Method and device for treating a mixture of relief gas and fill product foam in a beverage filling plant

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device and a method for treating a mixture of relief gas and filling product foam in a beverage filling plant, preferably for treating a mixture of CO 2 and beer foam. State of the art

[0002] In beverage bottling plants, it is common practice to fill carbonated beverages using the counterpressure process. This process involves pre-pressurising the container to be filled using a pressurising gas before it is actually filled with the filling product. The carbonated filling product is then introduced into the thus pre-pressurised, i.e. pressurised, container to be filled. By applying pre-pressurisation to the container, the CO2 contained in the filling product is not released excessively or at all during filling, thus preventing excessive foaming of the filling product. This allows the filling process to be carried out quickly and precisely, as the end of the filling process can be precisely determined using a fill level probe, for example when a predetermined fill level is reached, due to the almost complete absence of foam in the filling product.Accordingly, a carbonated filling product can be filled quickly and precisely in this way.

[0003] After the actual filling process, when the filling product has been completely absorbed into the filled container, the container is still under excess pressure. In particular, the headspace of the container contains a pressurized gas, which is essentially a mixture of the CO2 present in the carbonated filling product and the pre-pressurizing gas. If the pre-pressurizing gas is also CO2, the headspace essentially contains CO2 under pressure.

[0004] Before the container can be fed to a further processing stage, such as a capper, it must be detached from the respective filling device. Prior to this, the excess pressure in the container headspace must be reduced accordingly. For this purpose, it is known to reduce the excess pressure in a controlled manner using a relief valve. By opening the relief valve, a fluid connection is established between the container headspace and the environment via a relief line in such a way that the excess pressure in the container headspace can be released into the environment when the relief valve is opened.

[0005] With carbonated beverages, however, the filling product foams up because the rapid release of pressure from the headspace causes the CO2 to spontaneously release from the filling product. This tendency to foam up is particularly pronounced when bottling beer. The foam created in this way can enter the relief channel together with the relief gas through the relief valve and gradually migrate through it. The mixture of relief gas and filling product foam thus present in the relief channel escapes uncontrollably at the end of the relief channel. At the end of the relief channel, the filling product foam usually drips down onto the hall floor or into a drain.

[0006] The concentrations of the relief gas, for example CO2, that arise in the respective filling hall are partly undesirable.

[0007] DE 312 484 C describes a filling device for filling barrels and bottles with foaming liquids. Further filling devices are described in CN 103 803 469 A and CN 202 686 856 U. US 2,792,029 A describes a defoamer for milk filling machines. Description of the invention

[0008] Based on the known prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method for treating a mixture of relief gas and filling product foam in a beverage filling plant, as well as a corresponding device.

[0009] The object is achieved by a method for treating a mixture of relief gas and filling product foam in a beverage filling plant having the features of claim 1.

[0010] Advantageous further developments of the method emerge from the subclaims as well as the present description and the figures.

[0011] Accordingly, a method for treating a mixture of relief gas and filling product foam in a beverage filling plant is proposed, comprising the steps of introducing the mixture of relief gas and filling product foam into a closed separation vessel and extracting the relief gas from the closed separation vessel.

[0012] By introducing the mixture of the relief gas and the filling product foam into a closed separation tank and extracting the relief gas from the separation tank, this prevents contamination of the environment surrounding the beverage filling plant with the relief gas, thus reducing or even preventing any health risks to employees at the filling plant caused by the relief gas. Furthermore, the closed design of the separation tank prevents contamination of the environment surrounding the beverage filling plant with filling product foam.

[0013] Accordingly, the process results in less pollution of the immediate environment around the beverage filling plant - both from relief gas and from filling product foam - which can reduce health impairments for employees and enable more hygienic and aesthetic filling overall.

[0014] According to the invention, a liquid medium for sprinkling is applied to the mixture of relief gas and filling product foam introduced into the closed separation vessel in order to achieve precipitation and liquefaction of the filling product foam in the separation vessel and accordingly to prevent suction of the filling product foam from the closed separation vessel into the suction for the relief gas.

[0015] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the method, the liquid medium is removed from the closed separation vessel, preferably from a lower region of the closed separation vessel, for irrigating the mixture of relief gas and filling product foam, and the liquid medium is preferably circulated.

[0016] In this way, and especially through the circulation system, a continuous, constant, periodic, or on-demand irrigation of the mixture of the relief gas and the fill product foam can be achieved in an economically and ecologically sensible manner, reliably maintaining the fill product foam level within the closed separation tank. Circulating the liquid also achieves an economical design in that a constant supply of fresh water is not necessary, but the liquid medium can be reused for irrigation.

