THERMAL TREATMENT DEVICE AND A THERMAL TREATMENT METHOD

Abstract

A thermal treatment apparatus includes a pair of heat exchangers and an intake that receives a main flow of filling material and a branch that diverts filling material to form a branch flow. The branch flow takes a part of the heat energy used in a primary process for use in a secondary process. It then rejoins the main flow.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. An apparatus for executing a primary process and a secondary process, wherein said primary process comprises thermal treatment of filling material, said apparatus comprising a branch, a primary-process section, a heat-exchange section, an intake, a first heat-exchanger, and a second heat-exchanger, wherein said intake receives a main flow of said filling material, wherein said primary process occurs in said primary-process section, wherein said secondary process occurs at a location that is disposed to be in thermal communication with said heat-exchange section, wherein said branch provides a path for diversion of filling material from said main flow to form a branch flow of filling material, wherein said first heat-exchanger comprises a primary side and a secondary side, wherein said second heat-exchanger comprises a primary side and a secondary side, wherein a secondary-side inlet of said first heat-exchanger is connected to said intake, wherein a secondary-side outlet of said first heat-exchanger is connected to a secondary-side inlet of said second heat-exchanger, wherein a secondary-side outlet of said second heat-exchanger is connected to said primary-process section, wherein said primary-process section is connected, at an outlet side thereof, to said primary side of said first heat-exchanger, wherein said branch is disposed between said secondary-side outlet of said first heat-exchanger and said primary-process section, wherein said branch is connected to one of an inlet of said heat exchange section and an inlet of a mixing region, wherein, when said branch is connected to said inlet of said heat exchange section, thermal energy carried by said branch flow is conducted to said secondary process and an outlet of said heat-exchange section is connected to said secondary-side inlet of said first heat-exchanger, and wherein, when said branch is connected to said inlet of said mixing region, said branch flow mixes with said main flow, as a result of which thermal energy carried by said branch flow is conveyed to said main flow, and wherein an outlet of said mixing region connects to said secondary-side inlet of said first heat exchanger.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said apparatus is further configured such that a first volume-flow flows through said secondary side of said first heat-exchanger, and a second volume-flow flows through said primary side of said first heat-exchanger, wherein said first volume-flow exceeds said second volume-flow.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said apparatus is further configured to control said first volume-flow by controlling said branch flow.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said branch is between said first heat-exchanger and said second heat-exchanger.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said branch is between said second heat-exchanger and said primary-process section.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a heating device for heating a heating medium, wherein said heating device is connected such that, after having been heated by said heating device, said heating medium flows through said primary side of said second heat-exchanger.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said primary-process section comprises a pasteurizing section.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a secondary-process section at which said secondary process takes place, said secondary-process section being in thermal communication with said heat-exchanger section.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising said filling medium, wherein said filling medium is sugar dissolved in water.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said primary-process section comprises a helical pipe.

20. A method comprising executing a primary process occurs in a primary-process section and a secondary process, wherein executing said primary process comprises thermal treatment of filling material, said method comprising receiving, at an intake, a main flow of said filling material, providing first and second heat-exchangers, each comprising a primary side and a secondary side, connecting a secondary-side inlet of said first heat-exchanger to said intake, connecting a secondary-side outlet of said first heat-exchanger to a secondary-side inlet of said second heat-exchanger, connecting a secondary-side outlet of said second heat-exchanger to said primary-process section at which said primary process is carried out, connecting said primary-process section, at an outlet side thereof, to said primary side of said first heat-exchanger, at a branch disposed between said secondary-side outlet of said first heat-exchanger and said primary-process section, diverting a portion of said main flow to form a branch flow of filling material, connecting said branch to one of an inlet of said heat exchange section and an inlet of a mixing region, wherein connecting said branch to said inlet of said heat exchange section comprises conducting thermal energy carried by said branch flow to said secondary process and connecting an outlet of said heat-exchange section to said secondary-side inlet of said first heat-exchanger, and wherein connecting said branch to said inlet of said mixing region comprises mixing said branch flow with said main flow and causing thermal energy carried by said branch flow to be conveyed to said main flow, and connecting an outlet of said mixing region connects to said secondary-side inlet of said first heat exchanger.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising selecting said filling medium to be sugar syrup, selecting said primary-process to be pasteurizing said sugar syrup, and selecting said secondary process to be dissolving sugar in solvent to make sugar syrup.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising selecting said primary-process to be pasteurizing said filling medium, and selecting said secondary process to be making said filling medium.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

[0020] The sole FIGURE shows a schematic representation of one embodiment of a thermal treatment device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The FIGURE shows a thermal-treatment device 1 for the thermal treatment of a liquid, a viscous filling material, or a filling-material constituent. Since the apparatus will operate essentially the same way regardless of which species is selected, the term filling material will refer to any one of these species.

