Full-process closed sterilization system and sterilization method

Abstract

The present application provides a full-process closed sterilization system and sterilization method, which belongs to the field of sterilization treatment technology. The system includes a storage tank component, a material heating component, a material cooling component, a material circulation pipeline, a steam heating component and a control component; the sterilization outlet of the sterilization section of the material circulation pipeline is connected to its auxiliary material receiving section through a first control valve; the first control valve is also connected to the first intersection channel section of the steam heating component located at the first intersection of the sterilization section and the cooling section; when the first valve state of the first control valve is in the first state, the sterilization section is connected to the cooling section, disconnected from the auxiliary material receiving section, and the first intersection channel section is in a disconnected state; when the first valve state is in the second state, the sterilization section is disconnected from the cooling section, connected to the auxiliary material receiving section, and the first intersection channel section is in a connected state, so that the disconnection point between the sterilization section and the cooling section is in a sterilization environment. The present application can reduce the loss of sterilization.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of sterilization processing technology, and in particular to a full-process closed sterilization system and a sterilization method. Background Art

[0002] In the process of industrial production and manufacturing, many links involve high-temperature sterilization of materials. During the high-temperature sterilization process, the materials usually need to be maintained in a constant desired sterilization temperature range, and they need to be maintained for a certain period of time to complete the sterilization. For some scenarios with very strict sterilization requirements, such as the disinfection of food raw materials, if this requirement is not met, sterilization will occur, resulting in the need to redo the entire sterilization work, such as suspending the sterilization of materials and re-sterilizing the entire sterilization system (including material storage tanks, material circulation pipelines, etc.); severe cases may even cause the entire batch of materials to be scrapped, greatly increasing costs.

[0003] The existing full-process sterilization system usually stores the material in a storage tank first, and then introduces the material in the tank into the pipeline, where it is heated to the sterilization required temperature range and maintained in this temperature range for a certain period of time to achieve sterilization. However, in this process, there are problems such as low material heating efficiency and large impact of ambient temperature differences, which can easily lead to the loss of bacteria, pipeline pollution, and even the scrapping of the entire batch of materials, which not only reduces the sterilization efficiency, but also greatly increases the cost. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide a full-process closed sterilization system and a sterilization method to solve at least one of the above problems.

[0005] In a first aspect of the present application, a full-process closed sterilization system is provided, the system comprising:

[0006] A storage tank assembly, comprising a material inlet, a material outlet and a material holding cavity for holding the material;

[0007] The material flow pipeline comprises a discharging section, a heating section, a sterilizing section, a cooling section and a main material receiving section which are connected in sequence, and also comprises a secondary material receiving section which is connected to the sterilizing outlet of the sterilizing section through a first control valve;

[0008] A material heating component for heating the temperature rising section;

[0009] A material cooling component for cooling the cooling section;

[0010] A steam heating assembly, comprising a steam generating part and a steam circulation pipeline connected to the steam generating part, wherein the steam circulation pipeline comprises a first intersection channel section located at a first intersection of the sterilization section and the temperature reduction section, and the first intersection channel section is connected at a first intersection point through the first control valve;

[0011] A sensor assembly, comprising a first temperature sensor for measuring a first temperature at a sterilization inlet of the sterilization section, a second temperature sensor for measuring a second temperature at a sterilization outlet, and a first flow sensor for measuring a flow rate of a material in the sterilization section;

[0012] A control component is used to control the first valve state of the first control valve according to the first temperature, the second temperature, and the material flow rate. When the first valve state of the first control valve is in the first state, the sterilization section is connected to the cooling section and disconnected from the auxiliary material receiving section, and the first intersection channel section is in a disconnected state. When the first valve state is in the second state, the sterilization section is disconnected from the cooling section and connected to the auxiliary material receiving section, and the first intersection channel section is in a connected state, so that the disconnection point between the sterilization section and the cooling section is in a sterilization environment.

[0013] In one of the embodiments, the control component is further used to detect whether the first temperature and the second temperature are within the desired sterilization temperature range, and detect whether the material flow rate is within the desired sterilization flow rate range;

[0014] When the first temperature and the second temperature are both within the desired sterilization temperature range, and the material flow rate is within the desired sterilization flow rate range, controlling the first valve state to be a first state;

[0015] When the first temperature and / or the second temperature is outside the desired sterilization temperature range, and / or the material flow rate is outside the desired sterilization flow rate range, the first valve state is controlled to be the second state.

[0016] In one embodiment, controlling the first valve state to be a first state includes:

[0017] Detecting a first duration during which the first temperature is within the desired sterilization temperature range, detecting a second duration during which the second temperature is within the desired sterilization temperature range, and detecting a third duration during which the material flow rate is within the desired sterilization flow rate range;

[0018] When the first duration reaches a first duration threshold, the second duration reaches a second duration threshold, and the third duration reaches a third duration threshold, the first valve state is switched from the second state to the first state.

[0019] In one embodiment, the steam circulation pipeline further includes a second intersection channel section located at a second intersection of the temperature reduction section and the main material receiving section, and the second intersection channel section is connected at the second intersection point through the second control valve;

[0020] The main material receiving section includes a first material receiving section and a second material receiving section respectively connected to the cooling section through the second control valve. When the second valve state of the second control valve is in the third state, the cooling section is connected to the first material receiving section and disconnected from the second material receiving section, and the second intersection channel section is in a disconnected state. When the second valve state is in the fourth state, the cooling section is disconnected from the first material receiving section and connected to the second material receiving section, and the second intersection channel section is in a connected state, so that the disconnection between the cooling section and the first material receiving section is in a sterilization environment;

[0021] The control component is also used to control the second valve state of the second control valve according to the quality of the sterilized material.

[0022] In one of the embodiments, the sensor assembly further includes a capacity sensor for measuring the real-time capacity of the material in the material holding chamber;

[0023] The storage tank assembly also includes a soft water injection port;

[0024] The control component is also used to control the second valve state to the third state when the real-time capacity is higher than the capacity threshold, and to control the storage tank component to inject soft water into the material holding chamber from the soft water main inlet when the real-time capacity is lower than the capacity threshold, and to switch the second valve state to the fourth state when the soft water injection time in the material holding chamber reaches a fourth duration.

[0025] In one of the embodiments, the sensor assembly further includes a third temperature sensor for measuring a third temperature at a cooling outlet of the cooling section;

[0026] The control component is also used to detect whether the third temperature is within the expected temperature range for cooling down. If so, the second valve state is controlled to be the third state; otherwise, the second valve state is switched to the fourth state.

[0027] In one of the embodiments, the storage tank assembly further includes a first pressurizing portion, which is used to make the pressure in the material holding chamber greater than the atmospheric pressure;

[0028] The material heating assembly includes a first driving pump, a first container for storing a first heat exchange medium, a plurality of first heat exchangers sleeved on the temperature increasing section, a first connecting pipe connecting the first container and the plurality of first heat exchangers, a second pressurizing unit for pressurizing the accommodation space formed by the first container, and a third heat exchanger connected in series to the first connecting pipe;

[0029] The material cooling component includes a second driving pump, a second container for storing a second heat exchange medium, a plurality of second heat exchangers sleeved on the cooling section, and a second connecting pipe connecting the first container and the plurality of second heat exchangers;

[0030] The steam heating assembly further includes a third driving pump, the steam circulation pipeline includes a heating section passing through the third heat exchanger, and the steam generated by the steam generating part heats the first heat exchange medium in the third heat exchanger when flowing through the heating section;

[0031] The sensor assembly further includes a fourth temperature sensor for detecting a heating temperature of the first heat exchange medium, a fifth temperature sensor for detecting a cooling temperature of the second heat exchange medium, a first air pressure sensor for detecting a first pressure in the material holding chamber, a second air pressure sensor for detecting a second pressure in the first communicating pipe, a second flow sensor for detecting a flow rate of the first heat exchange medium, a third flow sensor for detecting a flow rate of the second heat exchange medium, and a fourth flow sensor for detecting a flow rate of steam;

[0032] The sterilization section includes N unit pipelines, the first end of the first unit pipeline is connected to the temperature rising section, the second end is selectively connected to one of the first end of the second unit pipeline and the first end of the N-th unit pipeline through the first selection component, the second end of the i-th unit pipeline is selectively connected to one of the first end of the i+1-th unit pipeline and the first end of the N-th unit pipeline through the i-th selection component, and the second end of the N-th unit pipeline is connected to the temperature falling section, i=2, 3, ...N-1;

[0033] The first control valve is a first cross valve, the sterilization section is connected to the cooling section and the auxiliary material receiving section through the first channel of the first cross valve, and the first intersection channel is connected at both ends of the first intersection through the second channel of the first cross valve. When the first control valve is in a first state, the first channel is connected and the second channel is disconnected. When it is in a second state, the first channel is disconnected and the second channel is connected.

