Heating sterilization device

Abstract

The present invention provides a heat sterilization apparatus that uses hot water, which can suppress an increase in the installation space required for a medium-temperature water tank for storing medium-temperature water, and can also suppress an increase in thermal energy consumption. [Solution] This heat sterilization apparatus 100 comprises a sterilization tank 1 to which hot water Hth and cooling water Cw are supplied, a medium-temperature water tank 5 for storing medium-temperature water Htm, and a control unit 18 that performs preheating control by supplying a smaller amount of medium-temperature water Htm to the sterilization tank 1 than the amount of hot water Hth supplied to the sterilization tank 1 during sterilization control for heating and sterilizing multiple objects Rp to be processed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat sterilization apparatus, and more particularly to a heat sterilization apparatus that performs heat sterilization of an object to be treated. BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Conventionally, a heat sterilization apparatus that performs heat sterilization of an object to be treated is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The above Patent Document 1 discloses a treatment apparatus (heat sterilization apparatus) that performs heat sterilization of an object to be treated (object to be processed).

[0004] The treatment apparatus of the above Patent Document 1 includes a treatment tank, a hot water recovery tank, a high-temperature water recovery tank, ejection nozzles, and a control unit. The treatment tank is a container that accommodates the object to be treated. The hot water recovery tank is a container that stores treatment water for heat sterilizing the object to be treated accommodated in the treatment tank. The high-temperature water recovery tank is a container for storing treatment water for preheating the object to be treated accommodated in the treatment tank. The treatment water includes hot water, high-temperature water, and cooling water. The hot water is water heated to 100°C or higher. The high-temperature water is water at a lower temperature than the hot water (a temperature close to the temperature of the hot water). The cooling water is water at normal temperature. The ejection nozzles are configured to be able to eject each of the treatment water (hot water, high-temperature water, and cooling water) toward the object to be treated accommodated in the treatment tank. The control unit is configured to perform preheating control of the object to be treated by ejecting the treatment water (high-temperature water) stored in the high-temperature water recovery tank from the ejection nozzles, before ejecting the treatment water (hot water) stored in the hot water recovery tank from the ejection nozzles to perform heat sterilization of the object to be treated. Further, the control unit is configured to perform heat sterilization control of the object to be treated by ejecting the treatment water (hot water) from the ejection nozzles after the preheating control.

[0005] The above Patent Document 1 describes that such a treatment apparatus can be a hot water storage type treatment apparatus that performs heat sterilization of the object to be treated by supplying a large amount of treatment water (hot water) into the treatment tank, filling the treatment tank with water, and immersing the object to be treated in the treatment water (hot water). PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-117452 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Here, if the treatment apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is a hot water storage type treatment apparatus, a large amount of treated water (hot water) is required to fill the treatment tank. In such a case, it is thought that a large amount of treated water (high temperature water) is required to fill the treatment tank, similar to the treated water (hot water). For this reason, a large high temperature water recovery tank (medium temperature water tank) capable of storing a large amount of treated water (high temperature water) is required, which increases the installation space of the high temperature water recovery tank (medium temperature water tank). In addition, before performing the first preheating control, it is necessary to heat room temperature water to a temperature close to that of hot water to create high temperature water (medium temperature water), but since a large amount of water is heated, it is thought that the consumption of thermal energy will increase due to the increased amount of steam required for heating.

[0008] Furthermore, when using a jet nozzle in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a considerable amount of treated water (high-temperature water) is used, similar to the case where the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is a hot water storage type apparatus. For this reason, a large high-temperature water recovery tank (medium-temperature water tank) capable of storing a considerable amount of treated water (high-temperature water), similar to the treated water (hot water), is required, which increases the installation space for the high-temperature water recovery tank (medium-temperature water tank). In addition, before performing the first preheating control, it is necessary to heat room temperature water to a temperature close to that of hot water to create high-temperature water (medium-temperature water). However, since a considerable amount of water is heated, similar to that used for hot water, it is conceivable that the consumption of thermal energy will increase due to the increased amount of steam required for heating.

[0009] Therefore, in a treatment device (heat sterilization device) using hot water, there is a need to realize a device that can suppress the increase in installation space for the high-temperature water recovery tank (medium-temperature water tank) that stores high-temperature water (medium-temperature water), and also suppress the increase in thermal energy consumption.

[0010] This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one of its objectives is to provide a heat sterilization apparatus that uses hot water, which can suppress an increase in the installation space required for a medium-temperature water tank for storing medium-temperature water, and can also suppress an increase in the consumption of thermal energy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] A heat sterilization apparatus according to one aspect of this invention comprises a sterilization tank having a storage space for housing multiple objects to be sterilized by heat water, and supplied with hot water to sterilize the multiple objects and cooling water to cool the multiple objects after heat sterilization by hot water; a medium-temperature water tank storing medium-temperature water at a temperature higher than the temperature of the cooling water and lower than the temperature of the hot water; and a control unit that, when supplying medium-temperature water from the medium-temperature water tank to the sterilization tank to preheat the multiple objects to be sterilized, supplies a smaller amount of medium-temperature water to the sterilization tank than the amount of hot water supplied to the sterilization tank during sterilization control to sterilize the multiple objects to be sterilized by heat water to perform preheating control.

[0012] In a heat sterilization apparatus according to one aspect of this invention, as described above, when preheating multiple objects to be treated by supplying medium-temperature water from a medium-temperature water tank to a sterilization tank, a control unit is provided that performs preheating control by supplying a smaller amount of medium-temperature water to the sterilization tank than the amount of hot water supplied to the sterilization tank during sterilization control for heat sterilization of multiple objects to be treated. As a result, since the amount of medium-temperature water is less than the amount of hot water, a large medium-temperature water tank capable of storing a large amount of medium-temperature water is not required, thus suppressing an increase in the installation space of the medium-temperature water tank. In addition, before performing the first preheating control, it is necessary to heat room temperature water to a temperature close to that of hot water to create medium-temperature water, but since the amount of medium-temperature water is less than the amount of hot water, it is possible to suppress an increase in thermal energy consumption caused by the increased amount of steam used for heating. As a result, in a heat sterilization apparatus using hot water (for example, a hot water storage type heat sterilization apparatus and a spray type heat sterilization apparatus, etc.), it is possible to suppress an increase in the installation space of the medium-temperature water tank that stores the medium-temperature water, and to suppress an increase in thermal energy consumption.

[0013] In the heating sterilization apparatus according to the first aspect described above, preferably, the control unit is configured to supply medium-temperature water until it is stored in the lower part of the sterilization tank's containment space when preheating control is performed. With this configuration, the amount of medium-temperature water that needs to be supplied to the sterilization tank can be reduced compared to the case where medium-temperature water is supplied until the upper part of the object to be processed is submerged. As a result, the increase in the installation space for the medium-temperature water tank can be suppressed by the amount of medium-temperature water required, and the increase in thermal energy consumption due to the increase in the amount of steam used to heat the medium-temperature water can be suppressed.

[0014] In this case, preferably, the control unit is configured to supply and store medium-temperature water in the lower part of the sterilization tank's containment space to a height below the lower end portion of the objects to be treated among the multiple objects to be treated. With this configuration, the amount of medium-temperature water that needs to be supplied to the sterilization tank can be further reduced compared to the case where medium-temperature water is supplied until the upper end portion of the objects to be treated is submerged. This further suppresses the increase in the installation space required for the medium-temperature water tank and further suppresses the increase in thermal energy consumption caused by the increased amount of steam used to heat the medium-temperature water.

[0015] In the heating sterilization apparatus according to the first aspect described above, preferably, in the preheating control, a first medium-temperature water discharge unit is further provided which discharges medium-temperature water from at least one of the above and side of a plurality of objects to be treated contained within the containment space of the sterilization tank toward the plurality of objects to be treated. With this configuration, unlike when the first medium-temperature water discharge unit discharges medium-temperature water from below the plurality of objects to be treated, the plurality of objects to be treated can be covered with medium-temperature water overall, so that the entire plurality of objects to be treated can be preheated with medium-temperature water. Note that discharge is a broad concept that includes jetting, discharging, dripping, and outflow.

[0016] In this case, preferably, the first medium-temperature water discharge unit is configured to discharge medium-temperature water from above toward the multiple objects to be treated, which are housed within the containment space of the sterilization tank. With this configuration, medium-temperature water can be flowed from the uppermost object to the lowermost object among the multiple objects to be treated, and by directing the medium-temperature water toward the objects to be treated, the water can be spread along the upper surface of the objects to be treated. As a result, when flowing medium-temperature water from the uppermost object to the lowermost object among the multiple objects to be treated, the medium-temperature water can be evenly distributed from the uppermost object to the lowermost object to the lowermost object, so that the entirety of the multiple objects to be treated can be evenly preheated by the medium-temperature water.

[0017] In a heat sterilization apparatus equipped with the above-described first medium-temperature water outlet, preferably, in the sterilization control, the apparatus further comprises a hot water outlet that injects hot water into the sterilization tank and a cooling water outlet that injects cooling water into the sterilization tank, wherein at least a part of the first medium-temperature water outlet is configured to also serve as a part of the hot water outlet and at least one of the parts of the cooling water outlet. With this configuration, compared to the case in which the first medium-temperature water outlet, the hot water outlet, and the cooling water outlet are provided separately, it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of components that inject medium-temperature water and an increase in at least one of the components that inject hot water and the components that inject cooling water, thereby suppressing the increase in size and complexity of the heat sterilization apparatus caused by an increase in the number of parts such as piping.

[0018] In the heat sterilization apparatus according to the first aspect described above, preferably, a hot water tank for storing hot water is further provided, and the control unit is configured to, when performing sterilization control, supply hot water stored in the hot water tank to the sterilization tank until the upper end portions of the multiple objects to be processed contained in the space of the sterilization tank are submerged, and when performing preheating control, supply a smaller amount of medium-temperature water from the medium-temperature water tank to the sterilization tank than the amount of hot water supplied to the sterilization tank during sterilization control. With this configuration, since the amount of medium-temperature water is less than the amount of hot water, the capacity of the medium-temperature water tank can be made smaller than the capacity of the hot water tank, and the heat sterilization apparatus can be made more compact by the amount by which the capacity of the medium-temperature water tank is reduced.

[0019] In the heat sterilization apparatus according to the first aspect described above, preferably, a hot water tank for storing hot water is further provided, and the control unit is configured to, when performing sterilization control, supply the hot water stored in the hot water tank to the sterilization tank up to a height below the lower end portion of the multiple objects to be processed that are contained in the space of the sterilization tank, and when performing preheating control, supply a smaller amount of medium-temperature water from the medium-temperature water tank to the sterilization tank than the amount of hot water supplied to the sterilization tank during sterilization control. With this configuration, the amount of medium-temperature water is even smaller than the amount of hot water, so the capacity of the medium-temperature water tank can be made even smaller than the capacity of the hot water tank, and the heat sterilization apparatus can be made even more compact by the amount by which the capacity of the medium-temperature water tank has been reduced.

[0020] In the heat sterilization apparatus according to the first aspect described above, preferably, the control unit is configured to perform heat recovery control to recover heat from multiple objects to be processed after heat sterilization by supplying a smaller amount of preheated medium-temperature water to the sterilization tank than the amount of hot water supplied to the sterilization tank during the sterilization control, after the sterilization control has been performed. With this configuration, by reducing the amount of medium-temperature water supplied to the sterilization tank during heat recovery control, the temperature rise of the medium-temperature water due to the heat obtained from each of the multiple objects to be processed after heat sterilization can be greatly increased in the case of a hot water storage type heat sterilization apparatus, so that multiple objects to be processed can be sufficiently preheated with a smaller amount of medium-temperature water. Also, in the case of a hot water storage type heat sterilization apparatus, since the temperature of the medium-temperature water is high, multiple objects to be processed with a high initial temperature (about 60°C) (for example, partially cooked objects to be processed) can also be sufficiently preheated. Similarly, in a spray type heat sterilization apparatus, by reducing the amount of medium-temperature water supplied to the sterilization tank during heat recovery control, the temperature rise of the medium-temperature water due to the heat obtained from each of the multiple objects to be processed after heat sterilization can be greatly increased, so that multiple objects to be processed can be sufficiently preheated with a smaller amount of medium-temperature water. Similarly, in spray-type heat sterilization devices, the high temperature of the medium-temperature water allows for sufficient preheating of multiple objects to be processed (for example, partially cooked objects) that have a high initial temperature (around 60°C).

