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WO2015032008A1 - Dispositif pour mélanger et/ou homogénéiser au moins un produit liquide - Google Patents

Dispositif pour mélanger et/ou homogénéiser au moins un produit liquide Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2015032008A1
WO2015032008A1 PCT/CH2013/000159 CH2013000159W WO2015032008A1 WO 2015032008 A1 WO2015032008 A1 WO 2015032008A1 CH 2013000159 W CH2013000159 W CH 2013000159W WO 2015032008 A1 WO2015032008 A1 WO 2015032008A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
impellers
protrusions
space
stream
inlet
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/CH2013/000159
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Angelo Cadeo
Sirio VOLPI
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Tetra Pak Processing Equipment AG
Original Assignee
Miteco AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Miteco AG filed Critical Miteco AG
Priority to PCT/CH2013/000159 priority Critical patent/WO2015032008A1/fr
Publication of WO2015032008A1 publication Critical patent/WO2015032008A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
    • B01F25/00—Flow mixers; Mixers for falling materials, e.g. solid particles
    • B01F25/50—Circulation mixers, e.g. wherein at least part of the mixture is discharged from and reintroduced into a receptacle
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
    • B01F27/00—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders
    • B01F27/40—Mixers with rotor-rotor system, e.g. with intermeshing teeth
    • B01F27/41—Mixers with rotor-rotor system, e.g. with intermeshing teeth with the mutually rotating surfaces facing each other
    • B01F27/411—Mixers with rotor-rotor system, e.g. with intermeshing teeth with the mutually rotating surfaces facing each other provided with intermeshing elements
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
    • B01F2101/00—Mixing characterised by the nature of the mixed materials or by the application field
    • B01F2101/06—Mixing of food ingredients
    • B01F2101/14—Mixing of ingredients for non-alcoholic beverages; Dissolving sugar in water
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
    • B01F2215/00—Auxiliary or complementary information in relation with mixing
    • B01F2215/04—Technical information in relation with mixing
    • B01F2215/0413—Numerical information
    • B01F2215/0418—Geometrical information
    • B01F2215/0427—Numerical distance values, e.g. separation, position

