NZ728232B2 - An infusion plant for heat treating heat-sensitive fluid foodstuffs - Google Patents
An infusion plant for heat treating heat-sensitive fluid foodstuffsInfo
- Publication number
- NZ728232B2 NZ728232B2 NZ728232A NZ72823215A NZ728232B2 NZ 728232 B2 NZ728232 B2 NZ 728232B2 NZ 728232 A NZ728232 A NZ 728232A NZ 72823215 A NZ72823215 A NZ 72823215A NZ 728232 B2 NZ728232 B2 NZ 728232B2
- Authority
- NZ
- New Zealand
- Prior art keywords
- pump
- bottom section
- infusion chamber
- fluid
- plant
- Prior art date
Links
- 238000001802 infusion Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 60
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 41
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 32
- 235000008452 baby food Nutrition 0.000 claims abstract description 13
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 9
- 235000013336 milk Nutrition 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 239000008267 milk Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 210000004080 milk Anatomy 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 230000007704 transition Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 235000008504 concentrate Nutrition 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 239000012141 concentrate Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 108010046377 Whey Proteins Proteins 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- 102000007544 Whey Proteins Human genes 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- 235000013351 cheese Nutrition 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- 235000008935 nutritious Nutrition 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 235000021119 whey protein Nutrition 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 235000014666 liquid concentrate Nutrition 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 7
- 229910000831 Steel Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000010959 steel Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000012809 cooling fluid Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 abstract description 10
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 abstract description 10
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 11
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 description 7
- 239000000498 cooling water Substances 0.000 description 4
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 241000894006 Bacteria Species 0.000 description 2
- 239000002826 coolant Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000001419 dependent effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 235000013305 food Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 2
- 235000016709 nutrition Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 239000005862 Whey Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000015556 catabolic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 235000020186 condensed milk Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000000110 cooling liquid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000006071 cream Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000013365 dairy product Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 238000006731 degradation reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000009826 distribution Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000796 flavoring agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000019634 flavors Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 230000004927 fusion Effects 0.000 description 1
- 235000015243 ice cream Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 150000002500 ions Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 239000006210 lotion Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012423 maintenance Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 244000005700 microbiome Species 0.000 description 1
- 235000014059 processed cheese Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 235000011962 puddings Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 238000005057 refrigeration Methods 0.000 description 1
- 235000015067 sauces Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 229940088594 vitamin Drugs 0.000 description 1
- 229930003231 vitamin Natural products 0.000 description 1
- 235000013343 vitamin Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000011782 vitamin Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23C—DAIRY PRODUCTS, e.g. MILK, BUTTER OR CHEESE; MILK OR CHEESE SUBSTITUTES; MAKING THEREOF
- A23C3/00—Preservation of milk or milk preparations
- A23C3/02—Preservation of milk or milk preparations by heating
- A23C3/03—Preservation of milk or milk preparations by heating the materials being loose unpacked
- A23C3/033—Preservation of milk or milk preparations by heating the materials being loose unpacked and progressively transported through the apparatus
- A23C3/037—Preservation of milk or milk preparations by heating the materials being loose unpacked and progressively transported through the apparatus in direct contact with the heating medium, e.g. steam
-
- 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
- A23L3/16—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by heating loose unpacked materials
-
- 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
- A23L3/16—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by heating loose unpacked materials
- A23L3/24—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by heating loose unpacked materials with the materials in spray form
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23V—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION
- A23V2002/00—Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B1/00—Optical elements characterised by the material of which they are made; Optical coatings for optical elements
- G02B1/10—Optical coatings produced by application to, or surface treatment of, optical elements
- G02B1/18—Coatings for keeping optical surfaces clean, e.g. hydrophobic or photo-catalytic films
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06V—IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
- G06V10/00—Arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding
- G06V10/70—Arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding using pattern recognition or machine learning
- G06V10/74—Image or video pattern matching; Proximity measures in feature spaces
