Method and apparatus for the treatment of heat-sensitive materials

Claim 2

A process for the treatment of heat-sensitive materials by the intimate contacting of plural, physically disparate phases, comprising (1) (i) a first thermal flash treatment including establishing a vertically descending current of axially extending, axially symmetrical helical flow of a first gaseous phase, (ii) separately establishing a current of coaxially downwardly vertically extending, rectilinear continuous jet stream of a physically disparate second liquid paste or pulp phase, (iii) maintaining said currents of said first and said second phases physically separate from each other, (iv) circulating and directing said currents which comprise the plural phases to a zone of restricted flow passage with respect to said helical flow, (v) at said zone of restricted flow passage, converging and intimately, homogeneously admixing said plural currents, and disintegrating into a multitude of substantially equally sized droplets and entraining said rectilinear jet stream within said helical current of gaseous flow, and maintaining at such zone of convergence a momentum of the first phase helical flow of at least 100 times greater than the momentum of the second phase, coaxial rectilinear jet stream, (vi) concurrently establishing a flow defining a layered horizontal stack of a plurality of hyperboloids by means of the trajectory of said helical current of gaseous flow, which, at a point downstream from said zone of restricted flow passage coestablishes a zone of narrower width than said zone of restricted flow passage, and whereby each entrained droplet is subjected to essentially the same historical processing profile; (2) subjecting the product of said first thermal treatment, in a distinct zone downstream therefrom, to a second thermal treatment including exposing same to a temperature less than that of said first thermal treatment, whereby liquid condensation is avoided in said downstream zone; and (3) phase separating the liquid/gaseous product admixture.

Claim 3

The process as defined by claim 1, wherein the second thermal treatment takes place prior to the phase separation treatment.

Claim 4

The process as defined by claim 1, wherein the second thermal treatment takes place after the phase separation treatment.

Claim 5

The process as defined by claim 1, wherein food supplies are treated at a temperature of 200° to 700° C. during the first thermal treatment and at a temperature of 20° to 120° C. during the second thermal treatment.

Claim 6

The process as defined by claim 4, wherein the food supplies are selected from the group consisting of egg whites, vanilla, sunflowers, alfalfa and concentrated milk.

Claim 7

The process as defined by claim 1, wherein said phase separation treatment comprises abruptly changing the velocity field of at least one of said plural phases, while at the same time maintaining the general direction of flow of said admixed plural phases.

Claim 8

The process as defined by claim 6, wherein said phase separation treatment takes place prior to the second thermal treatment.

Claim 9

A process for the treatment of heat-sensitive materials by the intimate contacting of plural, physically disparate phases, consisting essentially of (1) (i) a first thermal flash treatment including establishing a vertically descending current of axially extending, axially symmetrical helical flow of a first gaseous phase, (ii) separately establishing a current of coaxially downwardly vertically extending, rectilinear continuous jet stream of a physically disparate second liquid paste or pulp phase, (iii) maintaining said currents of said first and said second phases physically separate from each other, (iv) circulating and directing said currents which comprise the plural phases to a zone of restricted flow passage with respect to said helical flow, (v) at said zone of restricted flow passage, converging and intimately, homogeneously admixing said plural currents, and disintegrating into a multitude of substantially equally sized droplets and entraining said rectilinear jet stream within said helical current of gaseous flow, and maintaining at such zone of convergence a momentum of the first phase helical flow of at least 100 times greater than the momentum of the second phase, coaxial rectilinear jet stream, (vi) concurrently establishing a flow defining a layered horizontal stack of a plurality of hyperboloids by means of the trajectory of said helical current of gaseous flow, which, at a point downstream from said zone of restricted flow passage coestablishes a zone of narrower width than said zone of restricted flow passage, and whereby each entrained droplet is subjected to essentially the same historical processing profile; (2) subjecting the product of said first thermal treatment, in a distinct zone downstream therefrom, to a second thermal treatment including exposing same to a temperature less than that of said first thermal treatment, whereby liquid condensation is avoided in said downstream zone; and (3) phase separating the liquid/gaseous product admixture.