[0034] In a second aspect of the present application, a full-process closed sterilization method is provided, and the full-process closed sterilization method is applied to the full-process closed sterilization system described in any embodiment of the present application, and the method comprises:

[0035] Determine the desired sterilization temperature range and sterilization flow rate range that match the material to be sterilized;

[0036] Controlling a first opening of a first flow valve on the material circulation pipeline so that the material in the material containing chamber flows into the material circulation pipeline through the material outlet;

[0037] monitoring a first temperature, a second temperature, and a material flow rate of the material;

[0038] When the first temperature and the second temperature are both within the desired sterilization temperature range, and the material flow rate is within the desired sterilization flow rate range, controlling the first valve state to be the first state, so that the material flows from the sterilization section to the cooling section;

[0039] When the first temperature and / or the second temperature is outside the desired sterilization temperature range, and / or the material flow rate is outside the desired sterilization flow rate range, the first valve state is controlled to be the second state to allow the material to flow from the sterilization section to the secondary material receiving section.

[0040] In one embodiment, the method further comprises:

[0041] monitoring a third temperature of the material;

[0042] Detect whether the third temperature is within the expected temperature range for cooling. If so, control the second valve state to the third state so that the material flows from the cooling section to the first material receiving section. Otherwise, switch the second valve state to the fourth state so that the material flows from the cooling section to the second material receiving section.

[0043] In one embodiment, the method further comprises:

[0044] Determine a first expected flow rate interval of the first heat exchange medium and a second expected flow rate interval of steam that match the expected sterilization temperature interval and the expected sterilization flow rate interval;

[0045] monitoring a first flow rate of the first heat exchange medium;

[0046] monitoring a second flow rate of the steam in the heating section;

[0047] According to the first temperature, the second temperature and the material flow rate, the first flow rate is adjusted within the first expected flow rate range, and the second flow rate is adjusted within the second expected flow rate range, so that the first temperature and the second temperature are maintained within the expected sterilization temperature range, and the material flow rate position is within the expected sterilization flow rate range.

[0048] Compared with the prior art, the full-process closed sterilization system and sterilization method of the present application use a first control valve to simultaneously connect the sterilization section, the cooling section, the auxiliary material receiving section, and the first intersection channel section in the steam circulation pipeline located at the first intersection of the sterilization section and the cooling section, and control the first valve state of the first control valve according to the first temperature, second temperature, and material flow rate of the material in the sterilization section through a control component. When the first valve state of the first control valve is in the first state, the sterilization section is connected to the cooling section and disconnected from the auxiliary material receiving section, and the first intersection channel section is in a disconnected state. When the first valve state is in the second state, the sterilization section is disconnected from the cooling section and connected to the auxiliary material receiving section, and the first intersection channel section is in a connected state, so that the disconnection point between the sterilization section and the cooling section is in a sterilization environment. It has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0049] 1. When the material is not fully sterilized in the sterilization section, the first control valve can be switched to the second state, and the material that has not been sterilized can be flowed to the auxiliary material receiving section, which can prevent the insufficiently sterilized material from contaminating the subsequent cooling section and the main material receiving section, avoiding the need for the system to re-perform sterilization and disinfection work, and also avoiding the mixing of insufficiently sterilized materials into sterilized materials, resulting in waste of sterilized materials or the need to re-perform sterilization. In addition, the materials collected from the auxiliary material receiving section can be introduced into the material holding chamber for re-sterilization, avoiding waste of materials and greatly reducing material costs, labor operation costs, and repeated waste of system resources.

[0050] 2. Since the sterilized materials need to be placed in a sterile environment to avoid bacterial invasion, the steam circulation pipeline is also introduced into the first control valve (i.e., the first intersection channel section) for the first control valve that is set up, so that in the event of incomplete sterilization, when the first control valve is switched to the second state, the first intersection channel section is in a steam conduction state, so that the first control valve is placed in a high-temperature sterile environment, thereby preventing bacteria from invading the subsequent cooling section through the valve gap of the first control valve, causing pipeline contamination in the cooling section and resulting in insufficient sterilization of the materials.

[0051] 3. When the material has been fully sterilized in the sterilization section, the first control valve is in the first state, and the material can flow normally into the cooling section for subsequent cooling treatment. The pipeline flow will not be affected and will not be invaded by bacteria. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present application.

[0053] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a full-process closed sterilization system in one embodiment;

[0054] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a storage tank assembly in one embodiment;

[0055] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a first control valve in an embodiment;

[0056] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a second control valve in one embodiment;

[0057] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a sterilization section in one embodiment;

[0058] Figure 6 The figure is a schematic diagram of a full-process closed sterilization method in one embodiment.

[0059] Among them, 10, storage tank assembly; 11, material inlet; 12, soft water injection port; 13, air pressure inlet; 14, material outlet; 15, material holding chamber; 16, booster channel; 17, outlet valve; 18, interlayer space; 19-1, stirring motor; 19-2, stirring shaft; 19-3, blades; 21, discharge section; 22, heating section; 23, sterilization section; 23-1, unit pipeline; 23-2, connection point; 23-3, selection valve; 23-4, connecting channel; 24, cooling section; 25-1, first receiving section; 25-2, second receiving section; 26, auxiliary receiving section; 27, material flow rate drive pump; 31, first drive pump; 32, first connecting valve; 33, first container; 34, first heat exchange device; 35, the first connecting pipe; 36, the third heat exchanger; 41, the second container; 42, the second connecting valve; 43, the second driving pump; 44, the second heat exchanger; 45, the second connecting pipe; 51, the steam generating part; 52, the steam circulation pipe; 52-1, the heating section; 52-2, the first intersection channel section; 52-2-1, the first auxiliary channel; 52-2-2, the first steam filling channel; 52-3, the second intersection channel section; 52-3-1, the second auxiliary channel; 52-3-2, the second steam filling channel; 53, the third driving pump; 54-1, the heating section valve; 54-2, the first control valve; 54-3, the second control valve; 54-4, the first auxiliary valve; 54-5, the second auxiliary valve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0061] All terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this application have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. It should be noted that the terms used here should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the context of this specification, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly rigid manner.

[0062] For example, the terms "first", "second", etc. used in this application may be used herein to describe various elements, but these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish a first element from another element. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, a first temperature may be referred to as a second temperature, and similarly, a second temperature may be referred to as a first temperature. Both the first temperature and the second temperature are temperatures, but they are not the same temperature.

[0063] For another example, the terms “include”, “comprising”, etc. used in this application indicate the existence of features, steps, operations and / or components, but do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations or components.

[0064] In one embodiment, in combination Figures 1 to 5 As shown, a full-process closed sterilization system is provided, which includes: a storage tank assembly, a material circulation pipeline, a steam heating assembly, a material heating assembly, a material cooling assembly, a sensor assembly and a control assembly.

[0065] Among them, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the storage tank assembly 10 includes a soft water injection port 12, an air pressure inlet 13, a material inlet 11, a material outlet 14, and a material holding chamber 15 for holding materials. The material inlet is located at the upper part of the storage tank assembly, and the material can enter the material holding chamber from the material inlet. The material outlet is located at the bottom of the storage tank assembly, and the material in the material holding chamber can flow out from the material outlet and enter the material flow pipe.

[0066] The storage tank assembly 10 also includes a first pressurizing unit. During the sterilization process of the material, the first pressurizing unit pressurizes the material containing chamber 15 through the pressurizing channel 16 and the air pressure inlet, so that the air pressure in the chamber is higher than the atmospheric pressure, thereby preventing or reducing bacteria from entering the chamber and contaminating the material.

[0067] Each inlet or outlet is provided with a corresponding valve, and the opening of the outlet or inlet can be controlled by turning on or off the relevant valve. For example, an outlet valve 17 is provided below the material outlet, and the material can be controlled to flow out of the material outlet by controlling the opening of the outlet valve 17. Furthermore, by controlling the valve opening size of the outlet valve, the flow rate of the material from the material holding chamber to the material flow pipeline can be controlled.

[0068] The tank wall of the storage tank assembly is a hollow structure, wherein the interlayer space 18 formed by the hollow tank wall is used to accommodate the third heat exchange medium. The interlayer space is provided with an inlet and an outlet, and the inlet and the outlet are connected by a third connecting pipe 19-4, so that the third heat exchange medium circulates in the interlayer space 18 and the third connecting pipe 19-4. The third connecting pipe is provided with a fourth heat exchanger (not shown in the figure), and the steam circulation pipe is also provided with the fourth heat exchanger, so that the steam generated by the steam generating part heats the third heat exchange medium in the third connecting pipe when passing through the fourth heat exchanger.

