RU2085508C1 - Method of treating liquids and free-running products - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: food industry. SUBSTANCE: invention provides method of treating agricultural products, water, free-running medicines, etc. allowing increasing time storage of products, preserving or even improving their original quality, and reducing specific power consumption for required treatment degree owing to realization a new mechanism of inactivation of microorganisms and activation of molecules. Method includes treatment of liquids and free-running products by electromagnetic field pulses. Duration of each pulse is less than 10^-7 s and amplitude of electric field strength in liquid is higher than 10⁷ V/m. EFFECT: increased storage duration of products.

Description

 The invention relates to the food industry, to the processing of agricultural products, in particular to methods for processing milk and dairy products, wine, wine materials, beer, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, juices, etc. to the field of processing various vaccines and other liquid medicines in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as to the field of treating drinking and wastewater and other liquids with electromagnetic field pulses. The invention can also find application in the chemical, energy, construction and other industries for disinfection, preservation or improvement of the properties, qualities of liquids and fluid products.

A known method of heat treatment of food products [1] It consists in the fact that the product is subjected to surface cooling. Cooling is carried out with a coolant, the temperature of which is gradually lowered from 90 to 50 ^o C. The coolant is water or air. Then the product is exposed to an electromagnetic field, resulting in its heat treatment. The temperature of the liquid in the zone of the electromagnetic field gradually increases in the direction of movement of the product and reaches 132 ^o C. At the end of the heating process by the electromagnetic field, essentially the same temperature is obtained for both the outer and inner layers of the product.

 However, the disadvantage of this method is that the only physical factor that actually processes the product is the high temperature (sterilization or pasteurization temperature) achieved by heating; the electromagnetic field as another physical factor, unidirectional with a high temperature and processing the product (for example, partial sterilization), is not used and cannot be used for this nature of the impact. As a result, the quality of the products worsens (denaturation and coagulation of proteins occurs, the amount and activity of vitamins and others decrease). It should also be said that when using this method, energy costs are high in proportion to the processing quality.

где S коэффициент выживания микроорганизмов;
t время обработки (t>t_c);
t_c критическое значение времени обработки, при котором коэффициент выживания еще равен единице;
E максимальное значение напряженности электрического поля (E>E_c);
E_c критическое значение напряженности электрического поля, при котором коэффициент выживания еще равен единице (100%-ное выживание микроорганизмов);
k константа.A known method of processing liquids described in [2] It includes the processing of liquids in which bacteria (E. coli K12) are located, by electric pulses with an electric field strength of not more than (6-20) kV / cm. Processing time lies in the range (1.08-36) μs. In this case, the ratio is observed:

where S is the survival rate of microorganisms;
t processing time (t> t _c );
t _{c is the} critical value of the processing time at which the survival rate is still unity;
E is the maximum value of the electric field strength (E> E _c );
E _{c is the} critical value of the electric field strength at which the survival coefficient is still equal to unity (100% survival of microorganisms);
k is a constant.

 From relation (1) it follows that long processing times are less effective than high maximum values of electric field strength.

 It is shown that there is no correlation between the survival rate and the applied electrical energy. A dielectric breakdown of the cell membranes is considered as an effect participating in the lethal effect on the cell, as a result of which the electrical properties of the membranes change, although microscopic examination did not reveal any visible damage to the cell membranes. However, the disadvantage of this method is that it does not provide a high degree of processing.

The closest in essence and the achieved result is a method of processing liquid and fluid products, which are microbiological nutrient medium described in [3]
It lies in the fact that a fluid product is treated with a series of pulses of electric field and current through the entire product. Each of the indicated series of pulses has a voltage of at least (at least) 5 • 10 ⁵ V / m, and a current density of at least 5 • 10 ⁴ A / m ² with a duration in the range from 1 to 100 μs (from 10 ^-6 to 10 ^-4 s). The fluid product is heated to a processing temperature of at least 45 ^° C. The entire fluid food product is exposed to at least one of the indicated pulses of a strong electric field at a temperature of at least 45 ^° C. Next, the product treated with a pulsed electric field is placed and stored (maintained) in a high sterile conditions, pack and as a result receive a product having an extended shelf life.