[0017] Preferably, a liquid medium is provided in the lower region, preferably in a sump, of the closed separation vessel, which liquid medium is preferably removed for sprinkling the mixture of relief gas and filler product foam, as described above.

[0018] The liquid medium may initially consist of fresh water provided and, with the start of the process for treating the mixture of relief gas and filling product foam, is continuously mixed with components of the filling product from the precipitated and liquefied filling product foam.

[0019] Preferably, the liquid medium from the closed separation tank, together with the fill product foam liquefied by the irrigation, is discharged continuously, periodically, or as needed. The on-demand discharge can be triggered, for example, when a time-dependent condition occurs or when the liquid medium in the closed separation tank reaches a certain fill level, such that once a predetermined fill level is reached, the corresponding excess liquid is drained from the closed separation tank. The drained liquid can, for example, be fed into a sewer line.

[0020] In order to achieve efficient separation of the filling product foam or the filling product components from the mixture of the relief gas and the filling product foam as soon as it enters the closed separation vessel, the mixture of the relief gas and the filling product foam preferably flows tangentially into a cylindrical or conical separation vessel in such a way that, due to the centrifugal forces acting, the filling product foam is already initially applied to the inner wall of the closed separation vessel, thus separating the relief gas and the filling product foam.

[0021] Preferably, the relief gas is extracted above the irrigation in the closed separation tank so that suction of the filling product foam by the suction can be avoided.

[0022] In a further preferred embodiment, a cleaning and / or sterilization medium is introduced into the closed separation tank for cleaning and then drained from it again. The cleaning and / or sterilization medium is preferably sprayed onto the inner wall of the closed separation tank and drained into the lower region of the closed separation tank. This allows for hygienic cleaning of the separation tank. A CIP medium can also be fed through the relief channel to the filling valve or from the filling valve through the relief channel into the closed separation tank.

[0023] A closed separation tank is understood here to mean that it has no direct connection with the environment, but that the supply of media and fluids into the closed separation tank and the discharge of media and fluids from the closed separation tank only takes place in a controlled manner via appropriate pipes.

[0024] In the process presented here, on the one hand, the mixture of the relief gas and the filling product foam is guided in a controlled manner within a closed system and, on the other hand, the relief gas is also guided in a controlled manner within a closed outlet, so that the relief gas can, for example, be discharged in a controlled manner via a chimney without any introduction of relief gas into the respective filling hall.

[0025] The above-mentioned object is further achieved by a device for treating a mixture of relief gas and filling product foam in a beverage filling plant having the features of claim 8. Advantageous further developments emerge from the subclaims.

[0026] Accordingly, a device for treating a mixture of relief gas and filling product foam in a beverage filling plant is proposed, which device comprises a separating vessel into which a relief line carrying the mixture of relief gas and filling product foam opens. The relief gas is extracted from the separating vessel via an extraction system. According to the invention, the separating vessel is closed.

[0027] This results in the same beneficial effects that were already described above for the procedure.

[0028] According to the invention, a sprinkler nozzle is provided in the closed separation tank, which sprinkles a liquid medium onto the mixture of relief gas and fill product foam present in the closed separation tank. The sprinkler nozzle can be used to suppress, break up, or liquefy the fill product foam in the closed separation tank.

[0029] Further preferably, an outlet, preferably an outlet provided at a sump of the closed separation tank, is provided in a lower region of the closed separation tank, and the outlet is in fluid communication with the irrigation nozzle, so that the liquid medium can preferably be pumped in a circuit from the lower region of the closed separation tank to the irrigation nozzle.

[0030] It is also preferred to provide an extraction system for extracting the relief gas in fluid communication with the closed separation tank and to guide the extraction system preferably above the irrigation nozzle from the closed separation tank.

[0031] Advantageously, the closed separating vessel is essentially cylindrical and / or conical in shape and the relief line is introduced tangentially into the closed separating vessel.

[0032] In a further preferred development, a CIP nozzle is provided in the closed separation vessel for pressurizing the inner wall of the closed separation vessel, and the closed separation vessel is in fluid communication with a CIP return line in a lower region. Short description of the characters

[0033] Preferred further embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail by the following description of the figures. In the figures: Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a beverage filling plant with a filler carousel, a valve manifold and a device for treating a mixture of a relief gas and filling product foam with a closed separation container; Figure 2 shows a schematic side view of a device for treating a mixture of a relief gas and filling product foam; and Figure 3 shows a schematic perspective representation of the device from Figure 2 . Detailed description of preferred embodiments

[0034] Preferred embodiments are described below with reference to the figures. Identical, similar, or equivalent elements in the various figures are provided with identical reference numerals, and a repeated description of these elements is partially omitted to avoid redundancies.