[0021] In this case, preferably, the amount of medium-temperature water supplied to the sterilization tank during preheating control and the amount of medium-temperature water supplied to the sterilization tank during heat recovery control are the same. With this configuration, a medium-temperature water tank of the same capacity can be used, so preheating control and heat recovery control can be performed using a single medium-temperature water tank.

[0022] In a heat sterilization apparatus configured such that the control unit performs heat recovery control to recover heat from multiple objects to be treated after heat sterilization by supplying a smaller amount of preheated medium-temperature water to the sterilization tank after sterilization control than the amount of hot water supplied to the sterilization tank during sterilization control, preferably the apparatus further comprises a first medium-temperature water outlet that, in preheating control, discharges medium-temperature water toward multiple objects to be treated from at least one of the above and side of the multiple objects to be treated contained in the containment space of the sterilization tank, and a second medium-temperature water outlet that, in heat recovery control, discharges medium-temperature water toward multiple objects to be treated contained in the containment space of the sterilization tank, wherein at least a part of the first medium-temperature water outlet is configured to also serve as at least a part of the second medium-temperature water outlet. With this configuration, compared to the case where the first medium-temperature water outlet and the second medium-temperature water outlet are provided separately, the increase in the number of components that discharge medium-temperature water can be suppressed, thereby suppressing the increase in size and complexity of the heat sterilization apparatus caused by an increase in the number of parts such as piping.

[0023] In a heat sterilization apparatus where the control unit is configured to supply medium-temperature water until it is stored in the lower part of the sterilization tank's containment space when performing preheating control, preferably the apparatus further includes a circulation pump for circulating cooling water, hot water, and medium-temperature water to the sterilization tank, and when performing preheating control, the control unit is configured to circulate the medium-temperature water stored in the lower part of the sterilization tank's containment space using the circulation pump and supply it to multiple objects to be treated in the sterilization tank. With this configuration, by preheating multiple objects to be treated while circulating medium-temperature water, the medium-temperature water can be repeatedly applied to each of the multiple objects to be treated, thereby ensuring that the heat of the medium-temperature water is sufficiently transferred to each of the multiple objects to be treated.

[0024] When the control unit performs preheating control, it is configured to perform control to supply medium-temperature water until the medium-temperature water is stored in the lower part of the accommodation space of the sterilization tank, or in a heat sterilization apparatus configured to perform heat recovery control for recovering heat from a plurality of processing objects after heat sterilization, preferably further comprising a circulation pump for circulating each of cooling water, hot water and medium-temperature water to the sterilization tank, wherein when performing preheating control or heat recovery control, the control unit is configured to perform control to circulate the medium-temperature water stored in the lower part of the accommodation space of the sterilization tank by the circulation pump to supply it to the plurality of processing objects in the sterilization tank, and to supply at least a part of the medium-temperature water to the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank. With this configuration, not only the plurality of processing objects but also the sterilization tank can be preheated, so that the occurrence of stress caused by heat generated in the sterilization tank can be suppressed as compared with the case where the sterilization tank is heated by hot water without performing preheating with medium-temperature water. In addition, since heat can be recovered not only from the plurality of processing objects but also from the sterilization tank, the occurrence of stress caused by cooling in the sterilization tank can be suppressed as compared with the case where the sterilization tank is cooled by cooling water without performing heat recovery using medium-temperature water. Effects of the Invention

[0025] According to the present invention, as described above, in the heat sterilization apparatus using hot water, it is possible to suppress an increase in the installation space of the medium-temperature water tank for storing medium-temperature water, and to suppress an increase in thermal energy consumption. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing the hot water storage type heat sterilization apparatus of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a side view showing the branch supply part of the hot water storage type heat sterilization apparatus of the present embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of Figure 1. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of Figure 3. [Figure 5] It is a side view showing a plurality of side wall surface emission parts of the hot water storage type heat sterilization apparatus of the present embodiment from inside the sterilization tank. [Figure 6] This graph shows the change in temperature inside the sterilization tank during the heat sterilization control of the hot water storage type heat sterilization device of this embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing the medium-temperature water injection step in the preheating process of the heat sterilization control of the heat sterilization apparatus of this embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram showing the medium-temperature water circulation process in the preheating process of the heat sterilization control of the heat sterilization apparatus of this embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram showing the hot water injection step of the object heating step in the heat sterilization control of the heat sterilization apparatus of this embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram showing the heating sterilization process of the object heating step in the heating sterilization control of the heating sterilization apparatus of this embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a schematic diagram showing the medium-temperature water injection step in the medium-temperature water heat recovery step of the heat sterilization control of the heat sterilization apparatus of this embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a schematic diagram showing the medium-temperature water circulation process in the medium-temperature water heat recovery process in the heat sterilization control of the heat sterilization apparatus of this embodiment. [Figure 13] This is a schematic diagram showing the cooling water injection process in the object cooling process of the heat sterilization control of the heat sterilization apparatus of this embodiment. [Figure 14] This is a schematic diagram showing the cooling process of the object cooling process in the heat sterilization control of the heat sterilization apparatus of this embodiment. [Figure 15] This table shows the amount of steam required to produce medium-temperature water in the heat sterilization apparatus of this embodiment, the amount of steam required to sterilize the object to be treated with hot water when a medium-temperature water tank is not provided, and the amount of steam required to produce a large amount of medium-temperature water, similar to the amount required for hot water. [Figure 16] This is a flowchart illustrating the heat sterilization method using the heat sterilization apparatus of this embodiment. [Figure 17] This is a schematic diagram showing the cooling water circulation process of the object cooling process in the heat sterilization control of a heat sterilization apparatus of the first modified embodiment. [Figure 18] This is a schematic diagram showing a spray-type heat sterilization device, a second modified example of this embodiment. [Figure 19] This is a schematic diagram showing the medium-temperature water circulation process in the preheating step of the heat sterilization control of a spray-type heat sterilization apparatus, a second modified example of this embodiment. [Figure 20] This is a schematic diagram showing the heating sterilization process of the object heating step in the heating sterilization control of a spray-type heating sterilization apparatus, a second modified example of this embodiment. [Figure 21] This is a schematic diagram showing the medium-temperature water circulation process in the medium-temperature water heat recovery process in the heat sterilization control of a spray-type heat sterilization apparatus, a second modified example of this embodiment. [Figure 22] This is a schematic diagram showing the cooling process of the object cooling process in the heat sterilization control of a spray-type heat sterilization apparatus, a second modified example of this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] The following describes embodiments of the present invention based on the drawings.

[0028] The configuration of the heat sterilization apparatus 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 16.

[0029] (heat sterilizer) As shown in Figure 1, the heat sterilization apparatus 100 is a hot water storage type apparatus that heat sterilizes the food and the retort pouch Rp containing the food by heating the retort pouch Rp containing the food with hot water Hth. The retort pouch Rp containing the food is an example of the "object to be processed" in the claims.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the hot water storage type heating and sterilization device 100 includes a sterilization tank 1, an upper discharge unit 2, a side discharge unit 3 (see Figure 2), a hot water tank 4, a medium-temperature water tank 5, a circulation path 6, a circulation pump 7, a lower supply unit 8, a branch supply unit 9, a supply path 10, a recovery path 11, a pressure discharge path 12, a supply path 13, a recovery path 14, a pressure discharge path 15, a steam heating unit 16, a cooling water supply path 17, and a control unit 18. The upper discharge unit 2 is an example of the "hot water discharge unit," "first medium-temperature water discharge unit," "second medium-temperature water discharge unit," and "cooling water discharge unit" in the claims.

[0031] Here, the vertical direction is defined as the Z direction, the upward direction as the Z1 direction, and the downward direction as the Z2 direction. In the horizontal direction, the direction in which the retort pouch Rp is discharged is defined as the X1 direction, and the direction in which the retort pouch Rp is loaded is defined as the X2 direction. The direction perpendicular to the X and Z directions is defined as the Y direction, one of the Y directions is defined as the Y1 direction, and the other of the Y directions is defined as the Y2 direction.

[0032] (sterilization tank) The sterilization tank 1 is a sealed container that heat-sterilizes retort pouches Rp with hot water Hth and cools the heat-sterilized retort pouches Rp with cooling water Cw. In addition, medium-temperature water Htm is supplied to the sterilization tank 1 for preheating and heat recovery of the retort pouches Rp. Here, medium-temperature water Htm is water that is higher than the temperature of the cooling water Cw and lower than the temperature of the hot water Hth, and is generated separately from the hot water Hth. The preheating and heat recovery using medium-temperature water Htm will be explained in detail later. The sterilization tank 1 includes an loading / unloading door 1a, a tank body 1b, and a water level sensor 1c.

[0033] The loading / unloading door 1a is a door that is opened and closed by the user when loading trays Tr, on which multiple retort pouches Rp are placed, into the sterilization tank 1, and when unloading them from the sterilization tank 1. The tank body 1b is a container section that has a storage space Sp inside for housing the retort pouches Rp that are heat-sterilized by hot water Hth.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2, the containment space Sp has a storage space Sp1 and a storage space Sp2.

[0035] The storage space Sp1 is a space for storing hot water Hth when performing heat sterilization. The storage space Sp1 is a space in which hot water Hth is stored in the sterilization tank 1 until the upper end portion (the portion on the Z1 direction side) of the multiple retort pouches Rp contained in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 is submerged. The storage space Sp1 is also a space for storing cooling water Cw when performing cooling. The storage space Sp1 is a space in which cooling water Cw is stored in the sterilization tank 1 until the upper end portion (the portion on the Z1 direction side) of the multiple retort pouches Rp contained in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 is submerged.

[0036] The storage space Sp1 is the space in the containment space Sp from the lower end (the end on the Z2 side) up to a height H1. The storage space Sp1 is the space above (on the Z1 side) the top tray Tr of a multi-tiered stack of trays Tr.

[0037] The storage space Sp2 is a space for storing medium-temperature water Htm during preheating and heat recovery. The storage space Sp2 is a space for storing medium-temperature water Htm in the sterilization tank 1 until it is stored in the lower part (Z2 direction side portion) of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1. Specifically, the storage space Sp2 is a space for storing medium-temperature water Htm up to a height H2 below the lower end portion of the retort pouch Rp among the multiple retort pouches Rp (Z2 direction side).

[0038] The storage space Sp2 is the space in the containment space Sp from the lower end (the end on the Z2 side) up to a height H2. The storage space Sp2 is the space below (on the Z2 side) the bottom tray Tr of a multi-tiered stack of trays Tr.

[0039] Thus, the storage space Sp2 in this embodiment is smaller than the storage space Sp1.

[0040] The water level sensor 1c is a sensor for measuring the water levels of the hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, and cooling water Cw stored in the sterilization tank 1.

[0041] (Upper output part) As shown in Figure 2, the upper discharge unit 2 is configured to discharge hot water Hth into the sterilization tank 1 during sterilization control. Specifically, the upper discharge unit 2 is configured to discharge hot water Hth, which has been circulated by the circulation pump 7, into the containment space Sp within the sterilization tank 1.

[0042] The upper discharge unit 2 is configured to discharge medium-temperature water Htm from above towards multiple retort pouches Rp housed in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 during preheating control. Furthermore, the upper discharge unit 2 is configured to discharge medium-temperature water Htm from above towards multiple retort pouches Rp housed in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 during heat recovery control. In other words, the upper discharge unit 2 is configured to discharge medium-temperature water Htm circulated by the circulation pump 7 from above (towards the Z1 direction) towards multiple retort pouches Rp housed in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1.