A fluid food product treated with the indicated pulsed electric field can be cooled to a temperature of not more than 10 ^o C for 30 minutes after processing.

 The product can be degassed by evacuation in at least one degassing zone along the route through at least one of the treatment zones.

 The disadvantages of this method is the low degree of processing and insufficient shelf life of the product. Moreover, the pulsed electric field durations (1-100 μs) used in this method do not allow sufficiently preserving the initial product qualities (for example, with metal electrodes between which an electric field is formed, an electrolysis phenomenon occurs).

 According to this method, an external pulsed electric field can induce an imposed transmembrane potential, which will cause an irreversible increase in membrane permeability after the electric field exceeds a critical value. This, in turn, will lead to a change and loss of cell contents, to biological resorption of the cell and its irreversible destruction.

 The basis of the invention is the task of creating a method for processing liquids and fluid products, in which a higher degree of processing is provided by the implementation of a new mechanism of inactivating action on microorganisms and activating action on molecules. Due to this, the shelf life of processed products is increased, their original qualities are preserved or even improved. In addition, with the required degree of processing, specific energy costs are reduced, and, therefore, the cost of processing.

This problem is solved by the fact that in the method for processing liquids and fluid products, including processing by pulses of an electromagnetic field, in accordance with the invention, the duration of each pulse is less than 10 ^-7 s, and the amplitude of the electric field in the liquid is more than 10 ⁷ V / m.

The selected pulse amplitude allows you to fundamentally change the mechanism of action on liquids and fluid products, on microorganisms located in them, making the mechanism of action significantly more efficient and less energy intensive. It is important here that fields with intensities of more than 10 ⁷ V / m, on the one hand, are not only commensurate with the electric field strengths of cell membranes, which are approximately 10 ⁷ V / m, but may be greater and significantly greater than the field strengths of cell membranes . On the other hand, in liquids and liquid products at such fields (10 ⁷ V / m), the fraction of electronic conductivity relative to ionic increases sharply, and electronic conductivity can become decisive. In this case, between the processed object (product), on the one hand, and metal electrodes (if they are used), on the other hand, there is an exchange of electrons that are basically identical in physical nature to the charge carriers. Due to this, electrolysis is eliminated, the initial quality of the product is preserved. In addition, the electronic conductivity for liquids, in contrast to gas, is characterized by the phenomenon of “sticking” of conduction electrons to liquid molecules, which can change the kinetics of biochemical reactions in microorganisms, since the latter are liquid objects, activate liquid molecules, change the boundary conditions on cell membranes . In pulsed fields with an intensity exceeding 10 ⁷ V / m, a sufficient number of electrons can gain the energy of ordered motion W _e = eEl (where e is the electron charge, E is the field strength, l is the mean free path taking into account the tunnel effect), comparable or greater than average thermal energy W _T = kT (where k the Boltzmann constant, T the absolute temperature of the heavy particles of atoms, ions), and the chemical energy of organic compounds, leading to disruption of these bonds without significantly heating the fluid without the use of ionizing ruyuschih radiations, which are characterized by energy quanta W _q = hv (where h is Planck's constant, v frequency) significantly exceeding I eV due to the high frequency of these radiations.

The pulse duration indicated in this invention makes it possible to achieve the necessary strengths in principle by bringing the electric field component to 10 ⁷ V / m or more, to eliminate disturbances in processing uniformity due to the formation of gas bubbles and cavities inside the product and other undesirable pre-breakdown phenomena, for example, current filaments (due to the "lacing" of the current in the electrically weakest places of the processed product).

 In addition, the indicated pulse duration can significantly reduce or completely eliminate the effect of electrolysis and electrochemical corrosion of metal electrodes, if used in the implementation of this invention.

 All this allows you to increase the degree of processing of products, maintain or improve their initial quality, reduce specific energy costs at the required degree of processing, increase the shelf life of products, liquids.

