Pulse electric field processing equipment

Abstract

A pulsed electrical field processing device according to the present invention comprises: a first processing unit (50) which performs, on a liquid treatment target object, a first treatment that is a pulsed electrical field treatment; a first pipe (60) through which the treatment target object having passed through the first processing unit (50) passes; a second processing unit (70) into which the treatment target object having passed through the first pipe (60) flows and which performs, on the treatment target object, a second treatment including a pulsed electrical field treatment; a second pipe (80) through which the treatment target object having passed through the second processing unit (70) passes; and a third processing unit (90) through which the treatment target object having passed through the second pipe (80) passes and which performs, on the treatment target object, a third treatment including a pulsed electrical field treatment. The second pipe (80) is higher in heat radiation performance than the first pipe (60).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a pulsed electric field processing apparatus that generates a pulsed electric field. [Background technology]

[0002] Pulse electric field processing technology is a technology that can process food or beverages at a lower temperature than heat processing.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a sterilization device for sterilizing a liquid food ingredient while the liquid food ingredient flows from upstream to downstream. Patent Document 1 shows that the liquid food ingredient is heated in a first temperature-raising region, the heated temperature is maintained in an electrical heating region and an electric field is applied to the liquid food ingredient, the liquid food ingredient is further heated in a second temperature-raising region, the heated temperature is maintained in a heat-retaining region, and the liquid food ingredient is cooled in a cooling region to return to room temperature. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-183973 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In Patent Document 1, there are two processing sections, a temperature rising section and an electrical heating section, but the temperature rising section, which is one of the processing sections, is provided with a heat insulating material to adjust the heat dissipation in the processing section, which imposes structural restrictions on the processing section, resulting in the problem of the device becoming larger and more complex.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and has an object to provide a pulse electric field processing device that has a simple structure and can be made compact. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the pulsed electric field processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes a first processing unit that performs a first process, which is a pulsed electric field process, on a liquid object to be processed, a first pipe through which the object to be processed that has passed through the first processing unit passes, a second processing unit into which the object to be processed that has passed through the first pipe flows and that performs a second process including a pulsed electric field process on the object to be processed, a second pipe through which the object to be processed that has passed through the second processing unit passes, and a third processing unit through which the object to be processed that has passed through the second pipe passes and that performs a third process including a pulsed electric field process on the object to be processed. The second pipe is characterized by having a higher heat dissipation performance than the first pipe. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The pulsed electric field processing apparatus according to the present disclosure has an advantage of being simple in structure and capable of being miniaturized. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a pulse electric field processing apparatus according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a first processing unit of a pulsed electric field processing apparatus according to a first embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the configuration of the first processing unit of the pulsed electric field processing apparatus according to the first embodiment; [Figure 4] 1 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration example of a pulse power supply of a pulse electric field processing apparatus according to a first embodiment; [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a temperature distribution of an object to be processed in the pulse electric field processing apparatus according to the first embodiment; [Figure 6] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a pulse electric field processing apparatus according to a first embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the configuration of the pulse electric field processing apparatus according to the first embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration of the pulse electric field processing apparatus according to the first embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration of the pulse electric field processing apparatus according to the first embodiment; [Figure 10]10 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a pulse electric field processing apparatus according to a second embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the configuration of the pulse electric field processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A pulse electric field processing apparatus according to an embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a pulsed electric field processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. The pulsed electric field processing apparatus includes a pulsed power supply 10, an upstream pipe 40, a first processing section 50, a first pipe 60, a second processing section 70, a second pipe 80, a third processing section 90, and a downstream pipe 41. The pulsed electric field processing apparatus performs processing, including sterilization, on a processing object. The pulsed power supply 10 outputs a pulsed voltage having a voltage of 1 kV or more and a pulse width of 100 microseconds or less. A liquid processing object, such as fruit juice or milk, flows through the upstream pipe 40, the first processing section 50, the first pipe 60, the second processing section 70, the second pipe 80, the third processing section 90, and the downstream pipe 41 in this order. Each processing section, consisting of the first processing section 50, the second processing section 70, and the third processing section 90, is electrically connected to the pulsed power supply 10. The pulsed voltage output by the pulsed power supply 10 repeatedly applies a pulsed electric field to the processing object flowing through each processing section.

