Processor for pulsed electric fields

Abstract

A pulsed electric field processor includes: a first processor (50) that performs a first processing on an object to be processed, the first processing being processing by means of pulsed electric fields, the object to be processed being in liquid form; a first tube (60) through which the object to be processed, which has passed through the first processor (50), passes; a second processor (70) that performs a second processing on the object to be processed, the second processing comprising processing by means of pulsed electric fields, the object to be processed, which has passed through the first tube (60), flowing into the second processor (70); a second tube (80) through which the object to be processed, which has passed through the second processor (70), passes;and a third processor (90) that performs a third processing on the object to be processed, the third processing including processing by means of pulsed electric fields, wherein the object to be processed, which has passed through the second tube (80), passes through the third processor (90). The radiation power of the second tube (80) is higher than the radiation power of the first tube (60).

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a pulsed electric field processor that generates a pulsed electric field. background

[0002] A pulsed electric field processing technique can be cited as a technique that allows food or beverages to be processed at a lower temperature than heat treatment.

[0003] Patent Literature 1 discloses a sterilization device for sterilizing a liquid food material while the liquid food material flows in a downstream direction. Patent Literature 1 discloses that the temperature of a liquid food material is raised in a first temperature-raising region, an electric field is applied to the liquid food material, which is maintained at the elevated temperature in an electric heating region, the temperature of the liquid food material is further raised in a second temperature-raising region, the elevated temperature is maintained in a heat-maintaining region, and the liquid food material is cooled and returned to a normal temperature in a cooling region. List of citationsPatent literature

[0004] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-183973 Brief description of the inventionProblem to be solved by the invention

[0005] In Patent Literature 1, two processing units are provided: the temperature rise region and the electric heating region. A heat-insulating material is provided in the temperature rise region, which is one of the processing units, and heat radiation adjustment is performed by the processing unit. Therefore, the technique disclosed in Patent Literature 1 has a problem in that the processing unit is structurally limited, causing the device to become larger and more complicated.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the foregoing, and an object of the present disclosure is to obtain a pulsed electric field processor which has a simple structure and can be downsized. Means to solve the problem

[0007] To solve the above problems and achieve the object, a pulsed electric field processor according to the present disclosure includes: a first processor configured to perform a first processing on an object to be processed, the first processing being pulsed electric field processing, the object to be processed being in liquid form; a first pipe through which the object to be processed, which has passed through the first processor, passes; a second processor configured to perform a second processing on the object to be processed, the second processing including pulsed electric field processing, the object to be processed, which has passed through the first pipe, flowing into the second processor; a second pipe through which the object to be processed, which has passed through the second processor, passes;and a third processor configured to perform a third processing operation on the object to be processed, the third processing operation including processing by means of pulsed electric fields, wherein the object to be processed, which has passed through the second tube, passes through the third processor. The radiation power of the second tube is higher than the radiation power of the first tube. Effects of the invention

[0008] The pulsed electric field processor according to the present disclosure has the effect of enabling downsizing with a simple structure. Short description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a pulsed electric field processor according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a first processor of the pulsed electric field processor according to the first embodiment, illustrating an exemplary configuration of the first processor. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the first processor of the pulsed electric field processor according to the first embodiment, illustrating another exemplary configuration of the first processor. Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a pulse power supply of the pulsed electric field processor according to the first embodiment. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a temperature distribution of an object to be processed by the pulsed electric field processor according to the first embodiment. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the pulsed electric field processor according to the first embodiment, illustrating the exemplary configuration of the pulsed electric field processor. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the pulsed electric field processor according to the first embodiment, illustrating another exemplary configuration of the pulsed electric field processor. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating still another exemplary configuration of the pulsed electric field according to the first embodiment. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating yet another exemplary configuration of the pulsed electric field processor according to the first embodiment. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a pulsed electric field processor according to a second embodiment, illustrating an exemplary configuration of the pulsed electric field processor. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the pulsed electric field processor according to the second embodiment, illustrating another exemplary configuration of the pulsed electric field processor. Description of embodiments

