steam ejector 5 or the number of steam ejector stages and the model.
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
In the air flow type heat sterilization apparatus using low-temperature steam according to the present invention, the inside of the heat sterilization tube can be maintained at a predetermined reduced pressure state below atmospheric pressure by the suction means, and the temperature of the steam flowing down through the heat sterilization tube is reduced to 100 ° C. or less. By using low-temperature steam, even a raw material to be sterilized that easily causes thermal damage can be sterilized efficiently without causing quality deterioration.
[0028]
In addition, according to the present invention, the centrifugal force can be adjusted as appropriate by increasing or decreasing the flow rate of the mixed fluid flowing down the swirling blades in the separation device. Thus, the raw material and steam can be reliably separated.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an airflow type heat sterilizer using low-temperature steam according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a separation device used in a low temperature steam air flow type heat sterilization apparatus of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heating sterilization pipe 2 Steam supply part 3 Sterilization raw material supply part 4 Separation apparatus 5 Steam ejector 6 Hopper 11 Steam pipe 12 Separator

Claims (1)

In the heat sterilization tube, the raw material to be sterilized and heating steam are supplied to the heat sterilization tube, and the material to be sterilized is heated and sterilized in the steam flow to separate the raw material and steam sterilized by the separation device. suction means for the following reduced pressure pressure while continuously provided to heat sterilization tube, constitutes a separate equipment at the inlet and the separation chamber and the raw material outlet and a vapor outlet, the spiral of the flow rate adjusting means to said separation chamber The swirling blade is attached so that it can move up and down, and the mixed fluid of raw material and steam flowing into the separation device from the inlet is given centrifugal force by the swirling blade, and the raw material with large mass is swung out to the outside On the contrary, steam with a small mass swirls around the center to reach the steam outlet, and moves the lower end of the spiral swirl blade upward to narrow the flow area between swirl blades. Increase the flow velocity of the fluid, Airflow heat sterilization apparatus according to the low-temperature steam, characterized in that lowering the flow rate by moving the lower end of the rotating blade downward spread flow area between the swirl vanes.

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