Intensive pulse light sterilization system

Abstract

The invention discloses an intensive pulse light sterilization system which comprises an equipment box, a horizontal material bearing disc is arranged in the equipment box, fruit juice and other pulp materials are contained in the material bearing disc and spread on the upper surface of the disc bottom, and the disc bottom of the material bearing disc is of a variable composite light-transmitting structure; an upper pulsed intense light irradiation unit and a lower pulsed intense light irradiation unit are respectively arranged above and below the material bearing disc; pulsed intense light generated by the lower pulsed intense light irradiation unit can penetrate through the light-transmitting disc bottom and is projected to the lower surface of the slurry material spread in the material bearing disc; the invention relates to a pulsed intense light sterilization system, which can actively deal with or compensate the problems of non-uniform light field and heat accumulation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of sterilization. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of harmless treatment of liquid materials, pulsed light sterilization technology has attracted attention due to its advantages such as high efficiency and no chemical residue. However, existing technical solutions have the following drawbacks in practical applications, which limit their effectiveness and scope of application:

[0003] Poor irradiation uniformity: The light source itself is unevenly distributed: Whether using multiple point light sources in a horizontal array or a single surface light source, there is an inherent problem of uneven light intensity distribution when projected onto the material surface. Array light sources will produce "striped" areas of varying intensity, while a single light source will exhibit a distribution of "strong in the center and weak at the edges," resulting in significant differences in the sterilization dose received by different areas of the material.

[0004] Static processing leads to uneven penetration: When materials are spread statically in a container, for slurries or juices with a certain thickness or light absorption, the upper layer of materials will block and attenuate the light to the lower layer, resulting in uneven irradiation of the materials in the thickness direction. Microorganisms at the bottom layer may survive due to insufficient dosage.

[0005] Risk of localized thermal damage: Although the overall temperature rise after pulsed intense light treatment is not significant, localized "hot spots" may still occur in areas of concentrated light intensity or due to uneven material distribution. Such instantaneous localized high temperatures are sufficient to damage heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamins, enzymes, pigments, and flavor compounds in the slurry, affecting product quality.

[0006] The process is passive and lacks adaptability: most existing equipment is static irradiation, and the material state (such as thickness and flowability) remains unchanged. It cannot actively respond to or compensate for the above-mentioned problems of uneven light field and heat accumulation. The treatment effect is greatly affected by the initial conditions and lacks dynamic optimization capabilities. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Purpose of the invention: In order to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology, the present invention provides a pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system to actively respond to or compensate for the problems of uneven light field and heat accumulation.

[0008] Technical Solution: To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system, comprising an equipment box, a horizontal material carrier tray inside the equipment box, the material carrier tray containing slurry materials such as fruit juice, the slurry materials being spread on the upper surface of the tray bottom, the bottom of the material carrier tray having a variable composite light-transmitting structure; an upper pulsed high-intensity light irradiation unit and a lower pulsed high-intensity light irradiation unit are respectively arranged above and below the material carrier tray; the pulsed high-intensity light generated by the lower pulsed high-intensity light irradiation unit can pass through the light-transmitting tray bottom and be projected onto the lower surface of the slurry materials spread in the material carrier tray.

[0009] Furthermore, the equipment box is equipped with a first lead screw lifting device, and the lifting lead screw slider on the first lead screw lifting device is fixedly connected to the pulsed high light irradiation unit through the first cantilever.

[0010] The equipment box is equipped with a second lead screw lifting device, and the lifting lead screw slider on the second lead screw lifting device is fixedly connected to the pulsed high light irradiation unit through the second cantilever.

[0011] Furthermore, the equipment box is equipped with a non-contact temperature acquisition module that can detect the temperature of liquid materials such as fruit juice contained in the material carrying tray.