[0009] In the following, pulsed electric field processors according to embodiments are described in more detail in this document with reference to the drawings. First embodiment.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a pulsed electric field processor according to a first embodiment. The pulsed electric field processor includes: a pulse power supply 10; an upstream pipe 40; a first processor 50; a first pipe 60; a second processor 70; a second pipe 80; a third processor 90; and a downstream pipe 41. The pulsed electric field processor performs processing including sterilization on an object to be processed. The pulse power supply 10 outputs a pulse voltage of 1 kV or more with a pulse width of 100 microseconds or less.The object to be processed in liquid form, such as fruit juice or milk, flows through the upstream pipe 40, the first processor 50, the first pipe 60, the second processor 70, the second pipe 80, the third processor 90, and the downstream pipe 41 in the following order. Each of the first processor 50, the second processor 70, and the third processor 90 is electrically connected to the pulse power supply 10 and has a function of repeatedly applying a pulsed electric field to the object to be processed flowing inside the processor based on the pulse voltage output from the pulse power supply 10.

[0011] The first processor 50 performs a first processing operation on the object to be processed, which is processing using pulsed electric fields. The object to be processed, which has passed through the first processor 50, passes through the first tube 60. The object to be processed, which has passed through the first tube 60, flows into the second processor 70, which performs a second processing operation on the object to be processed, which includes processing using pulsed electric fields. The object to be processed, which has passed through the second processor 70, passes through the second tube 80. The object to be processed, which has passed through the second tube 80, passes through the third processor 90, which performs a third processing operation on the object to be processed.

[0012] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the first processor 50 of the pulsed electric field processor according to the first embodiment, illustrating an exemplary configuration of the first processor 50. The first processor 50 includes an electrode 51, insulating materials 54, and a processing chamber 55. The electrode 51 includes a high-voltage electrode 52 and a low-voltage electrode 53 paired with each other. A pulse voltage is applied to the high-voltage electrode 52. The low-voltage electrode 53 is maintained at the ground potential. Titanium, platinum, stainless steel, or the like is used as the material of the electrode 51 to inhibit wear of the electrode 51 by the pulse voltage. The high-voltage electrode 52 and the low-voltage electrode 53 are in the shape of a flat plate and are arranged to face each other with the object to be processed therebetween.That is, the high-voltage electrode 52 and the low-voltage electrode 53 are arranged to generate an electric field in a direction substantially perpendicular to a flow direction W of the object to be processed.

[0013] The processing chamber 55 in the first processor 50 is a space in which an electric field is generated by the electrode 51 and through which the object to be processed passes. Therefore, the processing chamber 55 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape when the high-voltage electrode 52 and the low-voltage electrode 53 are in the shape of a flat plate and arranged to face each other. The high-voltage electrode 52 is connected to the upstream pipe 40 and the first pipe 60, which are made of tubular metal, via the insulating materials 54 to achieve electrical insulation. The low-voltage electrode 53 may be connected to the upstream pipe 40 and the first pipe 60 via the insulating materials 54, or may be provided integrally with the upstream pipe 40 and the first pipe 60 without involving the insulating materials 54.The former case has the effect of reducing electrical noise generated by the pulse voltage. Meanwhile, the latter case is advantageous in that the first processor 50 can be downsized. When a resin material containing fluorine or ceramic is used as the material for the insulating materials 54, the insulating materials 54 have high heat resistance and electrical durability.

[0014] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the first processor 50 of the pulsed electric field processor according to the first embodiment, illustrating another exemplary configuration of the first processor 50. In Fig. 3, the electrode 51, which includes the high-voltage electrode 52 and the low-voltage electrode 53, has an annular structure in which the flow direction W of the object to be processed serves as the axis. The upstream pipe 40, the insulating material 54, the low-voltage electrode 53, the insulating material 54, the high-voltage electrode 52, the insulating material 54, the low-voltage electrode 53, the insulating material 54, and the first pipe 60 are arranged in this order from the upstream side of the object to be processed. An electric field is generated in a direction substantially along the flow direction W of the object to be processed. Therefore, the processing chamber 55 has a columnar shape or a ring shape when all of the high-voltage electrodes 52, low-voltage electrodes 53, and the insulating materials 54 have an annular structure with the same inner diameter.Furthermore, since the low-voltage electrode 53 is arranged at two locations so as to sandwich the high-voltage electrode 52 with respect to the flow direction W of the object to be processed, a path of a current flowing from the high-voltage electrode 52 to the low-voltage electrode 53 is split into two. The insulating material 54 between the low-voltage electrode 53 and the upstream pipe 40 and the insulating material 54 between the low-voltage electrode 53 and the first pipe 60 do not necessarily need to be provided. Providing the insulating materials 54 achieves the effect of reducing electrical noise. Not providing the insulating materials 54 is advantageous in that downsizing can be achieved.