[0069] The third heat exchange medium can heat the material in the material holding chamber 15, so that the material in the material holding chamber is basically at a relatively constant temperature or temperature range before flowing out from the material outlet 14, avoiding large fluctuations in subsequent heating and cooling, and improving the reliability of material sterilization. Among them, the third heat exchange medium and other heat exchange media in this application can be water, or other media suitable for heat transfer. The tank wall can be made of metal material and have good thermal conductivity, so that the material can be heated by the water in the interlayer space 18.

[0070] Furthermore, the storage tank assembly also includes a stirring motor 19-1, a stirring shaft 19-2 and a plurality of blades 19-3. The stirring shaft 19-2 extends from the stirring inlet of the storage tank assembly to the material holding chamber 15. The blades 19-3 are arranged on the stirring shaft 19-2 and are located in the material holding chamber 15. The materials in the holding chamber are stirred under the drive of the stirring motor 19-1. The stirring speed of the blades 19-3 can be controlled by the control assembly, so that the materials in the material holding chamber 15 can be stirred at different stirring speeds according to different requirements. On the one hand, the various components of the materials in the material holding chamber can be in a fully mixed state. On the other hand, the materials can be fully heat exchanged with the third heat exchange medium, so that the temperature of the materials in the holding chamber is balanced.

[0071] The material circulation pipeline includes a discharge section 21, a heating section 22, a sterilization section 23, a cooling section 24 and a main receiving section, and also includes a secondary receiving section 26 connected to the sterilization outlet of the sterilization section through a first control valve. The material circulation pipeline forms a fluid space. After the material flows out from the material outlet, it will flow through the discharge section, the heating section and the sterilization section in sequence. After the sterilization is completed in the sterilization section, it will flow through the cooling section and the main receiving section in sequence, and enter the corresponding first storage tank for subsequent processing. The storage tank can be a sterile tank. If the sterilization is not successfully completed in the sterilization section, it will enter the secondary receiving section after coming out of the sterilization section, and then enter the second storage tank from the secondary receiving section. Among them, the material stored in the second storage tank is the material that failed to be sterilized. The material in the second storage tank can be processed accordingly later, such as re-entering the storage cavity to perform sterilization again, or performing other processing.

[0072] The material flow pipeline is also provided with a material flow rate driving pump 27, which can be arranged at any suitable position such as the discharge section, the heating section, the sterilization section, the cooling section and the main receiving section, for example, Figure 1 In the shown discharge section 21, the flow rate of the material in the material flow pipe can also be adjusted by controlling the power of the material flow rate driving pump 27 through the control component. The material flow rate driving pump can be a screw pump, so as to meet the needs of conveying high-viscosity materials.

[0073] Among them, the heating section and the cooling section of the material circulation pipeline have good thermal conductivity. For example, the pipeline wall of the pipeline in the heating section and the cooling section adopts a single-layer metal pipeline, so that the material in the pipeline can have a good heat exchange with the external medium, and the material is heated and cooled. On the contrary, the sterilization section of the material circulation pipeline has good thermal insulation performance, and the sterilization section has a long path, so that after the material enters the insulation section, it is in a good insulation environment, and the material is maintained in the desired sterilization temperature range for sterilization. The pipeline wall of the pipeline in the insulation section can adopt one or more metal layers, and between two adjacent metal layers, it can be in a vacuum or near-vacuum state, or the corresponding polyurethane foam plastics and other insulation materials can be filled between the two metal layers. Optionally, one or more layers of materials that reduce heat transfer can also be coated on the pipeline of the sterilization section, such as a certain thickness of sponge or foam and other insulation materials.

[0074] The material heating component is used to heat the temperature rising section. Specifically, the material heating component includes a first driving pump 31, a first container 33 for storing a first heat exchange medium, a plurality of first heat exchangers 34 sleeved on the temperature rising section, a first connecting pipe 35 connecting the first container 33 and the plurality of first heat exchangers 34, a second pressurizing unit (not shown) for pressurizing the accommodation space formed by the first container, and a third heat exchanger 36 connected in series to the first connecting pipe 35. Among them, the first heat exchanger is also connected in series to the first connecting pipe in sequence, and the first connecting pipe of the material heating component also has a corresponding first connecting valve 32. The control component can adjust the flow rate of the first heat exchange medium circulating between the first container, the first connecting pipe, the first heat exchanger, and the third heat exchanger by controlling the power of the first driving pump and the opening of the first connecting valve.

[0075] Among them, the first driving pump and each driving pump described below can be a centrifugal pump, and the first heat exchanger and other heat exchangers in this application can be a plate heat exchanger or a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. Since the sterilization temperature for the material exceeds 100°C, for example, it needs to reach the range of 130°C~150°C, it is necessary to add a second pressurizing unit to pressurize the air pressure in the material heating component to the desired pressure, such as pressurizing it to 3bar~10bar, so that the water flowing through the material heating component can still be in a liquid state when it is at the sterilization temperature or exceeds the sterilization temperature, so that the material in the temperature rising section can be fully and quickly heated.

[0076] At least one or more first heat exchangers 34 are sleeved on the temperature rising section 22. When the material flows through the temperature rising section 22 where the first heat exchanger 34 is sleeved, the first heat exchange medium in the first heat exchanger 34 can heat the material in the temperature rising section through the first heat exchanger. A corresponding number of first heat exchangers and third heat exchangers can be set according to the desired temperature to be heated, for example Figure 1 The four first heat exchangers 34 and the one third heat exchanger 36 are provided so that the material can be heated to the desired temperature after flowing through the complete temperature rising section from the discharge section.

[0077] Specifically, the inlet of the first first heat exchanger is connected to the outlet of the first container through the first connecting pipe; the outlet of the last first heat exchanger used is connected to the inlet of the first container through the first connecting pipe; the outlet of the first heat exchanger (except the last first heat exchanger) is connected to the inlet of the next first heat exchanger, thereby connecting the heat exchangers in series. Similarly, the inlet and outlet of the third heat exchanger are also connected to the first connecting pipe respectively, thereby connecting them in series on the first connecting pipe. Optionally, the system can determine the number of first heat exchangers that need to be connected in series according to the expected temperature to be heated, so that the temperature of the material can reach the expected temperature when it reaches the sterilization section after passing through the heating section.

[0078] The material cooling component is used to cool the cooling section. Similar to the material heating component, the material cooling component includes a second driving pump 43, a second container 41 for storing a second heat exchange medium, at least one second heat exchanger 44 mounted on the cooling section, and a second connecting pipe 45 connecting the first container and a plurality of the second heat exchangers. Among them, the second connecting pipe 45 of the material cooling component also has a corresponding second connecting valve 42, and the control component can adjust the flow rate of the second heat exchange medium between the second container, the second connecting pipe, and the second heat exchanger by controlling the power of the second driving pump and the opening of the second connecting valve. Among them, the second heat exchange medium in the second container can be discharged from the second connecting pipe after flowing through the second heat exchanger without having to flow back to the second container.

[0079] The second driving pump may be a centrifugal pump, and the second heat exchanger may be a plate heat exchanger or a shell and tube heat exchanger. The second heat exchange medium may be water or other related medium. At least one or more second heat exchangers are sleeved on the cooling section. When the material flows through the cooling section, the temperature of the second heat exchange medium in the second heat exchanger is lower than the temperature of the material in the cooling section, so that the material can be cooled. By setting a corresponding number of second heat exchangers in the cooling section according to the desired temperature drop, the material can be cooled to the desired desired temperature after flowing through the complete cooling section from the discharge section. After flowing from the second container through the second heat exchanger, the second heat exchange medium can be discharged to other places without returning to the second container, so that the second heat exchange medium in the second container maintains a lower temperature.

[0080] Similarly, the second heat exchanger 44 may also include a plurality of second heat exchangers, and each or a plurality of second heat exchangers may be independent of or share a corresponding second container 41. Figure 1 As shown in , two groups of material cooling components are included, and each group of material cooling components has a second heat exchanger 44 and a second container 41.

[0081] The steam heating assembly includes a steam generating part 51 and a steam circulation pipe 52 connected to the steam generating part. In this embodiment, the steam generated by the steam generating part circulates in the steam circulation pipe to heat the relevant heat exchange medium, or to provide a high temperature protection environment for the parts with gaps or bacteria invasion (such as the first control valve, the second control valve and other valve positions) to avoid bacteria invasion and contamination.

