Method and Device for Heating, In Particular Highly Viscous Products

Abstract

A method for heating, in particular of highly viscous products, and a device for performing the method, wherein the product is pre-heated to a first temperature T1 in a first step with at least one product / water heat exchanger section with water as the heating medium, wherein the water cools down. The product is further heated to a second temperature T2 in a second step with at least one product / product heat exchanger section 2a with the product as a heating medium, wherein the returning product serving as heating medium is cooled down, and is then further heated to a third temperature T3 in a third step with at least one product / water heat exchanger section 3a with water as the heating medium, wherein the water cools down and wherein the heated product is then recirculated as heating medium for heating the product.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]The present application claims the benefit of priority of German Application No. 102009036019.0, filed Aug. 4, 2009. The entire text of the priority application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE[0002]The disclosure relates to a method for heating, in particular highly viscous products, as well as to a device for performing this method.BACKGROUND[0003]At present, there are basically two different processes for thermal, aseptic heating by means of heat exchangers.[0004]On the one hand, there is the product-against-product process. In this process, heat exchangers are used in which the incoming product is heated by a product that has been heated to a higher temperature beforehand. In particular, plate heat exchangers, but if the design of the secondary side is correspondingly hygienic, also tubular heat exchangers are suited for this. Such a process permits high heat recovery of 90 to 95% and permits ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]Starting from this situation, an aspect underlying the present disclosure is to provide a method as well as a device for heating products which are also suited for heating highly viscous products and permit high heat recovery at low investment costs.

[0009]Thus, the heating medium of step 1 which cools down in step 1 can be advantageously used for cooling the returning product, which clearly improves the efficiency of the method or the device, respectively. It is advantageous for the heated water of the fourth step to be recirculated and used in step 1 as heating medium for pre-heating the product, where then the water cooled down in step 1 can be used again as cooling medium in step 4. The water cycle between the product to be heated and the return product to be cooled in turn improves heat recovery.

Problems solved by technology

The low-temperature sections are not recuperatively operated with the product as cooling medium.

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