DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EXTRACTING AND FILTERING A SUSPENSION, PREFERABLY CONTAINING PLANT CONSTITUENTS, BY MEANS OF ROTATING FILTER ELEMENTS

Abstract

A device, system and method are for treating a suspension, containing plant constituents, in particular separating a liquid or a solid therefrom, in the field of production of food, pharmaceutical and luxury products, and to corresponding uses. The device for continuously or discontinuously treating a suspension, in particular for separating a liquid or liquid phase or a solid or a residual phase from the suspension includes: a receiving unit for receiving the suspension and at least one separating device having a surface having openings. The surface can be brought into contact with the suspension, if the suspension is present in the receiving unit for separation into the liquid phase and the solid phase. During the operation of the device, the surface is arranged such that it is moved or can be moved or can be rotated relative to the suspension, the solid phase and/or the receiving unit.

Claims

1. Device for continuously or discontinuously separating a liquid or liquid phase, or a solid phase or residual phase from a suspension containing plant constituents, for production of food, pharmaceutical and luxury products, comprising: a receiving unit for receiving the suspension; at least one separating device having a surface; wherein the surface has a plurality of openings; wherein the surface or a part thereof is operable to be brought into contact with the suspension, if the suspension is present in the receiving unit for separation into the liquid phase and the solid phase; wherein, during operation of the device, the surface is arranged such that the surface is movable or rotatable relative to the suspension, the solid phase and/or the receiving unit.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the separating device, is operable to be controlled by a control device such that a relative movement or rotational movement of the surface is effected during an entire period of separating a liquid or a solid from the suspension.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the openings have a size or pore size or aperture of 5 to 10000 m.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device forms at least one flow path; and/or a liquid flows through the at least one flow path driven by gravity.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device has at least two separating devices; wherein the separating devices are each configured as a separating device having a rotatably mounted shaft or as a rotatably mounted separating device or rotatably mounted filter; and/or wherein the at least two separating devices are each arranged in the device such that a central axis or an axis of rotation of each of the at least two separating devices or their surfaces is arranged substantially in parallel with the liquid level of a liquid introduced into the receiving unit of the device, or the central axis or an axis of rotation of each of the at least two separating devices or their surfaces forms, together with the liquid level of a liquid introduced into the receiving unit of the device or with the horizontal, an angle with a value of 0 to <90; and/or wherein the at least two separating devices are arranged with respect to one another in the device such that the central axes or an axis of rotation of each of the at least two separating devices or their surfaces form an angle with a value of 0 to <90; and/or wherein the at least two separating devices have an identical central axis or axis of rotation or their central axes or axes of rotation are arranged collinearly in the device; and/or wherein the at least two separating devices have a common rotary shaft; and/or wherein the at least two separating devices are arranged in the device such that a largest spaced interval, between the two surfaces of the at least two separating devices is >2 cm to 100 cm; and/or a smallest spaced interval between the two surfaces of the at least two separating devices is >2 cm to 100 cm.

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device has a unit for supplying an extraction agent.

7. System for continuously or discontinuously treating a liquid or liquid phase, or a solid phase or a residual phase from a suspension containing plant constituents, for production of food, pharmaceutical and luxury products, comprising: a first device; wherein the first device has a first receiving unit for receiving the suspension; wherein the first device has at least a first separating device having a first surface; wherein the first surface has a multiplicity of openings; wherein the first surface is operable to be brought into contact with the suspension, if the suspension is present in the first receiving unit for separation into the a first liquid phase and the first residual phase; wherein, during the operation of the first device, the first surface is arranged such that the first surface is movable or rotatable relative to the suspension, the first residual phase and/or the first receiving unit; wherein the first separating device, is operable to be controlled by a first control device such that a relative movement or rotational movement of the first surface is effected during an entire period of separation of the suspension.

8. System according to claim 7, which further comprises: a second device; wherein the second device has a second receiving unit, for receiving the first residual phase or a mixture containing the first residual phase; wherein the second device has at least a second separating device having a second surface; wherein the second surface has a multiplicity of openings; wherein the second surface is operable to be brought into contact with the first residual phase if the first residual phase is present in the second receiving unit for separation into the second liquid phase and a second residual phase; wherein, during the operation of the second device, the second surface is arranged such that the second surface is movable or rotatable relative to the first residual phase, the second residual phase and/or the second receiving unit; and wherein the second separating device, is operable to be controlled by a second control device such that relative movement of the second surface is effected in an uninterrupted or intermittent manner, during the entire period of separation of the first residual phase.