[0082] Specifically, the steam heating component further includes a third driving pump 53 and a plurality of third connecting valves arranged on the steam circulation pipeline. The control component controls the flow rate of steam at various positions in the steam circulation pipeline by controlling the driving power of the third driving pump and the opening of each third connecting valve. The third connecting valve may include a heating section valve 54-1 on the heating section 52-1, a first control valve 54-2 on the first intersection channel section 52-2, a second control valve 54-3 on the second intersection channel section 52-3, a first auxiliary valve 54-4, and a second auxiliary valve 54-5.

[0083] The steam circulation pipeline includes a heating section 52-1 that passes through the third heat exchanger. The steam generated by the steam generating part heats the first heat exchange medium in the third heat exchanger 36 when flowing through the heating section, and the first heat exchange medium is heated and maintained within a suitable temperature range, so as to continuously heat the material.

[0084] The sensor assembly includes a first temperature sensor for measuring a first temperature at the sterilization entrance of the sterilization section, a second temperature sensor for measuring a second temperature at the sterilization exit, and a first flow sensor for measuring the flow rate of the material in the sterilization section. The first temperature sensor can measure the real-time temperature of the material when it enters the sterilization section after passing through the heating section; the second temperature sensor can measure the real-time temperature of the material when it comes out of the sterilization section. Based on the temperatures at these two locations, it can be determined whether the material has been sterilized.

[0085] In one embodiment, the sensor assembly also includes a fourth temperature sensor for detecting the heating temperature of the first heat exchange medium, a fifth temperature sensor for detecting the cooling temperature of the second heat exchange medium, a first air pressure sensor for detecting the first pressure in the material holding chamber, a second air pressure sensor for detecting the second pressure in the first connecting pipe, a second flow sensor for detecting the flow rate of the first heat exchange medium, a third flow sensor for detecting the flow rate of the second heat exchange medium, and a fourth flow sensor for detecting the flow rate of steam.

[0086] The data measured by each sensor can be transmitted to the control component, and the control component can obtain the real-time sterilization status of the material according to the data measured by each sensor, and control the corresponding driving pump or valve to make adjustments according to the real-time sterilization status. For example, the control component is used to control the first valve state of the first control valve according to the first temperature, the second temperature, and the material flow rate.

[0087] Specifically, the steam circulation pipeline also includes a first intersection channel section 52-2 located at the intersection of the sterilization section 23 and the cooling section 24 (i.e., the "first intersection"), and the first intersection channel section is connected through the first control valve 54-2 at the first intersection point (i.e., the intersection point of the sterilization section, the cooling section, and the steam circulation pipeline). In this way, the steam generated in the steam generating part can flow through the first intersection channel section 52-2, so that the first control valve is in a high temperature environment, reducing bacterial invasion.

[0088] The first control valve 54-2 is used to connect the sterilization section 23 and the cooling section 24, and is also used to connect the two ends of the first intersection channel section 52-2 at the first intersection. Specifically, the first control valve is a first cross valve, the sterilization section is connected to the cooling section and the auxiliary material receiving section through the first channel of the first cross valve, and the first intersection channel is connected at both ends of the first intersection through the second channel of the first cross valve. When the first control valve is in the first state, the first channel is connected and the second channel is disconnected. When it is in the second state, the first channel is disconnected and the second channel is connected.

[0089] like Figure 3As shown, the first control valve includes a first port A1, a second port B1, a third port C1 and a fourth port D1, wherein the first port A1 is connected to the outlet of the sterilization section 23, the second port B1 is connected to the inlet of the cooling section 24, the third port C1 is located at one end of the first intersection point on the first intersection channel section 52-2, and the fourth port D1 is located at the other end of the first intersection point on the first intersection channel section 52-2. The first control valve forms two channels, namely the first channel A1-B1 and the second channel C1-D1. Furthermore, the first port A1 is also connected to the auxiliary material receiving section 26, and the valve state of the first control valve (i.e., the "first valve state") includes two states (i.e., the first state and the second state). In each state, only one of the first channel A1-B1 and the second channel C1-D1 is in the on state, and the other is in the off state.

[0090] Specifically, when in the first state, the sterilization section 23 is connected to the cooling section 24 (i.e., the first channel A1-B1), the sterilization section 23 is disconnected from the auxiliary material receiving section 26, and the first intersection channel section 52-2 (i.e., the second channel C1-D1) is in a disconnected state. When the first valve state is in the second state, the sterilization section is disconnected from the cooling section (i.e., the first channel A1-B1), connected to the auxiliary material receiving section, and the first intersection channel section (i.e., the second channel C1-D1) is in a connected state, so that the disconnection between the sterilization section and the cooling section is in a sterile environment.

[0091] Specifically, the first port A1 is a three-way valve. When the first channel A1-B1 is in a disconnected state, the three-way valve can be used to open the connection between the sterilization section and the auxiliary material receiving section, so that the material flows from the sterilization section into the auxiliary material receiving section; when the first channel A1-B1 is in a connected state, the sterilization section and the auxiliary material receiving section are disconnected, and the material enters the cooling section from the sterilization section.

[0092] In one embodiment, the first intersection channel section 52-2 includes a first auxiliary channel 52-2-1 connected in parallel with the second channel C1-D1 of the cross valve, two first steam filling channels 52-2-2 connecting the first auxiliary channel and the channel C1-D1, and the second channel C1-D1, the first auxiliary channel 52-2-1 and the two first steam filling channels 52-2-2 form a "mouth" shape. A first auxiliary valve 54-4 is provided on the first auxiliary channel, and when the second channel C1-D1 is in a conducting state, the first auxiliary valve 54-4 is in a closed state; when the second channel C1-D1 is in a disconnected state, the first auxiliary valve 54-4 is in a conducting state. In this way, no matter what state the first control valve is in, the two first steam filling channels 52-2-2 of the first intersection channel section 52-2 are filled with steam. Once the first control valve is switched to the second channel C1-D1 conducting state, the steam in the first steam filling channel 52-2-2 will quickly flow into the second channel C1-D1 section, preventing bacteria from invading the channel of the control valve and preventing bacteria from contaminating the subsequent cooling section and the main material receiving section through the gap of the first control valve. Even when the second channel C1-D1 is disconnected, since there is still steam in the two first steam filling channels connected to the third port C1 and the fourth port D1 respectively, the intersection of the sterilization section and the cooling section can always be in a sterilization environment.

[0093] In one embodiment, the control component is also used to detect whether the first temperature and the second temperature are within the expected sterilization temperature range, and detect whether the material flow rate is within the expected sterilization flow rate range; when the first temperature and the second temperature are both within the expected sterilization temperature range, and the material flow rate is within the expected sterilization flow rate range, the first valve state is controlled to be the first state; when the first temperature and / or the second temperature is outside the expected sterilization temperature range, and / or the material flow rate is outside the expected sterilization flow rate range, the first valve state is controlled to be the second state.

[0094] In this embodiment, when sterilizing materials, the temperature of the materials needs to be within the expected sterilization temperature range, and needs to be maintained for a certain period of time (i.e., the "expected sterilization time range") in this temperature range. The corresponding expected sterilization flow rate range is determined based on the pipeline length of the sterilization section and the expected sterilization time range, and the flow rate of the material is controlled to be within the expected sterilization flow rate range. Therefore, the system can control the flow rate of the material so that the time it takes for the material to flow from the entrance of the sterilization section to the exit of the sterilization section can reach the expected sterilization time range. It can be understood that the sterilization temperature and sterilization time set for different materials are not necessarily the same. The system can determine the expected sterilization temperature range and expected sterilization time range for this batch of materials according to the process requirements, and calculate the expected sterilization flow rate range based on the expected sterilization time range and the pipeline length of the sterilization section.

[0095] The control component obtains the first temperature and the second temperature of the material detected by the corresponding sensor to determine whether the temperature of the material in the sterilization section is within the expected sterilization temperature range, and also detects whether the material flow rate is also within the expected sterilization flow rate range. When any of the two is judged as no, it means that at the current moment, the material does not meet the sterilization requirements. At this time, the first valve state can be controlled to the second state, and the material is introduced into the auxiliary receiving section to avoid flowing from the sterilization section into the cooling section and causing bacterial contamination to the cooling section.

[0096] In one embodiment, when the material is in a state that has not reached sterilization, it is possible to continue to detect in real time whether the first temperature and the second temperature are both in the desired sterilization temperature range, and to detect in real time whether the flow rate of the material is in the desired sterilization flow rate range.

