System and structure for heating or sterilizing a liquid stream

• US 9,599,407 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokitae LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Tokitae LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Deane, Geoffrey F., Gates, William, Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tuckerman, David B., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Yildirim, Ozgur
• Primary Examiner(s): Angwin, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Norton, John J
• Application Number:
  US12/462,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20110023727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,792 Days
• Field of Search: 99452-453, 994/67, 165/4, 165/10, 165/104.21, 165165-167, 165/185, 165/109.1, 165/164, 165/104.19, 165/80.2, 165/80.4, 298/900.3, 426520-522, 426/603
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 3/0332 in contact with multiple heating plates
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 3/0335 the milk being heated by electrical or mechanical means, e.g. by friction
• CPC Class Codes: C12H 1/18 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0042 for foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 9/0075 the plates having openings therein for circulation of the heat-exchange medium from one conduit to another
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2270/00 Thermal insulation; Thermal decoupling

Abstract

A food product sterilizer includes a food product source and a regenerative heat exchanger configured to receive a flow of food product from the food product source. The heat exchanger includes an input channel configured to receive a flow of food product to be sterilized. The heat exchanger also includes an output channel fluidly coupled to the input channel. The output channel is adjacent the input channel. The output channel and the input channel are configured to transfer heat between the two channels. The heat exchanger further includes an integrated heating section of at least a portion of the input channel or the output channel. The heating section is configured to heat the flow of food product.

Claims

1. A food product sterilizer comprising:

a food product source; and

a single stage regenerative heat exchanger configured to receive a flow of from the food product source, the single stage regenerative heat exchanger configured to carry out sterilization of the food product, the regenerative heat exchanger including;

an input channel configured to receive a flow of food product to be sterilized;

an output channel fluidly coupled to the input channel, the output channel being adjacent the input channel, the output channel and the input channel configured to transfer heat between the two channels, the input channel and the output channel being separated by a first thin wall, the first thin wall having a thickness less than 0.1 millimeters, the input channel and output channel sharing the first thin wall, and the regenerative heat exchanger having multiple pairs of the input channels and the output channels that are configured to direct the flow of the same food product, the multiple pairs configured in a row, each of the pairs sharing a second thin wall with an adjacent pair of the multiple pairs; and

an integrated heating section of only one portion of the input channel or the output channel of each of the multiple pairs, the heating section configured to heat the flow of food product, the heating section including an electric heater and a thermally conductive material between the heater and the channel, wherein the input and output channels each have a hydraulic diameter that is less than 1 millimeter.

2. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, wherein the first thin wall has a thickness less than 0.02 millimeters.

3. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, wherein the input and output channels are at least partially surrounded by an insulating layer.

4. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, wherein the hydraulic diameter is less than 100 micrometers.

5. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, wherein the input channel and the output channel are at least partially formed of polyaryletheretherketone (PEEK).

6. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, wherein the heating section includes a highly thermally conductive material between the heater and the channel, the highly thermally conductive material including copper.

7. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, wherein the food product includes at least one of fruit juice, apple cider, honey, maple syrup, milk, soy sauce, sports drinks, vinegar, water, wine, beer, cream, and cheese.

8. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, further comprising a pump configured to pressurize the food product.

9. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, further comprising a filter configured to filter the food product.

10. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to sense at least one characteristic of the food product.

11. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to sense at least one characteristic of the food product, wherein the sensor is a temperature transducer.

12. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to sense at least one characteristic of the food product, wherein the sensor includes a pressure transducer.

13. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to sense at least one characteristic of the food product, wherein the sensor includes a flow transducer.

14. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, wherein the input channel and the output channels are microchannels.

15. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, wherein the input channel and the output channels are configured with aspect ratios which encourage laminar flow.

16. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, wherein the input channel and the output channels are configured to induce liquid flow in the channel with a boundary layer thickness that is greater than one-half the thickness of the channel.

17. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, further comprising an insulative layer, the insulative layer at least partially insulating the input channel, the output channel, and the heating section.

18. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, wherein the input channel and the output channel each have a plate-like layout in which the width of the channel is greater than the height of the channel.

19. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, wherein there are multiple input channels and output channels and the input channels alternate with the output channels in a side-to-side relationship.

20. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, further comprising support elements within at least one of the input channels and the output channels.

21. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, wherein the input channels and output channels are formed as an array of adjacent tubes.

22. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, wherein the input channels and output channels are formed as a grid of adjacent channels.

23. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, wherein at least one set of input channels or output channels are interconnected.

24. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, further comprising a flow reversal section between at least part of the inlet channel and at least part of the output channel.

25. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, further comprising a flow reversal section between at least part of the inlet channel and at least part of the output channel and the flow reversal section is proximate the heating section.

26. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, wherein the input channel flow is in the opposite direction as the output channel flow.

27. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, wherein the input channel and the output channel do not include a flow reversal section.

28. The food product sterilizer of claim 1, wherein the food product is liquid.

29. A food product heater comprising:

a single stage regenerative heat exchanger, the single stage regenerative heat exchanger configured to carry out heating of the food product, the single stage regenerative heat exchanger including;

an input channel configured to receive a flow of food product to be heated to a predetermined temperature;

an output channel fluidly coupled to the input channel, the output channel being adjacent the input channel, the output channel and the input channel configured to transfer heat between the two channels, the input channel and the output channel being separated by a first thin wall, the first thin wall having a thickness less than 0.1 millimeters, the input channel and output channel sharing the first thin wall, and the regenerative heat exchanger having multiple pairs of the input channels and the output channels that are configured to direct the flow of the same food product, the multiple pairs configured in a row, each of the pairs sharing a second thin wall with an adjacent pair of the multiple pairs; and

an integrated heating section of only one portion of the input channel or the output channel of each of the multiple pairs, the heating section configured to heat the flow of food product, the heating section including an electric heater and a thermally conductive material between the heater and the channel, wherein the input and output channels each have a hydraulic diameter that is less than 1 millimeter.