[0043] Furthermore, the upper discharge unit 2 is configured to discharge cooling water Cw into the sterilization tank 1 in the cooling control. Specifically, the upper discharge unit 2 is configured to discharge the cooling water Cw, which has been circulated by the circulation pump 7, into the containment space Sp within the sterilization tank 1.

[0044] Thus, the upper discharge unit 2 of this embodiment is configured to serve both as a device for discharging hot water Hth in sterilization control and as a device for discharging medium-temperature water Htm in preheating control. The upper discharge unit 2 is configured to serve both as a device for discharging medium-temperature water Htm in preheating control and as a device for discharging medium-temperature water Htm in heat recovery control. The upper discharge unit 2 is configured to serve both as a device for discharging hot water Hth in sterilization control and as a device for discharging cooling water Cw in cooling control. Furthermore, the upper discharge unit 2 is configured to serve both as a device for discharging medium-temperature water Htm in preheating control and as a device for discharging cooling water Cw in cooling control.

[0045] As shown in Figure 3, the upper discharge section 2 includes a first discharge section 21 and a second discharge section 22.

[0046] The first outlet section 21 is configured to temporarily retain a portion of the hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw supplied from the branch supply section 9, while simultaneously allowing a portion of the hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw to flow out to the second outlet section 22 and to be ejected to the upper wall surface 1e. The first outlet section 21 has an outlet plate 21a, a lid 21b, and a baffle plate 21c. The upper wall surface 1e is an example of the "inner wall surface of the sterilization tank" as defined in the claims.

[0047] The outlet plate 21a is configured to allow hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw supplied from the branch supply unit 9 to flow out to the second outlet unit 22. Multiple outlet holes 21d are formed in the outlet plate 21a. The flow rate of hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw flowing out from the outlet plate 21a is such that a portion of the hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw supplied from the branch supply unit 9 is temporarily retained in the first outlet unit 21 while a portion of the hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw flows out to the second outlet unit 22.

[0048] The lid portion 21b is a plate-shaped member that covers the outlet plate 21a. The lid portion 21b covers the outlet plate 21a, thereby forming a retention space Sr1. The lid portion 21b has a plurality of outlet holes through which a portion of the hot water Hth, a portion of the medium-temperature water Htm, and a portion of the cooling water Cw are discharged. The plurality of outlet holes are holes for discharging a portion of the hot water Hth, a portion of the medium-temperature water Htm, and a portion of the cooling water Cw onto the upper wall surface 1e of the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1. Thus, the lid portion 21b is also an upper wall surface discharge portion 211b that discharges a portion of the hot water Hth, a portion of the medium-temperature water Htm, and a portion of the cooling water Cw onto the upper wall surface 1e of the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1. That is, the upper wall surface discharge portion 211b is composed of a lid portion 21b with a plurality of outlet holes through which a portion of the hot water Hth, a portion of the medium-temperature water Htm, and a portion of the cooling water Cw are discharged. The baffle plate 21c is a plate-shaped member that disperses and allows the hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw supplied from the branch supply unit 9 to flow downward.

[0049] As shown in Figure 4, two first outflow sections 21 are provided in the X direction. Note that one or more first outflow sections may be provided.

[0050] As shown in Figure 3, the second outlet section 22 is configured to temporarily retain a portion of the hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw that has flowed out from the first outlet section 21, while allowing a portion of the hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw to flow out above the multiple retort pouches Rp (towards the Z1 direction). The second outlet section 22 has an outlet plate 22a and a lid section 22b.

[0051] The outlet plate 22a is configured to allow hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw that has flowed out from the first outlet section 21 to flow towards multiple retort pouches Rp. Multiple outlet holes 22c are formed in the outlet plate 22a. The flow rate of hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw flowing out from the outlet plate 22a is such that a portion of the hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw supplied from the first outlet section 21 is temporarily retained in the second outlet section 22, while a portion of the hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw flows out above the multiple retort pouches Rp. The lid 22b is a plate-shaped member that covers the outlet plate 22a. The lid 22b covers the outlet plate 22a, forming a retention space Sr2.

[0052] The upward discharge section 2, configured in this way, is attached to the sterilization tank 1 by fastening members such as bolts.

[0053] (Side emission part) As shown in Figure 2, the lateral discharge unit 3 is configured to discharge hot water Hth into the sterilization tank 1 during sterilization control. Specifically, the lateral discharge unit 3 is configured to discharge hot water Hth, circulated by the circulation pump 7, into the containment space Sp within the sterilization tank 1. Furthermore, the lateral discharge unit 3 is configured to discharge medium-temperature water Htm toward the side wall surfaces 1f and 1g of the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1 during preheating control and heat recovery control, respectively. The lateral discharge unit 3 is configured to discharge cooling water Cw into the sterilization tank 1 during cooling control. Specifically, the lateral discharge unit 3 is configured to discharge cooling water Cw, circulated by the circulation pump 7, into the containment space Sp within the sterilization tank 1. Note that the side wall surfaces 1f and 1g of the sterilization tank 1 are examples of the "inner wall surface of the sterilization tank" in the claims.

[0054] Thus, the lateral discharge unit 3 of this embodiment is configured to serve both as a device for discharging hot water Hth in sterilization control and as a device for discharging medium-temperature water Htm in preheating control. The lateral discharge unit 3 is configured to serve both as a device for discharging medium-temperature water Htm in preheating control and as a device for discharging medium-temperature water Htm in heat recovery control. The lateral discharge unit 3 is configured to serve both as a device for discharging hot water Hth in sterilization control and as a device for discharging cooling water Cw in cooling control.

[0055] As shown in Figure 2, the lateral discharge section 3 includes a first outlet section 31, a second outlet section 32, a first baffle plate 33, a second baffle plate 34, a side wall surface discharge section 35, and a side wall surface discharge section 36. Note that the first outlet section 31 and the second outlet section 32 are examples of the "hot water discharge section" as defined in the claims.

[0056] The first outlet section 31 is configured to allow hot water Hth or cooling water Cw supplied from the branch supply section 9 to flow into the space between the first baffle plate 33 and the side wall surface 1f of the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1. Here, the first baffle plate 33 has a plurality of outlet holes. The flow rate of the hot water Hth or cooling water Cw flowing out from the plurality of outlet holes is an amount that allows a portion of the hot water Hth or cooling water Cw flowing out from the first outlet section 31 to be temporarily retained in the space between the first baffle plate 33 and the side wall surface 1f of the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1. The temporarily retained hot water Hth or cooling water Cw then flows out from the plurality of outlet holes of the first baffle plate 33. As a result, the hot water Hth or cooling water Cw is injected into a plurality of retort pouches Rp.

[0057] The second outlet section 32 is configured to allow hot water Hth or cooling water Cw supplied from the branch supply section 9 to flow into the space between the second baffle plate 34 and the side wall surface 1g of the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1. Here, the second baffle plate 34 has a plurality of outlet holes. The flow rate of the hot water Hth or cooling water Cw flowing out from the plurality of outlet holes is an amount that allows a portion of the hot water Hth or cooling water Cw flowing out from the second outlet section 32 to be temporarily retained in the space between the second baffle plate 34 and the side wall surface 1g of the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1. The temporarily retained hot water Hth or cooling water Cw then flows out from the plurality of outlet holes of the second baffle plate 34. As a result, the hot water Hth or cooling water Cw is injected into a plurality of retort pouches Rp.

[0058] The side wall discharge section 35 is configured to discharge a portion of the hot water Hth, a portion of the medium-temperature water Htm, and a portion of the cooling water Cw laterally (towards the Y1 direction) toward the side wall surface 1f of the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1. The side wall discharge section 35 is composed of piping with a plurality of discharge holes. The plurality of discharge holes include discharge holes that discharge diagonally upward and discharge holes that discharge diagonally downward. The discharge holes that discharge diagonally upward and the discharge holes that discharge diagonally downward are arranged alternately in the X direction. The side wall discharge section 35 may also be composed of a spray nozzle that sprays a portion of the hot water Hth, a portion of the medium-temperature water Htm, and a portion of the cooling water Cw laterally (towards the Y1 direction) toward the side wall surface 1f of the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1. The spray nozzle is configured to be able to spray diagonally downward and diagonally upward, similar to the discharge holes described above.

[0059] The side wall discharge section 36 is configured to discharge a portion of the hot water Hth, a portion of the medium-temperature water Htm, and a portion of the cooling water Cw laterally (towards the Y2 direction) toward the side wall surface 1g of the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1. The side wall discharge section 36 is composed of piping with a plurality of discharge holes. The plurality of discharge holes include discharge holes that discharge diagonally upward and discharge holes that discharge diagonally downward. The discharge holes that discharge diagonally upward and the discharge holes that discharge diagonally downward are arranged alternately in the X direction. The side wall discharge section 36 may also be composed of a spray nozzle that sprays a portion of the hot water Hth, a portion of the medium-temperature water Htm, and a portion of the cooling water Cw laterally (towards the Y1 direction) toward the side wall surface 1g of the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1. The spray nozzle is configured to be able to spray diagonally downward and diagonally upward, similar to the discharge holes described above.

[0060] The side discharge section 3, configured in this way, is attached to the sterilization tank 1 by fastening members such as bolts.

[0061] (hot water tank) As shown in Figure 1, the hot water tank 4 is a tank that recovers and stores the hot water Hth, which is the high-temperature fluid after heat sterilization stored in the sterilization tank 1. The hot water tank 4 has a hot water storage space that can store hot water Hth with a capacity equal to the sum of the capacity of the storage space Sp1, the capacity of the circulation path 6, and the capacity of the supply path 10. The hot water tank 4 includes a heating unit 41, a water level sensor 42, and a temperature sensor 43. The heating unit 41 is connected to the steam supply source 200 via a control valve Va1. The heating unit 41 is configured to heat the water in the hot water tank 4 with steam supplied from the steam supply source 200. The water level sensor 42 is a sensor for measuring the water level of the hot water Hth stored in the hot water storage space. The temperature sensor 43 is a sensor for measuring the temperature of the hot water Hth in the hot water tank 4.

[0062] (Medium-temperature water tank) The medium-temperature water tank 5 is a tank that recovers and stores the medium-temperature water Htm stored in the sterilization tank 1 after preheating and after heat recovery. The medium-temperature water tank 5 has a medium-temperature water storage space that can store medium-temperature water Htm with a capacity equal to the combined capacity of the storage space Sp2, the circulation path 6, and the supply path 13. The medium-temperature water tank 5 includes a heating unit 51, a water level sensor 52, and a temperature sensor 53. The heating unit 51 is connected to the steam supply source 200 via a control valve Va2. The heating unit 51 is configured to heat the water in the medium-temperature water tank 5 with steam supplied from the steam supply source 200. The water level sensor 52 is a sensor for measuring the water level of the medium-temperature water Htm stored in the medium-temperature water storage space. The temperature sensor 53 is a sensor for measuring the temperature of the medium-temperature water Htm in the medium-temperature water tank 5.

[0063] Such a medium-temperature water bath 5 is a smaller container than the hot water bath 4. The capacity of the medium-temperature water bath 5 is smaller than the capacity of the hot water bath 4. Therefore, the amount of medium-temperature water Htm is less than the amount of hot water Hth.

[0064] (Circulation pathway and circulation pump) As shown in Figure 1, the circulation path 6 is a path that returns the cooling water Cw, hot water Hth, and medium-temperature water Htm discharged from the sterilization tank 1 back into the sterilization tank 1 via the circulation pump 7. The circulation path 6 is equipped with a temperature sensor Se1, a circulation pump 7, a steam heating unit 16, a flow path switching valve Va3, and a flow path switching valve Va4. The circulation path 6 is formed by opening the flow path switching valves Va3 and Va4, and closing the flow path switching valves Va5, Va6, and Va8.