9. System according to claim 7, wherein two, three, four or more devices, selected from the group consisting of the first device, the second device, a third device and a fourth device, are connected in series or in parallel.

10. System according to claim 9, wherein the first device has a first unit for supplying an extraction agent; and/or the second device has a second unit for supplying an extraction agent; and/or the third device comprising a third receiving unit, has a third unit for supplying an extraction agent; and/or the fourth device has a fourth unit for supplying an extraction agent.

11. System according to claim 7, wherein a first unit for supplying an extraction agent is arranged between the first device and the second device; and/or a second unit for supplying an extraction agent is arranged between the second device and the third device; and/or a third unit for supplying an extraction agent is arranged between the third device and the fourth device.

12. System according to claim 7, wherein the first unit, the second unit and/or the third unit are each formed as a flat jet nozzle, spray head or spray cone.

13. System according to claim 7, wherein the system has at least one barrier element; wherein a first barrier element is arranged downstream with respect to the first device and upstream with respect to the second device; and/or wherein a second barrier element is arranged downstream with respect to the second device and upstream with respect to the third device; and/or wherein a third barrier element is arranged downstream with respect to the third device and upstream with respect to the fourth device.

14. Method for continuously or discontinuously separating a liquid or liquid phase, or a solid phase or residual phase from a suspension containing plant constituents, for production of food, pharmaceutical and luxury products, comprising the steps of: (a) supplying the suspension to a first receiving unit of a first device; (b) separating the suspension into a first liquid phase and a first residual phase in the first device by a first separating device; wherein the suspension is brought into contact with a first surface of the first separating device, wherein a filtrate or permeate is the first liquid phase and a filter residue or retentate is the first residual phase; wherein, during separation of the suspension into the first liquid phase and the first residual phase, the first surface moves relative to the suspension, the first residual phase and/or the first receiving unit, or during the separation of the suspension into the first liquid phase and the first residual phase, the first surface rotates about a first central axis or axis of the first separating device; and wherein relative movement or rotational movement of the first surface is effected in an uninterrupted or intermittent manner, during an entire period of separation of the suspension.

15. Method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of: (c) mixing a predefined volume of an extraction agent or a liquid phase with the first residual phase, obtained in the separation according to step (b), wherein a first mixture is obtained; (d) prior to step (c): supplying the first residual phase to a second receiving unit of the second device; or after step (c): supplying the first mixture to the second receiving unit of the second device; (e) separating the obtained first mixture into a second liquid phase and a second residual phase by a second separating device or by separating or filtering the first mixture with the aid of a second surface of the second separating device in the second device; wherein the filtrate or permeate is the second liquid phase and the filter residue or retentate is the second residual phase; wherein the separation is driven by hydrostatic pressure of the first mixture and/or another pressure acting upon the first mixture and/or a negative pressure acting upon the second residual phase; wherein, during the separation of the first mixture into the second liquid phase and the second residual phase, the second surface moves relative to the first mixture present in the second device, the second residual phase present in the second device and/or the second receiving unit, or during the separation of the first mixture into the second liquid phase and the second residual phase, the second surface rotates about a second axis of the second separating device; and wherein the relative movement or the rotational movement of the second surface is effected in an uninterrupted or intermittent manner, during the entire period of separation of the first mixture.

16. A method of using a device according to claim 1 for continuously or discontinuously separating a liquid or liquid phase, or a solid phase or residual phase from a suspension containing plant constituents, in the production of food, pharmaceutical and luxury products.

17. A method of using a separating device according to claim 1 for continuously or discontinuously separating a liquid or liquid phase, or a solid phase or residual phase from a suspension containing plant constituents, in the production of food, pharmaceutical and luxury products; wherein the separating device has a surface with a multiplicity of openings having a size or pore size or aperture of 5 to 10000 m; wherein, as the liquid phase is being obtained, the surface is moved relative to the suspension; wherein as the liquid phase is being obtained the surface is covered by the suspension or is immersed in the suspension at a proportion of 1 to 95%.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES/DESCRIPTION OF ADVANTAGEOUS EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0313] FIG. 1 shows a perpendicular sectional view of an embodiment of the device (V) in accordance with the invention. This device has a receiving unit (AG) for receiving the suspension (MA) and at least one separating device (T) having a surface (FA) (illustrated by hatching). The surface (FA) has a multiplicity of openings (OP) which in the figure are indicated only in a partial region of the surface (FA) for the sake of simplicity. Preferably, all of the partial surfaces of the surface (FA) are provided with openings in order to provide the largest possible filtering surface. In this embodiment, the receiving unit (AG) is formed as a tub-shaped vessel. The separating device (T) is a circular, disk-shaped filter element, on the base surface of which the surface (FA) is arranged. The separating device (T) is mounted so as to be rotatable about a central axis. The central axis is oriented substantially in parallel with the horizontal. In the illustration of FIG. 1, the separating device (T) can rotate both clockwise and anticlockwise. However, the direction of rotation is preferably anticlockwise.

