Poultry processing water recovery and re-use process

• US 6,802,984 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2000
• Issued: 10/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zentox Corporation
• Original Assignee: Zentox Corporation
• Inventors: Perkins, Michael, Miller, Richard, Phillips, Joe, Gann, Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Popovics, Robert James
• Application Number:
  US09/507,163
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 210/703-707, 210/712, 210/719, 210/745, 210/754, 210/760, 210/764, 210/765, 210/776, 210/800, 210/805, 210/806, 210/154, 210/194, 210/195.1, 210/198.1, 210/220, 210/221.1, 210/221.2, 210/252, 210/259, 210/532.1, 210/905, 210/908, 210/767, 210/799, 134/10, 452/173
• US Class Current: 210/754
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/00 Separation of liquids, not provided for elsewhere, e.g. by thermal diffusion devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material from water, waste water, or sewage C02F1/40; cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; arrangements for separating lubricants from refrigerants F25B43/02
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0208 by sedimentation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0211 with baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0214 with removal of one of the phases
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/12 Auxiliary equipment particularly adapted for use with liquid-separating apparatus, e.g. control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/0012 Settling tanks making use of filters, e.g. by floating layers of particulate material
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/003 Sedimentation tanks provided with a plurality of compartments separated by a partition wall B01D21/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/0042 Baffles or guide plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/0084 Enhancing liquid-particle separation using the flotation principle flotation in general B03D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/2405 Feed mechanisms for settling tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/2433 Discharge mechanisms for floating particles
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/2444 Discharge mechanisms for the classified liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/245 Discharge mechanisms for the sediments
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/302 Active control mechanisms with external energy, e.g. with solenoid valve
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/34 Controlling the feed distribution; Controlling the liquid level ; Control of process parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2221/06 Separation devices for industrial food processing or agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/32 with ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/40 Devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; devices in sewers for separating liquid or solid substances from sewage E03F5/14, e.g. for use in drains leading to the sewer E03F5/16
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/76 with halogens or compounds of halogens C02F1/4674 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 : with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/32 : Hydrocarbons, e.g. oil
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/325 : Emulsions
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/38 : containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/22 : from the processing of animals, e.g. poultry, fish, or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 : Disinfection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 210/905 : Protein
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 210/908 : Organic

Abstract

This invention is directed to processes designed to recover water used in certain aspects of the processing of poultry, treat the recovered water to remove solids, fats, oils and greases, animal proteins and pathogenic organisms and to reuse the treated water for poultry processing operations. Although the reuse points will vary from plant to plant depending upon specific water consumption volumes, type of processing operations conducted by the facility and regulatory requirements and approvals, there are a number of reuse points which are preferred based upon treated water quality requirements, material balances relating to the capacity to recover process streams and the consumption volumes at the identified reuse points, and source waters that have been shown to have the least total contaminant loading.

Claims

1. A method for sanitizing recycled water used in the processing of poultry comprising the steps of:

recovering a portion of water from a downstream processing step of poultry processing, wherein said downstream processing step is downstream from evisceration, said step of recovering water includes passing said recovered water through a recovery sump comprising a basin having a first compartment for receiving said recovered water and barrier in said basin forming a second compartment, said first compartment having at least one weir pipe for skimming solids from the surface of said recovered water leaving skimmed water which, when said skimmed water reaches a level higher than said barrier, flows into said second compartment, and wherein said second compartment has an exit orifice in fluid communication therewith for allowing said skimmed water to exit said basin for further processing;

treating said portion of water chemically to reduce impurities and provide disinfection, said chemical treatment being selected from the group consisting of ozone and chlorine;

polishing said portion of water via a fine media; and

reusing said portion of treated water in at least one upstream poultry processing step.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising a step of recovering water from at least one step in said poultry processing selected from the group consisting of wash steps, non-final rinse steps, water sprays, flumes and final rinse step.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising a step of recovering water from a final rinse step.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein said step of reusing said portion of treated water within said at least one upstream poultry processing step includes a non-chilling processing step.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of treating includes removal of one or more contaminants selected from the group consisting of solid matter, floatable fats, oils, grease, lipids, blood proteins, carbohydrates, suspended and dissolved organic materials, animal parts and debris.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein said step of treating includes substantially eliminating the presence of pathogens.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein said treated water has a turbidity of less than or equal to 5 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU).

8. In a method for processing poultry comprising the steps of washing said poultry with wash water and chilling said poultry with chilled water, the improvement comprising the steps of:

recovering at least a portion of said water from at least one poultry processing step selected from the group consisting of carcass final rinse, inside/outside carcass rinse, water rails, water sprays and flume transport, said step of recovering is performed by passing said wash water through a recovery sump comprising a basin having a first compartment for receiving said recovered water and barrier in said basin forming a second compartment, said first compartment having at least one weir pipe for skimming solids from the surface of said recovered water leaving skimmed water which, when said skimmed water reaches a level higher than said barrier, flows into said second compartment and wherein said second compartment includes an exit orifice in fluid communication therewith for allowing said skimmed water to exit said basin for further processing;

separating physical solids from said portion of wash water;

treating said portion of wash water with ozone;

filtering said portion of wash water to remove particulate matter after said step of treating;

chlorinating said portion of wash water; and

reusing said portion of wash water in said steps of washing said poultry with wash water and chilling said poultry with chilled water.

9. A method for reducing costs involved in processing poultry which processing includes an initial washing and rinsing step with water and subsequent chilling step with water, said method comprising the steps of:

recovering at least a portion of said water from at least one poultry processing step, except said chilling step, said at least one poultry processing step being selected from the group consisting of carcass final rinse, inside/outside carcass rinse, water rails, water sprays and flume transport;

treating said portion of water chemically, said chemical treatment being selected from the group consisting of ozone and chlorine such that said portion of water has a turbidity of less than or equal to 5 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU), wherein said step of treating includes passing said recovered water through a recovery sump comprising a basin having a first compartment for receiving said recovered water and barrier in said basin forming a second compartment, said first compartment having at least one weir pipe for skimming solids from the surface of said recovered water leaving skimmed water which, when said skimmed water reaches a level higher than said barrier, flows into said second compartment, and wherein said second compartment has an exit orifice in fluid communication therewith for allowing said skimmed water to exit said basin for further processing; and

reusing said portion of water in at least one of said processing steps.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein said step of reusing includes said chilling step.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein said step of treating further comprises the steps of:

filtering said recovered water to remove non-dissolved components; and

disinfecting said filtered water chemically to limit its microbiological activity.

12. The method according to claim 9 wherein said step of treating further comprises the steps of:

filtering said recovered water to remove non-dissolved components; and

disinfecting said filtered water chemically to limit its microbiological activity, said chemical treatment being selected from the group consisting of ozone and chlorine.

13. The method according to claim 9 wherein said recovery sump further comprises a filter for screening said recovered water prior to said recovered water being received by said first compartment, and said weir pipe communicates with a drain whereby the skimmed solids may be continuously removed from said recovered water.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein said basin further comprises at least one drain outlet.

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein said basin comprises a plurality of compartments each, except said first compartment, in fluid communication with the preceding compartment, and each, except the last compartment having a weir pipe for continuous skimming of solids.