[0065] The circulation pump 7 is a pump that discharges the cooling water Cw, hot water Hth, and medium-temperature water Htm from the sterilization tank 1 and circulates them back to the sterilization tank 1. The circulation pump 7 is also a pump that returns the hot water Hth discharged from the sterilization tank 1 to the hot water tank 4. The circulation pump 7 is also a pump that returns the medium-temperature water Htm discharged from the sterilization tank 1 to the medium-temperature water tank 5.

[0066] (Lower supply section) As shown in Figure 1, the lower supply unit 8 is configured to supply hot water Hth flowing from the hot water tank 4 via the supply path 10 from the lower supply unit 8 at the lower end (the end on the Z2 direction side) of the sterilization tank 1. Here, the supply path 10 is formed by opening the flow path switching valves Va7 and Va5, and closing the flow path switching valves Va3, Va4, Va6 and control valve Va11. At this time, the hot water tank 4 and the sterilization tank 1 are in communication via the pressure discharge passage 12.

[0067] Furthermore, the lower supply unit 8 is configured to supply medium-temperature water Htm flowing from the medium-temperature water tank 5 via the supply path 13 from the lower end (the end on the Z2 direction side) of the sterilization tank 1. Here, the supply path 13 is formed by opening the flow path switching valves Va5 and Va9, and closing the flow path switching valves Va3, Va4, Va6, Va7, Va8 and control valve Va11. At this time, the medium-temperature water tank 5 and the sterilization tank 1 are in communication via the pressure discharge passage 15.

[0068] Furthermore, the lower supply unit 8 is configured to recover hot water Hth from the sterilization tank 1 to the hot water tank 4 via the recovery path 11. Here, the recovery path 11 is formed by opening the flow path switching valves Va3 and Va6, and closing the flow path switching valves Va4, Va5, Va7, Va8, and control valve Va11. At this time, the hot water tank 4 and the sterilization tank 1 are in communication via the pressure discharge passage 12.

[0069] Furthermore, the lower supply unit 8 is configured to recover medium-temperature water Htm from the sterilization tank 1 to the medium-temperature water tank 5 via the recovery path 14. Here, the recovery path 14 is formed by opening the flow path switching valves Va3 and Va8, and closing the flow path switching valves Va4, Va5, Va6, Va7, Va9, and control valve Va11. At this time, the medium-temperature water tank 5 and the sterilization tank 1 are in communication via the pressure discharge passage 15.

[0070] (Branching and supply section) As shown in Figure 2, the branch supply unit 9 is configured to branch the hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, and cooling water Cw that have flowed through the circulation path 6 toward the upper discharge unit 2 and the side discharge unit 3. The branch supply unit 9 includes a circulation path connection unit 90, branch path 91, branch path 92, discharge path 93, discharge path 94, branch path 95, branch path 96, and branch path 97.

[0071] The circulation path connection section 90 is the connection point between the branch supply section 9 and the circulation path 6.

[0072] The branching path 91 is a path for supplying hot water Hth or cooling water Cw to the sterilization tank 1 from the Y1 direction side. The branching path 91 is formed by opening the flow path switching valves Va91 and Va94, and closing the flow path switching valves Va92 and Va93. At this time, the hot water Hth or cooling water Cw is discharged to the circulation path 6 via the discharge path 94 and the lower supply section 8.

[0073] The branching path 92 is a path for supplying hot water Hth or cooling water Cw to the sterilization tank 1 from the Y2 direction side. The branching path 92 is formed by opening the flow path switching valves Va92 and Va93, and closing the flow path switching valves Va91 and Va94. At this time, the hot water Hth or cooling water Cw is discharged to the circulation path 6 via the discharge path 93.

[0074] The branching path 95 is a path for supplying hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw to the first outlet 21 of the upper discharge section 2. In this case, the hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw is discharged to the circulation path 6 via the sterilization tank 1. The branching path 95 is formed by closing the flow path switching valves Va91, Va92, Va93, and Va94 when circulating hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw. In this case, the medium-temperature water Htm is discharged to the circulation path 6 via the sterilization tank 1.

[0075] The branching path 96 is a path for supplying hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw to the side wall surface outlet 35 of the side outlet 3. The branching path 96 is formed by closing the flow path switching valves Va91, Va92, Va93, and Va94. At this time, the hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw is discharged to the circulation path 6 via the sterilization tank 1. The branching path 97 is a path for supplying hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw to the side wall surface outlet 36 of the side outlet 3. The branching path 97 is formed by closing the flow path switching valves Va91, Va92, Va93, and Va94. At this time, hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, or cooling water Cw are discharged into the circulation path 6 via the sterilization tank 1.

[0076] (Steam heating section and cooling water supply path) As shown in Figure 1, the steam heating unit 16 is configured to heat the hot water Hth by supplying steam to the hot water Hth while circulating the hot water Hth with a circulation pump 7. The steam heating unit 16 is connected to the steam supply source 200 via a control valve Va 10.

[0077] The cooling water supply path 17 is a path that supplies cooling water Cw supplied from the cooling water source 300 to the sterilization tank 1 by the cooling water pump 301 via the control valve Va11. The cooling water supply path 17 is formed by opening the flow path switching valve Va5 and the control valve Va11, and closing the flow path switching valves Va3, Va4, Va6, Va7, and Va8.

[0078] Although not shown in the diagram, the heating and sterilization apparatus 100 is provided with a discharge path for discharging hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, and cooling water Cw.

[0079] (Control Unit) As shown in Figure 1, the control unit 18 is configured to control the heat sterilization device 100. The control unit 18 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage unit such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) or HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit stores a heat sterilization program that controls the loading and unloading of retort pouches Rp in the heat sterilization device 100, as well as the heating, cooling, preheating, and heat recovery of the retort pouches Rp.

[0080] The control unit 18 is electrically connected to the water level sensor 1c, water level sensor 42, temperature sensor 43, water level sensor 52, temperature sensor 53, circulation pump 7, control valve Va1, control valve Va2, flow path switching valve Va3, flow path switching valve Va4, flow path switching valve Va5, flow path switching valve Va6, flow path switching valve Va7, flow path switching valve Va8, flow path switching valve Va9, control valve Va10, control valve Va11, and cooling water pump 301. The control unit 18 is also electrically connected to the flow path switching valves Va91, Va92, Va93, and Va94. In addition to the sensors mentioned above, the control unit 18 is also electrically connected to flow measurement sensors and pressure sensors, etc.

[0081] The control unit 18 controls the loading and unloading of the retort pouch Rp, as well as the heating, sterilization, cooling, preheating, and heat recovery of the retort pouch Rp, based on the necessary measurement information from various sensors.

[0082] (Overview of heat sterilization control) As shown in Figure 6, the heat sterilization control of the heat sterilization apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes a preheating step, a target object heating step, a hot water recovery step, a medium-temperature water heat recovery step, and a target object cooling step as a series of processes. In the heat sterilization control, the heat sterilization control including the above series of processes is performed multiple times.

[0083] Specifically, a preheating process is performed before the heating of the target material, in which a low-temperature sterilization tank 1 and multiple retort pouches Rp are heated. In the heat sterilization control, after heat sterilization is performed in the first heat sterilization control, heat is recovered from the high-temperature sterilization tank 1 and multiple retort pouches Rp in the medium-temperature water heat recovery process, raising the temperature of the medium-temperature water Htm to approximately 90°C. This medium-temperature water Htm is then used for preheating in the second heat sterilization control, lowering the temperature of the medium-temperature water Htm from approximately 90°C to approximately 50°C. The heat recovered in the second heat sterilization control is then used for preheating in the third, and this process of heat recovery is repeated in subsequent heat sterilization control cycles.

[0084] (Details of the heat sterilization control in this embodiment) The details of the heat sterilization control will be explained below with reference to Figures 6 to 14.

[0085] As shown in Figure 6, the heat sterilization control is a control that sequentially performs the following steps: loading process, preheating process (preheating control), object heating process (sterilization control), hot water recovery process (hot water recovery control), medium-temperature water heat recovery process (heat recovery control), object cooling process (cooling control), and unloading process. The preheating process includes the medium-temperature water injection process, the medium-temperature water circulation process, and the medium-temperature water recovery process. The object heating process includes the hot water injection process, the temperature rise process, and the heat sterilization process. The medium-temperature water heat recovery process includes the medium-temperature water injection process, the medium-temperature water circulation process, and the medium-temperature water recovery process. The object cooling process includes the cooling water injection process, the cooling process, and the cooling water recovery process.

[0086] <Preparation of hot and medium-temperature water> First, prior to the delivery process, the hot water Hth and medium-temperature water Htm are prepared in advance.

[0087] The control unit 18 controls the preparation of high-temperature (approximately 120°C) hot water Hth by heating the cooling water Cw supplied from the cooling water source 300 to the hot water tank 4 with steam supplied from the steam supply source 200. The control unit 18 also controls the preparation of medium-temperature (approximately 90°C) hot water Hth by heating the cooling water Cw supplied from the cooling water source 300 to the medium-temperature water tank 5 with steam supplied from the steam supply source 200.

[0088] <Delivery process> After preparing the medium-temperature water Htm and hot water Hth, the loading process takes place. In the loading process, trays Tr, each containing multiple retort pouches Rp, are stacked in multiple layers and loaded into the sterilization tank 1 by the user.

[0089] <Preheating process> As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the control unit 18 controls the preheating of the sterilization tank 1 and the retort pouch Rp using medium-temperature water Htm supplied from the medium-temperature water tank 5 before the retort pouch Rp is heat-sterilized by hot water Hth.

[0090] As shown in Figure 7, the control unit 18 controls the circulation pump 7 to inject the medium-temperature water Htm in the medium-temperature water tank 5 into the sterilization tank 1 from the lower supply unit 8 via the supply path 13 (medium-temperature water injection process (see Figure 6)). When the control unit 18 supplies medium-temperature water Htm to the sterilization tank 1 to perform a preheating process for multiple retort pouches Rp, it supplies a smaller amount of medium-temperature water Htm to the sterilization tank 1 than the amount of hot water Hth supplied to the sterilization tank 1 during the object heating process to perform the preheating process.

[0091] In other words, when the preheating process is performed, the control unit 18 controls the supply of medium-temperature water Htm until it is stored in the lower part of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1. When the preheating process is performed, the control unit 18 controls the supply of medium-temperature water Htm to the lower part of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 up to a height H2 below the lower end of the retort pouch Rp among the multiple retort pouches Rp, and stores it there. As a result, medium-temperature water Htm is stored in the storage space Sp2.

[0092] As shown in Figure 8, when performing the preheating process, the control unit 18 controls the circulation of the medium-temperature water Htm stored in the lower part of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 by the circulation pump 7 and supplies it to the multiple retort pouches Rp in the sterilization tank 1. That is, based on the fact that the medium-temperature water Htm has been stored up to a height H2, the control unit 18 controls the injection of the medium-temperature water Htm from above (towards the Z1 direction) to the multiple retort pouches Rp by the second outlet 22 of the upper injection unit 2.

[0093] Furthermore, when performing the preheating process, the control unit 18 circulates the medium-temperature water Htm stored in the lower part of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 using the circulation pump 7 and supplies it to the multiple retort pouches Rp in the sterilization tank 1, and also controls the supply of at least a portion of the medium-temperature water Htm to the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1. Specifically, based on the fact that the medium-temperature water Htm has been stored up to a height H2, the control unit 18 controls the ejection of the medium-temperature water Htm from the upper wall surface ejection unit 211b toward the upper wall surface 1e of the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1. Also, based on the fact that the medium-temperature water Htm has been stored up to a height H2, the control unit 18 controls the ejection of the medium-temperature water Htm from the side wall surface ejection unit 35 toward the side wall surface 1f of the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1. Furthermore, based on the fact that the medium-temperature water Htm has been stored up to a height H2, the control unit 18 controls the ejection of the medium-temperature water Htm by the side wall ejection unit 36 ​​toward the side wall surface 1g of the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1.