- G06V10/75—Organisation of the matching processes, e.g. simultaneous or sequential comparisons of image or video features; Coarse-fine approaches, e.g. multi-scale approaches; using context analysis; Selection of dictionaries
- G06V10/751—Comparing pixel values or logical combinations thereof, or feature values having positional relevance, e.g. template matching
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G08—SIGNALLING
- G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- G08B21/00—Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
- G08B21/18—Status alarms
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N7/00—Television systems
- H04N7/18—Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
- H04N7/183—Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast for receiving images from a single remote source
Abstract
plant for heat treating heat-sensitive fluid foodstuffs, such as whey protein concentrate, baby food, baby food liquid concentrates, nutritious drinks or cheese milk. The plant comprises an infusion chamber (1) in which the fluid foodstuff is subjected to a heat treatment by a feeding of steam, and a fluid foodstuff inlet (2) connected to a plurality of openings at the top of the infusion chamber for creating a plurality of essentially downwardly directed separate fluid foodstuff jets (7). The infusion chamber has a bottom section (32) configured to collect the fluid foodstuff from the jets. The bottom section has an outlet opening (19) at the bottom of the infusion chamber for allowing the collected fluid foodstuff to exit the infusion chamber. The outlet opening is seamlessly connected to the inlet of a pump (6). A cooling jacket (15) surrounds the bottom section for cooling the bottom section. The cooling jacket extends all the way down to the pump. By providing a seamless transition between the bottom section and the pump and by providing cooling around the bottom section and all the way down to the pump fouling and burn-on is reduced and results in longer and safer production time between cleanings, which significantly increases production efficiency of the infusion heat treatment plant. d a fluid foodstuff inlet (2) connected to a plurality of openings at the top of the infusion chamber for creating a plurality of essentially downwardly directed separate fluid foodstuff jets (7). The infusion chamber has a bottom section (32) configured to collect the fluid foodstuff from the jets. The bottom section has an outlet opening (19) at the bottom of the infusion chamber for allowing the collected fluid foodstuff to exit the infusion chamber. The outlet opening is seamlessly connected to the inlet of a pump (6). A cooling jacket (15) surrounds the bottom section for cooling the bottom section. The cooling jacket extends all the way down to the pump. By providing a seamless transition between the bottom section and the pump and by providing cooling around the bottom section and all the way down to the pump fouling and burn-on is reduced and results in longer and safer production time between cleanings, which significantly increases production efficiency of the infusion heat treatment plant.
Description
A plant for heat treating heat-sensitive fluid foodstuffs, such as whey protein concentrate, baby
food, baby food liquid concentrates, nutritious drinks or cheese milk. The plant comprises an
infusion chamber (1) in which the fluid foodstuff is subjected to a heat treatment by a feeding of
steam, and a fluid foodstuff inlet (2) connected to a plurality of openings at the top of the infusion
chamber for creating a plurality of essentially downwardly directed separate fluid foodstuff jets
(7). The infusion chamber has a bottom section (32) configured to collect the fluid foodstuff from
the jets. The bottom section has an outlet opening (19) at the bottom of the infusion chamber
for allowing the collected fluid uff to exit the on chamber. The outlet opening is
ssly connected to the inlet of a pump (6). A cooling jacket (15) surrounds the bottom
section for cooling the bottom section. The cooling jacket extends all the way down to the pump.
By ing a seamless transition between the bottom section and the pump and by providing
cooling around the bottom section and all the way down to the pump fouling and burn-on is
reduced and results in longer and safer production time between cleanings, which significantly
ses production ency of the infusion heat treatment plant.
728232 B2
AN INFUSION PLANT FOR HEAT TREATING HEAT-SENSITIVE FLUID
FOODSTUFFS
TECHNICAL FIELD
The disclosure relates to a plant for ultra-high
temperature treatment (UHT) of heat-sensitive fluid
foodstuffs, such as whey protein concentrate, baby food,
nutritious drinks and cheese milk, the plant comprising
an infusion chamber in which the fluid is heat treated by
way of supply of steam.
BACKGROUND
EP 0 794 706 discloses an infusion plant for high
temperature treatment heat-sensitive fluid foodstuffs,
such as whey protein concentrate and cheese milk. The
plant has an infusion chamber, in which the fluid is
subjected to a heat treatment by feeding steam. The food
product is introduced at the top of the infusion chamber
as a bundle of separate and mainly downwardly ed
jets of foodstuff. The lower section of the on
chamber serves to t the foodstuff and has cooled
walls using a cooling jacket. An outlet g of the
on chamber is arranged at the bottom of the infusion
chamber and the outlet opening is connected to the inlet
of a positive-displacement pump. The outlet of the
positive-displacement pump is ted to the inlet of
a vacuum chamber that serves to remove water from the
food product that was added during the steam infusion.
The infusion plant uses high temperature for a short time
to kill micro-organisms by steam infusion. This
technology is widely used in the dairy industry where
ts can lose their nutritional value, flavor and
ance as macro—organisms ly. These organisms
thrive at certain temperatures but if they are not
present in a product, the product can be stored for many
months without the need for refrigeration. Steam infusion
achieves this objective with minimal heat degradation
compared with other UHT processes. It helps t
essential components such as vitamins and results in
fresh tasting products with outstanding quality. It
provides the necessary kill rate for cial ity
and can handle a wide product viscosity range — covering
fluids from milk, puddings, ice cream, baby food,
condensed milk, processed cheese, sauces and creams to
lotions.