[0015] When the high voltage electrode 52 and the low voltage electrode 53 are arranged to face each other as shown in Fig. 2, an electric field can be generated in the processing chamber 55 such that the generated electric field is spatially uniform. Thus, it is possible to achieve the effect of reducing processing unevenness. When the high-voltage electrode 52 and the low-voltage electrodes 53 are arranged along the flow direction W of the object to be processed, as shown in Fig. 3, the processing chamber 55 may be formed in a cylindrical shape, and the object to be processed may flow smoothly with little pressure loss from the upstream pipe 40 to the first pipe 60.

[0016] The second processor 70 and the third processor 90 have the same configuration as that of the first processor 50 shown in Fig. 2 or Fig. 3, and a redundant description is omitted.

[0017] Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of the pulse power supply 10 of the pulsed electric field processor according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 illustrates a circuit configuration for applying a pulse voltage to the first processor 50. Circuits for applying a pulse voltage to the second processor 70 and the third processor 90 also have the same circuit configuration as shown in Fig. 4. In the pulse power supply 10, a switch 13, a capacitor 11, a switch 14, and a capacitor 12 are connected in series in this order from the ground side. The high-voltage electrode 52 of the first processor 50 is connected to the capacitor 12 by a cable or the like. In the capacitor 11, a terminal closer to the switch 13 is a charge-side terminal, and a terminal closer to the switch 14 is a ground-side terminal. Further, in the capacitor 12, a terminal closer to the switch 14 is a charge-side terminal, and a terminal closer to the high-voltage electrode 52 is a ground-side terminal.

[0018] A DC power supply 15 generates a DC voltage for charging the capacitor 11 and the capacitor 12. The DC power supply 15 is connected to each of the charge-side terminals of the capacitor 11 and the capacitor 12 via at least one current limiter 16. In addition, at least one current limiter 16 is also provided between the respective charge-side terminals of the capacitor 11 and the capacitor 12. The ground-side terminals of the capacitor 11 and the capacitor 12 are each similarly grounded via at least one current limiter 16, and at least one current limiter 16 is provided between the ground-side terminals of the capacitor 11 and the capacitor 12.

[0019] The pulse power supply 10 outputs a pulse voltage in two steps, including a charging step and a discharging step. In the charging step, the capacitor 11 and the capacitor 12 are charged by the DC power supply 15. In the discharging step, the switch 13 and the switch 14 are turned on almost simultaneously, so that the charging voltages of the capacitor 11 and the capacitor 12 are superimposed and output. After the superimposed charging voltage is output, the switch 13 and the switch 14 are turned off to complete the discharging step. That is, a period in which the switches 13 and 14 are turned on is the period of the discharging step and corresponds to a pulse width of a pulse voltage to be output from the pulse power supply 10.The pulse voltage is a voltage to be output from the pulse power supply 10 to the high voltage electrode 52 in the discharging step, and a pulse current is a current flowing through the processing chamber 55 according to the pulse voltage.

[0020] A semiconductor switch, such as a metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) or an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), is used as the switch 13 and the switch 14. Furthermore, a resistor or a reactor is used as the current limiter 16. The use of a resistor is advantageous in that the capacitor 11 and the capacitor 12 can be charged with a stable voltage. Meanwhile, using a reactor can reduce power consumption.

[0021] The two capacitors and the two switches are used in the exemplary configuration of the pulse power supply 10 shown in Fig. 4. However, three or more capacitors and three or more switches with a similar configuration may be used. Increasing the number of capacitors and switches is advantageous in that a higher pulse voltage can be achieved.

[0022] Fig. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a temperature distribution of the object to be processed by the pulsed electric field processor according to the first embodiment. The horizontal axis in Fig. 5 represents the position of the object to be processed in the flow direction W and the vertical axis in Fig. 5 represents the temperature of the object to be processed. Fig. 5 illustrates a change in the temperature of the object to be processed on a path from the upstream pipe 40 to the downstream pipe 41. On the horizontal axis: P1 denotes an area corresponding to the upstream pipe 40; P2 denotes an area corresponding to the first processor 50; P3 denotes an area corresponding to the first pipe 60; P4 denotes an area corresponding to the second processor 70; P5 denotes an area corresponding to the second pipe 80; P6 denotes an area corresponding to the third processor 90; and P7 denotes an area corresponding to the downstream pipe 41.