[0012] The first processing unit 50 performs a first process, which is a pulsed electric field process, on the object to be processed. The object to be processed that has passed through the first processing unit 50 passes through the first piping 60. The object to be processed that has passed through the first piping 60 flows into the second processing unit 70, which performs a second process, including a pulsed electric field process, on the object to be processed. The object to be processed that has passed through the second processing unit 70 passes through the second piping 80. The object to be processed that has passed through the second piping 80 passes through the third processing unit 90, which performs a third process, including a pulsed electric field process, on the object to be processed.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example configuration of first processing unit 50 of the pulsed electric field processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. First processing unit 50 includes electrode 51, insulating material 54, and processing chamber 55. Electrode 51 has a pair of high-voltage electrode 52 and low-voltage electrode 53. A pulse voltage is applied to high-voltage electrode 52, and low-voltage electrode 53 is maintained at ground potential. Electrode 51 is made of titanium, platinum, stainless steel, or the like to prevent wear of electrode 51 due to the pulse voltage. High-voltage electrode 52 and low-voltage electrode 53 are flat plates and are arranged opposite each other with the object to be processed sandwiched between them. That is, high-voltage electrode 52 and low-voltage electrode 53 are arranged so as to generate an electric field substantially perpendicular to the flow direction W of the object to be processed.

[0014] The processing chamber 55 is a space in the first processing unit 50 where an electric field is generated by the electrode 51 and through which the object to be processed passes. Therefore, when the high-voltage electrode 52 and the low-voltage electrode 53 are flat and arranged facing each other, the processing chamber 55 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The high-voltage electrode 52 is connected to the upstream pipe 40 and the first pipe 60, which are metal pipes, via an insulating material 54 to provide electrical insulation. The low-voltage electrode 53 may be connected to the upstream pipe 40 and the first pipe 60 via the insulating material 54, or may be integral with the upstream pipe 40 and the first pipe 60 without the insulating material 54. The former has the effect of reducing electrical noise generated by the pulse voltage, while the latter has the advantage of allowing the first processing unit 50 to be made more compact. The insulating material 54, made of a fluorine-containing resin material or ceramic, has high heat resistance and voltage resistance.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the configuration of first processing unit 50 of the pulsed electric field processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 3, electrode 51, which includes high-voltage electrode 52 and low-voltage electrode 53, has a ring-shaped structure with its axis aligned with flow direction W of the object to be processed. Arranged in this order from the upstream side of the object to be processed are upstream pipe 40, insulating material 54, low-voltage electrode 53, insulating material 54, high-voltage electrode 52, insulating material 54, low-voltage electrode 53, insulating material 54, and first pipe 60. Because an electric field is generated in a direction generally along flow direction W of the object to be processed, if high-voltage electrode 52, low-voltage electrode 53, and insulating material 54 are all ring-shaped with the same inner diameter, processing chamber 55 will have a cylindrical or ring shape. Furthermore, because low-voltage electrodes 53 are arranged in two locations on either side of high-voltage electrode 52 with respect to flow direction W of the object to be processed, the current path flowing from high-voltage electrode 52 to low-voltage electrode 53 is divided into two. The insulating material 54 between the low-voltage electrode 53 and the upstream pipe 40, and the insulating material 54 between the low-voltage electrode 53 and the first pipe 60 are not necessarily provided, but if provided, it has the effect of reducing electrical noise, and if not provided, it has the advantage of allowing for miniaturization.

[0016] 2, when high-voltage electrode 52 and low-voltage electrode 53 are arranged opposite each other, the electric field generated in processing chamber 55 can be made spatially uniform, which has the effect of reducing uneven processing. When high-voltage electrode 52 and low-voltage electrode 53 are arranged along the flow direction W of the object to be processed as shown in Fig. 3, processing chamber 55 can be made cylindrical, and the object to be processed can be flowed smoothly from upstream piping 40 to first piping 60 with low pressure loss.

[0017] The second processing unit 70 and the third processing unit 90 have the same configuration as the first processing unit 50 shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, and therefore a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0018] Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the configuration of the pulsed power supply 10 of the pulsed electric field processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 shows a circuit configuration for applying a pulsed voltage to the first processing unit 50. The circuit configurations for applying a pulsed voltage to the second processing unit 70 and the third processing unit 90 are similar to that shown in Fig. 4. In the pulsed power supply 10, a switch 13, a capacitor 11, a switch 14, and a capacitor 12 are connected in series in this order from the ground side. The high-voltage electrode 52 of the first processing unit 50 is connected to the capacitor 12 by a cable or the like. In the capacitor 11, the terminal on the switch 13 side is the charging side terminal, and the terminal on the switch 14 side is the ground side terminal. In addition, in the capacitor 12, the terminal on the switch 14 side is the charging side terminal, and the terminal on the high-voltage electrode 52 side is the ground side terminal.