[0097] Specifically, the first duration that the first temperature is in the expected temperature range for sterilization is detected, the second duration that the second temperature is in the expected temperature range for sterilization is detected, and the third duration that the material flow rate is in the expected flow rate range for sterilization is detected; when the first duration reaches a first duration threshold, the second duration reaches a second duration threshold, and the third duration reaches a third duration threshold, the first valve state is switched from the second state to the first state.

[0098] In this embodiment, the first time threshold, the second time threshold, and the third time threshold may be the same or different values, and their values ​​may be set according to the expected sterilization time interval, and the three may be the same or different. When it is detected that the first temperature, the second temperature, and the material flow rate of the material meet the sterilization requirements, the first control valve is not directly restored to the first state, but the duration of meeting the sterilization requirements is further detected. When the duration meets the requirements, the first control valve is switched from the second state to the first state, and the material can be further sterilized for a period of time when flowing through the above-mentioned first port A1, so that the sterilization of the first port A1 is more thorough. So that it enters the cooling section.

[0099] In one embodiment, Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the main receiving section also includes a first receiving section 25-1 and a second receiving section 25-2 that diverge at a second intersection. A second control valve 54-3 is provided at the divergence, and the first receiving section and the second receiving section are respectively connected to the outlet of the cooling section 24 through the second control valve. The steam circulation pipeline also includes a second intersection channel section 52-3 located at the second intersection of the cooling section and the main receiving section, and the second intersection channel sections are connected at the second intersection through the second control valve 54-3. When the second valve state of the second control valve 54-3 is in the third state, the cooling section 24 is connected to the first material receiving section 25-1 and disconnected from the second material receiving section 25-2, and the second intersection channel section is in a disconnected state; when the second valve state is in the fourth state, the cooling section 24 is disconnected from the first material receiving section 25-1 and connected to the second material receiving section 25-2, and the second intersection channel section is in a connected state, so that the disconnection point between the cooling section 24 and the first material receiving section 25-1 is in a sterilization environment; the control component is also used to control the second valve state of the second control valve according to the quality of the sterilized material.

[0100] Specifically, the steam circulation pipeline also includes a second intersection channel section located at the intersection of the main material receiving section and the cooling section (i.e., the "second intersection"), and the second intersection channel section is connected through the second control valve at the second intersection point (i.e., the intersection point of the cooling section, the first material receiving section, and the second material receiving section). In this way, the steam generated in the steam generating part can flow through the second intersection channel section, so that the second control valve is in a high temperature environment, reducing bacterial invasion.

[0101] The second control valve is used to connect the main material receiving section and the temperature reduction section, and is also used to connect the two ends of the second intersection channel section at the second intersection point. Figure 4As shown, the second control valve includes a first port A2, a second port B2, a third port C2 and a fourth port D2, wherein the first port A2 is connected to the outlet of the cooling section and the inlet of the second material receiving section, the second port B2 is connected to the inlet of the first material receiving section, the third port C2 is located at one end of the second intersection channel section at the second intersection point, and the fourth port D2 is located at the other end of the second intersection channel section at the second intersection point. The second control valve forms two channels, namely the third channel A2-B2 and the fourth channel C2-D2. Further, the second control valve can be a cross valve, and the valve state of the second control valve (i.e., the "second valve state") includes two states (i.e., the third state and the fourth state), and in each state, only one of the third channel A2-B2 and the fourth channel C2-D2 is in the on state, and the other is in the off state.

[0102] Specifically, when in the third state, the temperature reduction section is connected to the first material receiving section (i.e., the third channel A2-B2), disconnected from the second material receiving section, and the second intersection channel section (i.e., the fourth channel C2-D2) is in a disconnected state. When the second valve state is in the fourth state, the temperature reduction section is disconnected from the first material receiving section (i.e., the third channel A2-B2), connected to the auxiliary material receiving section, and the second intersection channel section (i.e., the third channel A2-B2) is in a connected state, so that the disconnection point between the temperature reduction section and the first material receiving section is in a sterilization environment.

[0103] Specifically, the first port A2 section can be specifically a three-way valve. When the third channel A2-B2 is in a disconnected state, the three-way valve can be used to open the connection between the cooling section and the second material receiving section, so that the material flows from the cooling section to the second material receiving section; when the third channel A2-B2 is in a connected state, the cooling section and the second material receiving section are disconnected, and the material enters the first material receiving section from the cooling section.

[0104] In one embodiment, the second intersection channel section 52-3 includes a second auxiliary channel 52-3-1 connected in parallel with the fourth channel C2-D2 of the cross valve, two second steam filling channels 52-3-2 connecting the second auxiliary channel 52-3-1 and the fourth channel C2-D2, and the fourth channel C2-D2, the second auxiliary channel 52-3-1 and the two second steam filling channels 52-3-2 form a "mouth" shape. A second auxiliary valve 54-5 is provided on the second auxiliary channel 52-3-1, and when the fourth channel C2-D2 is in a conducting state, the second auxiliary valve 54-5 is in a closed state; when the fourth channel C2-D2 is in a disconnected state, the second auxiliary valve 54-5 is in a conducting state. In this way, no matter what state the second control valve is in, the two second steam filling channels 52-3-2 of the second intersection channel section 52-3 are filled with steam. Once the second control valve is switched to the fourth channel C2-D2 conductive state, the steam in the second steam filling channel will quickly flow into the fourth channel C2-D2 section, preventing bacteria from invading the channel of the control valve, and preventing bacteria from contaminating the subsequent cooling section and the main material receiving section through the gap of the second control valve. Even when the fourth channel C2-D2 is disconnected, since there is still steam in the two second steam filling channels connected to the third port C2 and the fourth port D2 respectively, the intersection of the sterilization section and the cooling section can also be kept in a sterilization environment at all times.

[0105] The material quality specifically refers to the quality of the sterilized material, such as the quality of the material flowing out of the sterilization section and after passing through the cooling section. The material quality may include one or more conditions such as whether the temperature after cooling is within the expected temperature range, and whether the concentration of the material in the pipeline is within the expected concentration.

[0106] The system can detect in real time through the sensor component whether the quality of the material meets the requirements. When it does not meet the requirements, the second control valve can be switched to the fourth state. When it meets the quality requirements, it can be switched to the third state.

[0107] In one embodiment, the sensor assembly also includes a capacity sensor for measuring the real-time capacity of the material in the material holding chamber; the storage tank assembly also includes a soft water injection port; the control assembly is also used to control the second valve state to a third state when the real-time capacity is higher than a capacity threshold, and to control the storage tank assembly to inject soft water into the material holding chamber from the soft water main inlet when the real-time capacity is lower than the capacity threshold, and to switch the second valve state to a fourth state when the soft water injection time in the material holding chamber reaches a fourth duration.

[0108] Specifically, the capacity sensor can be a liquid level sensor or a gravity sensor, which can measure the liquid level or weight of the material in the material holding chamber to obtain the real-time capacity of the material. When the real-time capacity is lower than the capacity threshold, the control component controls the storage tank component to inject soft water through its soft water main inlet, so as to fully introduce the material in it into the material circulation pipeline.

[0109] During the sterilization process, before soft water is injected, the state of the second control valve is always maintained in the third state, so that the sterilized and cooled materials enter the corresponding holding tank through the first receiving section, and when the soft water injection is turned on, since the soft water injection will not immediately dilute the materials in the material flow pipeline, the system can switch the second control valve to the fourth state after the fourth duration, so that the diluted materials enter the second receiving section and then enter the corresponding holding tank. Among them, the holding tanks in this application can all be sterile tanks.

[0110] The fourth duration can be adaptively set according to the material flow rate and the length of the material flow pipeline, so that the time taken for the diluted material to flow from the material holding chamber to the second control valve is less than the fourth duration, thereby avoiding the loss of a large amount of qualified material.

[0111] In one embodiment, the sensor component also includes a third temperature sensor for measuring a third temperature at the cooling outlet of the cooling section; the control component is also used to detect whether the third temperature is within the expected cooling temperature range, and if so, control the second valve state to the third state, otherwise, switch the second valve state to the fourth state.

[0112] The system can also further detect whether the third temperature of the material after cooling is within the expected temperature range of cooling. If so, the second valve state is maintained in the third state. Otherwise, it is immediately switched to the fourth state to prevent unqualified materials from entering the first material receiving section and contaminating qualified materials.

