Method and device for producing a conversion product, in particular starch paste

Abstract

A method for continuously producing a conversion product, in particular starch glue, fried starch, dissolved gelatin or protein glue, wherein a starch-containing and/or protein-containing, preferably powdery starting material, in particular flour, starch powder, cereal grains, coarse cereal meal, gelatin powder or gluten powder, is fed to a mixing chamber (2) and the starting material, preferably powder, descending in the mixing chamber (2) is subjected to a liquid heated to a processing temperature (T.sub.U) of at least 50 C. for converting the starting material into the conversion product, in particular to at least a gelatinization temperature of the starch-containing starting material, a protein-dissolving and/or denaturing temperature of the protein-containing starting material or a frying temperature, in the form of a pressure jet (7) and is thereby conveyed against a baffle (10) preferably formed by an inner wall of the mixing chamber or by an installation in the mixing chamber.

Claims

1. A method for continuously producing a conversion product, wherein a starch-containing and/or protein-containing starting material, in the form of a powder, is fed to a mixing chamber and the starting material, descending in the mixing chamber, is subjected to a liquid from a pressure jet configured as a liquid jet flowing through a pressure nozzle and thereby conveyed against a baffle, and heated to a processing temperature (T.sub.U) of at least 50 C. to convert the starting material to the conversion product, wherein the liquid is conveyed through the pressure nozzle with a conveying pressure of at least 10 bar to generate the pressure jet and has a velocity of at least 100 km/h.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein starch glue, fried starch, dissolved gelatin or protein glue is produced as the conversion product.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the baffle is formed by an inner wall of the mixing chamber or an installation in the mixing chamber.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a conversion temperature is at least a gluing temperature of the starch-containing starting material, a protein-dissolving temperature and/or a denaturation temperature of the protein-containing starting material or a frying temperature.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein starch glue or dissolved gelatin is produced as the conversion product, and water or an aqueous solution is used as the liquid and is heated to a processing temperature (T.sub.U) of at least 55 C.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the aqueous solution is a calcium hydroxide solution.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the processing temperature (T.sub.U) is between 55 C. and 130 C.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein fried starch is produced as the conversion product, and oil is used as the liquid and heated to a processing temperature (T.sub.U) of at least 130 C.

9. The method according to claim 3, wherein the processing temperature (T.sub.U) is between 130 C. and 200 C.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is conveyed through the pressure nozzle with a conveying pressure of at least 20 bar.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is conveyed through the pressure nozzle with a conveying pressure between 10 bar and 500 bar.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the liquid is heated by a heating means arranged upstream the pressure nozzle in a conveying direction of the liquid to a temperature (T.sub.1) above the processing temperature (T.sub.U).

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the pressure jet has a velocity of at least 250 km/h.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the pressure nozzle is a rotation nozzle and/or is configured to generate a hollow cone-shaped or saucer-shaped spray pattern.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the pressure nozzle, during subjection of the starting material with the pressure jet, is adjusted relative to the baffle.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the pressure nozzle is adjusted translatory relative to the baffle.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the pressure nozzle is adjusted in a vertical up-and-down movement relative to the baffle.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conversion product is conveyed out of the mixing chamber by pumping.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conversion product is mixed, outside the mixing chamber, with further ingredients for producing food.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other advantages, features and details of the invention are apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of a conversion device according to the invention with reference to FIG. 1, which is the only FIGURE.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(2) FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a conversion device 1 configured according to the concept of the invention for carrying out a conversion method according to the invention. The conversion device 1 comprises a mixing chamber 2 having a vertical longitudinal center axis L. The mixing chamber 2 is substantially cylindrical and comprises a lower discharge opening 3 which tapers downward in the shape of a cone in relation to the mixing chamber located above it. A conveying pump 4 is arranged downstream of the discharge opening 3, the conveying pump 4 serving to automatically convey a conversion product to be explained later from the mixing chamber 2 to a further process.