[0023] In the area P2 corresponding to the first processor 50, the area P4 corresponding to the second processor 70, and the area P6 corresponding to the third processor 90, the temperature of the object to be processed rises according to energy supplied from the pulse power supply 10. In the area P3 corresponding to the first tube 60 and the area P5 corresponding to the second tube 80, the temperature of the object to be processed varies according to the respective heat radiation amount. Fig. 5, in the ranges P5 to P7, variations in the temperature of the object to be processed are indicated by a solid line and a dashed line.

[0024] In pulsed electric field processing, if the temperature is too high, the flavor deteriorates and nutritional components are reduced, and if the temperature is too low, the treatment effect embodied by sterilization is reduced. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a suitable temperature range "A" between a suitable upper limit Tmax and a suitable lower limit Tmin for performing pulsed electric field processing, so that the suitable temperature range "A" is maintained for a maximum distance between the first processor 50 in which a first process is performed and the third processor 90 in which a final process is performed.Since the suitable temperature range "A" is higher than the temperature of the object to be processed in the area P1 corresponding to the upstream pipe 40, it is preferable not to suppress a temperature rise on the upstream side, and it is preferable to suppress a temperature rise on the downstream side between the first processor 50 and the third processor 90. Furthermore, the adoption of the heat radiation adjustment structure in the first processor 50, the second processor 70, and the third processor 90 has a problem in that each processor is structurally restricted, causing the equipment to increase in size and become complicated. Therefore, the first embodiment adopts a structure in which the radiation performance to the outside is higher in the second pipe 80 than in the first pipe 60.

[0025] For example, the radiation efficiency of the first tube 60 can be expressed by the inverse of the sum of the thermal resistance values ​​of a path from the object to be processed passing through the interior of the first tube 60 to the exterior of the first tube 60. Thus, the radiation efficiency is higher when the inverse of the sum of the thermal resistance values ​​is larger.Therefore, it is possible to design the radiation performance of the second tube 80 to be higher than that of the first tube 60 by employing: a first method of designing the wall thickness of the second tube 80 to be smaller than the wall thickness of the first tube 60; a second method of designing the thermal conductivity of a material included in the second tube 80 to be higher than the thermal conductivity of a material included in the first tube 60; or a third method of designing an external contact area, which is the heat radiation area of ​​the second tube 80, to be larger than an external contact area, which is the heat radiation area of ​​the first tube 60. It should be noted that in the case of air cooling, the exterior of the first tube 60 and the second tube 80 refers, for example, to ambient air around the first tube 60 and the second tube 80.

[0026] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the pulsed electric field processor according to the first embodiment, illustrating the exemplary configuration of the pulsed electric field processor. In order to design the radiation efficiency of the second tube 80 to be higher than the radiation efficiency of the first tube 60, the length of the second tube 80 is designed to be longer than the length of the first tube 60, and a radiation fin 84 is provided on the second tube 80. By providing the radiation fin 84, it is possible to improve the radiation efficiency per unit distance on a path through which the object to be processed passes through the second tube 80. Therefore, even if the second tube 80 and the first tube 60 have the same length, the second tube 80 can achieve higher radiation efficiency.Alternatively, the length of the second tube 80 may be designed to be longer than the length of the first tube 60, as shown in FIG. Fig. 6, so that the effect of improving the radiation power per unit distance by means of the radiating fin 84 can be superimposed on the effect of improving the radiation power by increasing the length of the second tube 80. In any case, the radiation power is designed to be higher in a section from the inlet to the outlet of the second tube 80 than in a section from the inlet to the outlet of the first tube 60.

[0027] Specifically, the radiating fin 84 is an uneven metal body provided at an interface between the second tube 80 and the exterior to increase the area of ​​the interface. The radiating fin 84 is provided such that smaller protrusions and recesses are provided, or no protrusions or recesses are provided near the second processor 70 and the third processor 90, corresponding to both ends, while larger protrusions and recesses are provided near the center. With such a structure, it is possible to reduce the risk of a discharge short circuit between the radiating fin 84, which represents the ground potential, and the second processor 70 and the third processor 90, to which a high voltage is applied.The radiating fin 84 may have a structure in which the radiating fin 84 is integrated into the second tube 80, or may have a structure in which the radiating fin 84 is detachable. The former case is advantageous in that the radiation performance can be further improved, and the latter case is advantageous in that maintenance is easy because the radiating fin 84 can be removed and cleaned.