[0113] In one embodiment, the sterilization section includes multiple unit pipelines 23-1. Taking the number of activated unit pipelines as N as an example, the first end of the first unit pipeline is connected to the temperature rising section, and the second end is selectively connected to one of the first end of the second unit pipeline and the first end of the Nth unit pipeline through the first selection component. The second end of the i-th unit pipeline is selectively connected to one of the first end of the i+1-th unit pipeline and the first end of the N-th unit pipeline through the i-th selection component, and the second end of the N-th unit pipeline is connected to the temperature falling section, i=2, 3,...N-1.

[0114] In this embodiment, N can be any suitable positive integer. When the material flow rate remains unchanged, the more unit pipelines 23-1 are connected in series, the longer the material stays in the sterilization section. The system can determine the number of unit pipelines to be used according to the sterilization requirements, and connect the determined unit pipelines to be used in series. Among them, the first end of the first unit pipeline in series is connected to the outlet of the temperature rising section, and the second end of the last unit pipeline in series is connected to the inlet of the temperature falling section.

[0115] like Figure 5 As shown, the sterilization section also includes a connection point 23-2 for connecting each unit pipeline 23-1, and both ends of the unit pipeline 23-1 are connected to a connection point 23-2. The two connection points are connected by a connecting channel 23-4, and a corresponding selection valve 23-3 is provided on the connecting channel. The selection component includes the corresponding connection point 23-2, the connecting channel 23-4 and the selection valve 23-3. Each selection valve 23-3 can be independently controlled to open and close by the control component. When opened, the corresponding selection component is in a connected state. By selecting which selection valves to open, the corresponding unit pipeline can be activated. For example Figure 5 The green selector valve is in the open state, and its corresponding selector is activated. By activating different selectors, the unit pipeline can be activated, such as Figure 5 All five unit pipelines 23-1 are activated.

[0116] In one embodiment, the material flow direction of the material on the material circulation pipeline is opposite to the first flow direction of the first heat exchange medium on the first connecting pipeline; the material flow direction is opposite to the first flow direction of the second heat exchange medium on the second connecting pipeline; the first flow direction is opposite to the third flow direction of the steam in the heating section, which can improve the heat exchange efficiency between the material and the heat exchange medium.

[0117] In one embodiment, the present application also provides a full-process closed sterilization method, which can be applied to the full-process closed sterilization system in any embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 As shown, the method includes:

[0118] Step 602, determining the desired sterilization temperature range and the desired sterilization flow rate range that match the material to be sterilized.

[0119] In this embodiment, the sterilization requirements of different materials are not necessarily the same. A correspondence between the material identification of the sterilized material and the sterilization requirement is pre-established. According to the material identification of the material to be sterilized, the corresponding expected sterilization temperature range and expected sterilization flow rate range are obtained.

[0120] For example, the desired sterilization temperature range may be 120°C to 160°C, specifically, any suitable range such as 130°C to 150°C, 135°C to 145°C, 140°C to 150°C, etc. The desired sterilization flow rate range may be 10m 3 / h~30m 3 / h interval, specifically, 10m 3 / h~25 m 3 / h、15m 3 / h~25m 3 / h、16m 3 / h~20 m 3 / h and any other suitable range interval. The expected flow rate interval for sterilization can be determined collaboratively based on the number of activated unit pipelines mentioned above. For example, the system can determine the number of unit pipelines that need to be activated based on the material identification of the material to be sterilized, so that the time required for the material to flow through the sterilization section reaches the expected sterilization time. Among them, the expected time can also be a time interval, such as any suitable interval such as 10 minutes to 20 minutes.

[0121] Step 604, controlling a first opening of a first flow valve on the material circulation pipeline, so that the material in the material containing chamber flows in the material circulation pipeline through the material outlet.

[0122] In this embodiment, before the material enters the circulation pipeline, the system can pre-control the flow of the first heat exchange medium, the second heat exchange medium, and the third heat exchange medium, so that the heating section, sterilization section, and cooling section of the material circulation pipeline can be at the corresponding desired temperature, and when the corresponding desired temperature is reached, at the same time, the opening of the corresponding outlet valve and the driving power of the material flow rate driving pump can be set according to the desired temperature, so that the material can flow in the material circulation pipeline at the corresponding desired flow rate. For example, the first desired temperature range of the first heat exchange medium, the second desired temperature of the second heat exchange medium, and the second flow rate of steam in the heating section can be determined. When the corresponding preparation work is determined, step 604 is executed to allow the material to enter the material circulation pipeline from the material outlet and flow at the corresponding desired flow rate.

[0123] Step 606, monitoring the first temperature, the second temperature and the material flow rate of the material.

[0124] In this embodiment, during the flow of the material in the material circulation pipeline, the real-time flow rate and real-time temperature at various positions in the circulation pipeline can be detected in real time, including the first temperature at the sterilization entrance, the second temperature at the sterilization exit, and the material flow rate in the sterilization section. The first temperature and the second temperature monitored in real time are compared to see whether they are both within the expected sterilization temperature range, and the material flow rate monitored in real time is compared to see whether it is within the expected sterilization flow rate range.

[0125] Step 608, when the first temperature and the second temperature are both within the desired sterilization temperature range, and the material flow rate is within the desired sterilization flow rate range, control the first valve state to be the first state, so that the material flows from the sterilization section to the cooling section.

[0126] Step 610, when the first temperature and / or the second temperature is outside the desired sterilization temperature range, and / or the material flow rate is outside the desired sterilization flow rate range, control the first valve state to the second state to allow the material to flow from the sterilization section to the secondary material receiving section.

[0127] In this embodiment, when they are all within the desired range, it means that the material has been sterilized successfully, and the material is normally guided to the cooling section for cooling. Otherwise, it means that the sterilization has failed. At this time, by adjusting the first control valve to the second state, the material flows to the auxiliary material receiving section, and the material that has failed to be sterilized is prohibited from entering the material flow pipeline section downstream of the sterilization section, so as to prevent bacterial contamination of the downstream material flow pipeline section.

[0128] The above method sets a first control valve and an auxiliary material receiving section. In this way, when the sterilization of the material fails, there is no need to shut down the operation urgently. The material that has failed to be sterilized can be guided to the auxiliary material receiving section to avoid flowing into the material flow pipeline section downstream of the sterilization section, thereby preventing bacterial contamination of the downstream material flow pipeline section and avoiding contamination of the successfully sterilized materials collected before, thereby reducing losses when sterilization is unsuccessful.

[0129] Furthermore, the material flowing through the secondary material receiving section can be redirected to the material containing chamber for re-sterilization to avoid waste of material.

[0130] In one embodiment, the above method also includes: monitoring the third temperature of the material; detecting whether the third temperature is within the expected temperature range for cooling, and if so, controlling the second valve state to the third state so that the material flows from the cooling section to the first material receiving section; otherwise, switching the second valve state to the fourth state so that the material flows from the cooling section to the second material receiving section.

[0131] In this embodiment, similar to the desired temperature range for sterilization, after sterilization is completed, the material needs to be quickly cooled to a suitable temperature to facilitate subsequent operations. For this purpose, a suitable desired temperature range for cooling can be set in advance. When the material flows from the sterilization section to the cooling section, the third temperature at the cooling outlet can be detected in real time to detect whether the third temperature is in the desired temperature range for cooling.

[0132] In one embodiment, the above method also includes: obtaining the real-time capacity of the material in the material holding chamber, comparing whether the real-time capacity exceeds the capacity threshold, and if so, controlling the second valve state to be the third state; otherwise, controlling the storage tank assembly to inject soft water into the material holding chamber from the soft water main inlet, and when the soft water injection time in the material holding chamber reaches a fourth duration, switching the second valve state to the fourth state.

[0133] In one embodiment, the above method also includes: determining a first expected flow rate range of a first heat exchange medium and a second expected flow rate range of steam that match the expected sterilization temperature range and the expected sterilization flow rate range; monitoring the first flow rate of the first heat exchange medium; monitoring the second flow rate of the steam in the heating section; adjusting the first flow rate within the first expected flow rate range and the second flow rate within the second expected flow rate range according to the first temperature, the second temperature and the material flow rate, so that the first temperature and the second temperature are maintained within the expected sterilization temperature range, and the material flow rate position is within the expected sterilization flow rate range.

[0134] In this embodiment, the first expected flow rate interval is a suitable flow rate interval of the first heat exchange medium in the material heating component, and the second expected flow rate interval is a suitable flow rate interval of the steam in the heating section.

[0135] The first expected flow rate interval and the second expected flow rate interval can be determined according to the configuration parameters of the relevant components of the system and the sterilization requirement parameters of the materials to be sterilized. According to the first expected flow rate interval, the expected opening interval of the first connecting valve can be determined; according to the second expected flow rate interval, the expected opening interval of the corresponding heating section valve can also be determined. The expected opening interval reflects the adjustment range of the corresponding valve, and the system can adjust the corresponding valve within the adjustment range to sterilize the material as much as possible.