[0012] Furthermore, the upper pulsed high-intensity light irradiation unit includes a first light source bracket, with a first reflector lampshade facing downwards arranged horizontally on the lower side of the first light source bracket, and a first horizontally extending pulsed high-intensity light source installed on the lower side of each first reflector lampshade; the lower pulsed high-intensity light irradiation unit includes a second light source bracket, with a second reflector lampshade facing upwards arranged horizontally on the upper side of the second light source bracket, and a second horizontally extending pulsed high-intensity light source installed on the upper side of each second reflector lampshade.

[0013] Furthermore, the material carrier tray includes an enclosing wall, with an enclosing frame along the inner contour of the lower end of the enclosing wall. The upper surface of any side of the enclosing frame is an inwardly sloping surface. The tray bottom includes, from bottom to top, high-transparency quartz glass, a variable deionized water layer, and a flexible transparent membrane. The outer contour of the high-transparency quartz glass is fixedly and sealed to the lower inner contour of the inner ring of the enclosing frame. The outer contour of the flexible transparent membrane is fixedly and sealed to the upper inner contour of the inner ring of the enclosing frame. The gap between the flexible transparent membrane and the high-transparency quartz glass forms a variable deionized water layer. The variable deionized water layer is filled with deionized water or ultrapure water.

[0014] Furthermore, the flexible transparent membrane has a concave curved surface in the middle, which makes the variable deionized water layer thinner closer to the center of the bottom of the pan and thicker closer to the edge of the bottom of the pan in the initial state; and makes the slurry material spread on the surface of the flexible transparent membrane thicker closer to the center of the bottom of the pan and thinner closer to the edge of the bottom of the pan.

[0015] Furthermore, the enclosing frame is equipped with a liquid guiding channel that connects to the edge of the variable deionized water layer. A bidirectional water pump or an electric injector capable of autonomously drawing and injecting liquid is installed on one side of the material carrying tray. The bidirectional water pump or electric injector injects pure water into the variable deionized water layer or draws away pure water through the liquid guiding channel.

[0016] In the initial state, a bidirectional water pump or electric injector injects pure water into the variable deionized water layer through the liquid guiding channel, which increases the pressure inside the variable deionized water layer. This causes the originally concave flexible light-transmitting membrane to become convex in the center. As a result, the juice and other slurry materials spread on the surface of the flexible light-transmitting membrane become thinner closer to the center of the bottom of the pan and thicker closer to the edge of the bottom of the pan.

[0017] Furthermore, the flexible transparent film is a PET film coated with silicon oxide or a transparent polyamide film.

[0018] Furthermore, a bidirectional water pump or electric injector periodically and alternately injects and removes pure water into the variable deionized water layer through the liquid guiding channel. This causes the flexible transparent membrane to switch back and forth between a convex upper part and a concave lower part in the middle, resulting in a periodic change in the thickness of the slurry material spread on the upper side of the flexible transparent membrane. At the same time, the slurry material such as fruit juice spread on the upper side of the flexible transparent membrane periodically gathers towards the center and diffuses towards the edges. Meanwhile, the heat from the slurry material such as fruit juice spread on the upper side of the flexible transparent membrane is continuously transferred to the periodically changing variable deionized water layer.

[0019] Beneficial Effects: This invention provides a novel structure for a variable-form material support tray, achieving dynamic thickness control and active mixing. The tray bottom is designed as a multi-layered composite structure consisting of high-transparency quartz glass, a variable deionized water layer, and a flexible transparent membrane. The flexible transparent membrane serves as the direct material support surface, beneath which lies a water layer whose volume and pressure can be altered by injection / pumping.

[0020] By periodically changing the water layer volume, the flexible membrane is driven to continuously and reversibly switch between two morphologies: a convex center and a concave center. This not only periodically changes the thickness from "thick in the center and thin at the edges" to "thin in the center and thick at the edges," but also simultaneously induces periodic centripetal aggregation and centrifugal diffusion of the material. This achieves three benefits: the periodic change in material thickness at the same location ensures complementary light penetration dose over time; material flow and mixing eliminate static treatment dead zones; and material at all depths has the opportunity to be directly exposed to strong light. Simultaneously, an integrated "dynamic water cooling and thermal buffering" mechanism effectively suppresses local temperature rise.