[0028] Instead of providing the radiating fin 84, a fan may be provided for air-cooling the second tube 80. The air-cooling fan has the effect of improving the radiation efficiency of the second tube 80, as with the radiating fin 84. Alternatively, higher radiation efficiency can be achieved by combining the radiating fin 84 and the air-cooling fan.

[0029] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the pulsed electric field processor according to the first embodiment, illustrating another exemplary configuration of the pulsed electric field processor. A heat-insulating material 64 is attached to the outer peripheral portion of the first tube 60 to reduce the radiation power from the object to be processed to the outside of the first tube 60. By attaching the heat-insulating material 64, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the temperature of the object to be processed in the first tube 60 and to cause the temperature of the object to be processed to reach the appropriate temperature range when the object to be processed is further in the upstream direction.

[0030] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating yet another exemplary configuration of the pulsed electric field processor according to the first embodiment. The upstream pipe 40 is installed in a vertical direction so that the object to be processed flows from a lower side to a higher side, and is connected to the first processor 50.

[0031] The first pipe 60 is a pipe that connects the first processor 50 and the second processor 70, and includes a first upstream straight section 61, a first semicircular section 62, and a first downstream straight section 63. The first upstream straight section 61 is a pipe section that linearly connects the first processor 50 and the first semicircular section 62. The first downstream straight section 63 is a pipe section that connects the first semicircular section 62 and the second processor 70. The first semicircular section 62 is a pipe section that has a semicircular path bent 180 degrees through which the object to be processed passes. The first semicircular section 62 connects the first upstream straight section 61 and the first downstream straight section 63.

[0032] The second tube 80 has the same configuration as the first tube 60 and includes a second upstream straight section 81, a second semicircular section 82, and a second downstream straight section 83. The second tube 80 connects the second processor 70 and the third processor 90.

[0033] The downstream pipe 41 is installed in the vertical direction so that the object to be processed flows from the lower side to the higher side.

[0034] With such a configuration, the components from the upstream pipe 40 to the downstream pipe 41 can be assembled in a small space, thus miniaturizing the equipment. Furthermore, the first processor 50, the second processor 70, and the third processor 90 can be located close to each other. This configuration is advantageous in that a wire for high voltage to be output from the pulse power supply 10 can be shortened, resulting in improved equipment safety.

[0035] In a case where the second tube 80 is designed to be longer than the first tube 60, the sum of the lengths of the second upstream straight portion 81 and the second downstream straight portion 83 is designed to be longer than the sum of the lengths of the first upstream straight portion 61 and the first downstream straight portion 63. Meanwhile, forming the first semicircular portion 62 and the second semicircular portion 82 in the same shape allows parts to be used in common, so that manufacturing costs can be reduced. Components for adjusting radiation performance, such as the radiation fin 84 and the heat-insulating material 64, may be provided only in the straight portions in the first tube 60 and the second tube 80, or may be provided in the entire first tube 60 and the entire second tube 80, including the semicircular portions.In a case where the lengths of the straight sections are sufficiently longer than the lengths of the semicircular sections, the former configuration is used for cost-effectiveness reasons. However, in a case where the lengths of the straight sections are insufficient, the latter configuration, which also includes the semicircular sections, is used to ensure the radiation performance.

[0036] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating yet another exemplary configuration of the pulsed electric field processor according to the first embodiment. Fig. 9 illustrated configuration, the one in Fig. 8 is rotated 90 degrees so that the upstream pipe 40 and the downstream pipe 41 extend in a horizontal direction. The upstream pipe 40, the first processor 50, and the first upstream straight section 61 are arranged at the highest positions. Next, the first downstream straight section 63, the second processor 70, and the second upstream straight section 81 are arranged at the next highest positions. Finally, the second downstream straight section 83, the third processor 90, and the downstream pipe 41 are arranged at the lowest positions. Therefore, the average height of a path through which the object to be processed passes in the first pipe 60 is higher than the average height of the path through which the object to be processed passes in the second pipe 80.Between the upstream pipe 40 and the downstream pipe 41, a high-temperature portion is located at a lower position, and a low-temperature portion is located at a higher position. As a result, for example, heat dissipated from the second downstream straight portion 83 to the outside rises to a higher position by natural convection. Thus, it is possible to increase the temperature of the exterior of the first upstream straight portion 61 and improve the thermal insulation performance of the first pipe 60.