Applicants know the use of pulsed electromagnetic fields with a strength of more than 10 ⁷ V / m [4]
However, in well-known applications, using these fields, completely different tasks are solved in comparison with the set in this invention, for example, acceleration of microparticles in a vacuum, the study of pre-breakdown processes in dielectrics.

Applicants also know radiation processing [5]
In contrast to radiation treatment of products with beams of injected electrons, which must have and have an energy of (0.5-2) MeV and a penetrating power of about 1.5 cm, electrons formed due to a strong (more than 10 ⁷ V / m) electric field in to the processed substance (liquid, liquid flowing product) it is enough to gain energy of 0.5-10 eV to effectively disrupt some chemical bonds of organic compounds for any thickness of the substance in which there is a field with an intensity E> 10 ⁷ V / m, i.e. specific energy costs for processing products are reduced. In addition, when treating liquids and liquid products with short-pulse fields with E> 10 ⁷ V / m, there is no danger of residual radioactivity, no danger of possible chemical measurements of the product itself, since the energy of electrons and other microparticles during this treatment is incomparably lower than the initial electron energy during radiation beam processing.

 The effectiveness of breaking some chemical bonds is best manifested in objects with a complex chemical structure: the more atoms a molecule contains in a processed substance (liquid, fluid product), the relatively fewer bond breaking (ionization events) it can be modified. It is economically most advantageous to apply treatment with pulsed electromagnetic fields of living microorganisms (sterilization processes, inactivation of microorganisms, etc.).

With the proposed method of processing products, including treatment with electromagnetic fields with E> 10 ⁷ V / m, there is the possibility of an inactivating, inhibitory effect on the cell control system, on the genetic material of the microorganism cell, either directly by the field or by free electrons formed in the cell due to this strong field. The genetic material in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms is represented by DNA. The DNA molecule carries many negative charges, which in prokaryotes and eukaryotes are neutralized differently. However, due to the charges inherent in DNA, a strong electromagnetic field with E> 10 ⁷ V / m, as well as free electrons, interacting with these charges, can suppress DNA replication and, thereby, stop cell division.

 Any living cell acts as a whole single organism thanks to a control system located inside the cell and representing a quantum computer with an internal point of view. In the cell, it is easy to detect all the necessary elements for a molecular computer.

 First of all, there is molecular memory, both long-term (DNA molecules obtained from parents) and operational (RNA molecules synthesized inside the cell). Molecular text is the limit of a microscopic language; apparently, smaller elements cannot be information carriers. The letters of the molecular alphabet are capable of forming between themselves not only strong (covalent) bonds, but also weaker ones (based on hydrogen bonds and even weaker interactions). Weak bonds hold molecules in place only if there are many of these molecules. In a molecular computer of a living cell, texts can arise through brute force. But these are only short texts. Long texts a cell can only read from an existing DNA program.

 Typically, in a living cell, the free energy spent on one molecular transformation is 10 kT, where to T / 2 the average energy for each degree is free at temperature T. The time that is spent on one molecular operation, for example, in the synthesis of DNA or RNA per insertion of one nucleotide , about 0.1 s.

When the cell is exposed to short pulses of a strong electromagnetic field with E> 10 ⁷ V / m, the direct field or free electrons with sufficient energy formed in a substance (liquid, fluid product) due to this strong field can irreversibly destroy in time, much less than 0.1 s, a lot of weak, but important for the normal functioning of the cell control system, connections, destroy molecular texts, disrupt DNA synthesis, which ultimately leads to inactivation, cell death, an increase in the degree of work of products, reduction of specific energy consumption at the required degree of processing, increase shelf life of products.

At intensities E> 10 ⁷ V / m of the pulsed electromagnetic field, with which the fluids and liquid products are treated according to this invention, in addition to preserving the known dielectric breakdown of the membranes, a number of new mechanisms of the field inactivation effect on the cell arise, which are described above. The resulting inactivation effect is achieved due to the complex effect of all the constituent mechanisms and due to the mechanism of action on the most important vulnerable link, which may be the cell control system inside the cell. In this case, an increase in the degree of processing of liquids and liquid products is achieved, the initial qualities of the products are maintained or improved, the specific energy consumption is reduced at the required degree of processing, and the shelf life of the products is increased.

