System and method for pasteurizing foods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11284635-B2
Application number	US-201615763897-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2016
Priority date	Sep 29, 2015
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

The invention relates to a system (1) and a method for pasteurizing foods packed in closed containers (2). The containers (2) are supplied with a processing liquid (11) in at least one heating zone (5,6), at least one pasteurization zone (7, 8), and at least one cooling zone (9, 10). In order to cool and heat the processing liquid (11) as needed, a coolant (23) is cooled by means of a heat pump (22) in a cooling circuit (20), and a heating medium (33) is heated by means of the heat pump (22) in a heating circuit via a respective heat exchanger (19, 30) in each case. In order to provide cooling energy, the cooled coolant (23) is introduced into a lower end region of a cold buffer store (24), and in order to provide heating energy the heated heating medium (33) is introduced into an upper end region of a heat buffer store (35).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for pasteurizing foods packed in closed containers by supplying the closed containers with a processing liquid, comprising
a supply device configured to supply the processing liquid on or over an exterior of the closed containers;
at least one heating zone;
at least one pasteurization zone;
at least one cooling zone;
a conveyor configured to transport the closed containers in a direction of transport through the at least one heating zone, the at least one pasteurization zone, and the at least one cooling zone in succession;
a cold tank and a heat tank configured to collect the processing liquid from at least one of the at least one heating zone, the at least one pasteurization zone, and the at least one cooling zone as required,
the cold tank being connected by pipe to one side of a cooling heat exchanger, the other side of which is connected by pipe to a cooling circuit comprising a heat pump for the purpose of transferring cooling energy, and
the heat tank being connected by pipe to one side of a heating heat exchanger, the other side of which is connected by pipe to a heating circuit comprising the heat pump for the purpose of transferring heating energy;

wherein
the cooling circuit comprises a cold buffer store integrated as a hydraulic switch, said cold buffer store being connected by pipe to an inlet of the heat pump in an upper end region, and being connected by pipe to an outlet of the heat pump in a lower end region, and also to an outlet of the cooling heat exchanger in an upper end region, and to an inlet of the cooling heat exchanger in a lower end region;
the heating circuit comprises a heat buffer store integrated as a hydraulic switch, said heat buffer store being connected by pipe to an outlet of the heat pump in an upper end region, and being connected by pipe to an inlet of the heat pump in a lower end region, and also to an inlet of the heating heat exchanger in an upper end region, and to an outlet of the heating heat exchanger in a lower end region; and
wherein a recooling means formed by a cooling tower or a cold water supply pipe and connected by pipe to the cold tank is provided to cover peak cooling power requirements.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein a heating means is provided in a flow pipe arranged on the outlet side of the heating heat exchanger to provide additional heating for the processing liquid.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the heating means is formed by a heat exchanger supplied with steam.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the cold buffer store has a storage volume of between 0.01 m 3 and 3 m 3 per 1 kW cooling capacity of the heat pump.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein a construction height of the cold buffer store is between 0.2 m and 0.4 m per 1 m 3 volume of the cold buffer store.

6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein at least one temperature sensor is arranged inside the cold buffer store, at least in the lower end region, in a middle region, and in an upper end region respectively.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the heat buffer store has a storage volume of between 0.01 m 3 and 3 m 3 per 1 kW heating capacity of the heat pump.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein a construction height of the heat buffer store is between 0.2 m and 0.4 m per 1 m 3 volume of the heat buffer store.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein at least one temperature sensor is arranged inside the heat buffer store, at least in the lower end region, in a middle region, and in an upper end region respectively.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling circuit comprises a bypass line between the heat pump and the cold buffer store, at least one flow adjustment device being assigned to said bypass line.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the heating circuit comprises a bypass line between the heat pump and the heat buffer store, at least one flow adjustment device being assigned to said bypass line.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein respective pumps with adjustable flow are arranged in the cooling circuit, each intended to supply a coolant to the cooling heat exchanger from the cold buffer store, and to supply the coolant to the heat pump from the cold buffer store.

13. The system according to claim 1 , wherein respective pumps with adjustable flow are arranged in the heating circuit, each intended to supply a heating medium to the heating heat exchanger from the heat buffer store, and to supply the heating medium to the heat pump from the heat buffer store.

14. A method for pasteurizing foods packed in closed containers,
comprising:
providing a system comprising
a supply device configured to supply a processing liquid on or over an exterior of the closed containers;
at least one heating zone;
at least one pasteurization zone;
at least one cooling zone;
a conveyor configured to transport the closed containers in a direction of transport through the at least one heating zone, the at least one pasteurization zone, and the at least one cooling zone in succession;
a cold tank and a heat tank configured to collect the processing liquid from at least one of the at least one heating zone, the at least one pasteurization zone, and the at least one cooling zone as required,
the cold tank being connected by pipe to one side of a cooling heat exchanger, the other side of which is connected by pipe to a cooling circuit comprising a heat pump for the purpose of transferring cooling energy, and
the heat tank being connected by pipe to one side of a heating heat exchanger, the other side of which is connected by pipe to a heating circuit comprising the heat pump for the purpose of transferring heating energy;

wherein
the cooling circuit comprises a cold buffer store integrated as a hydraulic switch, said cold buffer store being connected by pipe to an inlet of the heat pump in an upper end region, and being connected by pipe to an outlet of the heat pump in a lower end region, and also to an outlet of the cooling heat exchanger in an upper end region, and to an inlet of the cooling heat exchanger in a lower end region;
the heating circuit comprises a heat buffer store integrated as a hydraulic switch, said heat buffer store being connected by pipe to an outlet of the heat pump in an upper end region, and being connected by pipe to an inlet of the heat pump in a lower end region, and also to an inlet of the heating heat exchanger in an upper end region, and to an outlet of the heating heat exchanger in a lower end region; and
wherein a recooling means formed by a cooling tower or a cold water supply pipe and connected by pipe to the cold tank is provided to cover peak cooling power requirements;
transporting the closed containers by means of the conveyor in the direction of transport through the at least one heating zone, the at least one pasteurization zone, and the at least one cooling zone in successions;
supplying on or over the exterior of the closed containers in the the at least one heating zone, the at least one pasteurization zone, and the at least one cooling zone with the processing liquid,
said processing liquid being supplied to at least one of the at least one heating zone, the at least one pasteurization zone, and the at least one cooling zone at least partially from another one of the at least one heating zone, the at least one pasteurization zone, and the at least one cooling zone, and/or from the same zone, and/or from the cold tank and/or via a flow pipe, and
some of the processing liquid being taken from th

Assignees

• Red Bull Gmbh

Inventors

• Concin Roland

Classifications

• A23B2/001

  Details of apparatus, e.g. pressure feed valves or for transport, or loading or unloading manipulation · CPC title

• A23B2/22 Primary

  with packages on endless chain or band conveyors {(with packages moving on the spot while being transported A23B2/203)} · CPC title

• Y02P60/85

  Food storage or conservation, e.g. cooling or drying · CPC title

• F28D2020/0082

  Multiple tanks arrangements, e.g. adjacent tanks, tank in tank · CPC title

• F28D20/0039

  with stratification of the heat storage material · CPC title