[0037] Pulse power supply 10 can output different power to first processor 50, second processor 70, and third processor 90. Since it is desirable to suppress temperature rises more strongly the further downstream in the process, less power is supplied to a processor located further downstream. That is, the highest power is supplied to first processor 50, the second highest power is supplied to second processor 70, and the lowest power is supplied to third processor 90.

[0038] Regarding power adjustment in each processor, it is desirable to adjust a pulse width or pulse frequency while keeping the pulse voltage constant to simplify power supply control. Alternatively, the total pulse voltage, pulse width, and pulse frequency may be constant, and the areas of the electrodes 51 provided in the processors may be different. Since a larger pulse current flows with a larger area of ​​the electrode 51, it is possible to prevent a temperature rise on the downstream side by reducing the area of ​​the electrode 51 in a processor located further downstream.That is, the area of ​​the electrode 51 of the first processor 50 is designed to be the largest, the area of ​​the electrode 51 of the second processor 70 is designed to be the second largest, and the area of ​​the electrode 51 of the third processor 90 is designed to be the smallest.

[0039] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the radiation efficiency of the second tube 80 is designed to be higher than the radiation efficiency of the first tube 60. Therefore, the first processor 50, the second processor 70, and the third processor 90 are not limited in heat radiation, and the object to be processed can be processed at an appropriate temperature. Therefore, it is possible to implement a pulsed electric field processor that has a simple structure and can be downsized while improving the quality of the object to be processed.

[0040] It should be noted that a variety of control methods have been described above, including the following: the flow distance of the object to be processed is designed to be longer in the second pipe 80 than in the first pipe 60; the radiation power per distance traveled by the object to be processed is designed to be higher in the second pipe 80 than in the first pipe 60; the wall thickness of the second pipe 80 is designed to be smaller than the wall thickness of the first pipe 60; the thermal conductivity of a material included in the second pipe 80 is designed to be higher than the thermal conductivity of a material included in the first pipe 60; the heat radiation area of ​​the second pipe 80 is designed to be larger than the heat radiation area of ​​the first pipe 60; the heat insulating material 64 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the first pipe 60;The average height of the object to be processed in the first tube 60 is designed to be higher than the average height of the object to be processed in the second tube 80; the area of ​​the electrode of the first processor 50 is designed to be larger than the area of ​​the electrode of the second processor 70; and power for pulsed electric field processing to be supplied to the first processor 50 is designed to be greater than power for pulsed electric field processing to be supplied to the second processor 70. Meanwhile, two or more of the plurality of control methods can be appropriately selected, and the selected two or more control methods can be performed in combination. Second embodiment.

[0041] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a pulsed electric field processor according to a second embodiment, illustrating an exemplary configuration of the pulsed electric field processor. In the second embodiment, a cooling channel 86 is provided as a cooler in the second tube 80. Constituent elements other than the cooling channel 86 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0042] As in Fig. 10, the cooling channel 86 is provided in the second tube 80. The cooling channel 86 is a first channel through which a refrigerant for lowering the temperature of an object to be processed flows. It is possible to achieve higher radiation performance by providing the cooling channel 86. In a case where the cooling channel 86 is provided to cool the object to be processed with water, the radiation performance is represented by a heat flow from the object to be processed, which passes through the interior of the second tube 80, to the refrigerant. Therefore, it is possible to improve the radiation performance by, for example, increasing the thermal conductivity of the material included in the second tube 80; increasing the temperature or flow rate of the refrigerant; and increasing the contact area between the refrigerant and the second tube 80.

[0043] Therefore, it is possible to adjust the radiating power by adjusting the temperature or flow rate of the refrigerant. Thus, it is possible to perform feedback control to achieve a target temperature by measuring the temperature of the object to be processed. Alternatively, it is also possible to perform feedforward control such that the temperature or flow rate of the refrigerant is adjusted according to the output power of the pulse power supply 10. Both feedback control and feedforward control have the effect of accurately adjusting the temperature.