[0022] The thermal-treatment device 1 comprises a first device-part I that carries out a primary process and a second device-part II that carries out a secondary process. The first and second device-parts I, II are coupled to one another in such a way as to transfer thermal energy from the primary process out of the first device-part I and into the second device-part II, thereby causing heat transfer between the primary process and the secondary process.

[0023] In some embodiments, the primary process is a short-term heating process for pasteurizing a filling material or filling material constituent. An example of a filling-material constituent is sugar syrup.

[0024] An example of a secondary process is a sugar dissolving process in which crystalline sugar dissolves in a solvent, such as water. Such dissolving processes are endothermic. This means that heat must be delivered to the process to dissolve the sugar in the solvent. The rate of dissolution is proportional to the temperature.

[0025] The thermal-treatment device 1 comprises a pipeline section that conveys filling material through the thermal-treatment device 1. Filling material enters the thermal-treatment device 1 via an intake 2 and passes into a heat-exchanger arrangement 3. The heat-exchanger arrangement 3 includes a first heat-exchanger 4 and a second heat-exchanger 5. The first heat-exchanger 4 has a primary side 4.1 and a secondary side 4.2. Similarly, the second heat-exchanger 5 has a primary side 5.1 and a secondary side 5.2.

[0026] As used herein, the primary side of a heat exchanger is understood to mean the side through which the medium that emits the thermal energy flows. The secondary side of a heat exchanger is understood to be the side through which the medium that absorbs the thermal energy flows.

[0027] The filling material delivered via the intake 2 flows in a flow direction FR through the secondary side 4.2 of the first heat-exchanger 4, and then, preferably immediately thereafter, through the secondary side 5.2 of the second heat-exchanger 5.

[0028] In some embodiments, the first heat-exchanger 4 and the second heat-exchanger 5 of the heat-exchanger arrangement 3 are independent heat-exchangers that are separated from one another but that are nevertheless in fluid communication with each other. Such fluid communication can be provided by an outside fluid-line that connects the first and second heat-exchangers 4, 5. In other embodiments, the heat-exchanger arrangement 3 includes two heat-exchanger compartments that are in fluid communication with each other. In this case, a first heat-exchanger compartment forms the first heat-exchanger 4 and a second heat-exchanger compartment forms the second heat-exchanger 5.

[0029] The intake 2 connects to an inlet 4.2.1 of the secondary side 4.2 of the first heat-exchanger. An outlet 4.2.2 of the secondary side 4.2 of the first heat-exchanger 4 connects to an inlet 5.2.1 of the secondary side 5.2 of the second heat-exchanger 5. As a result, filling material flows through the secondary sides 4.2, 5.2 of the first and second heat-exchangers 4, 5 immediately one after another.

[0030] A primary-process section 6, through which filling material flows, connects to an outlet 5.2.2 of the secondary side 5.2 of the second heat-exchanger 5. As it flows through the secondary sides 4.2, 5.2 of the first and second heat-exchangers 4, 5, the filling material heats up to a pasteurization temperature, namely a temperature between 70 C. and 100 C. A process-section length of the primary-process section 6 is adjusted to achieve the necessary dwell time for pasteurization. Depending on the length of the primary-process section 6, it may be necessary to provide a heater or insulator within the primary-process section 6 to maintain the filling material at the pasteurization temperature.

[0031] An outlet of the primary-process section 6 connects in the direction of flow FR to the primary side 4.1 of the first heat-exchanger 4. As a result, in the region of the primary-process section 6, pasteurized filling material flows through the primary side 4.1. This means that thermal energy from the pasteurized filling material transfers to the still cold filling material of the secondary side 4.2 of the first heat-exchanger 4, i.e. the filling material at the inlet. An outlet 4.1.2 of the primary side 4.1 of the first heat-exchanger 4 couples to an outlet 7 of the thermal-treatment device 1 to permit pasteurized filling material to be conveyed away for further use, such as storage or direct filling.

[0032] For external heat delivery, a heating medium flows through the primary side 5.1 of the second heat-exchanger 5. In this case, the primary side 5.1 connects to a heating device that heats the heating medium in such a way that the filling material flowing through the secondary side 5.2 heats up to the process temperature necessary for the pasteurization in the primary-process section 6 by heat emission of the heating medium when flowing through the second heat-exchanger 5. Preferably, the first and second heat exchangers 4, 5 are configured to operate in accordance with the counter-flow principle, i.e. the primary sides and secondary sides of the respective heat exchangers are flowed through in different directions by the medium emitting the heat and the medium absorbing the heat respectively.

[0033] A branch 8 located between the primary-process section 6 and the secondary side's outlet 4.2.2 diverts a portion of the flow of filling material towards the primary-process section 6 so that it instead flows to the second device-part II. This diverted portion of the flow will be referred to herein as a branch flow. This branch flow provides thermal coupling between the first device-part I and the second device-part II.

