CN105497927A - Continuous high temperature sterilization method and sterilization tank used in continuous high temperature sterilization method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a continuous high-temperature sterilization method and a sterilization tank used therefor. The material passage of the sterilization tank has one and only one material inlet and outlet, and the material performs continuous diving and floating movements in the passage through a conveying device. , after the final level of sterilization is completed, turn around and return to the material inlet and outlet in the same way. The invention utilizes the water level difference in the material channel to realize the sealing between the atmosphere and the gas section, and through the water level difference superposition method, the sterilization area can obtain a relatively high pressure and a relatively high sterilization temperature with a relatively small equipment height, realizing continuous sterilization. Sterilization operation. The sterilization method disclosed in the present invention not only greatly improves production efficiency, reduces energy consumption, but also significantly reduces the amount of labor used. The sterilization tank disclosed in the present invention is compact in structure, convenient for automatic control, and saves equipment occupation space, and can be widely used in food High-temperature sterilization of materials such as medicines and medicines.

Description

Continuous high-temperature sterilization method and sterilization tank used therefor

technical field

The invention relates to a high-temperature sterilization method for food or medicine, in particular to a sterilization method for canned or vacuum-packed food or medicine, and also relates to a sterilization tank used in the sterilization method.

Background technique

High temperature sterilization refers to the inactivation of bacteria or their spores by high temperature. The high temperature tolerance of bacterial spores is relatively high. For example, the food routine is 121.1°C, and the medicine routine is 134°C. These temperatures are higher than the boiling point of water under normal pressure. According to the Antony equation: ln(P)=9.3876-3826.36/ (T-45.47), the absolute pressures corresponding to these two temperatures are 0.205MPa and 0.304MPa respectively, so if you want to sterilize by water bath, you must apply high pressure in the sterilization area to increase its boiling point temperature.

There are roughly two traditional methods. The first method is to put the sterilized material into a pressure vessel with a mechanical seal mechanism, and then pressurize and heat up. After the temperature reaches the spore inactivation temperature, heat the necessary sterilization Time, then cool down and release the pressure, and open the pressure vessel to take out the material after reaching a safe temperature. The whole process is long and the heat loss is high. Moreover, this method is intermittent, and a large amount of labor is used when feeding and discharging.

The second method is to use the transmission mechanism to connect the material through several temperature-increasing and boosting chambers, sterilization chambers and several cooling and depressurizing chambers in sequence. Although it can achieve the purpose of continuous sterilization, it also saves the mechanical seal mechanism, but The device takes up too much space and is difficult to implement.

Contents of the invention

A technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a sterilization tank, which not only facilitates the continuous operation of high-temperature sterilization of materials, but also has a compact structure, takes up little space, and is easy to implement.

As the same idea, another technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a continuous high-temperature sterilization method, which can not only improve work efficiency, reduce energy consumption of the entire sterilization process, but also significantly reduce labor usage.

In order to solve the above-mentioned first technical problem, the technical solution provided by the present invention is: a sterilizing tank, comprising: a tank body, a material channel bent up and down is arranged in the tank body, and the material channel has at least one lower part The material channel has one and only one material inlet and outlet connected to the atmosphere; the material channel on one side of each lower bend is a water bath section, and the other side is a gas section, and the water bath section is close to the material inlet and outlet. The gas section is far away from the material inlet and outlet, and the first-level water bath section starting from the material inlet and outlet communicates with the material inlet and outlet; Vents for the ventilation of the gas sections at all levels.

Wherein, the tank body is integral.

Wherein, the tank body is monolithic.

Wherein, the tank body is provided with a longitudinal partition, and the partition board connects the upper part of the inner space of the tank body and the lower part, and the connecting part forms the lower bend of the material channel.

Wherein, there are two or more tank bodies, and a cascade channel is provided between two adjacent tank bodies, and the cascade channel communicates with the gas section of the previous tank body and the gas section of the rear tank body. In the water bath section, the cascading channel is located at the upper part of the two tanks, forming the upper bend of the material channel.