Definitions

  • the invention is related to a device for mixing and/or homogenizing at least one liquid product, particularly in the field of food industry or dyeing industry, and to a method for mixing and/or homogenizing the liquid product by means of said device, according to the independent claims.
  • Devices for mixing and/or homogenizing a liquid are used in the food industry during the production of beverages.
  • Beverages are in most cases composed of a plurality of ingredients, that is at least a concentrate and water, for example fruit juice and water.
  • a production step which is particularly important in the end phase of production, is to make sure that the end product is homogenous. This step is also important in case a liq ⁇ uid ingredient, e.g. a concentrate, that has been stored for a while has to be used for producing a final beverage.
  • the concentrate may change its homogeneity due to different viscosities and densities of the ingredients. If the final beverage is simply produced with the untreated concentrate, the result may be that each dose has a different taste, consistency, etc. Thus, the concentrate has to be made homogenous again prior to usage. This is accomplished by using said devices to remix the concentrate.
  • EP 0 196 575 discloses a device for mixing at least one streaming medium.
  • This device uses two concave and concentric impellers which are both rotors. Two streams of the liquid are inserted into a space between the two impellers and accelerated by the centrifugal force which arises because of the rotating rotor. In this way the two streams are ejected sideways from said space and they mix outside the impellers.
  • a device for mixing and/or homogenizing at least one liquid product comprises at least two counter-rotating impellers arranged coaxially with respect to a rotation axis and having inner surfaces facing one another. At least one stream of a liquid component or at least two streams of different liquid components is or are respectively, insertable in a space between the impellers.
  • the device further comprises at least one inlet for guiding the at least one stream into the space between the impellers and at least one outlet for guiding the homogenized and/or mixed liquid product out of the device.
  • the two impellers have each a plurality of protrusions extending into the space between them and arranged in rows which are concentric with respect to the rotation axis, wherein the concentric rows of protrusions of the two impellers alternate, and wherein channels are formed between the protrusions.
  • the counter-rotating impellers are adapted to subject the at least one stream in the space between them to a centrifugal force and to create a shear flow for mixing and/or homogenizing the at least one stream inside the channels.
  • the impellers have a same number of protrusions.
  • the protrusions have a shape of a right prism with an n-sided polygonal base and n faces, wherein n is greater than 2 and wherein the faces are perpendicular on surfaces of the respective impeller which delimit the space between the impellers.
  • each impeller is supported and rotated by a corresponding hollow shaft.
  • at least one of the hollow shafts is connected to the at least one inlet for guiding the at least one stream through the hollow shaft and the inlet into the space between the impellers.
  • the hollow shaft and the corresponding inlet are made in one piece .
  • a second aspect of the invention relates to a method for mixing and/or homogenizing a liquid product by means of the device according to the invention.
  • At least two streams are inserted through the hollow shafts and the inlets into the space between the impellers from different sides.
  • one of the streams is inserted from a side of one impeller and the other stream is inserted from a side of the other impeller.
  • the two streams are inserted at a location of the rotation axis of the impellers. This way of inserting the liquid streams into the space between the impellers allows a maximum effect with respect to mixing quality and/or homogenization quality.
  • the device according to the invention is preferably used for homogenizing a beverage and/or for mixing at least two components of a beverage and/or for breaking long polymer chains from a liquid, e.g. a sugar solution .
  • Fig. 1 shows a side view of an embodiment of a device according to the invention in an open configuration
  • Fig. 2 shows a side view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 in a closed configuration
  • Fig. 3 shows an impeller of the embodiment of Fig. 1 in a perspective view.
  • Fig. 1 shows a side view of an embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention with two impellers 2 in an open configuration.
  • the term open configuration means that the impellers 2 are driven back in the direction of the arrows A and B.
  • the impellers 2 have each an inner surface 8 (referenced in Fig. 3 for better view ⁇ ing), wherein the inner surfaces 8 face one another.
  • the two impellers 2 rotate in opposite directions around a rotation or longitudinal axis z and are driven each by a hollow shaft 3 which is actuated by a motor (not shown) . It is also possible to actuate the two impellers 2 by a single motor.
  • the inner surfaces 8 of the impellers 2 carry protrusions 4, i.e.
  • Fig. 2 shows a side view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 in a closed configuration.
  • the impellers 2 are driven towards each other until they reach a minimum allowable distance from one another. This may e.g. be automatised by using a proximity sensor coupled to a main control system of the device 1 (not shown) .
  • the shifting along the rotation axis z may e.g. be performed with a servo motor or other suitable actuation means.
  • the impellers 2 are surrounded by a casing 5 which only permits a liquid to flow out of it through an outlet 6. It is understood that the casing 5 may e.g. comprise two pieces, each one attributed to one impeller 2.
  • the device 1 is ready for operation in the closed configuration, in which liquid may be inserted into the space be ⁇ tween the two impellers 2 in the direction of the arrow C, e.g. through the hollow shafts 3.
  • the outlet 6 is coupled to a recirculation circuit (not shown) which feeds back the mixed liquid product to the at least one inlet. In this way it is possible to increase the mixing and/or homog- enization quality.
  • Fig. 3 shows an impeller 2 of the embodiment of Fig. 1 in a perspective view. Its description also applies for the other impeller 2.
  • the inlet 7 attributed to the impeller 2 is seen best.
  • the inlet 7 and the corresponding hollow shaft 3 are made in one piece. It is preferred that the inlet 7 opens into the space between the impellers concentrically with respect to the rotation axis z of the impellers 2. This measure yields the best mixing and/or homogenizing effect because the way of the liquid to the outlet is longest and as a result the liquid is mixed for a longer time.
  • the inlets 7 are formed by a plurality of nozzles opening into the space between the impellers 2.
  • the nozzles are arranged uniformly and protrude into the space between the impellers 2.
  • the liquid quantity of the at least one liquid stream entering the space be- tween the impellers 2 is adjustable.
  • the quantity of the liquid of both streams is equal.
  • the protrusions 4 and their arrangement on the inner surface 8 of the impeller 2 is also seen best in Fig. 3.
  • the protrusions 4 are arranged in such a way that channels are formed between their adjacent faces 10.
  • an average width of the channels between adjacent protrusions 4 is between 0.2 mm and 1 mm, preferably 0.5 mm.
  • the width of the channels determines the suitable types of liquid to be mixed and/or homogenized. For example a more viscous liquid should not be used in the device if it has very thin channels. Therefore, in order to increase the flexibility of the device for mixing/homogenizing, it is possible to exchange at least one of the impellers 2 with another impeller having protrusions of different size (but same shape) .
  • the protrusions 4 of each impeller 2 are arranged concentrically in rows with respect to the rotation axis z. It is preferred and illustrated in Fig. 3 that the concentric rows of protrusions 4 are arranged on steps ascending from the rotation axis z towards an edge of the impellers 2, i.e. towards the vicinity of the pointer of the reference number 2. This can be appreciated by noticing the different heights of the lat- eral faces 10 of each row of protrusions 4. As can be seen, the innermost row has the highest protrusions 4 and the height of the protrusions 4 decreases gradually for each row towards the edge of the inner surface 8. By this measure the radial liquid speed is kept substantially constant.
  • the steps additionally increase the shear flow of the liquid through the channels and therefore the mixing and/or homogeniza- tion quality.
  • the inner surfaces 8 of the impellers 2 have a shape in the style of an amphitheatre. It is however also possible to design the inner surfaces 8 of the impellers 2 to be even and parallel to one another. Other shapes are also conceivable.
  • the maximum height of the protrusions 4, measured from the uppermost plane (e.g. uppermost step) of the inner surfaces 8, defines the distance between the two impellers 2 and thus the volume of the space between the two impellers 2. This design criterion may be taken into account when determining how much liquid shall fit in the space between the impellers 2, i.e. the maximum allowable strength and/or "thickness" of the liquid streams .
  • the top surfaces 9 of the protrusions 4 are arranged on a same plane.
  • protrusions 4 Preferably all protrusions 4 have a same shape, even in case their dimensions are not equal, e.g. said different height. This is preferred because it simplifies the manufacture of the protrusions 4 and ensures that the impellers 2 can rotate in different direction with their protrusions 4 being "intermeshed” without a risk that the protrusions 4 touch one another.
  • intermeshed is understood as not implying a form fit or any other contact between the protrusions 4.
  • the actuation of the impellers can be done in the way described in EP 0 196 575. Normally the impellers 2 are actuated with the same speed but in different directions. In embodiments it may be preferred to use different speeds for the impellers 2.
  • the present device for mixing or homogenizing at least one liquid product is characterized by a high shearing effect generated between the impellers 2.
  • the axial speed of the liquid is very small and the radial acceleration of the liquid is very high towards the edges of the impellers.
  • the mixing or homogenization effect is not only augmented by the fact that a high shearing effect is generated but also by the fact that the liquid located inside the space between the impellers has to find a way towards the edges of the impellers through a "labyrinth" of channels.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Mixers Of The Rotary Stirring Type (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un dispositif (1) pour mélanger et/ou homogénéiser au moins un produit liquide, comprenant au moins deux turbines contrarotatives (2) disposées de manière coaxiale par rapport à un axe de rotation (z) et possédant des surfaces internes (8) se faisant face mutuellement. Au moins un courant d'un composant liquide ou au moins deux courants de composants liquides différents peut/peuvent respectivement être inséré(s) dans un espace entre les turbines (2). Le dispositif comprend en outre au moins une entrée (7) pour guider l'au moins un courant dans l'espace entre les turbines (2) et au moins une sortie (6) pour guider le produit liquide homogénéisé et/ou mélangé à l'extérieur du dispositif (1). Les deux turbines (2) possèdent chacune une pluralité de parties saillantes (4) s'étendant dans l'espace entre elles et disposées en rangées qui sont concentriques par rapport à l'axe de rotation (z), les rangées concentriques de parties saillantes (4) des deux turbines (2) alternant, et des canaux étant formés entre les parties saillantes (4). Les turbines contrarotatives (2) sont adaptées pour soumettre l'au moins un courant dans l'espace entre elles à une force centrifuge et pour créer un écoulement de cisaillement pour mélanger et/ou homogénéiser l'au moins un courant à l'intérieur des canaux.
PCT/CH2013/000159 2013-09-06 2013-09-06 Dispositif pour mélanger et/ou homogénéiser au moins un produit liquide Ceased WO2015032008A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/CH2013/000159 WO2015032008A1 (fr) 2013-09-06 2013-09-06 Dispositif pour mélanger et/ou homogénéiser au moins un produit liquide