[0021] The "variable deionized water layer" used for morphology regulation also serves as a high-heat-capacity, flowable active cooling medium. Heat generated by the material on the flexible, translucent membrane is rapidly conducted to the water layer in close contact with it. Due to the periodic flow and high heat capacity of the water layer itself, it efficiently and uniformly removes heat. This not only prevents localized overheating of the material but also further enhances overall heat dissipation through water circulation, ensuring thorough sterilization using higher-intensity pulsed light without damaging heat-sensitive components. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the device;

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A-direction sectional view;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the material support tray structure;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 3 The sectional view along direction b. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] like Figures 1 to 4 The illustrated pulsed light sterilization system includes an equipment housing 1, within which a horizontal material carrier tray 4 is installed. The material carrier tray 4 holds liquid materials such as fruit juice, which are spread on the upper surface of a tray bottom 5. The tray bottom 5 has a variable composite light-transmitting structure. An upper pulsed light irradiation unit 18a and a lower pulsed light irradiation unit 18b are respectively installed above and below the material carrier tray 4. The pulsed light generated by the lower pulsed light irradiation unit 18b can pass through the light-transmitting tray bottom 5 and be projected onto the lower surface of the liquid material spread within the material carrier tray 4. Pulsed light sterilization technology, with its advantages of high efficiency and no chemical residue, is widely used for the microbial control of food and liquid materials. However, traditional equipment often faces challenges such as uneven light intensity distribution, light penetration attenuation due to material thickness, and the potential for localized temperature rise to damage heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamins and active enzymes.

[0028] The equipment housing 1 is equipped with a first screw lifting device 17a, and the lifting screw slider 16a on the first screw lifting device 17a is fixedly connected to the pulsed high-intensity light irradiation unit 18a via a first cantilever 15a. The equipment housing 1 is also equipped with a second screw lifting device 17b, and the lifting screw slider 16b on the second screw lifting device 17b is fixedly connected to the pulsed high-intensity light irradiation unit 18b via a second cantilever 15b. The first screw lifting device 17a and the second screw lifting device 17b can be driven by precision stepper motors, and their lifting stroke resolution can reach ±0.1mm, so as to accurately adjust the distance between the irradiation unit and the material surface, thereby adapting to the irradiation dose requirements of different materials.

[0029] The equipment box 1 is equipped with a non-contact temperature acquisition module 3 that can detect the temperature of liquid materials such as fruit juice contained in the material carrying tray 4. This non-contact temperature acquisition module 3 is preferably an infrared thermal imager or a high-precision infrared temperature sensor, with a temperature measurement range of 0-150℃ and an accuracy of ±0.5℃, used to monitor the temperature field distribution on the surface of the material in real time and prevent local overheating.

[0030] The upper pulsed high-intensity light irradiation unit 18a includes a first light source bracket 11a, with a downward-facing first reflector lamp cover 12a arranged horizontally on the lower side of the first light source bracket 11a. Each first reflector lamp cover 12a has a first horizontally extending pulsed high-intensity light source 13a mounted on its lower side. The lower pulsed high-intensity light irradiation unit 18b includes a second light source bracket 11b, with an upward-facing second reflector lamp cover 12b arranged horizontally on its upper side. Each second reflector lamp cover 12b has a second horizontally extending pulsed high-intensity light source 13b mounted on its upper side. The pulsed high-intensity light sources 13a and 13b are typically xenon flash lamps, with a single-pulse energy range adjustable from 100J to 3000J, a pulse width from microseconds to milliseconds, and a spectrum covering the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions from 200nm to 1100nm. The ultraviolet band, especially the 200-280nm UVC band, has a strong destructive effect on microbial DNA and is a key band for sterilization. The first reflector 12a and the second reflector 12b are typically made of highly reflective aluminum or silver-plated material, with parabolic or elliptical inner surfaces for focusing and homogenizing light.

