DISTRIBUTION DEVICE FOR AN EXTRUDER

Abstract

The present invention relates to a distribution device for an extruder, comprising at least two conduits leading away from a distribution unit, each conduit having a temperature-control device. The present invention further relates to an extrusion system comprising a distribution device of the above kind and to a method for producing a proteinaceous food item by means of the extrusion system.

Claims

1. Distribution device for an extruder, comprising a first connecting piece for connecting the distribution device to an outlet of an extruder, a distribution unit, at least two conduits leading away from the distribution unit, wherein each conduit has a second connecting piece, for connection to a cooling nozzle, at its end remote from the distribution unit; wherein each conduit comprises a temperature-control device.

2. Distribution device according to claim 1, wherein a measuring device, preferably a flow meter, or mutually spaced measuring devices, are provided, in order to determine the product flow in the conduits, the measuring devices preferably being selected from the group consisting of flow meters and pressure sensors.

3. Distribution device according to claim 1, wherein two conduits leading away from the distribution unit are provided.

4. Distribution device according to claim 1, wherein each conduit is cylindrical, the temperature-control device surrounding the interior space of the conduit, serving as a product conduit, in a sheath-like manner.

5. Distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the second connecting piece comprises a curved pipe portion.

6. Distribution device according to claim 1, wherein it further comprises a heat exchanger which comprises channels through which product can be guided from a first side of the heat exchanger through an elongate portion to a second side of the heat exchanger.

7. Extrusion system comprising an extruder and a distribution device according to claim 1, which is connected via a first connecting piece to an outlet of the extruder.

8. Extrusion system according to claim 7, wherein in each case a cooling nozzle is connected to each conduit of the distribution device via a second connecting piece which is arranged on an end of the conduit remote from the distribution unit of the distribution device.

9. Extrusion system according to claim 7, wherein it further comprises a heat exchanger which has channels through which the product can be guided from a first side of the heat exchanger through an elongate portion to a second side of the heat exchanger.

10. Extrusion system according to claim 9, wherein the extruder is shortened, for example to a 5-barrel extruder.

11. Method for producing a proteinaceous food item in an extruder system according to claim 7, comprising the steps of: a) processing a raw material mixture, wherein at least one raw material is a protein, preferably a plant protein, in an extruder, b) leading the extrudate out of the extruder into the distribution device, c) guiding partial flows of the extrudate through conduits of the distribution device into cooling nozzles, wherein the flow rates of the partial flows in the conduits are determined by means of a measuring device, preferably a flow meter, or mutually spaced measuring devices, and deviations of the flow rates of the partial flows from one another are determined herefrom, d) optionally heating or cooling a conduit during step c) depending on the flow rates of the partial flows determined in step c), in order to modify the flow rates of the partial flows in the conduits.

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein the method comprises an additional step d) of thermal shock treatment of the extrudate, step d) being carried out after step a) and before entry of the extrudate into the cooling nozzles.

13. Method according to claim 12, wherein the thermal shock treatment is carried out in a heat exchanger at 150 to 200? C. for 1 s to 10 s.

14. Method according to claim 12, wherein the temperature in the cooling nozzle is adjusted depending on the temperature in the heat exchanger.

15. Proteinaceous food item obtainable by a method according to claim 11.

Description

[0103] The present invention is explained in more detail below with reference to non-restrictive embodiments and drawings. In the figures:

[0104] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a distribution device according to the invention;

[0105] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a conduit of a distribution device according to the invention;

[0106] FIG. 3 shows a diagram showing the dependence of the product flow through two conduits of a distribution device according to the invention, as a function of the temperature difference in the conduits;

[0107] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a heat exchanger that can be used according to the invention;

[0108] FIG. 5 shows a graph showing the dependence of the bubble formation on the temperature in the heat exchanger and the temperature in the cooling nozzle.