[0019] DC power supply 15 generates a DC voltage that charges capacitor 11 and capacitor 12. DC power supply 15 is connected to the charging terminals of capacitor 11 and capacitor 12 via at least one current limiter 16. At least one current limiter 16 is also provided between the charging terminals of capacitor 11 and capacitor 12. Similarly, the grounding terminals of capacitor 11 and capacitor 12 are also grounded via at least one current limiter 16, and at least one current limiter 16 is provided between the grounding terminals of both.

[0020] The pulsed power supply 10 outputs a pulsed voltage in two steps, including a charging step and a discharging step. In the charging step, the capacitors 11 and 12 are charged by the DC power supply 15. In the discharging step, the switches 13 and 14 are turned ON almost simultaneously, thereby superimposing and outputting the charging voltages of the capacitors 11 and 12. After the charging voltage is output, the switches 13 and 14 are turned OFF, thereby terminating the discharging step. In other words, the period during which the switches 13 and 14 are ON is the discharging step period, which corresponds to the pulse width of the pulsed voltage output from the pulsed power supply 10. The voltage output to the high-voltage electrode 52 by the pulsed power supply 10 during the discharging step is the pulsed voltage, and the current flowing through the processing chamber 55 in response to the pulsed voltage is the pulsed current.

[0021] Semiconductor switches such as MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors) or IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) are used for switches 13 and 14. A resistor or a reactor is used for current limiter 16. Using a resistor has the advantage of being able to charge capacitors 11 and 12 with a stable voltage, while using a reactor can reduce power consumption.

[0022] 4, two capacitors and two switches are used, but three or more of each may be used with a similar configuration. The greater the number of capacitors and switches, the higher the pulse voltage that can be obtained.

[0023] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the temperature distribution of the object to be processed in the pulsed electric field processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. The horizontal axis of Fig. 5 represents the position in the flow direction W of the object to be processed, and the vertical axis of Fig. 5 represents the temperature of the object to be processed. Fig. 5 shows the temperature change of the object to be processed along the path from the upstream pipe 40 to the downstream pipe 41. On the horizontal axis, P1 is the area corresponding to the upstream pipe 40, P2 is the area corresponding to the first processing unit 50, P3 is the area corresponding to the first pipe 60, P4 is the area corresponding to the second processing unit 70, P5 is the area corresponding to the second pipe 80, P6 is the area corresponding to the third processing unit 90, and P7 is the area corresponding to the downstream pipe 41.

[0024] In area P2 corresponding to first processing apparatus 50, area P4 corresponding to second processing apparatus 70, and area P6 corresponding to third processing apparatus 90, the temperature of the object to be processed rises in response to the energy input from pulsed power supply 10. In area P3 corresponding to first piping 60 and area P5 corresponding to second piping 80, the temperature of the object to be processed fluctuates in response to the amount of heat dissipated from each area. The solid and dashed lines in Figure 5 indicate the temperature variations of the object to be processed in areas P5 to P7.

[0025] In pulsed electric field processing, excessively high temperatures can lead to a deterioration in flavor and nutritional value, while excessively low temperatures can reduce processing effects, such as sterilization. Therefore, there is an appropriate temperature range A between the appropriate upper limit Tmax and the appropriate lower limit Tmin for pulsed electric field processing. It is desirable to maintain the appropriate temperature range A over as long a distance as possible between the first processing unit 50 (the first process) and the third processing unit 90 (the final process). Because the appropriate temperature range A is higher than the temperature of the object to be processed in the area P1 corresponding to the upstream piping 40, it is desirable not to suppress temperature rise upstream between the first processing unit 50 and the third processing unit 90, but to suppress temperature rise downstream. Furthermore, adopting a heat dissipation adjustment structure in the first processing unit 50, the second processing unit 70, and the third processing unit 90 imposes structural constraints on each processing unit, resulting in a larger and more complex device. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the second piping 80 is designed to have better heat dissipation performance to the outside than the first piping 60.

[0026] For example, the heat dissipation performance of the first pipe 60 can be expressed as the reciprocal of the sum of the thermal resistances of the paths from the object to be processed passing through the inside of the first pipe 60 to the outside of the first pipe 60, and the larger the reciprocal of the sum of the thermal resistances, the higher the heat dissipation performance. Therefore, by adopting a first method of making the thickness of the second pipe 80 thinner than that of the first pipe 60, a second method of making the thermal conductivity of the material constituting the second pipe 80 higher than that of the material constituting the first pipe 60, or a third method of making the external contact area, which is the heat dissipation area of ​​the second pipe 80, larger than the external contact area, which is the heat dissipation area of ​​the first pipe 60, the heat dissipation performance of the second pipe 80 can be improved compared to the first pipe 60. In the case of air cooling, the outside of the first pipe 60 and the second pipe 80 refers to, for example, the air surrounding the first pipe 60 and the second pipe 80.