In the known infusion plant a cooling jacket is provided
around. the bottom. section. 0: the infusion chamber for
minimizing burn—on and 'ou'ing. However, fouling is not
completely prevented and cleaning and/or rinsing o; the
infusion. r is ary after‘ a given. period. or
operation, depending e.g. on the type 0 "oodstu . "t is
though desirable to minimize fouling and to obtain longer
running times between cleaning operations and thereby
achieve better production e "iciency. Also, a more
predictable length 0: run time before cleaning is needed
would. be desirable. Overall, the market requests more
e t bacteria killing equipment to meet the
singly demand. to produce heat sensitive products
like baby foods.
SUMMARY
It is an object o: the invention to provide an infusion
plant for ultra—high treatment 0" "luid "oodstu "s with
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longer and/or more predictable running time between
cleaning ions necessitated by fouling or burn-on.
This object is ed according to a first aspect of
the invention by providing a plant for heat treating heatsensitive
fluid foodstuffs, such as whey n
concentrate, baby food, baby food liquid concentrates,
nutritious drinks, or cheese milk, the plant sing:
an infusion chamber, in which the fluid foodstuff is
subjected to a heat treatment by a g of steam, a
fluid foodstuff inlet connected to a plurality of openings
at the top of the infusion chamber for creating a
plurality of essentially rdly directed separate
fluid foodstuff jets, the infusion chamber having a bottom
section configured to collect the fluid foodstuff from
the fluid uff jets, the bottom section having an
outlet opening at the bottom of the infusion chamber for
allowing the collected fluid foodstuff to exit the
infusion chamber, the outlet opening being seamlessly
connected to the inlet of a pump, and a cooling jacket
surrounding the bottom section for cooling the bottom
section, the cooling jacket extending all the way down to
the pump, the pump comprising a pump housing, and wherein
said outlet is an integral part of said bottom section
and wherein said pump housing is integral with said outlet
in order to obtain a seamless tion from said bottom
section to said pump, or wherein the outlet of said bottom
section is welded directly to the inlet of said pump
housing to form a seamless transition.
By providing a seamless transition between the bottom
section and the pump and by providing cooling around the
bottom section and all the way down to the pump fouling
and burn-on is reduced and results in longer and safer
production time between cleanings, which significantly
increases production efficiency of the infusion heat
treatment plant.
In a first possible implementation form of the first
aspect the cooling jacket extends into the pump housing.
In a second possible implementation form of the first
aspect the bottom n has steel walls that are welded
to an upwardly projecting flange or ridge of the pump
housing.
In a third possible implementation form of the first
aspect the plant further comprising a feed conduit for
g cooling fluid to the cooling jacket and a return
conduit for returning cooling fluid from the cooling
jacket, a portion of the feed conduit extending through
the pump housing and ting to the g jacket at
a location inside the pump housing.
In a fourth possible implementation form of the first
aspect the pump is a positive displacement pump,
preferably a gear pump or a lobe pump.
In a fifth possible implementation form of the first
aspect the pump is a fugal pump.
In a sixth le implementation form of the first
aspect the bottom section is releasably connected to the
upper section, e.g. by a flanged connection.
The foregoing and other objects are achieved by the
features of the independent claims. Further
implementation forms are apparent from the dependent
claims, the description and the figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the following detailed portion of the present
disclosure, the invention will be explained in more
detail with reference to the e ments shown
in the drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an ultra-high
temperature treatment plant, and
Fig. 2 is a nal view of an infusion plant according
to an example embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Fig. 1 discloses a plant for ultra-high temperature
treatment of liquid foodstuff. The liquid foodstuff can be
any uff in liquid form, but the disclosed plant is
WO 12026 6
particularly use ul "or ature sensitive foodsLu s
that should be heated for killing baCteria for a short
period only so as to preserve their f'avor, consistency
and rutritious qualities. es of such liquid
foodsti""s are milk, baby food liquid, baby food 'iquid
concentrate or nutritional drinks (with high prOtein
content). The liquid foodstu"" may have a high dry matter
content (40% and higher) and/or high protein content (6%
or higher).