[0094] In this preheating process, the temperature of the medium-temperature water Htm is reduced to the preheated temperature (approximately 50°C) by applying heat to the sterilization tank 1 and the retort pouch Rp.

[0095] The control unit 18 circulates the medium-temperature water Htm for a predetermined time, and then controls the recovery of the preheated medium-temperature water Htm in the sterilization tank 1 via the recovery path 14 into the medium-temperature water tank 5 for storage.

[0096] <Target object heating process> As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the control unit 18 performs control to heat-sterilize the retort pouch Rp using hot water Hth supplied from the hot water tank 4 after preheating the retort pouch Rp with medium-temperature water Htm.

[0097] As shown in Figure 9, the control unit 18 performs a heating process to sterilize the multiple retort pouches Rp by supplying hot water Hth to the sterilization tank 1 until the upper portion of the retort pouches Rp contained in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 is submerged.

[0098] The control unit 18 controls the circulation pump 7 to inject hot water Hth from the sterilization tank 1 into the sterilization tank 1 from the lower supply unit 8 via the supply path 10 (hot water injection process (see Figure 6)). When the control unit 18 supplies hot water Hth to the sterilization tank 1 to perform the object heating process for multiple retort pouches Rp, it supplies a larger amount of hot water Hth to the sterilization tank 1 than the amount of medium-temperature water Htm supplied to the sterilization tank 1 during the preheating process to perform the object heating process.

[0099] In other words, when the object heating process is performed, the control unit 18 controls the supply and storage of hot water Hth up to a height H1 such that the upper portion of the retort pouches Rp among the multiple retort pouches Rp contained in the storage space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 is submerged. As a result, hot water Hth is stored in the storage space Sp1.

[0100] As shown in Figure 10, the control unit 18 circulates the hot water Hth to the sterilization tank 1 via the circulation path 6 using the circulation pump 7, and supplies steam in the steam heating unit 16 to raise the temperature of the hot water Hth to the sterilization temperature Tst (for example, higher than approximately 120°C) (heating process (see Figure 6)). Note that the sterilization temperature Tst being higher than approximately 120°C is merely an example and will vary depending on the type of object to be sterilized.

[0101] Furthermore, the control unit 18 raises the temperature of the hot water Hth to the heat sterilization temperature Tst, and then, using the circulation pump 7, it circulates the hot water Hth to the sterilization tank 1 via the circulation path 6 while maintaining the temperature of the hot water Hth at the heat sterilization temperature Tst by supplying steam from the steam heating unit 16 (heat sterilization process (see Figure 6)).

[0102] Thus, when the object heating process is performed, the control unit 18 controls the circulation of the hot water Hth stored in the storage space Sp1 of the sterilization tank 1 by the circulation pump 7 and supplies it to multiple retort pouches Rp in the sterilization tank 1. Specifically, based on the fact that the hot water Hth has been stored up to a height H1, the control unit 18 controls the discharge of the hot water Hth into the sterilization tank 1 by the second discharge section 22 of the upper discharge section 22, the upper side wall discharge section 211b, the first discharge section 31, the second discharge section 32, the side wall discharge section 35, and the side wall discharge section 36 of the upper discharge section 2. Here, the control unit 18 performs control to switch between two states at regular intervals: one that discharges hot water Hth from the second outlet 22, upper side wall outlet 211b, first outlet 31, side wall outlet 35, and side wall outlet 36 of the upper outlet 2, and another that discharges hot water Hth from the second outlet 22, upper side wall outlet 211b, second outlet 32, side wall outlet 35, and side wall outlet 36 of the upper outlet 2. For the sake of explanation, Figure 10 only shows the state in which hot water Hth is being discharged from the second outlet 22, upper side wall outlet 211b, first outlet 31, side wall outlet 35, and side wall outlet 36 of the upper outlet 2.

[0103] <Hot water recovery process> The control unit 18 circulates the hot water Hth for a predetermined time, and then controls the recovery of the hot water Hth in the sterilization tank 1 after heat sterilization via the recovery path 11 into the hot water tank 4 for storage.

[0104] <Medium-temperature hydrothermal recovery process> As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the control unit 18 controls the recovery of heat from the sterilization tank 1 and the retort pouch Rp using medium-temperature water Htm supplied from the medium-temperature water tank 5 after the retort pouch Rp has been heat-sterilized by hot water Hth.

[0105] As shown in Figure 11, the control unit 18 controls the circulation pump 7 to inject the medium-temperature water Htm in the medium-temperature water tank 5 into the sterilization tank 1 from the lower supply unit 8 via the supply path 13 (medium-temperature water injection process (see Figure 6)). When the control unit 18 supplies medium-temperature water Htm to the sterilization tank 1 to perform a medium-temperature water heat recovery process for multiple retort pouches Rp, it supplies a smaller amount of medium-temperature water Htm to the sterilization tank 1 than the amount of hot water Hth supplied to the sterilization tank 1 during the object heating process to perform a preheating process.

[0106] In other words, when performing the medium-temperature water heat recovery process, the control unit 18 controls the supply of medium-temperature water Htm until it is stored in the lower part of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1. When performing the medium-temperature water heat recovery process, the control unit 18 controls the supply of medium-temperature water Htm to a height H2 below the lower end of the retort pouch Rp among the multiple retort pouches Rp in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1, and stores it there. As a result, medium-temperature water Htm is stored in the storage space Sp2.

[0107] As shown in Figure 12, when performing the medium-temperature water heat recovery process, the control unit 18 controls the circulation of the medium-temperature water Htm stored in the lower part of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 by the circulation pump 7 and supplies it to the multiple retort pouches Rp in the sterilization tank 1. That is, based on the fact that the medium-temperature water Htm has been stored up to a height H2, the control unit 18 controls the discharge of the medium-temperature water Htm from above (towards the Z1 direction) to the multiple retort pouches Rp by the second discharge section 22 of the upper discharge section 2.

[0108] Furthermore, when performing the medium-temperature water heat recovery process, the control unit 18 circulates the medium-temperature water Htm stored in the lower part of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 using the circulation pump 7 and supplies it to multiple retort pouches Rp in the sterilization tank 1, and also controls the supply of at least a portion of the medium-temperature water Htm to the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1. Specifically, based on the fact that the medium-temperature water Htm has been stored up to a height H2, the control unit 18 controls the ejection of the medium-temperature water Htm from the upper wall surface ejection unit 211b toward the upper wall surface 1e of the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1. Also, based on the fact that the medium-temperature water Htm has been stored up to a height H2, the control unit 18 controls the ejection of the medium-temperature water Htm from the side wall surface ejection unit 35 toward the side wall surface 1f of the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1. Furthermore, based on the fact that the medium-temperature water Htm has been stored up to a height H2, the control unit 18 controls the ejection of the medium-temperature water Htm by the side wall ejection unit 36 ​​toward the side wall surface 1g of the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1.

[0109] In the medium-temperature water heat recovery process, the temperature of the medium-temperature water Htm rises to the post-heat recovery temperature (approximately 90°C) due to the recovery of heat from the sterilization tank 1 and the retort pouch Rp.

[0110] The control unit 18 circulates the medium-temperature water Htm for a predetermined time, and then recovers the heat-recovered medium-temperature water Htm in the sterilization tank 1 via the recovery path 14 and stores it in the medium-temperature water tank 5.

[0111] <Object Cooling Process> As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the control unit 18 performs a cooling process to cool the retort pouch Rp and the sterilization tank 1 using cooling water Cw supplied from the cooling water source 300 (see Figure 1) after heat recovery from the retort pouch Rp using medium-temperature water Htm.

[0112] As shown in Figure 13, the control unit 18 performs a cooling process for the objects by supplying cooling water Cw to the sterilization tank 1 until the upper portion of the retort pouches Rp, which are housed in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1, is submerged.

[0113] The control unit 18 controls the injection of cooling water Cw from the cooling water source 300 into the sterilization tank 1 via the cooling water supply path 17 through the lower supply unit 8 using the cooling water pump 301 (cooling water injection process (see Figure 6)). When the control unit 18 supplies cooling water Cw to the sterilization tank 1 to perform the object cooling process for multiple retort pouches Rp, it supplies a larger amount of cooling water Cw to the sterilization tank 1 than the amount of medium-temperature water Htm supplied to the sterilization tank 1 during the preheating process to perform the object cooling process.

[0114] In other words, when the object cooling process is performed, the control unit 18 controls the supply and storage of cooling water Cw up to a height H1 such that the upper portion of the retort pouches Rp of the multiple retort pouches Rp housed in the storage space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 is submerged. As a result, cooling water Cw is stored in the storage space Sp1.

[0115] As shown in Figure 14, the control unit 18, based on the fact that the cooling water Cw has been stored up to a height H1, controls the circulation pump 7 to circulate the cooling water Cw to the sterilization tank 1 via the circulation path 6, thereby cooling the multiple retort pouches Rp (cooling process (see Figure 6)).

[0116] Thus, when performing the object cooling process, the control unit 18 controls the circulation of the cooling water Cw stored in the storage space Sp1 of the sterilization tank 1 by the circulation pump 7 and supplies it to multiple retort pouches Rp in the sterilization tank 1. Specifically, based on the fact that the cooling water Cw has been stored up to a height H1, the control unit 18 controls the discharge of the cooling water Cw into the sterilization tank 1 by the second discharge section 22 of the upper discharge section 22, the upper side wall discharge section 211b, the first discharge section 31, the second discharge section 32, the side wall discharge section 35, and the side wall discharge section 36 of the upper discharge section 2. Here, the control unit 18 performs control to switch between two states at regular intervals: one that discharges cooling water Cw through the second outlet 22, upper side wall outlet 211b, first outlet 31, side wall outlet 35, and side wall outlet 36 of the upper outlet 2, and another that discharges cooling water Cw through the second outlet 22, upper side wall outlet 211b, second outlet 32, side wall outlet 35, and side wall outlet 36 of the upper outlet 2. For the sake of explanation, Figure 14 only shows the state in which cooling water Cw is discharged through the first outlet 21 and first outlet 31 of the upper outlet 2.

[0117] The control unit 18 circulates the cooling water Cw for a predetermined time, and then controls the discharge of the cooling water Cw from the sterilization tank 1 after cooling.

[0118] <Export process> In the unloading process, multiple cooled retort pouches Rp are unloaded from the sterilization tank 1 by the user.

[0119] Then, the following heat sterilization control is performed on multiple retort pouches Rp. At this time, the control unit 18 performs a preheating step to preheat the sterilization tank 1 using the medium-temperature water Htm that has been heated during the medium-temperature water heat recovery step (heat recovery control) and stored in the medium-temperature water tank 5, before heating the retort pouches Rp with hot water Hth.

[0120] Thus, when performing the object heating process, the control unit 18 controls the supply of hot water Hth stored in the hot water tank 4 to the sterilization tank 1 until the upper portion of the retort pouches Rp contained in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 is submerged. Furthermore, when performing the preheating process, the control unit 18 controls the supply of a smaller amount of medium-temperature water Htm from the medium-temperature water tank 5 to the sterilization tank 1 than the amount of hot water Hth supplied to the sterilization tank 1 during the object heating process.

[0121] (Amounts of hot water, medium-temperature water, and cooling water) Here, the amount of medium-temperature water Htm supplied to the sterilization tank 1 in the preheating process is the same as the amount of medium-temperature water Htm supplied to the sterilization tank 1 in the medium-temperature water heat recovery process. Also, the amount of hot water Hth supplied to the sterilization tank 1 in the object heating process is the same as the amount of cooling water Cw supplied to the sterilization tank 1 in the object cooling control process. Furthermore, the amount of medium-temperature water Htm supplied to the sterilization tank 1 in the preheating process is less than the amount of hot water Hth supplied to the sterilization tank 1 in the object heating process. Similarly, the amount of medium-temperature water Htm supplied to the sterilization tank 1 in the preheating process is less than the amount of cooling water Cw supplied to the sterilization tank 1 in the object cooling control process.