Applicants know [3] that a high-pulse electric field and a high (pasteurization, sterilization) temperature have a unidirectional (inactivating) effect on microorganisms and mutually reinforce this inactivating effect. Moreover, there is a temperature threshold from which the inactivating effect of a strong electric field begins. For fields with E <30 kV / cm this threshold is approximately 45 ^o C. For fields with high tension, the threshold decreases and, starting with a certain critical tension, can disappear.

The high pulse repetition rates (more than 1 Hz) that are possible for this invention are good because they allow, in addition to processing the products directly with a strong field (E> 10 ⁷ V / m), to quickly heat using the same field to sterilization temperatures (which can be lowered compared to thermal sterilization temperatures due to the unidirectional field temperature action with E> 10 ⁷ V / m) at a speed of (100-1000 ^o ), followed by rapid cooling to room temperature. At the same time, the initial quality of the products is preserved, and the degree of sterilization increases compared to traditional thermal.

где E (t) напряженность электрического поля в текущий момент времени t;
E₀ амплитудная (здесь оно не начальное) значение напряженности поля;

где τ постоянная времени, характеризующая отрезок времени, в течение которого E уменьшается в e раз по сравнению с E₀, а также колебательной, приближенно описываемой формулой

где ω = 2π/T, T период колебания, τ > T..The shape of the pulses used to process liquids and liquid products can be different, including the aperiodic, approximately described by the formula:

where E (t) is the electric field at the current time t;
E _{0 is the} amplitude (here it is not initial) value of the field strength;

where τ is the time constant characterizing the length of time during which E decreases e times compared to E ₀ , as well as the vibrational, approximately described by the formula

where ω = 2π / T, T is the oscillation period, τ> T ..

Both for (2) and (3) E> 10 ⁷ V / m; τ <10 ^-7 s
The aperiodic pulse formula (formula 2) makes it possible to increase the intensity of the processing pulse field to the greatest extent, since the dielectric strength of liquids and fluid products is higher with this form of pulses than with vibrational.

The vibrational shape of the pulses (formula 3) allows for pulsed high-frequency (HF) and ultra-high-frequency (microwave) processing with E> 10 ⁷ V / m, which makes it possible to process already packaged, packaged products. In contrast to traditional microwave processing, the role of the direct field treatment in the present invention significantly increases in comparison with microwave heating.

 Other pulse shapes are possible, including a rectangular one.

где ε_o диэлектрическая постоянная (8,854•10^-12 Ф/м);
ε относительная диэлектрическая проницаемость;
m_o магнитная постоянная (4π•10^-7 Гн/м);
то H_max>10⁷ (377 А/м),

Величины магнитной индукции B_max>0,03 Тл составляют доли процента или большую величину от значений индукции импульсного магнитного поля B_ин.обр., которые используются для инактивирующей оабработки микроорганизмов (B_ин.обр.=5-50 Тл) посредством только магнитного поля. Эти величины индукции магнитного поля B_max > 0,03 Тл могут не оказывать самостоятельного инактивирующего действия на микроорганизмы, однако могут оказывать благотворное омагничивающее действие на молекулы обрабатываемой импульсами электромагнитного поля жидкости или жидкотекучего продукта, поскольку B_max>0,03 Тл значительно превосходит по величине индукцию магнитного поля земли. Такое действие магнитной составляющей поля обрабатывающих электромагнитных импульсов приводит к улучшению исходных качеств обрабатываемых продуктов, жидкостей, резкому возрастанию их химической и биологической активности. Таким образом в настоящем изобретении одновременно эффективно используются для обработки жидкостей и жидкотекучих продуктов обе составляющие сильного импульсного электромагнитного поля электрическая с E_max>10⁷ В/м и магнитная с H_max равной