[0314] In the figure, the suspension (MA) flows from the left into the receiving unit (AG) and partially covers the separating device (T) and in particular the surface (FA). The suspension to be separated comes into contact with the surface (FA) formed as the filter layer. In this case, liquid particles pass through the filter layer and are discharged on the filtrate side as liquid phase (WO) in or beyond the separating device (T). Since, during the separation, the surface (FA) performs a relative movement by rotating anticlockwise (cf. rotational arrow in FIG. 1), the surface (FA) covered by the suspension is in movement relative to the suspension (MA). Moreover, by reason of the rotation, parts of the surface (FA) constantly exit from the suspension (right half of the surface (FA)), whereas other parts of the surface (FA) (left half of the surface (FA)) are immersed underneath the level of the suspension and thus are then covered by the suspension (MA). On the right-hand side of the device, the residual phase (RM) which results during the separation of the liquid phase (WO) exits from the device (V) through the spillover element and/or assisted by the rotating separating device (T). In the region where the surface (FA) appears, solid particles (FS), in particular relatively dry solid particles, can likewise be discharged from the device (V) during the rotation owing to the relative movement.

[0315] The device (V) in accordance with the invention is illustrated in a horizontal sectional view in FIG. 2. This figure illustrates once again the entry of the suspension (MA) into the receiving unit (AG) and the passage through the surface (FA) with the liquid phase (WO) being obtained. In this embodiment, the device (V) has two separating devices (T) which are arranged substantially in parallel and can rotate about a common axis of rotation (AX) (preferably in the same direction).

[0316] In a particular embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the device (V) has a separating device (T) in the form of a rotating cylinder, of which both base surfaces are each designed as a surface (FA). In this case, the liquid phase (WO) penetrates from outside through the filter layers into the interior of the separating device (D) where it is collected and distilled.

[0317] FIG. 4 illustrates a system in accordance with the invention which is formed as a series connection or cascade of three devices (V) in accordance with the invention. After separating the suspension (MA) into the first liquid phase (WO1) and the first residual phase (RM1) in the first device (V1), as described, the first liquid phase (WO1) is distilled. At the same time, the first residual phase (RM1) produced spills over from the first device or is actively discharged by means of the separating device (T) depending upon the fill level of the suspension (MA) in the separating device (T). Added to the discharged first residual phase (RM1) is an extraction agent, such as preferably water or a liquid phase (e.g. WO3) from a subsequent method step, so as to extract the extractable substances still present in the first residual phase (RM1). The resulting first mixture (MX1) is separated in the second device (V2) in a similar manner to the suspension (MA) in the first device (V1). The resulting second liquid phase (WO2) is distilled and the remaining second residual phase (RM2) is discharged from the second device (V2). In the third device (V3), the aforementioned steps are performed in a similar manner. Each further stage brings about a further depletion of the residual phase produced.

[0318] In the case of both the device (V) as shown in FIG. 1 and the system in accordance with the invention comprising three devices (V1, V2, V3) as shown in FIG. 4, all of the media involved flow through the device or system in a manner driven substantially by gravity.

[0319] The respective residual phase (RM1, RM2, RM3, . . . ) can be discharged from the respective device (V1, V2, V3, . . . ) both by providing only one device and also by providing a cascade of at least two devices (V1, V2, V3, . . . ) in dependence upon the fill level of the suspension or residual phase in the device (V1, V2, V3, . . . ) through the spillover element. Alternatively, the respective residual phase (RM1, RM2, RM3, . . . ) can be discharged from the respective separating device when a fill level is below the spillover level by actively transporting the respective residual phase preferably by means of the moving separating device (T) or by means of a conveying device independent thereof.