The plant 0: Fig. 1 has an infusion chamber 1 o; a
tionally known type. The infusion chamber 1 is
conneCted to a tube 9 "or "eeding f'uid "oodstu to be
heat treated inside the iniision chamber l, and a tube 3
for the "eeding O“ steam. Finally, the infusion chamber
is ted to tibes 4 and 5 "or g and removing
'iquid for cooling the bottom 0: the infusion chamber 1.
In an embodiment the cooling liquid is water. The outlet
0: the infusion chamber l directly connected with a pump
6. In an embodiment the pump 6 is a centrifugal pump. In
another embodiment the pump 6 is a positive displacement
pump, such as a lobe or gear pump. The Oitlet of the pimp
6 is ted to the inlet o_ a vacuun chamber 10 o: a
conventionally known type through a tube 9. This vac1um
r is adapted to remove the amount 0: water being
supplied in form 0“ steam in the infusion cramber through
a tube 11, whereas the concentrated fluid "oodstu"" is
drained 0"" h a tube 12 and a pump 13 in a
conventionally known manner.
Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view 0: the infusion
chamber. The infusion chamber is preferably essentially
rotation. symmetrical arOLnd 21 vertical axis. The upper
section 30 of the infusion chamber has a hollow
02187iPCTill
cylindrical part and a top part that is shaped similar to
a conical frustum. 21 bottom. section 32 is releasably
conrected to the upper section 30 by a flarged connection
34 for al'owing access to the interior 0: the infusion
chaIrber~ 1 for cleaning and/or maintenance. The bottom
section. 32 has in an embodiment a shape similar to a
conical frustum. At the lower end 0: the on r
there is an outlet opening 19 that is directly connected
to the inlet 0: a lobe pump 6.
The fluid "oodstu to be treated is carried h the
tube 2 into tre on chamber 1. The fluid "oodstu
enters the iniision r 1 as a bundle 7 0: separate
liquid foodstt jets through a plurality o: openings in
a nozzle at the top 0: the infusion chamber 1. Hot steam
is injected into the infusion chamber 1 through a
circumferential steam. distribution chamber in a well—
{nown manner. In the on chamber 1 the liquid
foodstu"" jets meet the hot steam and the foodstu"" is
thereby heated and absorbs the steam.
The liquid foodstu jets erd on the funnel shaped inner
wa'" O“ the botton section 32. The bOttom. section 32
co"ects the liquid foodstu "rom the 'iquid "oodstu
jets and guides it to the Ottlet g 19 at the lower
end 0: the infusion chamber 1 (which is also the lower
end 0: the bottom section 32 and which is also the inlet
o: the pump 6).
3O A.cooling jacket 15 is provided around the bottom seCtion
32. The cooling' jacket 15 keeps the bottom. sectior 32
cool, to prevent or Hdnimize the liquid _oodstu that
gets into contact with the inner walls of the bOttom
section. 32 to foul or n. The cooling jacket 15
02187iPCTill
provides for a mantle of cooling water or other cooling
medium around the bottom section 32. The mantle is
divided. by a spiral traverse wall 17 that guides the
cooling water in a spiral pattern around the bottom
section 32. The inlet of the cooling water 4 passes
tho;gh. the pump housing' and into a portion 29 of she
mantle that extends also into the pump housing. From the
portion 29 internal to the pump housing the spiral path
0: the cooling water continues ly upwards towards
the cooling medium outlet 5 at the top 0: the cooling
jacket 15 and near the top 0: the bottom section 32.
The lower portion. of the bottom section 32 forms the
outlet g 19 o: the chamber that ts seamlessly
to the inlet 0: the pump 6. This is in an. embodiment
achieved by the lower end 0: the bottom section 32 being
made from steel plates, preferably ess steel, and
connected to the pump g by welds ’8. "n an
embodiment the pump housirg is provided with a circular
ridge or circular upright flange that facilitates welding
of the pump rousing to the lower end of the bottom
section 32. After g the transition between the
bottom section 32 and the pump housing/pump in'et formed
by the welds 18 is machined to provide a perfeccly smooth
surface t and cracks or fissures ttat could be
di””icult to clean or rinse.
The gear or lobe pump 6 is o: a conventionally known type
and is connected to the outlet 19 o: the in:fusion chamber
1, and the housing 0: the gear or lobe pump 6 is provided
with. a temperature sensor 16 at a location where the
adjacent surface is kept clean 0: burnings by means 0:.
the teeth of the gear wheels or by the lobes of she
02187iPCTill
rotors 8. In this manner it is possible to ensure a
reliable cortrol of the plant.