Сильные импульсные электромагнитные поля с E=10⁷-10⁹ В/м используются в физике диэлектриков для изучения поведения последних в предпробивных полях и исследования предпробивных явлений и явления импульсного пробоя диэлектриков, а также в ускорительной технике [4] Однако в изобретении, в отличие от известных способов, короткоимпульсные (с длительностью импульсов менее 10^-7 с) сильные электромагнитные поля с E>10⁷ В/м впервые используются для повышения степени обработки жидкости и жидкотекучих продуктов при сохранении или улучшении исходных качеств и для продления сроков хранения. Причем, при использовании возникает ряд новых эффективных механизмов инактивирующего действия на микроорганизмы, не имеющих побочных нежелательных воздействий. В отличие от ионизирующих излучений в изобретении воздействие осуществляется не за счет большой частоты электромагнитной волны, а за счет высокой напряженности электромагнитного поля.It should be noted the influence of the magnetic component of a strong pulsed electromagnetic field with a maximum electric field strength E> 10 ⁷ V / m, which is being processed. Given that the maximum value of the magnetic field

where ε _{o is the} dielectric constant (8.854 • 10 ^-12 F / m);
ε relative permittivity;
m _o magnetic constant (4π • 10 ^-7 GN / m);
then H _max > 10 ⁷ (377 A / m),

Magnetic induction values B _max > 0.03 T are fractions of a percent or a large value of the values of the induction of a pulsed magnetic field B _in.ob. , which are used for inactivating treatment of microorganisms (B _in.ob. = 5-50 T) by means of a magnetic field only. These magnetic field induction values B _max > 0.03 T may not have an independent inactivating effect on microorganisms, however, they can have a beneficial magnetizing effect on the molecules of a liquid or a fluid product processed by electromagnetic pulses, since B _max > 0.03 T significantly exceeds induction of the magnetic field of the earth. Such an action of the magnetic component of the field of processing electromagnetic pulses leads to an improvement in the initial qualities of the processed products, liquids, and a sharp increase in their chemical and biological activity. Thus, in the present invention, both components of a strong pulsed electromagnetic field, electric with E _max > 10 ⁷ V / m and magnetic with H _max equal to, are effectively used for processing liquids and liquid products

Strong pulsed electromagnetic fields with E = 10 ⁷ -10 ⁹ V / m are used in dielectric physics to study the behavior of the latter in pre-breakdown fields and to study pre-breakdown phenomena and the phenomenon of pulse breakdown of dielectrics, as well as in accelerator technology [4] However, in contrast to the invention from known methods, short-pulse (with a pulse duration of less than 10 ^-7 s) strong electromagnetic fields with E> 10 ⁷ V / m are first used to increase the degree of processing of liquids and fluid products while maintaining or improving the initial and to extend the shelf life. Moreover, when used, a number of new effective mechanisms of the inactivating effect on microorganisms that do not have unwanted side effects arise. Unlike ionizing radiation in the invention, the effect is not due to the high frequency of the electromagnetic wave, but due to the high intensity of the electromagnetic field.

 Applicants are aware of examples of using for processing liquids and liquid products electromagnetic field pulses of nanosecond and shorter duration ranges with intensity amplitudes exceeding the characteristic field intensities in cell membranes.

 In FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a device for implementing the method; in FIG. 2 embodiment of the field formation system, front view-section; in FIG. 3 an embodiment of a field formation system, a top view of a section along AA of FIG. 2.

 The implementation of the method is carried out using a device containing a source of I pulses of an electromagnetic field, a field formation system 2, which consists of at least one working chamber, a system 3 for measuring processing parameters (field strength, current, voltage, temperature), a system 4 for preparing processed products, submitting them to the processing system 2 field formation and post-processing movement, system 5 of the spill, packaging and storage of processed products, system 6 of management and control. Source 2 can be a low-inductance generator of high-voltage electromagnetic pulses based on capacitive storage, another type of high-voltage generator, as well as a high-voltage generator of a pulsed electromagnetic field of RF or microwave.

 The field formation system 2 (Fig. 2 and 3) primarily illustrates the aperiodic pulse processing variant and can have a sufficiently large thickness (thickness is the minimum size of the working volume of the system 2 chamber), significantly exceeding 1-2 cm. The working chamber of the field formation system 2 contains an insulating casing 7 , the upper electrode 8 with an opening 9 for discharging the treated liquid, the lower electrode 10 with an opening 11 for supplying the untreated liquid, a working volume 12 filled with the treated liquid. The arrows indicate the direction of flow through the system 2 field formation of the processed fluid.