(3) At the top left of the drawing plane, an input opening 5 can be seen, through which preferably pourable or free-flowing starch-containing and/or protein-containing starting material can be fed along an input axis A which is perpendicular to the longitudinal center axis L. Ideally, a screw conveyor (not illustrated) is employed for this purpose.

(4) Within the mixing chamber 2, a pressure nozzle 6 is arranged, which here is exemplarily configured as a rotation nozzle and by means of which a pressure jet 7 of a fed liquid can be generated. The pressure nozzle 6 is configured in such a manner that it generates a hollow cone-shaped spray pattern 8 in the shown embodiment, a cone angle 9 of the spray pattern 8 corresponding to the inclination of the pressure jet 7 being settable.

(5) The inner circumferential surface of the mixing chamber 2 forms a baffle 10 which is hit by the pressure jet 7 and against which the pressure jet accelerates the starting material 3 falling down from the top.

(6) It can be seen that the nozzle 10 can be supplied with liquid via a high-pressure pump 11, the liquid having previously been heated to a temperature T.sub.1 with the aid of exemplarily illustrated heating means 12 and the thus heated liquid leaving the nozzle 6 in the mixing chamber 2 at a slightly lower processing temperature T.sub.U. Preferably, the temperature loss on the way to the nozzle, i.e. across the distance between the heating means 12 and the nozzle opening, is less than 6 C. Alternatively, the high-pressure pump 11 can also be arranged upstream of the heating means 12 in the conveying direction.

(7) In one aspect of the invention, for generation of starch glue as conversion product or of dissolved protein-containing starting material, in particular dissolved gelatin or gluten, as conversion product, water or an aqueous solution, in particular a calcium hydroxide solution, is used as liquid and which is heated to a processing temperature (T.sub.U) of at least 55 C., preferably at least 60 C., further preferably at least 70 C., even further preferably at least 80 C., particularly preferably at least 90 C., and/or to a processing temperature (T.sub.U) from a value range of between 55 C. and 130 C., even further preferably between 71 C. and 100 C.

(8) In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, for the generation of fried starch as a conversion product, oil is used as a liquid and to a processing temperature (T.sub.U) of at least 130 C., preferably at least 140 C., further preferably at least 150 C., and/or to a processing temperature (To) from a value range of between 130 C. and 200 C., even further preferably between 140 C. and 190 C.

(9) In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, for the generation of the pressure jet (7), the liquid is conveyed through the pressure nozzle (6) with a conveying pressure of at least 20 bar and/or with a conveying pressure from a value range of between 10 bar and 500 bar, preferably between 30 and 500 bar.

(10) In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the liquid is heated by a heading means (12) arranged upstream the pressure nozzle (6) in a conveying direction of the liquid, in particular a flow heater, in particular to a temperature (T.sub.1) above the processing temperature (T.sub.U).

(11) In the specific embodiment, the heating means 12 are flow heaters which are supplied with liquid, such as fresh water under line pressure.

(12) During the conversion process, the nozzle 6 can be translatorily adjusted within the mixing chamber 2 at intervals in the directions of the arrows 13 along the longitudinal center axis L so as to clean the baffle 10 during the process.

(13) If, for example, starch powder or flour is introduced through the input opening 5, it rains down, and a liquid, water in this case, which has been heated to processing temperature, which is at least the gelatinization temperature in this case, meets the starting material at high pressure, such as at least 40 bar, the starting material thus hitting the baffle 10 and immediately gelatinizing because of the heat effect and the mechanical load, after which the starting material can be discharged at the bottom by means of the conveying pump 4.

(14) In an alternative embodiment, oil can be used as the liquid, for example, which is preferably heated to more than 130 C. in order to realize a continuous frying process.

REFERENCE SIGNS

(15) 1 conversion device 2 mixing chamber 3 discharge opening 4 conveying pump 5 input opening 6 pressure nozzle 7 pressure jet 8 spray pattern 9 cone angle 10 baffle 11 high-pressure pump 12 heating means 13 arrow direction A input axis L longitudinal center axis T.sub.1 heating temperature T.sub.U processing temperature