[0031] The transverse array of pulsed high-intensity light source 13b projects uneven irradiation onto the slurry material spread within the material carrier plate 4, resulting in a striped distribution of varying intensity. Using a single light source also suffers from uneven intensity distribution, with a strong center and weak edges. Furthermore, the static spreading of the material also leads to uneven irradiation along the thickness direction. While pulse sterilization does not result in a significant overall temperature rise, it causes localized temperature increases that can damage nutrients. Therefore, the following optimization scheme was designed:

[0032] The material carrying tray 4 includes an enclosing wall 20, with an enclosing frame 6 along its inner contour at the lower end of the enclosing wall 20. The upper surface of any side of the enclosing frame 6 is an inwardly inclined slope 6a. The tray bottom 5 includes, from bottom to top, a high-transmittance quartz glass 9, a variable deionized water layer 7, and a flexible transparent membrane 10. The outer contour of the high-transmittance quartz glass 9 is fixedly and sealed to the lower inner contour of the inner ring of the enclosing frame 6. The outer contour of the flexible transparent membrane 10 is fixedly and sealed to the upper inner contour of the inner ring of the enclosing frame 6. The gap between the flexible transparent membrane 10 and the high-transmittance quartz glass 9 forms the variable deionized water layer 7. The variable deionized water layer 7 is filled with deionized water or ultrapure water. Its core working principle is that by changing the volume of the variable deionized water layer 7, the curved shape of the flexible transparent membrane 10 is dynamically controlled, thereby actively and periodically changing the thickness distribution and flow state of the material above, breaking the limitations of traditional static processing.

[0033] The flexible transparent film 10 is a PET film coated with silicon oxide or a transparent polyamide film. The PET film coated with silicon oxide can be 50-200μm thick, with a light transmittance of over 90% in the visible and ultraviolet bands, and has good chemical inertness and barrier properties; the transparent polyamide film has higher temperature resistance and mechanical strength.

[0034] The initial shape of the flexible light-transmitting film 10 is a concave curved surface in the middle, which makes the variable deionized water layer 7 thinner closer to the center of the bottom plate 5 and thicker closer to the edge of the bottom plate 5 in the initial state; thus, the juice and other slurry materials spread on the surface of the flexible light-transmitting film 10 are thicker closer to the center of the bottom plate 5 and thinner closer to the edge of the bottom plate 5. This initial thickness distribution design helps to compensate for the problem of excessive light intensity in the central area that may be caused by the light source array or the individual light source itself, and achieves preliminary irradiation balance.

[0035] The enclosing frame 6 has a liquid guiding channel connecting to the edge of the variable deionized water layer 7. A bidirectional water pump or an electric injector capable of autonomously drawing and injecting liquid is installed on one side of the material carrying tray 4. The bidirectional water pump or electric injector injects pure water into or removes pure water from the variable deionized water layer 7 through the liquid guiding channel. The flow rate of the bidirectional water pump or electric injector can be precisely controlled, for example, adjustable within the range of 0.1-10 mL / s, to achieve precise and rapid adjustment of the volume of the variable deionized water layer 7.

[0036] In the initial state, a bidirectional water pump or electric injector injects pure water into the variable deionized water layer 7 through the liquid guiding channel, which increases the internal pressure of the variable deionized water layer 7. This causes the originally concave flexible light-transmitting membrane 10 to become convex in the center. As a result, the juice and other slurry materials spread on the surface of the flexible light-transmitting membrane 10 become thinner closer to the center of the bottom 5 and thicker closer to the edge of the bottom 5. This shape transformation process is essentially a "shape-following" drive of the flexible membrane by the water layer pressure, which realizes the reversal of the material thickness profile.

