Apparatus and methods for variably sterilizing aqueous liquids

Abstract

A flow through aqueous liquid sterilization apparatus which employs substantially fixed temperatures and pressures and variable flow rates through the apparatus for controllably processing aqueous liquids to achieve predetermined values of SALs.

1 . A method by which an aqueous liquid influent contaminated by microbes is sterilized, said method comprising the steps of:
 establishing a substantially fixed predetermined anti-microbial temperature, establishing a pressure correlated to the fixed temperature in a closed flow-through system which is otherwise free of all other sources of contamination;   displacing, at a preset flow-rate, the microbe-containing influent liquid into the closed flow-through system, said flow rate being correlated to the substantially fixed values of temperature and pressure;   imposing the established temperature, pressure and preset flow rate conditions upon the aqueous liquid as it is displaced through the system without use of radiation causing microbes to be killed thereby producing water free of living organisms while preventing vaporization of the aqueous liquid;   preventing subsequent introduction of microbes into the aqueous liquid treated to be sterilized; and   discharging the aqueous liquid as a non-radiated effluent from the system.   
     
     
         2 . A method by which an influent aqueous liquid containing microbes is sterilized in a closed system and discharged from the closed system as a so treated effluent comprising the acts of:
 providing a closed flow-through system free of microwave radiation wherein the only source of contamination is the microbe-containing influent aqueous liquid;   controlling the system to achieve start-up of the system by preventing flow in the system while collectively elevating temperature and pressure conditions within the system to predetermined substantially fixed levels effective for sterilizing the influent aqueous liquid to be free of living organisms;   after non-flow temperature and pressure levels have been reached within the system, controlling the system to achieve into and through the system a unidirectional flow rate of each unit volume of the aqueous liquid while retaining the substantially fixed temperature and pressure conditions within the system such that each unit volume of aqueous liquid is resident within retained temperature and pressure conditions for a sufficient period to be sterilized.