[0122] (Effect of reducing steam volume) Here, with reference to Figure 15, the steam reduction effect of the heat sterilization apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be explained. In explaining the steam reduction effect, the amount of steam is calculated for the case where 1560 bags of multiple retort pouches Rp are contained in the sterilization tank 1, each of the multiple retort pouches Rp is 200 [g], and the amount of water [L] supplied to the sterilization tank 1 is 1850 [L].

[0123] The upper section of Figure 15, labeled "Medium-temperature water (Condition A)," shows the amount of steam [kg] required to produce the same amount of medium-temperature water Htm as hot water Hth.

[0124] Specifically, 1850 liters of 20°C water are supplied into the medium-temperature water bath 5. Then, the water temperature is raised to 90°C by supplying steam from the heating unit 51. The amount of steam required for this process has been calculated. That amount of steam is 254 kg. In addition, the amount of steam reduced in the object heating process using medium-temperature water Htm under these conditions A is 30 kg.

[0125] The "Intermediate Temperature Water (Condition B)" section in the lower part of Figure 15 shows the amount of steam [kg] required to produce a smaller quantity of intermediate temperature water Htm than that of hot water Hth.

[0126] Specifically, 280 liters of 20°C water are supplied into the medium-temperature water bath 5. Then, the water temperature is raised to 90°C by supplying steam from the heating unit 51. The amount of steam required for this process has been calculated. That amount of steam is 39 kg. In addition, the amount of steam reduced in the object heating process using medium-temperature water Htm under these conditions B is 24 kg.

[0127] Comparing the amount of steam [kg] before the initial preheating process in the upper and lower sections of Figure 15, the amount of steam [kg] decreases by 215 [kg] in the case of the heating and sterilization apparatus 100 of this embodiment.

[0128] Furthermore, in the upper section of Figure 15, under "Medium-temperature water (Condition A)," the amount of steam required to raise the water temperature to 90°C is 254 kg, and the amount of steam reduced during the heating process is 30 kg. Therefore, unless the above-described heat sterilization control is performed for 8 or more cycles, the amount of steam used to raise the medium-temperature water to 90°C cannot be recovered.

[0129] However, in the case of the heat sterilization apparatus 100 of this embodiment, in the "medium temperature water (condition B)" shown in the lower part of Figure 15, the amount of steam required to raise the temperature of the water to 90 [°C] is 39 [Kg], and the amount of steam reduced in the object heating process is 24 [Kg]. Therefore, by performing the above-described heat sterilization control for two or more cycles, it is possible to recover the amount of steam [Kg] used to raise the medium temperature water to 90 [°C].

[0130] Here, since one heat sterilization control takes about 1 hour, if continuous 24-hour operation is not performed, the number of heat sterilization control cycles per day is about 6 to 8. Therefore, with medium-temperature water (condition A), no steam reduction effect can be obtained even if medium-temperature water Htm is used. However, in the case of the heat sterilization apparatus 100 of this embodiment, with medium-temperature water (condition B), a steam reduction effect can be obtained by using medium-temperature water Htm.

[0131] (heat sterilization method) Referring to Figure 16, the heat sterilization method performed in the heat sterilization apparatus 100 described above will now be explained. The heat sterilization method is a method executed by the control unit 18 based on the heat sterilization program.

[0132] Here, prior to the preheating process in step S1 shown in Figure 16, hot water Hth and medium-temperature water Htm are prepared. In the following explanation, it is assumed that the medium-temperature water Htm is heated during the medium-temperature water heat recovery process (heat recovery control) described above and stored in the medium-temperature water tank 5. Then, a loading process is carried out in which trays Tr, on which multiple retort pouches Rp are placed, are stacked in multiple layers and loaded into the sterilization tank 1 by the user.

[0133] As shown in Figure 16, in step S1, a preheating step is performed after the loading step. The preheating step is a process of preheating the sterilization tank 1 using medium-temperature water Htm that was heated during heat recovery of the sterilization tank 1, before supplying hot water Hth to the sterilization tank 1 for heating and sterilizing the retort pouches Rp (see Figures 7 and 8). Here, in the preheating step, the medium-temperature water Htm is supplied to a height H2 below the lower end portion of the retort pouches Rp among the multiple retort pouches Rp in the lower part of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1.

[0134] In step S2, the object heating process is performed. The object heating process is a process of heating and sterilizing the retort pouches Rp inside the sterilization tank 1 by supplying hot water Hth to the sterilization tank 1 (see Figures 9 and 10). Here, in the object heating process, the hot water Hth is supplied up to a height H1 such that the upper portion of the retort pouches Rp, which are contained in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1, is submerged.

[0135] In step S3, a hot water recovery process is performed. The hot water recovery process involves recovering the hot water Hth in the sterilization tank 1 after heat sterilization using hot water Hth, via the recovery path 11, and storing it in the hot water tank 4.

[0136] In step S4, a medium-temperature water heat recovery process is performed. The medium-temperature water heat recovery process is a process in which heat is recovered from the sterilization tank 1 after heat sterilization using medium-temperature water Htm, which is generated separately from the hot water Hth, before the cooling of the retort pouch Rp with cooling water Cw (see Figures 11 and 12). Here, in the medium-temperature water heat recovery process, the medium-temperature water Htm is supplied to a height H2 below the lower end portion of the retort pouch Rp among the multiple retort pouch Rp in the lower part of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1.

[0137] In step S5, the object cooling process is performed. The object cooling process is a process in which the heat-sterilized retort pouch Rp is cooled with cooling water Cw after heat recovery from the sterilization tank 1 (see Figures 13 and 14). After step S5, the heat sterilization method is completed. In the object cooling process, the cooling water Cw is supplied up to a height H1 such that the upper portion of the retort pouch Rp of the multiple retort pouches Rp contained in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 is submerged.

[0138] At this point, after the heat sterilization method is completed, an unloading process takes place in which the user unloads the cooled retort pouch Rp from the sterilization tank 1.

[0139] (Effects of this embodiment) In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0140] In this embodiment, as described above, when the control unit 18 of the heat sterilization apparatus 100 supplies medium-temperature water Htm from the medium-temperature water tank 5 to the sterilization tank 1 to preheat multiple retort pouches Rp, it supplies a smaller amount of medium-temperature water Htm to the sterilization tank 1 than the amount of hot water Hth supplied to the sterilization tank 1 during the sterilization control for heating and sterilizing multiple retort pouches Rp, thereby performing preheating control. As a result, since the amount of medium-temperature water Htm is less than the amount of hot water Hth, a large medium-temperature water tank 5 capable of storing a large amount of medium-temperature water Htm is not required, thus suppressing an increase in the installation space of the medium-temperature water tank 5. In addition, before performing the first preheating control, it is necessary to heat room temperature water to a temperature close to the temperature of the hot water Hth to create medium-temperature water Htm, but since the amount of medium-temperature water Htm is less than the amount of hot water Hth, it is possible to suppress an increase in thermal energy consumption caused by an increase in the amount of steam used for heating. As a result, in a heating sterilization device 100 using hot water Hth (storage-type heating sterilization device 100), it is possible to suppress an increase in the installation space of the medium-temperature water tank 5 that stores medium-temperature water Htm, and to suppress an increase in the consumption of thermal energy.

[0141] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, when the preheating process (preheating control) is performed, the control unit 18 controls the supply of medium-temperature water Htm until it is stored in the lower part of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1. This reduces the amount of medium-temperature water Htm that needs to be supplied to the sterilization tank 1 compared to the case where medium-temperature water Htm is supplied until the upper part of the retort pouch Rp is submerged. As a result, the amount of medium-temperature water Htm required is reduced, which suppresses the increase in the installation space of the medium-temperature water tank 5, and also suppresses the increase in thermal energy consumption caused by the increased amount of steam used to heat the medium-temperature water Htm.

[0142] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, when the control unit 18 performs a preheating process (preheating control), it controls the supply and storage of medium-temperature water Htm to a height H2 below the lower end portion of the retort pouch Rp among the multiple retort pouches Rp in the lower part of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1. This further reduces the amount of medium-temperature water Htm that needs to be supplied to the sterilization tank 1 compared to the case where medium-temperature water Htm is supplied until the upper end portion of the retort pouch Rp is submerged, thereby further suppressing the increase in the installation space of the medium-temperature water tank 5 and further suppressing the increase in thermal energy consumption caused by the increase in the amount of steam used to heat the medium-temperature water Htm.

[0143] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the heat sterilization apparatus 100 is equipped with an upward discharge unit 2 that discharges medium-temperature water Htm from above the multiple retort pouches Rp housed in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 toward the multiple retort pouches Rp. This allows the medium-temperature water Htm to be applied to the entire multiple retort pouches Rp, unlike when the medium-temperature water Htm is discharged from below the multiple retort pouches Rp by the upward discharge unit 2, thus preheating the entire multiple retort pouches Rp with the medium-temperature water Htm.

[0144] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the upper discharge unit 2 discharges medium-temperature water Htm from above the multiple retort pouches Rp housed in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 toward the multiple retort pouches Rp. This allows the medium-temperature water Htm to flow from the upper end of the multiple retort pouches Rp toward the lower end of the multiple retort pouches Rp, and also allows the medium-temperature water Htm to spread along the upper surface of the retort pouches Rp by applying it to the retort pouches Rp. As a result, when flowing medium-temperature water Htm from the upper end of one of the multiple retort pouches Rp towards the lower end, the medium-temperature water Htm can be evenly distributed from the upper end to the lower end of the retort pouch Rp, thus allowing the entirety of the multiple retort pouches Rp to be evenly preheated by the medium-temperature water Htm.

[0145] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the heat sterilization apparatus 100 includes an upper discharge section 2, a first outlet section 31, and a second outlet section 32 for discharging hot water Hth into the sterilization tank 1 during the object heating process (sterilization control). The upper discharge section 2 also serves as a part of the upper discharge section 2, the first outlet section 31, and the second outlet section 32, which are hot water discharge sections. This suppresses the increase in the number of configurations for discharging medium-temperature water Htm and hot water Hth compared to the case where a configuration for discharging medium-temperature water Htm and a configuration for discharging hot water Hth are provided separately, thereby suppressing the increase in size and complexity of the heat sterilization apparatus 100 caused by an increase in the number of parts such as piping. In addition, it includes an upper discharge section 2, a first outlet section 31, and a second outlet section 32 for discharging cooling water Cw into the sterilization tank 1. The upper discharge section 2 also serves as part of the upper discharge section 2, the first outlet section 31, and the second outlet section 32, which are cooling water discharge sections. This suppresses the increase in the number of configurations for discharging medium-temperature water Htm and cooling water Cw compared to the case where the configurations for discharging medium-temperature water Htm and cooling water Cw are provided separately, thereby suppressing the increase in size and complexity of the heating and sterilization device 100 caused by an increase in the number of parts such as piping.

[0146] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the heat sterilization apparatus 100 includes a hot water tank 4 for storing hot water Hth and a medium-temperature water tank 5 for storing medium-temperature water Htm. When the control unit 18 performs the object heating process (sterilization control), it controls the supply of hot water Hth stored in the hot water tank 4 to the sterilization tank 1 until the upper portion of the retort pouches Rp of the multiple retort pouches Rp contained in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 is submerged. When the control unit 18 performs the preheating process (preheating control), it controls the supply of a smaller amount of medium-temperature water Htm from the medium-temperature water tank 5 to the sterilization tank 1 than the amount of hot water Hth supplied to the sterilization tank 1 during the object heating process (sterilization control). As a result, since the amount of medium-temperature water Htm is less than the amount of hot water Hth, the capacity of the medium-temperature water tank 5 can be made smaller than the capacity of the hot water tank 4, and the heat sterilization apparatus 100 can be made more compact by the amount by which the capacity of the medium-temperature water tank 5 is reduced.