Wherein, there are two or more tank bodies, and a longitudinal partition is arranged in the tank body, and the partition board connects the lower part of the internal space of the tank body with the upper part, and the connecting part forms the material The upper bend of the channel; a cascade channel is provided between two adjacent tanks, and the cascade channel communicates with the water bath section of the previous tank body and the gas section of the rear tank body, and the cascade channel is located at The lower parts of the two tank bodies form the lower bend of the material channel.

In order to solve the above-mentioned second technical problem, the technical solution provided by the present invention is:

The method for continuous high-temperature sterilization comprises the following steps:

1) Inject water into the water bath section of the material channel through the water outlet;

2) respectively passing gas into the gas section of the material channel through the vent port;

3) Regulate the pressure of the gas so that the water in the water bath section forms a water head, and the gas in the gas section is separated from the atmosphere to form a water seal. After the multi-stage water head pressure is superimposed, the last stage The gas pressure in the gas section reaches the pressure corresponding to the sterilization temperature;

4) heating the water in the several stages of water bath sections to the boiling temperature close to the pressure thereof, and the water bath section of the last stage is a sterilization area;

5) Submerge the material from the material inlet and outlet into the first-level water bath section through the conveying device, then float up from the water to the first-level gas section, and then advance along the material channel to the last level in sequence. After the sterilization is completed, , turn around, and return to the import and export of the material in the same way.

After adopting above-mentioned technical scheme, the beneficial effect of the present invention is:

1) Since the water in the water bath section separates the gas in the gas section from the atmosphere to form a water seal, the mechanical sealing mechanism of the pressure vessel is eliminated, and the pressure generated by the water level difference is superimposed to obtain the evaporation pressure at high temperature, so that in some The continuous sterilization operation is completed under pressure, which not only greatly improves the production efficiency, but also significantly reduces the amount of labor used.

2) The water temperature of each water bath section has been maintained at a constant temperature, and the last water bath section has always maintained a sterilization temperature, so there is no heating and cooling process during feeding and discharging, which greatly reduces the energy consumption of sterilization.

3) Since the sterilization tank has only one material inlet and outlet, the material proceeds from the material inlet and outlet along the material channel to the last stage in sequence. Compared with chamber, sterilization chamber and cooling and decompression chamber technology, the equipment can be greatly simplified, which is convenient for automatic control and reduces the space occupied by the equipment.

4) From feeding to discharging, after going through multi-stage pressure difference area and temperature difference area, the pressure and temperature changes more slowly, which is especially suitable for vacuum packaging.

5) The continuous feeding method makes the process of single material consistent, and there is no problem of uneven heat distribution in closed sterilizers, which is more suitable for automatic canning lines.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is the structural principle diagram of embodiment 1 of sterilization tank of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is the structural schematic diagram of embodiment 2 of the sterilization tank of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is the schematic structural diagram of the embodiment 3 of the sterilization tank of the present invention;

In the figure: 1-tank, 11-air vent, 12-water outlet, 13-baffle, 2-cascade channel, 3-conveying device, 4-material import and export, A-water bath section, B-gas section, H-water level difference.

detailed description

The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

Example 1

As shown in FIG. 1 , a sterilizing tank has a material channel bent up and down inside the tank body 1 , and the tank body is integrally designed, that is, it may have a common bottom or top. The so-called material channel refers to the path that the material moves during the sterilization operation. The material channel has one and only one material inlet and outlet 4 that communicates with the atmosphere, that is, the material (food or medicine, etc.) enters and exits from the same port, and the working principle and sterilization method of the equipment will be described in detail in Embodiment 2.

The bottom of the material channel in Fig. 1 has three bends (lower bends), and the upper part has three bends (upper bends). Of course, the number is not limited to this, such as two bends, but at least one lower bend is required to form at least one bend. Level difference H. The material channel on one side of each lower bend is the water bath section A, and the other side is the gas section B. It can be seen from Figure 1 that the water bath section A is relatively close to the material inlet and outlet 4, and the gas section B is relatively close to the material inlet and outlet 4. It is relatively far away, and the first-stage water bath section A starting from the material inlet and outlet 4 communicates with the material inlet and outlet 4 .