[0035] In Figure 1schematically shows a beverage filling plant 100 which has a schematically indicated filler carousel 110, which also has schematically indicated media rotary distribution channels 120 to 128, which are provided for transferring media from the stationary part of the beverage filling plant to the rotating filler carousel 110.

[0036] The outer rotary media distribution channel 120 is provided for supplying filling product and—during cleaning and sterilization of the beverage filling system 100—cleaning and sterilization medium to the filler carousel 110. The second rotary media distribution channel 122 is provided for supplying CO2 as a purge gas or as a pressurizing gas. The third rotary media distribution channel 124 is provided as a relief channel for relieving the headspace of the filled container after filling and accordingly transports a mixture of the relief gas CO2 and a filling product foam entrained by the relief gas.

[0037] A further rotary media distribution channel 126 is provided for providing a vacuum or negative pressure, which is used to switch the filling valve and / or to evacuate the container to be filled before filling. A further rotary media distribution channel 128 is provided, which serves as a CIP return line for CIP cleaning or sterilization.

[0038] The supply or removal as well as the control of the supply of the respective media to the rotary media distributor and the corresponding rotary media distributor channels 120 to 128 takes place via a valve node 130, which in the illustrated embodiment is provided in the stationary part of the beverage filling system 100 and which can supply the rotary media distributor channels 120 to 128 with the respective media in a controlled manner.

[0039] The filling product or, during cleaning or sterilization, a cleaning or sterilization medium flows into the valve node 130 as a CIP medium via a filling product inlet 132. A CIP return 134 is provided, by means of which the CIP medium can be fed back to a CIP station for processing or replacing the CIP medium during cleaning or sterilization. Furthermore, gaseous CO2 is supplied to the valve node 130 via a CO2 inlet 136 in order to use this gas as a pre-pressurizing and rinsing medium in the container to be filled. Furthermore, a vacuum connection 138 is provided, by means of which a vacuum can be switchably provided to the valve node 130.

[0040] A device 1 for treating a mixture of relief gas and filling product foam is also provided in the beverage filling system 100. The mixture of relief gas and filling product foam is supplied to the device 1 via a relief line 20. Accordingly, the relief line 20 carries both the relief gas and the filling product foam entrained by the relief gas.

[0041] The device 1 comprises a closed separation container 2, into which a mixture of relief gas, i.e. CO 2 , and filling product foam is introduced from the valve node 130 via the relief line 20, when the relief gas is released in a controlled manner via the valve node 130 via the respective relief of the head space of a filled container, and filling product foam is entrained in the process.

[0042] The separating vessel 2 is preferably substantially cylindrical or conical in shape and the relief line 20 opens into the closed separating vessel 2, preferably in a lower region of the closed separating vessel 2 and tangentially.

[0043] Since the closed separation vessel 2 is preferably substantially cylindrical or conical in shape, a tangential introduction of the mixture of the relief gas and the filling product foam via the relief line 20 can already achieve a deposition of the filling product foam on the respective inner wall of the closed separation vessel 2 due to the centrifugal forces.

[0044] The relief gas, in particular the CO 2 , can be extracted from the upper area of ​​the closed separation vessel 2 via an extraction device 22.

[0045] By providing the closed separation container 2 in combination with the extraction system 22, it is possible to prevent an increased relief gas concentration, in particular an increased CO2 concentration, from developing in the area of ​​the beverage filling system 100, which could lead to health damage or impairments of the employees at the beverage filling system 100. The extraction system 22 preferably extracts the relief gas into an outdoor area located at a distance from the beverage filling system 100 and preferably discharges the relief gas through a chimney or by means of a fan via the hall roof or another area from the room in which the beverage filling system 100 is arranged.

[0046] In the lower region of the closed beverage filling container 2, a sump 24 is provided, which is filled with a liquid medium 240 in the schematically shown embodiment. The liquid medium 240 is, at the beginning of the treatment of the mixture of relief gas and filling product foam, for example, fresh water. However, during the separation of the filling product foam, corresponding filling product components mix into the fresh water, which have been transported via the filling product foam into the closed separation container 2.