[0027] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the pulse electric field processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. To improve the heat dissipation performance of the second pipe 80 compared to that of the first pipe 60, the second pipe 80 is made longer than the first pipe 60 and is provided with heat dissipation fins 84. By providing the heat dissipation fins 84, the heat dissipation performance per unit distance along the path of the object to be processed passing through the second pipe 80 can be improved. Therefore, even if the second pipe 80 and the first pipe 60 have the same length, the second pipe 80 can achieve higher heat dissipation performance. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, the length of the second pipe 80 can be made longer than that of the first pipe 60, thereby combining the effect of improving the heat dissipation performance per unit distance due to the heat dissipation fins 84 with the effect of improving the heat dissipation performance due to the longer length of the second pipe 80. In either case, the heat dissipation performance from the inlet to the outlet of the second pipe 80 is made higher than the heat dissipation performance from the inlet to the outlet of the first pipe 60.

[0028] Specifically, the heat dissipation fins 84 are metal bodies with an uneven surface that increases the area of ​​the interface between the second pipe 80 and the outside. The heat dissipation fins 84 have smaller unevenness or no unevenness near the second and third processing sections 70 and 90, respectively, at both ends, while the unevenness is larger near the middle. This structure reduces the risk of a discharge short circuit between the second and third processing sections 70 and 90, to which high voltage is applied, and the heat dissipation fins 84, which are at ground potential. The heat dissipation fins 84 may be integrated with the second pipe 80, or may be detachable. The former has the advantage of improved heat dissipation performance, while the latter has the advantage of being removable for cleaning, making maintenance easier.

[0029] Instead of providing the heat dissipation fins 84, a fan for air-cooling the second piping 80 may be provided. The air-cooling fan has the effect of improving the heat dissipation performance of the second piping 80, similar to the heat dissipation fins 84. Alternatively, the heat dissipation fins 84 may be combined with the air-cooling fan to obtain even higher heat dissipation performance.

[0030] 7 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the configuration of the pulse electric field processing apparatus according to embodiment 1. A heat insulating material 64 is attached to the outer periphery of the first piping 60 in order to reduce the heat dissipation performance from the object to be processed to the outside of the first piping 60. By attaching the heat insulating material 64, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the temperature of the object to be processed in the first piping 60, and it is possible to make the temperature of the object to be processed reach an appropriate temperature range further upstream.

[0031] 8 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration of the pulsed electric field processing apparatus according to embodiment 1. The upstream pipe 40 is installed vertically so that the material to be processed flows from a lower position to a higher position, and is connected to the first processing apparatus 50.

[0032] The first piping 60 is a piping that connects the first processing unit 50 and the second processing unit 70, and is composed of a first upstream straight section 61, a first semicircular section 62, and a first downstream straight section 63. The first upstream straight section 61 is a piping section that connects the first processing unit 50 and the first semicircular section 62 in a straight line. The first downstream straight section 63 is a piping section that connects the first semicircular section 62 and the second processing unit 70. The first semicircular section 62 is a piping section that has a semicircular passage path that is bent 180 degrees, and connects the first upstream straight section 61 and the first downstream straight section 63.

[0033] The second piping 80 has a configuration similar to that of the first piping 60 and is composed of a second upstream straight section 81, a second semicircular section 82 and a second downstream straight section 83, and connects the second processing section 70 and the third processing section 90.

[0034] The downstream pipe 41 is installed vertically so that the material to be treated flows from a lower position to a higher position.

[0035] With this configuration, the entire structure from the upstream pipe 40 to the downstream pipe 41 can be integrated into a small space, enabling the device to be miniaturized. Also, since the first processing unit 50, the second processing unit 70, and the third processing unit 90 can be arranged in close proximity to each other, the wiring for the high voltage output from the pulsed power supply 10 can be shortened, which has the advantage of improving the safety of the device.

[0036] When the second pipe 80 is made longer than the first pipe 60, the total distance of the second upstream straight section 81 and the second downstream straight section 83 is made longer than the total distance of the first upstream straight section 61 and the first downstream straight section 63. On the other hand, by making the first semicircular section 62 and the second semicircular section 82 the same shape, it is possible to standardize parts and reduce manufacturing costs. In the first pipe 60 and the second pipe 80, components that adjust heat dissipation performance, such as heat dissipation fins 84 and heat insulating material 64, may be provided only on the straight sections or on the entire pipe, including the semicircular sections. If the distance of the straight sections is sufficiently longer than the distance of the semicircular sections, the former configuration is used in consideration of cost-effectiveness. Conversely, if the distance of the straight sections is not sufficient, the latter configuration, including the semicircular sections, is used to ensure heat dissipation performance.