 The method is implemented as follows.

 The processed product is placed in the preparation and supply system 4, and after processing its movement, the system 6 is turned on, which turns on the entire device and controls the system 4 where the preparation is carried out (for example, preliminary degassing, although this is not an obligatory process) and the flow of liquid product into the system 2 field formation, in which the product is then processed. Before processing, the liquid (fluid product) circulates through system 4 through system 2, without falling into spill, packaging and storage system 5. After turning on the device as a whole, the source 1 of the pulses of the electromagnetic field is turned on using system 6. High-voltage pulses from source 1 fall on the field-forming system 2, where the processing of liquids and fluid products intended for this occurs. The fluid flow rate and the pulse repetition rate in the field formation system 2 are rigidly interconnected using the control and monitoring system 6 and the processing parameter measurement system 3. According to the results of measurements and control, the fluid that was processed in the field-forming system 2, or during normal processing, enters the system 5, where, after spilling and, possibly, cooling, it is stored under very sterile conditions in receiving containers, tanks, flasks, bags or under insufficient processing returns to an additional processing session in system 2.

 The liquids are treated with a uniform electromagnetic field using a field formation system 2, one of the variants of which is presented in FIG. 2 and 3. A uniform field allows homogeneous processing of the entire volume of the working chamber in the field formation system 2. At the camera of the field-forming system 2, high-voltage electromagnetic pulses U are supplied, and for each elementary volume of liquid flowing in the chamber, there is at least one pulse at a temperature above the threshold, i.e. such that the action of the electric component of the field is effective.

 In the present invention, the pulses of the electromagnetic field in which the processing of liquids and liquid products is carried out can be single or follow with a certain repetition rate (repetition), which can lie in the range from 0.01 Hz (at a lower repetition rate, the pulses are considered single) to 1000 Hz and more.

Our numerous experiments have shown the effectiveness of using short electromagnetic pulses with pulse durations of the order of 10 ^-7 s and an amplitude of the order of 10 ⁷ V / m, in particular for the processing of milk and natural water. The shelf life of raw milk processed by the method corresponding to that proposed in this invention for 14 days at a temperature of 11 ^o C was achieved without a noticeable deterioration in natural qualities. Moreover, immediately after processing, the degree of microbiological contamination of milk decreased by 10 ⁶ times. With increasing field strength, the temperature threshold of effective field exposure decreases.

 The implementation of the method in accordance with the invention allows you to run a number of new mechanisms of action on the fluids and microorganisms that are in them, namely it allows you to drastically increase the proportion of electronic conductivity in the fluid, activate the fluid molecules, disrupt some chemical bonds of organic compounds, act directly on the living cell control system , change the kinetics of biochemical reactions, change the boundary conditions on the cell membranes and thereby achieve an increase in the degree of processing of the product , To maintain or improve the starting characteristics of products, reducing the specific energy at the desired degree of processing, increasing the shelf life of products.

 The present invention can be used not only for the treatment of liquids, liquid products, which are microbiological nutrient media, but also for the treatment of almost any other liquids and liquid products, in particular natural and waste water, vaccines, serums, gelatin dissolved in water and others. The processing method proposed in the invention allows preserving or improving the initial quality of products, including organoleptic properties, with an increase in shelf life and a decrease in specific energy consumption, since more efficient processing mechanisms are launched with this processing method. This method is environmentally friendly, and from the point of view of energy supply, its implementation requires only a power connector, which in the field can be powered from a diesel power station. The proposed method relates to energy and resource-saving technologies, can be used by consumers in various industries, agriculture, medicine, pharmacology.

Claims (1)

A method for processing liquids and liquid products, including processing by pulses of an electromagnetic field, characterized in that the duration of each pulse is less than 10 ^{- 7} s, and the amplitude of the electric field in liquids and liquid products is more than 10 ^{- 7} V / m.

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