[0047] On the closed separation vessel 2, and preferably its sump 24, an outlet 242 is provided at its lowest position, by means of which the liquid medium 240 can be withdrawn from the closed separation vessel 2, preferably the sump 24. The liquid medium 240 is pumped by means of a pump 244 into a sprinkler nozzle 3, by means of which the liquid medium 240 is sprinkled onto the mixture of relief gas and fill product foam present in the closed separation vessel 2. By sprinkling the mixture of relief gas and fill product foam, the fill product foam is held down in the closed vessel, and the bubbles of the fill product foam are gradually broken up, so that the fill product foam is essentially liquefied.

[0048] Via the outlet 242 provided in the lower area of ​​the closed separator tank 2 and the pump 244, the liquid medium 240 can be sprayed onto the fill product foam accumulating in the closed separator tank 2. Thus, the fill product foam supplied via the relief line 20 is sprayed in such a way that the fill product foam can be kept down and an excessive increase in the level of the fill product foam in the closed separator tank 2 can be avoided, thus preventing the fill product foam from being sucked in by the suction 22 for the relief gas.

[0049] Furthermore, by sprinkling the filling product foam by means of the sprinkling nozzle 3, the filling product foam is broken up and accordingly only the filling product components transported by means of the filling product foam are present in liquid or particle form and are collected in the sump 24.

[0050] The irrigation nozzle 3 can also be supplied with fresh water via a fresh water supply 246. This is particularly done when the sump 24 is to be refilled with medium 240, for example, at the beginning of each treatment process.

[0051] To carry out the process for treating a mixture of relief gas and fill product foam, a mixture of the fill product foam and the relief gas is introduced into the closed separation vessel 2 via the relief line 20. At the same time, a liquid medium 240 is applied to the fill product foam collecting in the closed separation vessel 2 by means of the sprinkler nozzle 3 in order to suppress or break up the foam accordingly. The liquid medium 240 applied via the sprinkler nozzle 3, as well as the components entrained by the liquid medium 240 or the liquefied components of the fill product foam, flow into the sump 24. The relief gas, on the other hand, is withdrawn from the closed separation vessel 2 via the suction 22.

[0052] In order to avoid suction or suction of the filling product foam via the suction 22, the suction 22 is in fluid communication with the closed separation tank 2 and the suction 22 is guided above the irrigation nozzle 3 out of the closed separation tank 2.

[0053] When the level of the liquid medium 240 in the sump 24 has reached a certain level, which is measured, for example, via an upper level probe 30 in the closed separator tank 2, the sump and in particular the liquid medium 240 in the sump is discharged to a wastewater line 248 by actuating the corresponding valves via the pump 244. The pump 244 and the corresponding valves for transferring the medium 240 from the sump 24 to the wastewater line 248 are kept open or actuated until a lower level probe 32 determines that a level of the liquid medium 240 in the sump 24 has been reached which is at or below a lower predetermined level.Then the previously opened valves are closed again and the valve to the irrigation nozzle 3 is opened, so that the liquid medium 240 is then pumped again from the sump 24 to the irrigation nozzle 3 and is circulated accordingly so that the mixture of relief gas and filling product foam accumulated in the closed separation tank 2 is again irrigated with the liquid medium 240.

[0054] After production has ended, the sump 24 can be completely emptied into a gully 25, for example by opening a corresponding valve.

[0055] This results in an efficient method for treating a mixture of relief gas and filling product foam in a beverage filling plant 100.

[0056] In order to clean and sterilize the beverage filling system 100 after completion of each production run, cleaning is performed using a closed cleaning circuit. For this purpose, a cleaning or sterilization medium, known as a CIP medium, is supplied to the valve manifold 130 via the filling product inlet 132 in a known manner. This cleaning or sterilization medium then flows through the filling valve via the filling product media rotary distribution channel 120 to clean or sterilize the actual filling valve. The CIP medium is then returned from the filling valve to the valve manifold 130 via a CIP return line 128.

[0057] By means of a CIP feed line 40, the CIP medium can also be directed from the filling valve manifold 130 to a CIP nozzle 42, which is located in the upper region of the closed separation tank 2. The CIP nozzle 42 is preferably designed as a 360° nozzle, by means of which the entire inner wall of the closed separation tank 2 can be exposed to cleaning or sterilization medium. In this way, the closed separation tank 2 can be completely cleaned by exposure to the CIP medium. Via the outlet 242 and the pump 244 and a corresponding switching of the CIP medium valves, the CIP medium is fed back to the valve manifold 130 via a CIP return line 44. Accordingly, cleaning takes place in a circuit, whereby no medium escapes, but rather the cleaning medium is circulated through the closed separation tank 2.

