Thermally insulating interfaces

Abstract

At least one of a valve body, a sealing tip and a vessel or conduit includes at least one space formed therein between an interior of the vessel or conduit and an internal cavity of the valve. The space includes an active or passive thermal insulation forming at least a partial barrier to the flow of heat between the internal cavity and the interior of the vessel or conduit.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a Continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 10 / 162,897 filed on Jun. 6, 2002, and for which priority is claimed under 35 U.S.C. § 120, now allowed, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 295,809 filed on Jun. 6, 2001, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention is directed to thermally insulated interfaces. In particular, the present invention is directed to the provision of thermal insulation between the interior of a vessel or conduit and an internal cavity of an adjacent device such as a valve, which forms at least a partial barrier to the flow of heat between the internal cavity and the interior of the vessel or conduit. [0004] 2. Description of Background Art [0005] Various sanitary processes require removal of or addition of materials in aseptic fash...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This solution effectively reduces heat transfer and surface temperature excursions, maintaining aseptic conditions and preventing material degradation, thereby ensuring product quality and reducing the risk of contamination.

Problems solved by technology

Process material in the area that is heated may change significantly and irreversibly in character.

If a significant amount of material is affected, the production batch may go out of specification and may have to be discarded.

Once production begins it is usually no longer possible to re-sterilize equipment containing the process material, because the introduction of hot steam would denature many components of the process as well as dilute the process and result in a significant reduction in the overall quality of the product.

The general problem associated with using steam to sterilize, re-sterilize or, where necessary, continuously sterilize (as in the case of an agitator mechanical seal), is the undesirable consequence that adjacent surfaces of equipment also heat up along with the surfaces of equipment intended to be sterilized.

Sometimes the amount of heat can be significant enough to affect the process.

Furthermore, the temperature of process contact surfaces can rise to levels where process material degrades or forms coatings that may build up on surfaces if heating occurs over an extended period or when component sterilization cycles are repeated many times. Compounding this problem is the difficulty of removing these coatings after a process run.

Furthermore, if they are not removed, they pose a threat as contaminants to future process runs.

While this may be an effective alternative approach in some situations, it carries its own risks.

For many industrial processes today, particularly pharmaceutical processes, the exposure of process to excessive temperatures or heat loads, the presence of small amounts of degradants or baked on plaque carried over from earlier batches represent significant threats to quality production.

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