Refrigeration – Cryogenic treatment of gas or gas mixture – Solidification
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-20
2002-08-06
Capossela, Ronald (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Cryogenic treatment of gas or gas mixture
Solidification
Reexamination Certificate
active
06427482
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an apparatus for introducing CO
2
snow into containers for cooling the container contents or the container. The apparatus has a CO
2
snow-generating means for generating CO
2
snow, a CO
2
snow injection means connected to the CO
2
snow generating means a snow tube for the injection of the generated CO
2
snow into the container, a CO
2
gas separating means for the separation of CO
2
gas and CO
2
snow in the region of the snow tube and a CO
2
gas extraction means for extracting separated CO
2
gas. What is to be understood here by generating CO
2
snow is that conditions are created whereat CO
2
snow arises.
In many technical processes, the product to be processed must have its temperature maintained within a specific range in order to avoid damage to or poorer workability of the product. Due to the introduction of mechanical energy, for example in the form of mixing or homogenizing, the temperature in the container rises and, thus, so does the temperature of the product. Some materials exhibit low thermal conductivity, a great layer thickness, a high viscosity or other properties during the processing process that require a direct cooling. When producing doughs in a bakery, for example, the temperatures are to be kept as constant as possible in the range from 23° C. through 30° C. (for example, 24° C.+/−0.5° C.) dependent on the various types of baked goods in order to be able to govern the biological, enzymatic and chemical processes so that the processes, which are critical for the dough preparation are undiminished. Even temperature fluctuations of 1 through 2° C. already lead to significantly modified product properties. The reasons for this include the narrow temperature optimum of the enzymes contained therein as well as of the added baker's yeast. Thus, the respiratory activity and, thus, the CO
2
formation rate of the yeast is directly dependent on the process temperature. The dispersion of the solids, the gas solubility, the gas pressure, the plastic, elastic and viscous properties are also influenced by the temperature. Up to now, water in the form of faked, cracked or chipped ice was often utilized for direct cooling. This cooling method, however, has a physical limit since the proportion of water in the product is also raised due to intensified cooling. Due to the predetermined proportion of water in the product, water as ice can be added only maximally on this order of magnitude. Whereas to 100% of the added water can be added as ice in a butcher shop during the process of cutting, only 10 through 20° of the added water can be added as ice in a bakery, since the remaining part must already be present as a liquid (rising, stabilization) at the beginning of the dough structuring (working).
A direct cooling of raw materials, intermediate and final products requires an innocuous nature of the coolant in the product to be processed not only in the food stuffs field but also in the field of pharmaceutics and cosmetics. It is also important that no dilution or some other modification of the concentrations as is possible given a direct cooling with water as ice occurs in the product due to the cooling process. A direct cooling with CO
2
snow meets these criteria.
As a result of the employment of CO
2
snow in the direct cooling of the product, the energy transport can be decoupled from the amount of water utilized. Since a great deal of energy is withdrawn from the product (for example dough) due to the high evaporation enthalpy of the CO
2
in the phase transition from a solid to a gaseous phase (sublimation), a direct cooling with CO
2
snow is thus very efficient. Due to an enrichment of CO
2
in the gas phase, however, a reduction of the partial oxygen pressure in the head space of the container occurs. A specific partial oxygen pressure is necessary, for example in dough production, for the processes of oxidative solidification of the adhesive lattice due to the interaction of thiol and disulfide groups. As a result of the extraction of the gaseous CO
2
from the head space, the necessary partial oxygen pressure for assuring these oxidative processes can be adhered to.
The known apparatus cited at the outset exhibits the disadvantage that devices that are already present such as, for example, dough agitators can be refitted with a dough or, respectively, container cooling only with relatively great structural outlay.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is thus based on the object of developing the known apparatus to the effect that already existing devices can be easily retrofitted with a dough or, respectively, container cooling.
This object is inventively achieved in that the CO
2
gas separating means comprises an outside tube that surrounds the snow tube and is coaxially arranged thereto that projects beyond the snow tube in a longitudinal direction thereof at the CO
2
snow output side of the snow tube and that is connected with the CO
2
gas extraction means in the region of the opposite side.
It can thereby be provided that the CO
2
snow generating means comprises a delivery means for conducting liquid CO
2
and an evaporation means for the evaporation of the liquid CO
2
.
Beneficially, the evaporation means is arranged in the region of that side of the snow tube lying opposite the CO
2
snow delivery side.
The evaporation means advantageously comprises a nozzle.
Beneficially, the snow tube and the outer tube end in the head space of the container.
It can also be provided that the snow tube and the outer tube are vertically arranged.
On the other hand, it can also be provided that the snow tube and the outer tube are arranged at such an angle that the CO
2
snow drops into the container.
Beneficially, the snow tube is widened at the CO
2
snow delivery side. A more uniform output of the CO
2
snow into the container is thus assured.
It can also be provided that the outer tube is widened at its end located at the CO
2
snow delivery side of the snow tube.
In particular, it can be provided that the snow tube and/or the outer tube is/are conically fashioned.
Beneficially, the extraction means comprises a ventilator.
According to another particular embodiment, the apparatus is characterized by a temperature control means for regulating the temperature of the container content or of the container itself by the injection of a corresponding quantity of the CO
2
snow.
In particular, it can thereby be provided that the temperature control means comprises a rated temperature input means, a temperature sensor for measuring the actual temperature of the container content, a temperature comparison means for comparing the actual temperature to the rated temperature as well as a drive means for driving a valve arranged in the supply conduit for the liquid CO
2
.
Another particular embodiment of the invention is characterized by an oxygen partial pressure regulating means for regulating the partial oxygen pressure in the head space of the container by extracting a corresponding quantity of the CO
2
gas.
Alternatively, a particular embodiment can be characterized by a carbon dioxide partial pressure regulating means for regulating the partial carbon dioxide pressure in the head space of the container by measuring the partial carbon dioxide pressure and extracting a corresponding quantity of the CO
2
gas. Compared to the embodiment with oxygen partial pressure regulating means, the CO
2
gas part is directly measured in this embodiment.
Finally, it can be provided that the container is a container for kneading bread or cake dough.
The invention is based on the surprising perception that the concentric arrangement of the snow tube and the surrounding outer tube of the separating means results merely in a double tube and, thus, a structural intervention for passing the double tube through need only be undertaken at one location of the container cover for retrofitting existing devices with the dough or container cooling. Over and above this, the snow tube that is shorter compared t
Dirksen Gerhard
Lösche Klaus
Sikken Dirk
Wiesmann Ralf
Capossela Ronald
Craft Tech gbr
Schiff & Hardin & Waite
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