[0058] In an alternative or further development, the CIP medium can also flow from the valve node 130 into the closed separator tank 2 via the relief line 20 in order to also enable cleaning of the relief line 2 in this way.

[0059] In Figure 2 The closed separator tank 2 is shown schematically in a schematic side view, with the irrigation nozzle 3 shown shaded in the interior and the supply of the relief line 20 also shown schematically. The sump 24 in the lower area of ​​the closed separator tank 2 and the outlet 242 are also shown. Fresh water can be supplied to the closed separator tank 2 and the wastewater can be discharged via a wastewater connection 248 and a freshwater connection 246.

[0060] A CIP pre-run 40 is shown, as well as the CIP nozzle 42, which are provided in the interior of the closed separation vessel 2 and which serve to clean or sterilize the inner wall of the closed separation vessel 2 in the manner described above.

[0061] The relief gas is discharged from the closed separation vessel 2 via the suction device 22 arranged in the upper area of ​​the closed separation vessel.

[0062] Figure 3 shows the device of the Figure 2 once again in a schematic perspective view. List of reference symbols

[0063] 1Device for treating a mixture of relief gas and filling product foam 100Beverage filling plant 110Filler carousel 120Filling product supply line 122CO 2 supply 124CO 2 relief 126Vacuum 128CIP return 130Valve manifold 132Filling product supply 134CIP return 136CO 2 supply 138Vacuum connection 2Closed separator tank 20Relief line 22Suction 24Sump 240Medium 242Outflow 244Pump 246Fresh water 248Waste water 25Gully 3Sprinkling nozzle 30Upper level probe 32Lower level probe 40CIP supply 42CIP nozzle 44CIP return

Claims

1. Method for treating a mixture of expansion gas and fill product foam in a beverage filling plant (100), comprising the steps of: introducing the mixture of expansion gas and fill product foam into a closed separation container (2) and extracting the expansion gas out of the closed separation container (2) by means of suction, characterized in that a fluid medium (240) is applied by sprinkling to the mixture of expansion gas and fill product foam that is introduced into the closed separation container (2).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that in order to sprinkle the mixture of expansion gas and fill product foam, the fluid medium (240) is extracted from the closed separation container (2), preferably from a lower area of the closed separation container (2), and the fluid medium (240) is preferably recirculated.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the lower area, preferably in a sump (24), of the closed separation container (2), a fluid medium (240) is provided, which is preferably extracted for sprinkling the mixture of expansion gas and fill product foam according to claim 2 or 3.

4. Method according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that in the closed separation container (2) the expansion gas is extracted by suction above the sprinkler.

5. Method according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the fluid medium (240), together with the fill product foam that has been liquefied by sprinkling, is conveyed out of the closed separation container (2) continuously, periodically or as required.

6. Method according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the mixture of expansion gas and fill product foam is introduced tangentially into the closed separation container (2).

7. Method according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that for the purpose of cleaning, a cleaning and / or sterilization medium is introduced into the closed separation container (2) and conducted out of it, wherein the cleaning and / or sterilization medium is preferably sprayed onto the interior wall of the closed separation container (2) and conducted out of the closed separation container (2) in its lower area.

8. Device for treating a mixture of expansion gas and fill product foam in a beverage filling plant (100), comprising a separation container (2) into which a relief line (20) conveying the mixture of expansion gas and fill product foam discharges, wherein the expansion gas is extracted by suction from the separation container (2) by means of a suction extractor (22), the separation container (2) is closed, characterized in that a sprinkler nozzle (3) is provided in the closed separation container (2), which applies a fluid medium (240) to the mixture of expansion gas and fill product foam that is present in the closed separation container (2).

9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that an outlet (242) is provided in a lower area of the closed separation container (2), preferably an outlet (242) provided in a sump (24) of the closed separation container (2), and the outlet (242) is in fluid communication with the sprinkler nozzle (3), so that the fluid medium (240) can preferably be pumped in circulation from the lower area of the closed separation container (2) to the sprinkler nozzle (3).

10. Device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that a suction extractor (22) for extracting the expansion gas is provided, in fluid communication with the closed separation container (2), and the suction extractor (22) from the closed separation container (2) is preferably disposed above the sprinkler nozzle (3).

11. Device according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the closed separation container (2) is substantially cylindrical and / or conical in shape, and the relief line (20) is tangentially introduced into the closed separation container (2).

12. Device according to one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that a CIP nozzle (42) is provided in the closed separation container (2) to impinge on the interior wall of the closed separation container (2), and a lower area of the closed separation container (2) is in fluid communication with a CIP return line (44).