The tank body 1 is provided with a water port 12 for injecting water into the water bath section A of each level and a vent port 11 for ventilating the gas section B of each level. When in use, the water port 12 is connected to the water source through various valves, and the vent port 11 is passed through The air pressure detection device and the air pressure control device are connected to the air source, and the pressure of each gas section B is controlled by means of air supply or air release. Each water-sealed section A is provided with a heating device, which is controlled into different temperature zones according to different pressures.

Example 2

This embodiment is an example that focuses on description.

As shown in Figure 2, different from Embodiment 1, the tank body 1 is designed as a single body. Compared with the monolithic structure, it can be manufactured and installed in a modular manner, which facilitates the serialization of products, and thus can more easily satisfy customers. demand and reduce costs.

The tank body 1 is provided with a longitudinal partition 13, which connects the upper part and the lower part of the inner space of the tank body 1, and the connected part forms the lower bend of the material channel.

This embodiment shows the combined form of three tank bodies, a cascade channel 2 is provided between two adjacent tank bodies, and the cascade channel 2 communicates with the gas section B of the previous tank body and the gas section B of the subsequent tank body. In the water bath section A, the cascade channel 2 is located on the upper part of the two tanks, forming the upper bend of the material channel. The number of tanks can be determined according to the needs. The sterilization temperature can be determined first (such as 121.1°C or 134°C), and then the corresponding absolute pressure can be determined according to the Antony equation, and then the total water level difference can be determined. Finally, the tank can be determined according to the space used The number of , that is, the series of water level difference superposition.

It should be noted that, except for the above differences, the structure of this embodiment is basically the same as that of Embodiment 1, and the air vent and the water port are necessary, but in order to highlight the main part of the present invention, this part of the content is not shown in FIG. 2 .

In order to clearly disclose the sterilization method of the present invention, the conveying device 3 of the material is shown in Fig. 2, and the conveying device 3 is bent and arranged from the material inlet and outlet 4 along the material passage. In practical application, it can be a reciprocating cycle. Conveyor belt or conveyor chain, so that it can be turned at the upper bend or lower bend of the material channel.

The sterilization method is as follows:

1) Inject water into the water bath section A of the material channel through the water port 12 respectively.

2) Through the vent 11, gas is introduced into the gas section B of the material channel respectively. The gas is water vapor, or nitrogen, etc. The expansion coefficient of nitrogen is low, and its pressure is less affected by temperature, which is easy to control, but it is different from water vapor. Compared with steam, the cost will be higher.

3) Adjust the pressure of the gas so that the water in the material channel forms a water level difference H, and separate the gas in the gas section B from the atmosphere to form a water seal. After the multi-level water level difference pressure is superimposed, the gas pressure of the last-stage gas section B reaches the pressure corresponding to the sterilization temperature, that is, starting from the material inlet and outlet 4, the air pressure of the gas section B at each level increases gradually until Reach the pressure corresponding to the sterilization temperature.

4) The water in the three-stage water bath section is heated to a temperature close to the boiling point under its pressure, that is, starting from the material inlet and outlet 4, the temperature of the water bath section A at each level is gradually increased until it reaches the sterilization temperature, The water bath section A of the last stage is a sterilization area, where materials are sterilized.

5) Through the conveying device 3, the material is submerged from the material inlet and outlet 4 into the first-level water bath section A to the first lower bend, and then floated from the water to the first-level gas section B, and then advances sequentially along the material channel to the last level, turn around after the sterilization is completed, and return to the material inlet and outlet 4 in the original way.

