Liquid product pressure treatment method and device

Abstract

A method and device related to a liquid product pressure and (optionally) temperature treatment method reduces the level of microorganisms in the liquid product to a preselected level. Utilizing the method, liquid product is diffused in a chamber with the speed of pressure variation of liquid product in one embodiment of about 10 9 Pa/sec. The preferred speed of the diffused drops is about 10 m/sec. The liquid product can optionally be heated before or during diffusion, and is preferably heated as a diffused liquid product by mixing it with superheated steam.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A liquid product treatment method wherein liquid product is diffused into droplets while the speed of pressure change in the liquid product is approximately 10 5  Pa/sec or more and the speed of the droplets is about 10 m/sec or more during the process of diffusion. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the speed of pressure change in the liquid product is approximately 10 9  Pa/sec or more. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the drops generally do not exceed 0.3 mm in diameter. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the speed of the droplets is about 10 3  m/sec or more during the process of diffusion. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the liquid product is milk. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the liquid product is orange juice. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  that further includes the step of heating the liquid product prior to it being diffused. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the liquid product is directly mixed with a heating medium. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the heating medium is steam. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the liquid product is heated to a temperature not exceeding a temperature effecting qualitative changes in the liquid product. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the liquid product is heated at a pressure equal to or lower than ambient pressure. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the liquid product is diffused by passing through a nozzle and being sprayed into a chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the liquid product is heated as it is diffused. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the liquid product is heated by steam and the steam is delivered into the chamber in the same direction as the liquid product is being diffused. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the liquid product is preheated before diffusion to a temperature not exceeding a temperature level effecting qualitative changes in the liquid product. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  that further includes the step of heating the walls of a chamber into which the liquid product is diffused. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  which additionally includes treatment of the liquid product with chemically active gases, or components, gases or substances that kill bacteria. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more chemically active gases comprise one or more of the group consisting of oxygen, chlorine and fluorine. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the liquid product is diffused into a chamber and the chamber is maintained at a pressure of about 0.25 Pa. 
     
     
         20 . A device for implementation of a liquid product pressure treatment method, the device comprising a chamber, a diffuser in communication with the chamber, the diffuser for creating droplets of the liquid product that enter the chamber at a speed of about 10 m/sec or more, a vacuum control unit in communication with the chamber, wherein the vacuum control unit creates a pressure change in liquid product entering the chamber of 10 5  Pa/sec or more, and a heating element in communication with the chamber that heats the liquid product as it is being diffused at a rate that does not exceed 1100° C./sec. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 20  that further includes a steam generator, a cooling chamber, a vacuum pump, and a steam super heater. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 21  wherein the chamber is comprised of stainless steel. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 20  wherein the diffuser is a nozzle. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 23  wherein the nozzle is comprised of stainless steel. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 23  wherein the nozzle has an opening diameter between 1 mm and 3 mm. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 23  wherein the chamber is about 70 cm in diameter and 120 cm in height.