[0044] Fig. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the pulsed electric field processor according to the second embodiment, illustrating another exemplary configuration of the pulsed electric field processor. A heating channel 66 and a connecting channel 67 have been added to the Fig. 10 illustrated configuration added to the Fig.11. The heating channel 66 is provided in the first tube 60. The heating channel 66 is a second channel through which a refrigerant for raising the temperature of the object to be processed flows. Moreover, the connecting channel 67 is provided to connect the heating channel 66 and the cooling channel 86. It is possible to cause the refrigerant whose temperature has increased in the cooling channel 86 to flow into the heating channel 66. Therefore, heat energy extracted from the object to be processed in the second tube 80 can be used to raise the temperature of the object to be processed in the first tube 60. With such a configuration, energy can be effectively used to achieve an energy-saving effect. Furthermore, it is possible to achieve a higher energy-saving effect by shortening the length of the connecting channel 67 and performing heat insulation.

[0045] As described above, according to the second embodiment, the temperature of the object to be processed can be more appropriately controlled. Thus, the quality of the object to be processed is improved. Furthermore, since the heating channel 66 and the cooling channel 86 are connected to each other, an energy-saving effect can be expected.

[0046] It should be noted that the control method of the second embodiment can be suitably performed in combination with the plurality of control methods described in the first embodiment.

[0047] The configurations set forth in the above embodiments show examples of the subject matter of the present disclosure, and it is possible to combine the configurations with other known techniques, and it is also possible to partially omit or change the configurations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. List of reference symbols

[0048] 10 pulse power supply; 11, 12 capacitor; 13, 14 switch; 15 DC power supply; 16 current limiter; 40 upstream tube; 41 downstream tube; 50 first processor; 51 electrode; 52 high voltage electrode; 53 low voltage electrode; 54 insulating material; 55 processing chamber; 60 first tube; 64 heat insulating material; 66 heating channel; 67 connecting channel; 70 second processor; 80 second tube; 84 radiating fin; 86 cooling channel; 90 third processor. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 2010-183973

[0004]

Claims

[1] Pulsed electric field processor comprising: a first processor configured to perform a first processing on an object to be processed, the first processing being processing by means of pulsed electric fields, the object to be processed being in liquid form; a first pipe through which the object to be processed, which has passed through the first processor, passes; a second processor configured to perform a second processing on the object to be processed, the second processing including processing by means of pulsed electric fields, the object to be processed having passed through the first tube flowing into the second processor; a second pipe through which the object to be processed, which has passed through the second processor, passes; and a third processor configured to perform a third processing on the object to be processed, the third processing including processing by means of pulsed electric fields, the object to be processed having passed through the second tube passing through the third processor, the radiation power of the second tube is higher than the radiation power of the first tube. [2] The pulsed electric field processor according to claim 1, wherein a flow distance of the object to be processed in the second tube is longer than in the first tube. [3] A pulsed electric field processor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the radiated power per sweep distance of the second tube is higher than the radiated power per sweep distance of the first tube. [4] The pulsed electric field processor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a wall thickness of the second tube is smaller than a wall thickness of the first tube. [5] The pulsed electric field processor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a thermal conductivity of a material included in the second tube is higher than a thermal conductivity of a material included in the first tube. [6] The pulsed electric field processor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a heat radiation area of ​​the second tube is larger than a heat radiation area of ​​the first tube. [7] A pulsed electric field processor according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a heat insulating material is provided at an outer peripheral portion of the first tube. [8] The pulsed electric field processor according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein an average height of the object to be processed in the first tube is higher than an average height of the object to be processed in the second tube. [9] Pulsed electric field processor according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first processor and the second processor each include an electrode for performing the processing by means of pulsed electric fields, and an area of ​​the electrode of the first processor is larger than an area of ​​the electrode of the second processor. [10] A pulsed electric field processor according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein power for pulsed electric field processing to be supplied to the first processor is greater than power for pulsed electric field processing to be supplied to the second processor. [11] A pulsed electric field processor according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising a cooler configured to cool the second tube. [12] Pulsed electric field processor according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the first tube and the second tube include a first channel and a second channel, respectively, the first channel and the second channel being configured to adjust the temperature, and the first channel and the second channel are connected.

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