Example 3

As shown in Figure 3, the structure of embodiment 3 is basically the same as that of embodiment 2, both of which are single structure, the difference is that the partition 13 connects the lower part of the inner space of the tank body 1 to the upper part, and the connecting part forms a material channel the upper bend. A cascading channel 2 is provided between two adjacent tanks. The cascading channel 2 connects the water bath section A of the previous tank body and the gas section B of the subsequent tank body. The cascading channel 2 is located between the two tanks. 1, forming the lower bend of the material channel. This structure enables materials to be fed from the lower part of the tank body 1, thus facilitating operation. It can also be seen from Fig. 3 that the gas section B of the first stage tank body 1 is useless for forming the water head difference H, so it can be removed, and only the water bath section A is retained.

The present invention is not limited to above-mentioned embodiment, and its core idea is embodied in following two aspects:

1. Use the water level difference in the material channel to realize the seal between the atmosphere and the gas section, and through the water level difference superposition method, use a relatively small equipment height to obtain a relatively high pressure in the sterilization area and achieve a relatively high sterilization temperature to achieve Continuous sterilization operation.

2. The material channel has one and only one material inlet and outlet. The material makes continuous diving and floating movements in the material channel through the conveying device, and after reaching the final level of sterilization, it turns around and returns to the material inlet and outlet on the original path. The structure of the equipment is greatly simplified, which is convenient for automatic control and saves space.

The present invention can be widely used in the high-temperature sterilization of food, medicine and other materials, and the implementation of all the above ideas, structures and methods must fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims (9)

1. A sterilization tank, characterized in that, comprising: The tank body is provided with a material channel bent up and down in the tank body, the material channel has at least one lower bend, and the material channel has one and only one material inlet and outlet that communicates with the atmosphere; The material channel on one side of each lower bend is a water bath section, and the other side is a gas section. The water bath section is close to the material inlet and outlet, and the gas section is far away from the material inlet and outlet. The first-level water bath section communicates with the import and export of the materials; The tank body is provided with water outlets for injecting water into the water bath sections at all levels and air outlets for ventilating the gas sections at all levels. 2. The sterilization tank according to claim 1, wherein the tank body is integral. 3. The sterilization tank according to claim 1, wherein the tank body is a single body. 4. The sterilization tank according to claim 3, wherein a longitudinal partition is arranged in the tank body, and the partition board communicates with the upper part of the inner space of the tank body and the lower part, and the connecting part forms The lower part of the material channel is bent. 5. The sterilization tank according to claim 4, wherein there are two or more tank bodies, and cascade passages are provided between adjacent two tank bodies, and the cascade passages communicate with each other. For the gas section of the preceding tank body and the water bath section of the subsequent tank body, the cascade channel is located at the upper part of the two tank bodies and forms the upper bend of the material channel. 6. The sterilization tank according to claim 3, wherein the tank body has two or more, and the tank body is provided with a longitudinal partition, and the partition divides the tank body The lower part of the internal space is connected to the upper part of the partition, and the connecting part forms the upper bend of the material channel; a cascade channel is provided between two adjacent tank bodies, and the cascade channel connects the water bath section of the previous tank body and the In the gas section of the latter tank body, the cascade channel is located at the lower part of the two tank bodies, forming the lower bend of the material channel. 7. The sterilization tank according to claim 6, wherein the material channel of the first-stage tank body is only provided with a water bath section. 8. The method for carrying out continuous high-temperature sterilization with the sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: 1) Inject water into the water bath section of the material channel through the water outlet; 2) respectively passing gas into the gas section of the material channel through the vent port; 3) Regulate the pressure of the gas so that the water in the water bath section forms a water head, and the gas in the gas section is separated from the atmosphere to form a water seal. After the multi-stage water head pressure is superimposed, the last stage The gas pressure in the gas section reaches the pressure corresponding to the sterilization temperature; 4) heating the water in the several stages of water bath sections to the boiling temperature close to the pressure thereof, and the water bath section of the last stage is a sterilization area; 5) Submerge the material from the material inlet and outlet into the first-level water bath section through the conveying device, then float up from the water to the first-level gas section, and then advance along the material channel to the last level in sequence. After the sterilization is completed, , turn around, and return to the import and export of the material in the same way. 9. The continuous high-temperature sterilization method according to claim 8, wherein the conveying device is a belt conveying device.