[0136] The first temperature, the second temperature and the material flow rate of the material usually fluctuate within a certain range, but are not absolutely constant. Therefore, the opening of the first connecting valve and the heating section valve can be adjusted based on the changes in the first temperature, the second temperature and the material flow rate.

[0137] Specifically, the corresponding reference temperature and reference flow rate can be set according to the sterilization desired temperature range and the sterilization desired flow rate range respectively. Among them, the reference flow rate is the relatively optimal flow rate, and the reference temperature is the relatively optimal sterilization temperature. The reference flow rate is within the sterilization desired flow rate range. For example, it can be an intermediate value within the sterilization desired flow rate range, such as the average value of the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the sterilization desired flow rate range. Similarly, the reference temperature is within the sterilization desired temperature range. For example, it can be an intermediate data within the sterilization desired temperature range, specifically, the average value of the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the sterilization desired temperature range.

[0138] For the set reference temperature and reference flow rate, the material flow rate can fluctuate within the sterilization desired flow rate range close to the reference flow rate; the material temperature can fluctuate within the sterilization desired temperature range close to the reference temperature, so that the sterilization effect is as optimized as possible.

[0139] Specifically, the first temperature and the second temperature of the material can be preferentially adjusted, and the material flow rate is not adjusted as much as possible, so that the material flows smoothly in the material flow pipeline and is collected smoothly.

[0140] For the reference temperature and the reference flow rate, for example, the material flow rate is maintained at the reference flow rate. When the first temperature and / or the second temperature of the material is less than the corresponding reference temperature, the opening degrees of the first connection valve and / or the heating section valve can be increased to increase the first flow rate and / or the second flow rate, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the first heat exchange medium and increasing the first temperature and the second temperature; when the first temperature of the material is greater than the reference temperature, the opening degrees of the first connection valve and / or the heating section valve can be reduced, thereby reducing the heat exchange efficiency of the first heat exchange medium and making the first temperature approach the reference temperature.

[0141] In one embodiment, the system can set multiple subsets based on the reference temperature and the sterilization desired temperature range. The subsets include temperature deviation ranges, and each temperature deviation range is within the difference range formed by the difference between the extreme values of the sterilization desired temperature range and the reference temperature. That is, taking the sterilization desired temperature range as [Ta, Tb] and the reference temperature as T0, the extreme values of the sterilization desired temperature range are the maximum value Ta and the minimum value Tb respectively, and the difference range formed by the difference between the two and the reference temperature is [Ta - T0, Tb - T0]. Among them, Ta < T0 < Tb, and further, T0 = (Ta + Tb) / 2. The temperature deviation range can be multiple sub-intervals divided from the difference [Ta - T0, Tb - T0], and there is no intersection between each subset and sub-interval. It can be understood that Ta represents the minimum desired sterilization temperature, and Tb represents the maximum desired sterilization temperature. When the first temperature T1 < Ta or T1 > Tb, it means that it exceeds the sterilization desired temperature range.

[0142] In one embodiment, the system may further consider the rate of change of the first temperature, and set multiple subsets based on the rate of change, the reference temperature and the desired sterilization temperature range. In addition to the temperature deviation range, the subset also includes the rate of change range. Among them, the rate of change can be the difference between the first temperature obtained at the current collection time and the first temperature obtained at the previous collection time. The rate of change reflects the changing trend of the first temperature. It is understandable that the system can further set the subset in combination with one or more parameters such as the second temperature, the rate of change of the second temperature, the material speed, the rate of change of the material speed, etc.

[0143] Taking the difference interval of [-3,3] as an example, 25 subsets can be formed as shown in Table 1 (the unit of each interval is ℃).

[0144] Table 1

[0145]

[0146] For each subset, a matching adjustment parameter can be set accordingly, and the adjustment parameter is used for adjusting the relevant valves and driving pumps. For example, the first connecting valve, the heating section valve, and the outlet valve can be adjusted so that the first temperature and the second temperature are as close to the reference temperature T0 as possible. The adjustment parameters include the first valve reference amplitude P1, the first valve basic ratio k11, the first valve predicted ratio k12, the second valve reference amplitude P2, the second valve basic ratio k21, and the second valve predicted ratio k22. Among them, P1, k11, and k12 are reference values ​​for adjusting the adjustment opening F1 of the first connecting valve, and P2, k21, and k22 are reference values ​​for adjusting the adjustment opening F2 of the heating section valve.

[0147] Specifically, F1=P1×(k11+k12); F2= P2×(k21+k22). P1 and P2 are fixed values. For example, the opening of the valve in the fully open state is 100%, and the opening of the fully closed state is 0%. For example, P1 can be set to 5% and P2 to 8%; k11, k12, k21, and k22 are value-added proportional coefficients for P1 and P2, and the value range of k11, k12, k21, and k22 can be between -1 and 1. The k11 and k21 corresponding to each subset correspond to a fixed value. The system can query the k11 and k21 corresponding to the subset by looking up the table. The greater the difference between the first temperature and the reference temperature, and the greater the deviation from the reference temperature reflected by the rate of change, the greater the absolute values ​​of k11 and k21. k21 and k22 represent coefficients set for predicting the change trend of the first temperature in the future. The system can further predict the change trend of the first temperature based on the current first temperature, and adaptively determine the matching k21 and k22 based on the change trend. Among them, when the difference between the predicted future temperature and the reference temperature is larger and the deviation speed is faster, the corresponding absolute values ​​of k21 and k22 are also larger, so that the determined P1 and P2 are larger, and then the corresponding valve opening is adjusted to a larger extent to reduce the deviation between the first temperature and the reference temperature.

[0148] Specifically, for the determined subset, the corresponding k11 and k21 can be obtained by looking up the table, and the corresponding k12 and k22 can be adaptively determined based on the predicted change trend of the first temperature, and then the adjustment opening F1 of the first connecting valve and the adjustment opening F2 of the heating section valve can be calculated respectively according to the corresponding formulas F1=P1×(k11+k12) and F2=P2×(k21+k22).

[0149] For example, taking the current opening of the first connecting valve as 60%, the current opening of the heating section valve as 78%, P1=5%, P2=8%, and the determined k11=0.8, k12=-0.2, k21=0.3, k22=-0.8 as an example, it can be calculated that F1=3%, F2=-4%, which means increasing the opening of the first connecting valve by 3% to adjust it to 63% opening; reducing the opening of the heating section valve by -4% to adjust it to 74% opening.

[0150] In one embodiment, one of the first connecting valve and the heating section valve can be adjusted without adjusting both valves at the same time. Preferably, when the valve opening needs to be increased, the first connecting valve is adjusted first, and when the valve opening needs to be reduced, the heating section valve is adjusted first. When the opening of the valve to be adjusted first has been adjusted to the extreme value of the corresponding expected opening range and cannot be adjusted any further, the other valve is adjusted.

[0151] For example, the expected opening range of the first connecting valve is [30%, 80%], and the expected opening range of the heating section valve is [20%, 70%]. When it is calculated that the opening of the first connecting valve or the heating section valve needs to be increased according to the current situation, when the valve opening of the first connecting valve is less than 80%, only the valve opening of the first connecting valve is adjusted. If the opening of the first connecting valve has reached 80%, the first connecting valve is not adjusted, but the heating section connecting valve is adjusted. On the contrary, if the valve opening needs to be reduced, when the current opening of the heating section valve is still greater than 20%, only the opening of the heating section valve is adjusted. If the current opening of the heating section valve is already at 20%, the opening of the first connecting valve is adjusted.

[0152] In one embodiment, when the corresponding F1 and F2 are calculated, but the openings of the first connecting valve and the heating section valve have reached the extreme values ​​of the corresponding expected opening range and can no longer be adjusted, one or more of the opening of the outlet valve, the material temperature in the material holding chamber, etc. can be adjusted to ensure that the material is as close as possible to the expected sterilization flow rate range and the expected sterilization temperature range.

[0153] In the above method, by giving priority to adjusting the opening of the first connecting valve when the valve opening needs to be increased, and giving priority to adjusting the opening of the heating section valve when the valve opening needs to be reduced, the use of steam can be saved as much as possible to avoid insufficient steam supply to other components.