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/CH2013/000159 WO2015032008A1 (fr) 2013-09-06 2013-09-06 Dispositif pour mélanger et/ou homogénéiser au moins un produit liquide

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2015032008A1 true WO2015032008A1 (fr) 2015-03-12

Family

ID=49230461

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/CH2013/000159 Ceased WO2015032008A1 (fr) 2013-09-06 2013-09-06 Dispositif pour mélanger et/ou homogénéiser au moins un produit liquide

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2015032008A1 (fr)

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1489786A (en) * 1923-08-03 1924-04-08 Povey Harry Machine for disintegrating and emulsifying materials
GB665981A (en) * 1946-10-04 1952-02-06 Robert John Jay Improvements in or relating to methods of and apparatus for emulsifying liquids
EP0196575A2 (fr) 1985-04-03 1986-10-08 Miteco AG Dispositif pour mélanger au moins un milieu fluide
US20030202421A1 (en) * 2002-04-26 2003-10-30 Nan Ding Impact-type rotary fining, homogenizing and emulsifying device
US20090225624A1 (en) * 2005-11-23 2009-09-10 Urs Nadler Homogenizer Device Having a Rotor and an Advance Wheel (Inducer Screw) That Can Rotate Opposite to the Rotor and a Counter-Current Rotor That Can Rotate Opposite to the Rotor
EP2602019A1 (fr) * 2010-08-05 2013-06-12 Sintokogio, Ltd. Système de dispersion du type à circulation, et procédé de dispersion du type à circulation

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1489786A (en) * 1923-08-03 1924-04-08 Povey Harry Machine for disintegrating and emulsifying materials
GB665981A (en) * 1946-10-04 1952-02-06 Robert John Jay Improvements in or relating to methods of and apparatus for emulsifying liquids
EP0196575A2 (fr) 1985-04-03 1986-10-08 Miteco AG Dispositif pour mélanger au moins un milieu fluide
US20030202421A1 (en) * 2002-04-26 2003-10-30 Nan Ding Impact-type rotary fining, homogenizing and emulsifying device
US20090225624A1 (en) * 2005-11-23 2009-09-10 Urs Nadler Homogenizer Device Having a Rotor and an Advance Wheel (Inducer Screw) That Can Rotate Opposite to the Rotor and a Counter-Current Rotor That Can Rotate Opposite to the Rotor
EP2602019A1 (fr) * 2010-08-05 2013-06-12 Sintokogio, Ltd. Système de dispersion du type à circulation, et procédé de dispersion du type à circulation

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