Claim 10

A process for the treatment of heat-sensitive materials by the intimate contacting of plural, physically disparate phases, consisting essentially of (1) (i) a first thermal flash treatment including establishing a vertically descending current of axially extending, axially symmetrical helical flow of a first gaseous phase, (ii) separately establishing a current of coaxially downwardly vertically extending, rectilinear continuous jet stream of a physically disparate second liquid paste or pulp phase, (iii) maintaining said currents of said first and said second phases physically separate from each other, (iv) circulating and directing said currents which comprise the plural phases to a zone of restricted flow passage with respect to said helical flow, (v) at said zone of restricted flow passage, converging and intimately, homogeneously admixing said plural currents, and disintegrating into a multitude of substantially equally sized droplets and entraining said rectilinear jet stream within said helical current of gaseous flow, and maintaining at such zone of convergence a momentum of the first phase helical flow of at least 100 times greater than the momentum of the second phase, coaxial rectilinear jet stream, (vi) concurrently establishing a flow defining a layered horizontal stack of a plurality of hyperboloids by means of the trajectory of said helical current of gaseous flow, which, at a point downstream from said zone of restricted flow passage coestablishes a zone of narrower width than said zone of restricted flow passage, and whereby each entrained droplet is subjected to essentially the same historical processing profile; (2) subjecting the product of said first thermal treatment, in a distinct zone downstream therefrom, to a second thermal treatment including exposing same to a temperature less than that of said first thermal treatment, whereby liquid condensation is avoided in said downstream zone; and (3) phase separating the liquid/gaseous product admixture.

Claim 11

A phase contactor for the treatment of heat-sensitive materials by the intimate contacting of plural, physically disparate phases, which comprises (1) (i) a first thermal flash treatment zone including a distribution zone, said distribution zone being comprised of means for establishing a vertically descending current of axially extending, axially symmetrical helical flow of a first gaseous phase, means for separately establishing a current of coaxially downwardly vertically extending, rectilinear continuous jet stream of a physically disparate second liquid paste or pulp phase, and means for insuring physical separation from each other of said currents of said first and second phases, (ii) a contact zone, said contact zone being comprised of a zone of restricted flow passage with respect to the means for establishing the helical flow, means for the convergence and intimate homogeneous admixture of the separately supplied disparate phases, means for imparting a momentum to the gaseous first phase helical flow which is at least 100 times greater than the momentum of the second liquid phase, coaxial rectilinear jet stream, means for disintegrating into a multitude of substantially equally sized droplets and entraining said rectilinear jet stream within said helical current of gaseous flow, means for concurrently establishing a flow defining a layered horizontal stack of a plurality of hyperboloids via the trajectory of said helical current of gaseous flow, means for establishing, at a point downstream from said zone of restricted flow passage, a flow zone of narrower width than said zone of restricted flow passage, and whereby means are co-established as to subject each entrained droplet to essentially the same historical processing profile; (2) a second distinct thermal treatment zone, at a point downstream from said first thermal treatment zone, including means for subjecting the product of first thermal treatment to a temperature less than that of said first thermal treatment while avoiding liquid condensation in said second thermal treatment zone; and (3) a phase separation zone, including means for separating liquid/gaseous product admixture.

Claim 12

A phase contactor for the treatment of heat-sensitive materials by the intimate contacting of plural, physically disparate phases, which comprises (1) (i) a first thermal flash treatment zone including a distribution zone, said distribution zone being comprised of means for establishing a vertically descending current of axially extending, axially symmetrical helical flow of a first gaseous phase, means for separately establishing a current of coaxially downwardly vertically extending, rectilinear continuous jet stream of a physically disparate second liquid paste or pulp phase, and means for insuring physical separation from each other of said currents of said first and second phases, (ii) a contact zone, said contact zone being comprised of a zone of restricted flow passage with respect to the means for establishing the helical flow, means for the convergence and intimate homogeneous admixture of the separately supplied disparate phases, means for imparting a momentum to the gaseous first phase helical flow which is at least 100 times greater than the momentum of the second liquid phase, coaxial rectilinear jet stream, means for disintegrating into a multitude of substantially equally sized droplets and entraining said rectilinear jet stream within said helical current of gaseous flow, means for concurrently establishing a flow defining a layered horizontal stack of a plurality of hyperboloids via the trajectory of said helical current of gaseous flow, means for establishing, at a point downstream from said zone of restricted flow passage, a flow zone of narrower width than said zone of restricted flow passage, and whereby means are co-established as to subject each entrained droplet to essentially the same historical processing profile; (2) a second distinct thermal treatment zone, at a point downstream from said first thermal treatment zone, including means for subjecting the product of first thermal treatment to a temperature less than that of said first thermal treatment while avoiding liquid condensation in said second thermal treatment zone; and (3) a phase separation zone, including means for separating liquid/gaseous product admixture.

Claim 13

The phase contactor as defined by claim 9, wherein the second thermal treatment zone comprises (a) a distribution zone and (b) a contact zone as defined in claim 9.

Claim 14

The phase contactor as defined by claim 9, wherein the phase separation zone comprises a cyclone.