[0154] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit it. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

[0155] In addition, those skilled in the art will understand that although some embodiments herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not other features, the combination of features of different embodiments is meant to be within the scope of the present application and form different embodiments. The information disclosed in this background technology section is only intended to deepen the understanding of the overall background technology of the present application, and should not be regarded as an admission or in any form to imply that the information constitutes prior art already known to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A full-process closed sterilization system, characterized in that: The system comprises: A storage tank assembly, comprising a material inlet, a material outlet, a material containing chamber for containing the material, and a first pressurizing portion for making the pressure in the material containing chamber greater than the atmospheric pressure; The material flow pipeline comprises a discharging section, a heating section, a sterilizing section, a cooling section and a main material receiving section which are connected in sequence, and also comprises a secondary material receiving section which is connected to the sterilizing outlet of the sterilizing section through a first control valve; A material heating component for heating the temperature rising section; A material cooling component for cooling the cooling section; A steam heating assembly, comprising a steam generating part and a steam circulation pipeline connected to the steam generating part, wherein the steam circulation pipeline comprises a first intersection channel section located at a first intersection of the sterilization section and the temperature reduction section, and the first intersection channel section is connected at a first intersection point through the first control valve; A sensor assembly, comprising a first temperature sensor for measuring a first temperature at a sterilization inlet of the sterilization section, a second temperature sensor for measuring a second temperature at a sterilization outlet, and a first flow sensor for measuring a flow rate of a material in the sterilization section; A control component, used for controlling a first valve state of the first control valve according to the first temperature, the second temperature, and the material flow rate; when the first valve state of the first control valve is in the first state, the sterilization section is connected to the cooling section and disconnected from the auxiliary material receiving section, and the first intersection channel section is in a disconnected state; when the first valve state is in the second state, the sterilization section is disconnected from the cooling section and connected to the auxiliary material receiving section, and the first intersection channel section is in a connected state, so that the disconnection point between the sterilization section and the cooling section is in a sterilization environment; The first control valve is a first cross valve, the sterilization section is connected with the cooling section and the auxiliary material receiving section through a first channel of the first cross valve, and the first intersection channel section is connected at both ends of the first intersection point through a second channel of the first cross valve. When the first control valve is in a first state, the first channel is connected and the second channel is disconnected, and when it is in a second state, the first channel is disconnected and the second channel is connected; The first intersection channel section includes a first auxiliary channel connected in parallel with the second channel, and two first steam filling channels connecting the first auxiliary channel and the second channel. The second channel, the first auxiliary channel and the two first steam filling channels form a "mouth" shape.

2. The full-process closed sterilization system according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The control component is also used to detect whether the first temperature and the second temperature are within the desired sterilization temperature range, and detect whether the material flow rate is within the desired sterilization flow rate range; When the first temperature and the second temperature are both within the desired sterilization temperature range, and the material flow rate is within the desired sterilization flow rate range, controlling the first valve state to be a first state; When the first temperature and / or the second temperature is outside the desired sterilization temperature range, and / or the material flow rate is outside the desired sterilization flow rate range, the first valve state is controlled to be the second state.

3. The full-process closed sterilization system according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The controlling the first valve state to be a first state includes: Detecting a first duration during which the first temperature is within the desired sterilization temperature range, detecting a second duration during which the second temperature is within the desired sterilization temperature range, and detecting a third duration during which the material flow rate is within the desired sterilization flow rate range; When the first duration reaches a first duration threshold, the second duration reaches a second duration threshold, and the third duration reaches a third duration threshold, the first valve state is switched from the second state to the first state.

4. The full-process closed sterilization system according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The steam circulation pipeline further includes a second intersection channel section located at a second intersection of the temperature reduction section and the main material receiving section, and the second intersection channel section is connected at the second intersection point through a second control valve; The main material receiving section includes a first material receiving section and a second material receiving section respectively connected to the cooling section through the second control valve. When the second valve state of the second control valve is in the third state, the cooling section is connected to the first material receiving section and disconnected from the second material receiving section, and the second intersection channel section is in a disconnected state. When the second valve state is in the fourth state, the cooling section is disconnected from the first material receiving section and connected to the second material receiving section, and the second intersection channel section is in a connected state, so that the disconnection between the cooling section and the first material receiving section is in a sterilization environment; The control component is also used to control the second valve state of the second control valve according to the quality of the sterilized material.

5. The full-process closed sterilization system according to claim 4 is characterized in that: The sensor assembly also includes a capacity sensor for measuring the real-time capacity of the material in the material holding chamber; The storage tank assembly also includes a soft water injection port; The control component is also used to control the second valve state to the third state when the real-time capacity is higher than the capacity threshold, and to control the storage tank component to inject soft water into the material holding chamber from the soft water main inlet when the real-time capacity is lower than the capacity threshold, and to switch the second valve state to the fourth state when the soft water injection time in the material holding chamber reaches a fourth duration.

6. The full-process closed sterilization system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The sensor assembly further includes a third temperature sensor for measuring a third temperature at a cooling outlet of the cooling section; The control component is also used to detect whether the third temperature is within the expected temperature range for cooling down. If so, the second valve state is controlled to be the third state; otherwise, the second valve state is switched to the fourth state.

7. The full-process closed sterilization system according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The material heating assembly includes a first driving pump, a first container for storing a first heat exchange medium, a plurality of first heat exchangers sleeved on the temperature increasing section, a first connecting pipe connecting the first container and the plurality of first heat exchangers, a second pressurizing unit for pressurizing the accommodation space formed by the first container, and a third heat exchanger connected in series to the first connecting pipe; The material cooling component includes a second driving pump, a second container for storing a second heat exchange medium, a plurality of second heat exchangers sleeved on the cooling section, and a second connecting pipe connecting the first container and the plurality of second heat exchangers; The steam heating assembly further includes a third driving pump, the steam circulation pipeline includes a heating section passing through the third heat exchanger, and the steam generated by the steam generating part heats the first heat exchange medium in the third heat exchanger when flowing through the heating section; The sensor assembly further includes a fourth temperature sensor for detecting a heating temperature of the first heat exchange medium, a fifth temperature sensor for detecting a cooling temperature of the second heat exchange medium, a first air pressure sensor for detecting a first pressure in the material holding chamber, a second air pressure sensor for detecting a second pressure in the first communicating pipe, a second flow sensor for detecting a flow rate of the first heat exchange medium, a third flow sensor for detecting a flow rate of the second heat exchange medium, and a fourth flow sensor for detecting a flow rate of steam; The sterilization section includes N unit pipelines, the first end of the first unit pipeline is connected to the temperature rising section, the second end is selectively connected to one of the first end of the second unit pipeline and the first end of the N-th unit pipeline through the first selection component, the second end of the i-th unit pipeline is selectively connected to one of the first end of the i+1-th unit pipeline and the first end of the N-th unit pipeline through the i-th selection component, and the second end of the N-th unit pipeline is connected to the temperature falling section, i=2, 3,...N-1.

8. A full-process closed sterilization method, characterized in that: The full-process closed sterilization method is applied to the full-process closed sterilization system described in any one of claims 1 to 7, and the method comprises: Determine the desired sterilization temperature range and sterilization flow rate range that match the material to be sterilized; Controlling a first opening of a first flow valve on the material circulation pipeline so that the material in the material containing chamber flows into the material circulation pipeline through the material outlet; monitoring a first temperature, a second temperature, and a material flow rate of the material; When the first temperature and the second temperature are both within the desired sterilization temperature range, and the material flow rate is within the desired sterilization flow rate range, controlling the first valve state to be the first state, so that the material flows from the sterilization section to the cooling section; When the first temperature and / or the second temperature is outside the desired sterilization temperature range, and / or the material flow rate is outside the desired sterilization flow rate range, the first valve state is controlled to be the second state to allow the material to flow from the sterilization section to the secondary material receiving section.

9. The full-process closed sterilization method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The method further comprises: monitoring a third temperature of the material; Detect whether the third temperature is within the expected temperature range for cooling. If so, control the second valve state to the third state so that the material flows from the cooling section to the first material receiving section. Otherwise, switch the second valve state to the fourth state so that the material flows from the cooling section to the second material receiving section.

10. The full-process closed sterilization method according to any one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Determine a first expected flow rate interval of the first heat exchange medium and a second expected flow rate interval of steam that match the expected sterilization temperature interval and the expected sterilization flow rate interval; monitoring a first flow rate of the first heat exchange medium; monitoring a second flow rate of the steam in the heating section; According to the first temperature, the second temperature and the material flow rate, the first flow rate is adjusted within the first expected flow rate range, and the second flow rate is adjusted within the second expected flow rate range, so that the first temperature and the second temperature are maintained within the expected sterilization temperature range, and the material flow rate position is within the expected sterilization flow rate range.

Images