[0147] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, after the object heating process (sterilization control), the control unit 18 performs a medium-temperature water heat recovery process (heat recovery control) to recover heat from multiple retort pouches Rp after heat sterilization by supplying to the sterilization tank 1 a smaller amount of medium-temperature water Htm after the preheating process (preheating control) than the amount of hot water Hth supplied to the sterilization tank 1 during the object heating process (sterilization control). By reducing the amount of medium-temperature water Htm supplied to the sterilization tank 1 during heat recovery control, in the case of a hot water storage type heat sterilization device 100, the temperature rise of the medium-temperature water Htm due to the heat obtained from each of the multiple retort pouches Rp after heat sterilization can be greatly increased, so that multiple retort pouches Rp can be sufficiently preheated with a smaller amount of medium-temperature water Htm. Also, in the case of a hot water storage type heat sterilization device 100, since the temperature of the medium-temperature water Htm is high, multiple objects to be processed with high initial temperatures (about 60°C) (for example, partially cooked objects to be processed) can also be sufficiently preheated.

[0148] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the amount of medium-temperature water Htm supplied to the sterilization tank 1 in the preheating process (preheating control) and the amount of medium-temperature water Htm supplied to the sterilization tank 1 in the medium-temperature water heat recovery process (heat recovery control) are the same. As a result, a medium-temperature water tank 5 of the same capacity can be used, and both the preheating process (preheating control) and the medium-temperature water heat recovery process (heat recovery control) can be performed using a single medium-temperature water tank 5.

[0149] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the heat sterilization apparatus 100 is equipped with an upward discharge unit 2 that discharges medium-temperature water Htm from above toward the plurality of retort pouches Rp contained in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 during the preheating process (preheating control). The heat sterilization apparatus 100 is equipped with an upward discharge unit 2 that discharges medium-temperature water Htm toward the plurality of retort pouches Rp contained in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 during the medium-temperature water heat recovery process (heat recovery control). The upward discharge unit 2 serves both as a device that discharges medium-temperature water Htm during the preheating process (preheating control) and as a device that discharges medium-temperature water Htm during the medium-temperature water heat recovery process (heat recovery control). As a result, compared to the case where a configuration for discharging medium-temperature water Htm in the preheating process (preheating control) and a configuration for discharging medium-temperature water Htm in the medium-temperature water heat recovery process (heat recovery control) are provided separately, it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of configurations for discharging medium-temperature water Htm, thereby suppressing the increase in size and complexity of the heating and sterilization device 100 caused by an increase in the number of parts such as piping.

[0150] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the heat sterilization apparatus 100 is equipped with a circulation pump 7 for circulating the cooling water Cw, hot water Hth, and medium-temperature water Htm to the sterilization tank 1. When the preheating process (preheating control) is performed, the control unit 18 controls the circulation of the medium-temperature water Htm stored in the lower part of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 by the circulation pump 7 and supplies it to the multiple retort pouches Rp in the sterilization tank 1. As a result, by preheating the multiple retort pouches Rp while circulating the medium-temperature water Htm, the medium-temperature water Htm can be repeatedly applied to each of the multiple retort pouches Rp, so that the heat of the medium-temperature water Htm can be sufficiently transferred to each of the multiple retort pouches Rp. In addition, because the temperature of the medium-temperature water Htm is high, multiple objects to be processed with high initial temperatures (about 60°C) (for example, partially cooked objects to be processed) can also be sufficiently preheated.

[0151] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the heating sterilization apparatus 100 is equipped with a circulation pump 7 that circulates the cooling water Cw, hot water Hth, and medium-temperature water Htm to the sterilization tank 1. When the control unit 18 performs a preheating process (preheating control) or a medium-temperature water heat recovery process (heat recovery control), it circulates the medium-temperature water Htm stored in the lower part of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 using the circulation pump 7 and supplies it to the multiple retort pouches Rp in the sterilization tank 1, and also controls the supply of at least a portion of the medium-temperature water Htm to the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1. As a result, not only the multiple retort pouches Rp but also the sterilization tank 1 can be preheated, so the generation of stress caused by heat in the sterilization tank 1 can be suppressed compared to when the sterilization tank 1 is heated with hot water Hth without preheating with medium-temperature water Htm. Furthermore, since heat can be recovered not only from multiple retort pouches Rp but also from the sterilization tank 1, the generation of stress caused by cooling in the sterilization tank 1 can be suppressed compared to the case where the sterilization tank 1 is cooled by cooling water Cw without heat recovery by medium-temperature water Htm.

[0152] [Differentiation] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than by the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications (exceptions) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0153] For example, in the above embodiment, the control unit 18 is shown to control the supply of cooling water Cw to a height H1 in which the upper portion of the multiple retort pouches Rp housed in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 is submerged during the object cooling process. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, as shown in the first modified example in Figure 17, the control unit 418 may control the supply of cooling water to a height H2 in the lower part of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1, below the lower portion of the multiple retort pouches Rp.

[0154] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the control unit 18 is shown to control the supply of medium-temperature water Htm until it is stored in the lower part of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 when performing a preheating process (preheating control), but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, when the control unit performs a preheating process (preheating control), it may control the supply of medium-temperature water up to the middle of the containment space of the sterilization tank, provided that the amount of water supplied is less than the amount of hot water supplied to the sterilization tank during sterilization control.

[0155] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when the control unit 18 performs a preheating process (preheating control), it is shown that it supplies and stores medium-temperature water Htm to a height H2 below the lower end portion of the retort pouches Rp (objects to be processed) among the multiple retort pouches Rp (objects to be processed) in the lower part of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, when the control unit performs preheating control, it may supply and store medium-temperature water in the lower part of the containment space of the sterilization tank until the lower end portion of the objects to be processed among the multiple objects to be processed is submerged.

[0156] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the heat sterilization apparatus 100 was shown to include an upper discharge unit 2 (first medium-temperature water discharge unit) that discharges medium-temperature water Htm from above the multiple retort pouches Rp (objects to be processed) contained in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 towards the multiple retort pouches Rp (objects to be processed) during the preheating process (preheating control), but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the heat sterilization apparatus only needs to include a first medium-temperature water discharge unit that discharges medium-temperature water from at least above and to the side of the multiple objects to be processed contained in the containment space of the sterilization tank towards the multiple objects to be processed during the preheating control.

[0157] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the upper discharge section 2 (first medium-temperature water discharge section and second medium-temperature water discharge section) is configured to discharge both medium-temperature water Htm and hot water Hth, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, it is sufficient that at least a part of each of the first medium-temperature water discharge section and the second medium-temperature water discharge section is configured to also serve as a part of the hot water discharge section.

[0158] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the upper discharge section 2 (first medium-temperature water discharge section and second medium-temperature water discharge section) is configured to discharge both medium-temperature water Htm and cooling water Cw, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, it is sufficient that at least a part of each of the first medium-temperature water discharge section and the second medium-temperature water discharge section is configured to also serve as a part of the cooling water discharge section.

[0159] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example in which the heat sterilization apparatus 100 includes both a hot water tank 4 and a medium-temperature water tank 5, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the heat sterilization apparatus only needs to include a medium-temperature water tank and does not need to include a hot water tank.

[0160] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the control unit 18 performs a medium-temperature water heat recovery process (heat recovery control) to recover heat from multiple retort pouches Rp (objects to be processed) after the object heating process (heat sterilization) by supplying a smaller amount of medium-temperature water Htm after the preheating process (preheating control) to the sterilization tank 1 than the amount of hot water Hth supplied to the sterilization tank 1 during the object heating process (sterilization control), but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the control unit may perform heat recovery control by supplying the sterilization tank with the same amount of medium-temperature water as the amount of hot water supplied to the sterilization tank 1 during sterilization control.

[0161] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the amount of medium-temperature water Htm supplied to the sterilization tank 1 in the preheating process (preheating control) and the amount of medium-temperature water Htm supplied to the sterilization tank 1 in the medium-temperature water heat recovery process (heat recovery control) are the same, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the amount of medium-temperature water supplied to the sterilization tank in the preheating control and the amount of medium-temperature water supplied to the sterilization tank in the heat recovery control may be different.

[0162] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the upper discharge unit 2 (first medium-temperature water discharge unit and second medium-temperature water discharge unit) is configured to discharge medium-temperature water Htm in the preheating process (preheating control) and to discharge medium-temperature water Htm in the medium-temperature water heat recovery process (heat recovery control), but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the heat sterilization apparatus may include a second medium-temperature water discharge unit that discharges medium-temperature water in heat recovery control, separately from the first medium-temperature water discharge unit. In this case, at least a part of the first medium-temperature water discharge unit may also serve as at least a part of the second medium-temperature water discharge unit.

[0163] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when the control unit 18 performs a preheating process (preheating control), it is shown that it circulates the medium-temperature water Htm stored in the lower part of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 using the circulation pump 7 and supplies it to multiple retort pouches Rp (objects to be processed) in the sterilization tank 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, when the control unit performs preheating control, it may also perform control to supply medium-temperature water directly from the medium-temperature water tank to multiple objects to be processed.

[0164] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when the control unit 18 performs a preheating process (preheating control), it is shown to circulate the medium-temperature water Htm stored in the lower part of the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 using the circulation pump 7 and supply it to the multiple retort pouches Rp (objects to be processed) in the sterilization tank 1, and to control the supply of at least a portion of the medium-temperature water Htm to the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank 1 (upper side wall surface 1e, side wall surface 1f, and side wall surface 1g), but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, when the control unit performs preheating control, it may circulate the medium-temperature water stored in the lower part of the containment space of the sterilization tank using the circulation pump and supply it only to the multiple objects to be processed in the sterilization tank.

[0165] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the heat sterilization apparatus 100 was shown as an example of an apparatus that heat sterilizes a retort pouch Rp (object to be processed) containing food using hot water Hth, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the heat sterilization apparatus may be an apparatus that heat sterilizes other products such as canned goods.

[0166] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example where the amount of hot water Hth and the amount of cooling water Cw are the same, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the amount of cooling water may be less than the amount of hot water, as long as it is sufficient to cool multiple objects to be treated.

[0167] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the control unit 18 is shown to perform a cooling process for objects by supplying cooling water Cw to the sterilization tank 1 until the upper portion of the retort pouches Rp among the multiple retort pouches Rp contained in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 1 is submerged. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the control unit may also perform control to supply and store cooling water in the lower part of the containment space of the sterilization tank to a height below the lower portion of the objects to be processed among the multiple objects to be processed.

[0168] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example in which the storage-type heating and sterilization device 100 is equipped with one medium-temperature water tank 5, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the storage-type heating and sterilization device may be equipped with two or more medium-temperature water tanks. Also, the multiple medium-temperature water tanks may be stacked in the vertical direction. This allows preheating control or heat recovery control to be performed using multiple medium-temperature water tanks while suppressing an increase in the installation space of the medium-temperature water tanks. Also, the multiple medium-temperature water tanks may be arranged in the horizontal direction. When using multiple medium-temperature water tanks in this way, preheating control may be performed in two or more stages, or heat recovery control may be performed in two or more stages. Also, the medium-temperature water tanks may be installed above the treatment tank, on the floor, or installed separately above the treatment tank and on the floor.

[0169] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example where the heat sterilization device 100 is a hot water storage type device, the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, as shown in the second modified example in Figures 18 to 21, the heat sterilization device 500 may be a spray type device equipped with spray nozzles 502 and 503. As shown in Figure 18, the heat sterilization device 500 includes a sterilization tank 501, spray nozzles 502 and 503, a hot water tank 504, a medium-temperature water tank 505, a circulation path 506, a circulation pump 507, and a control unit 518. Note that spray nozzles 502 and 503 are examples of the "hot water discharge unit," "first medium-temperature water discharge unit," "second medium-temperature water discharge unit," and "cooling water discharge unit" in the claims, respectively.