In an example embodiment ar optical camera 20, preferably
a digital optical camera) is mounted on the infusion
chamber 1 with an angle 0: view 21 covering at least a
portion 0: the bottom section 32 so that an operator or a
processor configured therefore can determine that fouling
has occurred (or not) and cleaning needs to be performed
(or not). The optical camera 20 is preferably mounted at
or near top 0: the infusion chamber 1, pointing downwards
towards the bottom n 32. The wall 0: the infusion
chamber is in an embodiment ed with a sight glass
23 for allowing the optical camera 20 to view into the
inftsion chamber
The sight glass 23 is preferably at least on its inner
side facing the interior of the infusion chamber 1
provided. with. a coating' to prevent formation. 0: water
droplets on the inner side.
In an ment, images from the l camera 20 are
sed by a processor (not shown) that is configured
to detect changes in the image. The processor is further
configured to issue a notification or alarm when it has
determined. that the image taken. by the camera 20 has
changed relative to an initial image taken shortly after
the start of a production run.
Another optical camera 25 (preferably a digital optical
camera) is mounted. on the infusion r‘ 1 with an
angle 0; view 26 coverirg‘ at least a portion of the
bundle 7 o" "luid u jets.
02187iPCTill
W0 12026 1 0
The optical camera 25 can be mounted. at or near the
bottom 0: the infusion chamber 1, pointing upwards
towards the upper section 30.
The invention has been described in conjunction with
various embodiments herein. However, 0 :her variations :O
the disclosed embodiments can be unders:ood and e "ecLed
by those d. in the art in practicing the claimed
invention, from a study 0; the drawingSI the disclosure,
and the appended claims. In the claims, the word
“comprisirg’does not exclude other elements or steps, and
the indefinite article or an do es not exclude a
plurality. A single sor or other unit may u1 Wll
the functions 0: several items recited in the claims. The
re:ference signs used in the claims shall not be construed
as limiting the scope. The mere fact Lha certain measures
are recited in ly di "erent dependent claims does
not indicate that a combination 0: the se ed cannot
be used. to advantage. The re:ference signs used in the
claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope.
02187ePCTell
Claims (10)
1. A plant for heat treating heat-sensitive fluid foodstuffs, such as whey protein concentrate, baby food, 5 baby food liquid concentrates, nutritious drinks, or cheese milk, said plant comprising: an infusion chamber, in which the fluid foodstuff is subjected to a heat treatment by a g of steam, a fluid foodstuff inlet connected to a plurality of openings at the top of said infusion chamber for creating a plurality of essentially downwardly directed separate fluid foodstuff jets, said on chamber having a bottom n configured to collect the fluid foodstuff from said fluid foodstuff jets, 20 said bottom section having an outlet opening at the bottom of said on chamber for allowing said collected fluid foodstuff to exit said infusion chamber, said outlet opening being seamlessly connected to the inlet 25 of a pump, and a cooling jacket surrounding said bottom section for cooling said bottom section, said g jacket extending all the way down to said pump, the pump comprising a pump 30 g, and wherein said outlet is an integral part of said bottom section and wherein said pump housing is integral with said outlet in order to obtain a seamless transition from said bottom section to said pump, or wherein the outlet of said bottom section is welded 5 directly to the inlet of said pump housing to form a seamless transition.
2. A plant according to claim 1, wherein said cooling jacket extends into said pump housing.
3. A plant according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said bottom section has steel walls that are welded to an upwardly projecting flange or ridge of said pump housing. 15
4. A plant ing to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a feed conduit for feeding g fluid to said cooling jacket and a return conduit for returning cooling fluid from said cooling jacket, a n of said feed conduit extending through said pump housing and connecting 20 to said cooling jacket at a location inside said pump housing.
5. A plant according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said pump is a positive displacement pump.
6. A plant according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said pump is a centrifugal pump.
7. A plant according to any one of claims 1 to 6, n 30 said bottom n is releasably connected to an upper section.
8. A plant according to claim 5, wherein the positive displacement pump is a gear pump.
9. A plant according to claim 5, wherein the positive displacement pump is a lobe pump. 5
10. A plant ing to claim 1, substantially as herein described or exemplified with reference to
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DKPA201400410A DK178416B1 (en) | 2014-07-25 | 2014-07-25 | Infusion plant |
| DKPA201400410 | 2014-07-25 | ||
| PCT/DK2015/050130 WO2016012026A1 (en) | 2014-07-25 | 2015-05-26 | Infusion plant |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| NZ728232A NZ728232A (en) | 2022-03-25 |
| NZ728232B2 true NZ728232B2 (en) | 2022-06-28 |
Family
ID=
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