Method for heating or sterilizing a liquid stream
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of sterilizing a liquid food product, comprising:
- flowing a liquid food product to be sterilized through an input channel;
flowing the food product through a heating channel that is fluidly coupled to the input channel, the heating channel including an actively heated zone wherein a heater provides thermal energy to the actively heated zone through a direct thermal coupling of the heater to the actively heated zone;
flowing the food product through an output channel fluidly coupled to the heating channel, the output channel being adjacent the input channel, the input channels and the output channels are configured to induce liquid flow in the channel with a Reynolds number of less than 2000 with a boundary layer thickness that is greater than one-half the thickness of the channels, and the output channel, the input channel, and the heating channel all being integrated portions of a heat exchanger; and
transferring heat between the output channel and the input channel, the input channel and the output channel each having a plate-like layout in which the width of the channel is at least ten times the thickness of the channel, the thickness of the channel extending between shared walls of the input channel and the output channel and the input channels alternate with the output channels in a side-to-side relationship with support elements within at least some of the input channels and output channels.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of sterilizing a liquid food product includes flowing a food product to be sterilized through an input channel. The method also includes flowing the liquid food product through a heating channel that is fluidly coupled to the input channel. Further, the method includes flowing the food product through an output channel fluidly coupled to the heating channel. The output channel is adjacent the input channel, and the output channel, the input channel, and the heating channel are all integrated portions of a heat exchanger. Further still, the method includes transferring heat between the output channel and the input channel.
82 Citations
36 Claims
-
1. A method of sterilizing a liquid food product, comprising:
-
flowing a liquid food product to be sterilized through an input channel; flowing the food product through a heating channel that is fluidly coupled to the input channel, the heating channel including an actively heated zone wherein a heater provides thermal energy to the actively heated zone through a direct thermal coupling of the heater to the actively heated zone; flowing the food product through an output channel fluidly coupled to the heating channel, the output channel being adjacent the input channel, the input channels and the output channels are configured to induce liquid flow in the channel with a Reynolds number of less than 2000 with a boundary layer thickness that is greater than one-half the thickness of the channels, and the output channel, the input channel, and the heating channel all being integrated portions of a heat exchanger; and transferring heat between the output channel and the input channel, the input channel and the output channel each having a plate-like layout in which the width of the channel is at least ten times the thickness of the channel, the thickness of the channel extending between shared walls of the input channel and the output channel and the input channels alternate with the output channels in a side-to-side relationship with support elements within at least some of the input channels and output channels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A method of heating a liquid food product, comprising:
-
flowing a liquid food product through an input channel; flowing the liquid through a heating channel that is fluidly coupled to the input channel, the heating channel including an actively heated zone wherein a heater provides thermal energy to the actively heated zone through a direct thermal coupling of the heater to the actively heated zone, the liquid being transiently heated to a predetermined temperature; flowing the liquid through an output channel fluidly coupled to the heating channel, the output channel being adjacent the input channel, the input channels and the output channels are configured to induce liquid flow in the channel with a Reynolds number of less than 2000 with a boundary layer thickness that is greater than one-half the thickness of the channels, and the output channel, the input channel, and the heating channel all being integrated portions of a heat exchanger; and transferring heat between the output channel and the input channel, the input channel and the output channel each having a plate-like layout in which the width of the channel is at least ten times the thickness of the channel, the thickness of the channel extending between shared walls of the input channel and the output channel and the input channels alternate with the output channels in a side-to-side relationship with support elements within at least some of the input channels and output channels. - View Dependent Claims (26)
-
-
27. A method of sterilizing a liquid, comprising:
-
flowing a liquid through an input channel; flowing the liquid through a heating channel that is fluidly coupled to the input channel, the heating channel including an actively heated zone wherein a heater provides thermal energy to the actively heated zone, the heater being integrated with the actively heated zone, the liquid being transiently heated to a predetermined temperature; flowing the liquid through an output channel fluidly coupled to the heating channel, the output channel being adjacent the input channel, the input channels and the output channels are configured to induce liquid flow in the channel with a Reynolds number of less than 2000 with a boundary layer thickness that is greater than one-half the thickness of the channels, and the output channel, the input channel, and the heating channel all being integrated portions of a heat exchanger; and transferring heat between the output channel and the input channel, the input channel and the output channel each having a plate-like layout in which the width of the channel is at least ten times the thickness of the channel, the thickness of the channel extending between shared walls of the input channel and the output channel and the input channels alternate with the output channels in a side-to-side relationship with support elements within at least some of the input channels and output channels. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
-
-
30. A method of heating a liquid, comprising:
-
flowing a liquid to be heated through an input channel; receiving heat by the flowing liquid, the heat being received from an output channel; flowing the liquid through a heating channel that is fluidly coupled to the input channel, the heating channel including an actively heated zone wherein a heater provides thermal energy to the actively heated zone, the heater being integrated with the actively heated zone, the liquid being heated to a predetermined temperature for at least a predetermined time; and flowing the liquid through the output channel fluidly coupled to the heating channel, the output channel being adjacent the input channel, the input channels and the output channels are configured to induce liquid flow in the channel with a Reynolds number of less than 2000 with a boundary layer thickness that is greater than one-half the thickness of the channels, wherein the input channel and the output channel are microchannels having a thickness less than 100 micrometers, the input channel and the output channel each having a plate-like layout in which the width of the channel is at least ten times the thickness of the channel, the thickness of the channel extending between shared walls of the input channel and the output channel and the input channels alternate with the output channels in a side-to-side relationship with support elements within at least some of the input channels and output channels. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. A method of heating a liquid, comprising:
-
flowing a liquid to be heated through an input channel; receiving heat by the flowing liquid, the heat being received from an output channel; flowing the liquid through a heating channel that is fluidly coupled to the input channel, the heating channel including an actively heated zone wherein a heater provides thermal energy to the actively heated zone through a direct thermal coupling of the heater to the actively heated zone, the liquid being heated to a predetermined temperature for at least a predetermined time; and flowing the liquid through the output channel fluidly coupled to the heating channel, the output channel being adjacent the input channel, the input channels and the output channels are configured to induce liquid flow in the channel with a Reynolds number of less than 2000 with a boundary layer thickness that is greater than one-half the thickness of the channels, wherein the input channel and the output channel are configured such that the flow of the liquid has substantially laminar flow and the input channel and the output channel each having a plate-like layout in which the width of the channel is at least ten times the thickness of the channel, the thickness of the channel extending between shared walls of the input channel and the output channel and the input channels alternate with the output channels in a side-to-side relationship with support elements within at least some of the input channels and output channels. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
-
Specification