[0034] A first pipeline 9 connects the branch 8 to a heat-exchange section 10. The branch flow flows through this heat-exchange section 10 and delivers thermal energy to a secondary-process section 11 provided in the second device-part II. As a result, the branch flow heats up any medium present in the secondary-process section 11.

[0035] In some embodiments, the secondary-process section 11 is where crystalline sugar is dissolved to make sugar syrup. The introduction of heat via the heat-exchange section 10 accelerates the dissolving process.

[0036] A second pipeline 12 couples an outlet side of the heat-exchange section 10 to the inlet 4.2.1 of the secondary side 4.2 of the first heat-exchanger 4. As a result, the branch flow, after having flowed through the heat-exchange section 10, rejoins the main input flow through the secondary side 4.2 of the first heat-exchanger 4.

[0037] The delivery of the branch flow into the secondary side 4.2 of the first heat-exchanger 4 is selected in such a way that this branch flow flows through the first heat exchanger 4 together with the filling material flow that is delivered via the intake 2. To promote this, it is useful to provide a mixer 13 or coupling piece.

[0038] The FIGURE shows one possible location of the branch 8, namely between the outlet 4.2.2 of the secondary side 4.2 of the first heat-exchanger 4 and the inlet 5.2.1 of the secondary side 5.2 of the second heat-exchanger 5. In an alternative embodiments, the branch 8 is between the outlet 5.2.2 of the secondary side 5.2 of the second heat-exchanger 5 and the primary-process section 6.

[0039] Assuming that a filling-material flow with a first volume VF enters the intake 2 of the thermal treatment device 1 and a second volume VT is branched off via the branch 8, 8 to create the branch flow, more filling material flows through the secondary side 4.2 than the primary side 4.1 of the first heat-exchanger 4, with the larger volume flow being (VT+VF) and the smaller volume flow being VF.

[0040] Due to this asymmetrical flow through the two sides of the first heat-exchanger 4, a greater proportion of thermal energy can be transferred from the smaller volume flow VF conveyed in the primary side 4.1 compared to the larger volume flow (VT+VF) conveyed in the secondary side 4.2 of the first heat-exchanger 4. This significantly improves the degree of efficiency of the combination of the first and second device-parts I, II.

[0041] Some embodiments feature a controllable branch-valve at the branch 8, 8 or a mixer 13 with controllable through flow. This permits regulating the volume of the branch flow that goes to the second device-part II. As a result, it is possible to select the volume rate of flow through the branch 8, 8, thereby providing control over the heat delivery into the second device-part II via the branch flow flowing through the heat-exchange section 10. For example, the heat delivered into the secondary process can correspond to part of or all of the thermal energy required in the secondary process.

[0042] In the particular embodiment of the thermal-treatment device 1 described herein, the primary process is pasteurization of sugar syrup and the secondary process is dissolving sugar in solvent to make the sugar syrup. However, many other combinations of primary and secondary process are possible. For example, the secondary process may include pre-heating a process liquid, for example in a pasteurizer or filling product pre-heating before a filling process.

[0043] With a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, provision is made for the heat transfer from the primary process to the secondary process to take place not by the use of a separate heat exchanger that prevents a mixture of substances.

[0044] Instead of this, provision is made for at least a branch flow of the filling material itself being transferred from the primary process into the secondary process or vice-versa, and therein being mixed at least partially with at least a part quantity of the filling material. With this procedure it is therefore possible to do without an additional heat exchanger, which therefore makes it possible to avoid the temperature losses that are unavoidable with the additional heat exchanger.

[0045] This exemplary embodiment can advantageously be used, in particular, in situations in which the filling material that is to be pasteurized is a mixed product and/or a solution product such as a mixture of water and sugar dissolved in this water.

[0046] A mixing or collecting container is filled completely or partially with the filling material in the desired concentration and composition. If the mixing or collecting container is only partially filled with the filling material in the desired composition, then the components required for the production of the filling material can likewise be completely or partially contained in the mixing or collecting container. In any event, the filling material only leaves the mixing or collecting container when the filling material exhibits its desired composition. In this situation the filling material has a comparatively low temperature, for example a temperature of only 45-50 C.

[0047] This filling material is now conveyed directly out of the mixing or collecting container via the second pipeline 12 to the intake of the secondary side of the first heat-exchanger. As a rule, with this embodiment, the intake 2 is not provided. After flowing through the secondary sides of the first and, if applicable, also of the second heat-exchanger 4, 5, a branch flow of the heated filling material is again conveyed to the mixing or collecting container where this branch flow is mixed into the desired composition with the components or also with the filling material which is present there, and therefore heats them.

[0048] The invention has been described heretofore by way of exemplary embodiments. It is understood that a large number of modifications or derivations are possible, without thereby departing from the inventive concept underlying the invention.