[0170] As shown in Figure 18, the sterilization tank 501 is a sealed container that heat-sterilizes retort pouches Rp with hot water Hth and cools the heat-sterilized retort pouches Rp with cooling water Cw. Each of the spray nozzles 502 and 503 is configured to spray hot water Hth, medium-temperature water Htm, and cooling water Cw, respectively, towards multiple retort pouches Rp.

[0171] The hot water tank 504 is a tank that recovers and stores the hot water Hth, which is the high-temperature fluid after heat sterilization stored in the sterilization tank 501. The medium-temperature water tank 505 is a tank that recovers and stores the medium-temperature water Htm, which is stored in the sterilization tank 501 after preheating and after heat recovery. Such a medium-temperature water tank 505 is a smaller container than the hot water tank 504. The capacity of the medium-temperature water tank 505 is smaller than the capacity of the hot water tank 504. Therefore, the amount of medium-temperature water Htm is less than the amount of hot water Hth.

[0172] The circulation path 506 is a path that returns the cooling water Cw, hot water Hth, and medium-temperature water Htm discharged from the sterilization tank 501 back into the sterilization tank 1 via the circulation pump 507. The circulation pump 507 is a pump that discharges the cooling water Cw, hot water Hth, and medium-temperature water Htm discharged from the sterilization tank 501 and circulates them back into the sterilization tank 501. The control unit 518 is configured to control the heating sterilization device 500.

[0173] As shown in Figure 19, when the preheating process involves a medium-temperature water circulation process, the control unit 518 controls the supply of medium-temperature water Htm from the medium-temperature water tank 505 to the sterilization tank 501 up to a height H4. Furthermore, when the preheating process involves a medium-temperature water circulation process, the control unit 518 controls the circulation of the medium-temperature water Htm stored up to a height H4 using the circulation pump 507, and sprays it into multiple retort pouches Rp in the sterilization tank 501 using the spray nozzles 502 and 503, respectively.

[0174] As shown in Figure 20, when the heat sterilization step of the object heating process is performed, the control unit 518 controls the supply of hot water Hth from the hot water tank 504 to the sterilization tank 501 up to a height H3. Furthermore, when the heat sterilization step of the object heating process is performed, the control unit 518 controls the circulation of the hot water Hh stored up to a height H3 by the circulation pump 507 and sprays it onto multiple retort pouches Rp in the sterilization tank 501 by the spray nozzles 502 and 503, respectively.

[0175] As shown in Figure 21, when the medium-temperature water circulation process of the medium-temperature water heat recovery process is performed, the control unit 518 controls the supply of medium-temperature water Htm from the medium-temperature water tank 505 to the sterilization tank 501 up to a height H4. Also, when the medium-temperature water circulation process of the medium-temperature water heat recovery process is performed, the control unit 518 controls the circulation of the medium-temperature water Htm stored up to a height H4 by the circulation pump 507 and sprays it into multiple retort pouches Rp in the sterilization tank 501 by spray nozzles 502 and 503, respectively.

[0176] As shown in Figure 22, when the object cooling process is performed, the control unit 518 controls the supply of cooling water Cw from a cooling water source (not shown) to the sterilization tank 501 up to a height H3. Also, when the object cooling process is performed, the control unit 518 controls the circulation of the cooling water Cw stored up to a height H3 by the circulation pump 507 and sprays it onto multiple retort pouches Rp in the sterilization tank 501 by spray nozzles 502 and 503, respectively.

[0177] Here, height H3 in the sterilization tank 501 is the height below the lower end portion of the retort pouch Rp among the multiple retort pouches Rp contained within the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 501. Also, height H4 in the sterilization tank 501 is the height below height H3.

[0178] Thus, when the control unit 518 performs the heat sterilization process (sterilization control) of the object heating process, it controls the supply of hot water Hth stored in the hot water tank 504 to the sterilization tank 501 up to a height H3 below the lower end portion of the retort pouch Rp among the multiple retort pouches Rp contained in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 501. Furthermore, when the medium-temperature water circulation process (preheating control) of the preheating process is performed, the control unit 518 controls the supply of a smaller amount of medium-temperature water Htm from the medium-temperature water tank 505 to the sterilization tank 501 than the amount of hot water Hh supplied to the sterilization tank 501 during the heat sterilization process (sterilization control) of the object heating process.

[0179] Furthermore, when the control unit 518 performs the cooling process (cooling control) of the object cooling process, it controls the supply of hot water Hth stored in the hot water tank 504 to the sterilization tank 501 up to a height H3 below the lower end portion of the retort pouch Rp among the multiple retort pouches Rp contained in the containment space Sp of the sterilization tank 501. Additionally, when the control unit 518 performs the medium-temperature water circulation process (heat recovery control) of the medium-temperature water heat recovery process, it controls the supply of a smaller amount of medium-temperature water Htm from the medium-temperature water tank 505 to the sterilization tank 501 than the amount of hot water Hh supplied to the sterilization tank 501 during the heating sterilization process (sterilization control) of the object heating process.

[0180] As a result, by reducing the amount of hot water Hth and further reducing the amount of medium-temperature water Htm compared to the amount of hot water Hth, the capacity of the medium-temperature water tank 505 can be made even smaller than the capacity of the hot water tank 504. Therefore, the heating and sterilization device 500 can be made even more compact by the amount by which the capacity of the medium-temperature water tank 505 has been reduced.

[0181] Furthermore, by reducing the amount of medium-temperature water Htm supplied to the sterilization tank 501 during heat recovery control, the temperature rise of the medium-temperature water Htm due to the heat obtained from each of the multiple retort pouches Rp after heat sterilization can be increased, so that multiple retort pouches Rp can be sufficiently preheated with a smaller amount of medium-temperature water Htm. In addition, because the temperature of the medium-temperature water Htm is high, multiple retort pouches Rp with high initial temperatures (approximately 60°C) (for example, partially cooked products) can also be sufficiently preheated.

[0182] In the case of a spray-type heat sterilization device 500, it is preferable that the temperature of the medium-temperature water Htm recovered in the medium-temperature water tank 505 after heat recovery control is 100°C or lower. This eliminates the need to use a pressure vessel with higher pressure resistance for the medium-temperature water tank 505.

[0183] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, for the sake of explanation, an example was shown in which the control processing of the control unit 18 was explained using a flow-driven flowchart that processes sequentially according to the processing flow, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the control processing of the control unit may be performed by event-driven processing that executes processing on an event-by-event basis. In this case, it may be performed as a completely event-driven system, or a combination of event-driven and flow-driven systems may be used. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0184] 1, 501 Sterilization tank 2 Upper output section (hot water output section, first medium temperature water output section, second medium temperature water output section, cooling water output section) 4, 504 Hot water tank 5,505 Medium-temperature water tank 7,507 Circulation pump 8 Lower supply section 18, 418, 518 Control Unit 31. First Outlet Section (Hot Water Outlet Section, Cooling Water Outlet Section) 32. Second Outlet Section (Hot Water Outlet Section, Cooling Water Outlet Section) 35 Side wall surface ejection section 36 Side wall surface ejection section 100 Heat sterilizer 211b Upper wall output section 502, 503 Spray nozzles CW cooling water H1 (Height to which the upper part of the object to be processed is submerged) H2 (Height below the lower end of the object being processed) H3 (Height below the lower end of the object to be processed) H4 (lower than H3) height Hth hot water Htm medium temperature water Rp Retort pouch (for processing) Sp containment space Sp1 (Hot water or cooling water) storage space Sp2 (medium-temperature water) storage space

Claims

1. A sterilization tank having a containment space for housing multiple objects to be sterilized by heat with hot water, to which hot water is supplied for sterilizing the multiple objects and cooling water is supplied for cooling the multiple objects after sterilization by heat with hot water, A medium-temperature water tank that stores medium-temperature water at a temperature higher than the temperature of the cooling water and lower than the temperature of the hot water, A heat sterilization apparatus comprising: when supplying the medium-temperature water from the medium-temperature water tank to the sterilization tank to preheat the plurality of objects to be processed, a control unit that performs preheating control by supplying a smaller amount of the medium-temperature water to the sterilization tank than the amount of hot water supplied to the sterilization tank during sterilization control to heat sterilize the plurality of objects to be processed.

2. The heating sterilization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to perform the preheating control by supplying the medium-temperature water until the medium-temperature water is stored in the lower part of the containment space of the sterilization tank.

3. The heating sterilization apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to perform preheating control, and to supply and store the medium-temperature water in the lower part of the containment space of the sterilization tank to a height below the lower end portion of the objects to be processed among the plurality of objects to be processed.

4. The heating sterilization apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first medium-temperature water discharge unit that discharges the medium-temperature water toward the plurality of objects to be processed from at least one of the above and side of the plurality of objects to be processed contained in the containment space of the sterilization tank, in the preheating control.

5. The heating sterilization apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first medium-temperature water discharge unit is configured to discharge the medium-temperature water from above toward the plurality of objects to be treated, which are housed in the containment space of the sterilization tank.

6. In the sterilization control described above, a hot water discharge unit discharges the hot water into the sterilization tank, The system further comprises a cooling water discharge unit that discharges the cooling water into the sterilization tank, The heat sterilization apparatus according to claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the first medium-temperature water discharge section is configured to also serve as at least one of the hot water discharge section and the cooling water discharge section.

7. The system further comprises a hot water tank for storing the aforementioned hot water, The heating sterilization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to, when performing the sterilization control, supply the hot water stored in the hot water tank to the sterilization tank until the upper end portion of the object to be processed among the plurality of objects to be processed contained in the containment space of the sterilization tank is submerged, and when performing the preheating control, it is configured to supply a smaller amount of the medium-temperature water from the medium-temperature water tank to the sterilization tank than the amount of hot water supplied to the sterilization tank during the sterilization control.

8. The system further comprises a hot water tank for storing the aforementioned hot water, The heating sterilization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to, when performing the sterilization control, supply the hot water stored in the hot water tank to the sterilization tank up to a height below the lower end portion of the multiple objects to be processed that are contained in the containment space of the sterilization tank, and when performing the preheating control, supply a smaller amount of the medium-temperature water from the medium-temperature water tank to the sterilization tank than the amount of hot water supplied to the sterilization tank during the sterilization control.

9. The heat sterilization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to perform heat recovery control to recover heat from the plurality of objects to be processed after heat sterilization by supplying to the sterilization tank a smaller amount of the preheated medium-temperature water to the sterilization tank than the amount of hot water supplied to the sterilization tank during the sterilization control, after the sterilization control.

10. The heating sterilization apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the amount of medium-temperature water supplied to the sterilization tank in the preheating control is the same as the amount of medium-temperature water supplied to the sterilization tank in the heat recovery control.

11. In the preheating control, a first medium-temperature water discharge unit discharges the medium-temperature water toward the plurality of objects to be processed from at least one of the above and side of the plurality of objects to be processed contained within the containment space of the sterilization tank, The heat recovery control further comprises a second medium-temperature water discharge unit that discharges the medium-temperature water toward the plurality of objects to be treated contained within the containment space of the sterilization tank, The heat sterilization apparatus according to claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the first medium-temperature water discharge unit is configured to also serve as at least a portion of the second medium-temperature water discharge unit.

12. The system further includes a circulation pump for circulating the cooling water, the hot water, and the medium-temperature water to the sterilization tank, The heating sterilization apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to perform the preheating control by circulating the medium-temperature water stored in the lower part of the containment space of the sterilization tank using the circulation pump and supplying it to the plurality of objects to be treated in the sterilization tank.

13. The system further includes a circulation pump that circulates the cooling water, the hot water, and the medium-temperature water to the sterilization tank, The heating sterilization apparatus according to claim 2 or 9, wherein the control unit is configured to, when performing the preheating control or the heat recovery control, circulate the medium-temperature water stored in the lower part of the containment space of the sterilization tank using the circulation pump and supply it to the plurality of objects to be treated in the sterilization tank, and to supply at least a portion of the medium-temperature water to the inner wall surface of the sterilization tank.

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