Claim 15

The phase contactor as defined by claim 9, wherein the second thermal treatment zone comprises a contact zone, said contact zone being comprised of means for the combining and admixing of the separately supplied disparate phases.

Claim 16

The phase contactor as defined by claim 12, wherein the second thermal treatment contact zone comprises a compressed air inlet pipe system, downstream from and in communicating relationship with the first thermal treatment contact zone.

Claim 17

The phase contactor as defined by claim 13, wherein the phase separation zone comprises a cyclone.

Claim 18

The phase contactor as defined by claim 9, wherein the first thermal treatment zone further comprises (c) a phase separation zone.

Claim 19

The phase contactor as defined by claim 15, wherein the first thermal treatment phase separation zone comprises means for abruptly changing the velocity field of at least one of said plural phases, means for maintaining the general direction of flow of said admixed plural phases, and means for effecting phase separation of the product of admixture of said plural phases.

Claim 20

The phase contactor as defined by claim 16, wherein the second thermal treatment zone comprises a contact zone, said contact zone being comprised of means for the combining and admixture of the separately supplied disparate phases.

Claim 21

The phase contactor as defined by claim 17, wherein the second thermal treatment contact zone comprises a compressed air inlet pipe system downstream from and in communicating relationship with the first thermal treatment contact zone.

Claim 22

The phase contactor as defined by claim 18, wherein the phase separation zone following the second thermal treatment zone comprises a cyclone.

Claim 23

A phase contactor for the treatment of heat-sensitive materials by the intimate contacting of plural, physically disparate phases, consisting essentially of (1) (i) a first thermal flash treatment zone including a distribution zone, said distribution zone being comprised of means for establishing a vertically descending current of axially extending, axially symmetrical helical flow of a first gaseous phase, means for separately establishing a current of coaxially downwardly vertically extending, rectilinear continuous jet stream of a physically disparate second liquid paste or pulp phase, and means for insuring physical separation from each other of said currents of said first and second phases, (ii) a contact zone, said contact zone being comprised of a zone of restricted flow passage with respect to the means for establishing the helical flow, means for the convergence and intimate homogeneous admixture of the separately supplied disparate phases, means for imparting a momentum to the gaseous first phase helical flow which is at least 100 times greater than the momentum of the second liquid phase, coaxial rectilinear jet stream, means for disintegrating into a multitude of substantially equally sized droplets and entraining said rectilinear jet stream within said helical current of gaseous flow, means for concurrently establishing a flow defining a layered horizontal stack of a plurality of hyperboloids via the trajectory of said helical current of gaseous flow, means for establishing, at a point downstream from said zone of restricted flow passage, a flow zone of narrower width than said zone of restricted flow passage, and whereby means are co-established as to subject each entrained droplet to essentially the same historical processing profile; (2) a second distinct thermal treatment zone, at a point downstream from said first thermal treatment zone, including means for subjecting the product of first thermal treatment to a temperature less than that of said first thermal treatment while avoiding liquid condensation in said second thermal treatment zone; and (3) a phase separation zone, including means for separating liquid/gaseous product admixture.

Claim 24

A phase contactor for the treatment of heat-sensitive materials by the intimate contacting of plural, physically disparate phases, consisting essentially of (1) (i) a first thermal flash treatment zone including a distribution zone, said distribution zone being comprised of means for establishing a vertically descending current of axially extending, axially symmetrical helical flow of a first gaseous phase, means for separately establishing a current of coaxially downwardly vertically extending, rectilinear continuous jet stream of a physically disparate second liquid paste or pulp phase, and means for insuring physical separation from each other of said currents of said first and second phases, (ii) a contact zone, said contact zone being comprised of a zone of restricted flow passage with respect to the means for establishing the helical flow, means for the convergence and intimate homogeneous admixture of the separately supplied disparate phases, means for imparting a momentum to the gaseous first phase helical flow which is at least 100 times greater than the momentum of the second liquid phase, coaxial rectilinear jet stream, means for disintegrating into a multitude of substantially equally sized droplets and entraining said rectilinear jet stream within said helical current of gaseous flow, means for concurrently establishing a flow defining a layered horizontal stack of a plurality of hyperboloids via the trajectory of said helical current of gaseous flow, means for establishing, at a point downstream from said zone of restricted flow passage, a flow zone of narrower width than said zone of restricted flow passage, and whereby means are co-established as to subject each entrained droplet to essentially the same historical processing profile; (2) a second distinct thermal treatment zone, at a point downstream from said first thermal treatment zone, including means for subjecting the product of first thermal treatment to a temperature less than that of said first thermal treatment while avoiding liquid condensation in said second thermal treatment zone; and (3) a phase separation zone, including means for separating liquid/gaseous product admixture.