A mixing tank arrangement, comprising a tank (102) having at least one feed opening (104, 106) for feeding a first and a second material into the tank. The mixing tank arrangement further comprises a recirculation system having a first inlet (110) and a first outlet (112) for recirculating and mixing the first and the second material in the tank. The first inlet (110) comprises a body pipe (116) in a first side (FS) of the tank having a plurality of feeding pipes (118) extending to a second side (SS) of the lank wherein the feeding pipes are configured to jet the first and second materials from the second side to the first side of the tank such that the first and the second material hit a wall of the tank in the first side and wherein a shape of the wall is configured to divide the first and the second materials to at least two streams that flow to the second side of the tank and collide.

A mixing tank arrangement, comprising a tank (102) having at least one feed opening (104, 106) for feeding a first and a second material into the tank. The mixing tank arrangement further comprises a recirculation system having a first inlet (110) and a first outlet (112) for recirculating and mixing the first and the second material in the tank. The first inlet (110) comprises a body pipe (116) in a first side (FS) of the tank having a plurality of feeding pipes (118) extending to a second side (SS) of the lank wherein the feeding pipes are configured to jet the first and second materials from the second side to the first side of the tank such that the first and the second material hit a wall of the tank in the first side and wherein a shape of the wall is configured to divide the first and the second materials to at least two streams that flow to the second side of the tank and collide.

A system for mixing acid and water can include a tank for holding acid, an acid pump for pumping acid out of the tank, an acid flow meter, an acid control valve, a water pump for pumping water, a water flow meter, a water control valve, a flush valve to selectively flush the system with water, and a controller to monitor the flow meters and control the pumps and the valves. The acid control valve and/or the water control valve can be an electronically controlled valve. The flush valve can be an electronically controlled valve to selectively permit water to flow from downstream of the water pump to upstream of the acid pump. The acid control valve, the water control valve, the flush valve, or any combination thereof can be throttled by the controller to control flow therethrough.

A system for mixing acid and water can include a tank for holding acid, an acid pump for pumping acid out of the tank, an acid flow meter, an acid control valve, a water pump for pumping water, a water flow meter, a water control valve, a flush valve to selectively flush the system with water, and a controller to monitor the flow meters and control the pumps and the valves. The acid control valve and/or the water control valve can be an electronically controlled valve. The flush valve can be an electronically controlled valve to selectively permit water to flow from downstream of the water pump to upstream of the acid pump. The acid control valve, the water control valve, the flush valve, or any combination thereof can be throttled by the controller to control flow therethrough.

A blender has a mixing chamber for reception of materials to be blended. A mixing screw is mounted at a bottom of the mixing chamber for mixing materials within the mixing chamber and delivering mixed materials to an outlet feeding a processing line. Heaters are mounted within the mixing chamber for drying blend material in the mixing chamber.

An easily assembled blender with an internal frame holding a cupholder elevator assembly, a mix motor assembly, a food preparation chamber, a water heater assembly and a steamer assembly. The water heater and steamer assemblies are preferably on modular trays that slide into the internal frame. The water heater preferably also serves as a hot water reservoir and, to avoid overheating, has its heating coil located near its bottom. To resist scale deposits, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tubing is preferably used to transport steam from the steamer to the food preparation chamber. To expedite manufacture, a spring-biased idler assembly with a drive belt for the cupholder elevator assembly preferably snaps into a lower receiving port on the internal frame. Crisscrossing infrared light beams are preferably placed at the entrance of the food preparation chamber to detect whether the cup entering the chamber is the correct size and detect whether any foreign object is below the food preparation chamber.

A blender has a mixing chamber for reception of materials to be blended. A mixing screw is mounted at a bottom of the mixing chamber for mixing materials within the mixing chamber and delivering mixed materials to an outlet feeding a processing line. Heaters are mounted within the mixing chamber for drying blend material in the mixing chamber.

A system for mixing acid and water can include a tank for holding acid, an acid pump for pumping acid out of the tank, an acid flow meter, an acid control valve, a water pump for pumping water, a water flow meter, a water control valve, a flush valve to selectively flush the system with water, and a controller to monitor the flow meters and control the pumps and the valves. The acid control valve and/or the water control valve can be an electronically controlled valve. The flush valve can be an electronically controlled valve to selectively permit water to flow from downstream of the water pump to upstream of the acid pump. The acid control valve, the water control valve, the flush valve, or any combination thereof can be throttled by the controller to control flow therethrough.

A system for mixing acid and water can include a tank for holding acid, an acid pump for pumping acid out of the tank, an acid flow meter, an acid control valve, a water pump for pumping water, a water flow meter, a water control valve, a flush valve to selectively flush the system with water, and a controller to monitor the flow meters and control the pumps and the valves. The acid control valve and/or the water control valve can be an electronically controlled valve. The flush valve can be an electronically controlled valve to selectively permit water to flow from downstream of the water pump to upstream of the acid pump. The acid control valve, the water control valve, the flush valve, or any combination thereof can be throttled by the controller to control flow therethrough.

A protein system may include a mixer configured to combine a powdered protein mix with water to produce a liquid protein blend. A protein system may include a liquid protein batch tank fluidly coupled to the mixer and configured to receive the liquid protein blend from the mixer. A protein system may include a holding subsystem including a liquid protein holding tank fluidly coupled to the liquid protein batch tank and configured to store the liquid protein blend received from the liquid protein batch tank, wherein the liquid protein holding tank is configured to maintain a temperature of the liquid protein blend contained therein less than or equal to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.