[0037] Work process:

[0038] The material carrier tray 4 contains fruit juice and other slurry materials. The upper pulsed intense light irradiation unit 18a and the lower pulsed intense light irradiation unit 18b are raised and lowered to appropriate heights. Then, the upper pulsed intense light irradiation unit 18a and the lower pulsed intense light irradiation unit 18b are simultaneously re-excited with pulsed intense light. The pulsed intense light generated by the upper pulsed intense light irradiation unit 18a irradiates downwards onto the upper surface of the fruit juice and other slurry materials spread on the upper side of the flexible transparent membrane 10. Meanwhile, the pulsed intense light generated by the lower pulsed intense light irradiation unit 18b passes through the high-transmittance quartz glass 9, the variable deionized water layer 7, and the flexible transparent membrane 10 in sequence before irradiating the lower surface of the fruit juice and other slurry materials spread on the upper side of the flexible transparent membrane 10. The high-transmittance quartz glass 9 has extremely high transmittance to ultraviolet light (>90% at 200nm), ensuring effective penetration of the pulsed intense light below. In addition to serving as a morphology adjustment medium, the variable deionized water layer 7 also has a certain absorption and thermal buffering effect on the pulsed intense light, especially the infrared portion.

[0039] like Figure 4 As shown, simultaneously, a bidirectional water pump or electric injector periodically and alternately injects and removes pure water into the variable deionized water layer 7 through the liquid guiding channel. This causes the flexible light-transmitting membrane 10 to switch back and forth between a convex upper part and a concave lower part in the middle, resulting in a periodic change in the thickness of the fruit juice and other slurry materials spread on the upper side of the flexible light-transmitting membrane 10. At the same time, the fruit juice and other slurry materials spread on the upper side of the flexible light-transmitting membrane 10 periodically converge towards the center and diffuse towards the edge, thereby improving the overall irradiation uniformity. This dynamic process achieves a triple homogenization effect: first, temporal homogenization, that is, the same spatial point receives light of different intensities at different times; second, spatial homogenization, that is, the periodic flow and mixing of materials reduces sterilization dead zones caused by uneven initial distribution or fixed light field distribution; and third, cross-sectional homogenization, that is, through the periodic change in thickness, each point of the material in the thickness direction has the opportunity to be directly exposed to strong light, improving the attenuation effect of light in thick materials.

[0040] Meanwhile, the heat from the juice and other slurry materials spread on the upper side of the flexible transparent membrane 10 is continuously transferred to the periodically changing variable deionized water layer 7, preventing localized overheating of the juice and other slurry materials spread on the upper side of the flexible transparent membrane 10. The variable deionized water layer 7, as a flowing, high-heat-capacity cooling medium, efficiently removes heat from potential localized hot spots generated by pulsed light irradiation through its large-area contact with the flexible transparent membrane 10. Furthermore, the periodic flow of water further enhances heat exchange, ensuring that the temperature of the materials remains at a low and uniform level throughout the sterilization process, thus maximizing the protection of heat-sensitive nutrients.

[0041] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system, characterized in that: Includes a material carrier plate (4), which holds slurry material and spreads on the upper surface of the bottom (5) of the plate. The bottom (5) of the material carrier plate (4) is a variable composite light-transmitting structure. The material carrier plate (4) is provided with an upper pulse intense light irradiation unit (18a) and a lower pulse intense light irradiation unit (18b) at the top and bottom respectively; the pulse intense light generated by the lower pulse intense light irradiation unit (18b) can pass through the light-transmitting bottom of the plate (5) and be projected onto the lower surface of the slurry material spread in the material carrier plate (4).

