An improved baffle assembly for heat exchanger tubes comprising a shaft and at least one opposing pair of expanding baffles positioned coaxially on the shaft, each expanding baffle comprising a central hub portion and a plurality of extension portions each radiating outward from the hub portion at complementary oblique angles so that the central hub portions of each baffle are spaced apart along the shaft and the distal ends of the extension portions of each baffle are brought into physical contact.

A seal including a first portion having a first width that extends in a radial direction of the seal, a second portion that is joined with the first portion and having a second width that is smaller than the first width, and a first recess that is located in the first portion to reduce a width expansion of the first portion when the seal is compressed in an axial direction of the seal.

This disclosure relates to a method, system and apparatus for inactivating microorganisms in an aqueous solution. The method comprises passing bubbles of a gas through the aqueous solution, wherein the gas comprises at least 10% CO2 by volume and has a temperature of at least 18 C. The system comprises a gas supply to supply gas comprising at least 10% CO2 and having a temperature above 18 C., a gas-delivery apparatus to receive the gas and deliver it into the aqueous solution in the form of bubbles. The apparatus comprises a gas-permeable material having a flow surface configured to enable the flow of the aqueous solution across the flow surface, a chamber arranged at an opposite side of the gas-permeable material to supply a gas that inactivates microorganisms such that the gas is able to pass through the gas-permeable material and into the aqueous solution as gas bubbles.

A water purifier includes a cooling water tank, a partition member mounted inside the cooling water tank and partitioning an inner space of the cooling water tank into an upper space and a lower space, a cold water pipe accommodated in the lower space; an evaporator accommodated in the upper space, and an agitator penetrating the partition member and disposed in the lower space. The partition member includes a bottom portion on which the evaporator is mounted and that defines a plurality of cooling water through-holes, and an outer wall portion extending upward along an edge of the bottom portion to define an evaporator accommodating portion. The outer wall portion is spaced apart from an inner wall of the cooling water tank to prevent ice formed in the evaporator accommodating portion from contacting the inner wall of the cooling water tank.

Method and system for maintaining temperature-sensitive materials within a target temperature range for an extended time. In one embodiment, the system keeps materials within a temperature range of +2 C. to +8 C. and includes an insulated container, a product box, ice packs, and organic phase-change material (PCM) packs. The ice packs are preconditioned to a very low temperature, such as 20 C. The organic PCM packs do not require preconditioning and may be kept at room temperature. In use, the frozen ice packs and the warm organic PCM packs may be loaded into the insulated container, together with a payload in the product box. Preferably, the frozen ice packs are sandwiched between a pair of organic PCM packs on each face of the product box. The masses of ice and organic PCM are selected so that, upon thermal equilibration, the ice and organic PCM are within the target temperature range.

A beverage dispensing apparatus having a container containing a beverage and a dispensing tube having three sections. The first section is a cartridge formed by a frame defining a perimeter of an inner area and supporting in the inner area a channel forming a serpentine. An upstream dispensing tube section fluidly connects the interior of the container to an inlet of the channel. A downstream dispensing tube section fluidly connects an outlet of the channel to a tapping valve. The appliance is provided with a cooling unit having a first and second cooling plates separated from one another by a distance defining an insertion slot. The distance separating the cooling plates can be varied, from a loading distance, d0, allowing the introduction of the cartridge into the slot, to a cooling distance, dc<d0, where the cooling plates contact the channel and apply pressure thereon deforming the channel.

A cold storage box 1 comprises a housing 2 internally having a storage space S for a cold storage object, and one or more heat exchanger tubes 3 provided in the storage space S; wherein the heat exchanger tubes 3 are each a multilayer tube comprising an outer tube with thermal conductivity having an outer surface facing the storage space S, and as inner tube provided inside the outer tube; a first brine solution that does not freeze at 0 C. is contained between the outer tube and the inner tube; and a refrigerant, or a second brine solution that does not freeze at 0 C. is contained inside the inner tube.

A refrigerated merchandiser includes a product display area having multiple shelves. An air return passage is defined below the shelves. A first fan is disposed at a downstream end of the air return passage. An air distribution passage is connected to an outlet of the fan and is disposed behind the shelves. A top passage is disposed above the shelves. At least one microchannel evaporator at least partially surrounds the first fan. The at least one microchannel evaporator includes at least one bend.

A direct contact steam injection heater that includes a stem plug that is rotatable over 360. The stem plug is connected to an actuator that is operable to rotate the stem plug over 360 of rotation during both the heating function of the steam injection heater and during a clean-in-place process. The stem plug includes a regulating head having a pair of sealing inserts formed on each of a pair of sealing faces. The sealing inserts are biased outward into contact with an inner surface that includes the steam injection nozzles. As the regulating head rotates between a closed position and an open position, the nozzles are exposed to allow steam to flow into the product being heated. The regulating head further includes a pair of foils. During the clean-in-place operation, the foils create a turbulent flow of cleaning liquid within the steam chamber.

The present invention relates to an assembled material tube of hot and cold foods supplying machine, including a plurality of material tube bodies, in which penetrating feed channels are provided internally; each of the material tube bodies has a path provided with an inlet and an outlet to respectively and correspondingly input and output a working fluid through the path for performing thermal exchanges, whereby cooling occurs in segmentations for each of the feed channels; a plurality of temperature measurement units each of which is provided with a detecting end for detecting a temperature in the corresponding feed channel; and a plurality of heating units perform heating in segmentations for each of the feed channels. Accordingly, said machine can be separately used as hot food supplying machine or cold food supplying machine, so as to achieve the aim of using one machine for two purposes.