[0109] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a distribution device 1 according to the invention. The distribution device 1 is connected via a first connecting piece 1a to the end plate of an extruder 10. Extrudate exiting through the end plate of the extruder 10 enters a distribution unit 2, which, in the embodiment according to FIG. 1, comprises y-shaped portions in order to achieve a precise connection to the cylindrical conduits 3, 4. The embodiment according to FIG. 1 has two conduits 3, 4. The product enters cooling nozzles 11, 12 from the conduits 3, 4. Each conduit 3, 4 has a second connecting piece 5, for connection to one of the cooling nozzles 11, 12, at its end remote from the distribution unit 2.

[0110] A pressure sensor 6, 7, 8, 9 is arranged in each case in an initial portion and an end portion of each conduit 3, 4. The pressure sensors are connected to a control unit (not shown). With the aid of the pressure sensors 6, 7, 8, 9, a pressure drop in the conduits 3, 4 is determined. The ratio of the partial flows flowing through the corresponding conduits 3, 4 can be determined from the ratio of the determined pressure drops in the conduits 3, 4.

[0111] Temperature-control devices 3b, 4b, which are shown in FIG. 2, are arranged on the conduits 3, 4. With the aid of the temperature-control devices 3b, 4b, the control unit (not shown) can be used to cool or heat the interior space of the conduits 3, 4, in order to modify the product flow through the conduits 3, 4.

[0112] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a conduit 3, 4 of a distribution device 1 according to the invention. The conduit 3, 4 is cylindrical, having an interior space 3a, 4a through which product can flow. The interior space 3a, 4a is surrounded in a sheath-like manner by a temperature-control device 3b, 4b. This can be, for example, an annular channel, through which cooling or heating medium can be conducted.

[0113] FIG. 3 is a graph in which the dependence of the product flow through two conduits 3, 4 of a distribution device 1 according to the invention is shown as a function of the temperature difference of the cooling or heating medium in the conduits 3, 4.

[0114] An extrudate suitable for producing a product analogous to meat (containing plant proteins) having a total throughput of 800 kg/h was conducted through the regions 3a, 4a of the conduits 3, 4, and cooling or heating medium at a temperature of about 140? C. was conducted through the regions 3b, 4b of the conduits 3, 4 of the distribution device 1 according to FIGS. 1 and 2. At the same temperature (?T=0) at the conduits 3, 4, approximately the same amount of product flows through each of the conduits 3, 4. If the right-hand conduit 3 was heated by 10? C. (i.e., ?T=1 10), the product flow through the right-hand conduit 3 increased to about 480 kg/h, while the product flow through the left-hand conduit 4 dropped to about 320 kg/h. By correspondingly increasing the temperature difference ?T at the conduits 3, 4, the difference between the product flows through the conduits 3, 4 could be further amplified. At a temperature difference ?T=40, the difference between the product flows through the conduits 3, 4 was approximately 600 kg/h to 200 kg/h.

[0115] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a heat exchanger 13 which can be used according to the invention. This is a bundle tube heat exchanger. In the case of the heat exchanger 13, the product is guided through narrow channels 14 and is thereby subjected to a homogeneous heat treatment. Through the channels 14, the product is guided from a first side 13a of the heat exchanger 13, through an elongate, preferably cylindrical, portion 13b, to a second side 13c of the heat exchanger.

[0116] FIG. 5 is a graph showing the dependence of the bubble formation on the temperature in the heat exchanger 13 and the temperature in the cooling nozzle 11, 12. It can be seen that, however, when the temperature in the heat exchanger 13 is increased, the temperature in the cooling nozzle 11, 12 should be reduced, in order to avoid undesired bubble formation in the product. Preferably, the temperature in the cooling nozzle 11, 12 is adjusted depending on the temperature in the heat exchanger 13, such that, at a temperature in the heat exchanger 13 of 180? C. to 200? C., a temperature in the cooling nozzle 11, 12 of 70? C. to 90? C. is set, and at a temperature in the heat exchanger 13 of 150? C. to 180? C., a temperature in the cooling nozzle 11, 12 of below 100? C. to 90? C. is set.