2. The pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The equipment box (1) is equipped with a first screw lifting device (17a), and the lifting screw slider (16a) on the first screw lifting device (17a) is fixedly connected to the pulsed high light irradiation unit (18a) through the first cantilever (15a). The equipment box (1) is equipped with a second screw lifting device (17b), and the lifting screw slider (16b) on the second screw lifting device (17b) is fixedly connected to the pulsed high light irradiation unit (18b) through the second cantilever (15b).

3. The pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The equipment box (1) is equipped with a non-contact temperature acquisition module (3) that can detect the temperature of the slurry material contained in the material carrier plate (4).

4. The pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper pulsed high light irradiation unit (18a) includes a first light source bracket (11a), and a first reflector lamp cover (12a) facing downward is arranged horizontally on the lower side of the first light source bracket (11a). A first horizontally extending pulsed high light source (13a) is installed on the lower side of each first reflector lamp cover (12a). The lower pulsed high light irradiation unit (18b) includes a second light source bracket (11b), on which a second reflector lamp cover (12b) is arranged horizontally on the upper side. Each second reflector lamp cover (12b) has a second horizontally extending pulsed high light source (13b) mounted on its upper side.

5. The pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material carrying plate (4) includes an enclosing wall (20), and an enclosing frame (6) is provided at the lower end of the enclosing wall (20) along the inner contour. The upper surface of any side of the enclosing frame (6) is an inwardly inclined slope (6a). The bottom of the tray (5) includes, from bottom to top, a high-transmittance quartz glass (9), a variable deionized water layer (7), and a flexible transparent film (10). The outer contour of the high-transmittance quartz glass (9) is fixedly and sealed to the lower inner contour of the inner ring of the enclosure frame (6). The outer contour of the flexible transparent film (10) is fixedly and sealed to the upper inner contour of the inner ring of the enclosure frame (6). The gap between the flexible transparent film (10) and the high-transmittance quartz glass (9) forms the variable deionized water layer (7). The variable deionized water layer (7) is filled with deionized water or ultrapure water.

6. The pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The flexible transparent membrane (10) is a concave curved surface, which makes the variable deionized water layer (7) thinner closer to the center of the bottom of the pan (5) and thicker closer to the edge of the bottom of the pan (5) in the initial state; and makes the slurry material spread on the surface of the flexible transparent membrane (10) thicker closer to the center of the bottom of the pan (5) and thinner closer to the edge of the bottom of the pan (5).

7. The pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The enclosing frame (6) is provided with a liquid guiding channel that connects to the edge of the variable deionized water layer (7). A two-way water pump or an electric injector that can independently draw and inject liquid is installed on one side of the material carrier plate (4). The two-way water pump or electric injector injects pure water into the variable deionized water layer (7) or draws away pure water through the liquid guiding channel. In the initial state, a bidirectional water pump or electric injector injects pure water into the variable deionized water layer (7) through the liquid guiding channel, which increases the pressure inside the variable deionized water layer (7), thereby changing the originally concave flexible light-transmitting membrane (10) to convex in the center. As a result, the slurry material spread on the surface of the flexible light-transmitting membrane (10) becomes thinner closer to the center of the bottom of the pan (5) and thicker closer to the edge of the bottom of the pan (5).

8. The pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The flexible transparent film (10) is a PET film coated with silicon oxide or a transparent polyamide film.

9. The working method of the pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system according to claim 8, characterized in that: A bidirectional water pump or electric injector periodically injects and removes pure water into the variable deionized water layer (7) through the liquid guiding channel, thereby causing the flexible light-transmitting membrane (10) to switch back and forth between the upper part of the center and the lower part of the center, so that the thickness of the slurry material spread on the upper side of the flexible light-transmitting membrane (10) varies periodically. At the same time, the slurry material spread on the upper side of the flexible light-transmitting membrane (10) periodically gathers towards the center and diffuses towards the edge. Meanwhile, the heat of the slurry material spread on the upper side of the flexible light-transmitting membrane (10) is continuously transferred to the variable deionized water layer (7) which changes periodically at all times.

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