[0037] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating another exemplary configuration of the pulsed electric field processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 9, the configuration illustrated in FIG. 8 is rotated 90 degrees so that the upstream pipe 40 and the downstream pipe 41 are horizontal. The upstream pipe 40, the first processing unit 50, and the first upstream straight section 61 are arranged at the highest position, followed by the first downstream straight section 63, the second processing unit 70, and the second upstream straight section 81 at the next highest position. Finally, the second downstream straight section 83, the third processing unit 90, and the downstream pipe 41 are arranged at the lowest position. Therefore, the average height of the path through which the object to be processed passes in the first pipe 60 is higher than the average height of the path through which the object to be processed passes in the second pipe 80. From the upstream pipe 40 to the downstream pipe 41, the high-temperature portion is at a lower position and the low-temperature portion is at a higher position. As a result, for example, heat radiated to the outside in the second downstream straight section 83 rises to a higher position due to natural convection, thereby increasing the temperature outside the first upstream straight section 61 and improving the thermal insulation performance of the first pipe 60.

[0038] The power output from the pulsed power supply 10 may be different for the first processing unit 50, the second processing unit 70, and the third processing unit 90. Since it is desirable to suppress temperature rise as the processing unit is located downstream, the power input to the processing unit located downstream is reduced. That is, the power input to the first processing unit 50 is the highest, the power input to the second processing unit 70 is the second highest, and the power input to the third processing unit 90 is the lowest.

[0039] Regarding power adjustment in each processing unit, it is desirable to adjust the pulse width or pulse frequency while keeping the pulse voltage constant, as this simplifies power supply control. Alternatively, the pulse voltage, pulse width, and pulse frequency may all be constant, and the area of ​​the electrodes 51 provided in each processing unit may be different. Since the larger the area of ​​the electrode 51, the larger the pulse current that flows, making the area of ​​the electrode 51 smaller in the downstream processing unit can suppress downstream temperature rise. In other words, the area of ​​the electrode 51 in the first processing unit 50 is the largest, the area of ​​the electrode 51 in the second processing unit 70 is the second largest, and the area of ​​the electrode 51 in the third processing unit 90 is the smallest.

[0040] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the heat dissipation performance of the second piping 80 is made higher than that of the first piping 60, so that the object to be processed can be processed at an appropriate temperature without imposing structural constraints on heat dissipation on the first processing section 50, the second processing section 70, and the third processing section 90. Therefore, it is possible to realize a pulse electric field processing apparatus that has a simple structure and can be made compact, while improving the quality of the object to be processed.

[0041] In the above, the distance over which the object to be treated flows in the second pipe 80 is made longer than that of the first pipe 60, the heat dissipation performance per passing distance of the second pipe 80 is made higher than that of the first pipe 60, the thickness of the second pipe 80 is made thinner than that of the first pipe 60, the thermal conductivity of the material constituting the second pipe 80 is made higher than that of the material constituting the first pipe 60, the heat dissipation area of ​​the second pipe 80 is made wider than that of the first pipe 60, and a heat insulating material 64 is provided on the outer periphery of the first pipe 60. The above describes a number of control techniques, including increasing the average height of the objects to be treated in the first pipe 60 to be higher than the average height of the objects to be treated in the second pipe 80, increasing the area of ​​the electrodes of the first processing unit 50 to be higher than the area of ​​the electrodes of the second processing unit 70, and increasing the power of the pulsed electric field treatment input to the first processing unit 50 to be higher than the power of the pulsed electric field treatment input to the second processing unit 70. However, two or more of these control techniques may be appropriately selected and the selected two or more control techniques may be combined and executed.

[0042] Embodiment 2 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a pulse electric field processing apparatus according to embodiment 2. In embodiment 2, a cooling water passage 86 is provided as a cooling device in second piping 80. The other components are the same as those in embodiment 1, and therefore, redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 10, the second pipe 80 is provided with a cooling water channel 86, which is a first water channel through which a refrigerant flows to lower the temperature of the object to be treated. By providing the cooling water channel 86, greater heat dissipation performance can be obtained. When water cooling is performed using the cooling water channel 86, the heat dissipation performance is expressed by the heat flux from the object to be treated to the refrigerant passing through the inside of the second pipe 80. Therefore, the heat dissipation performance can be improved by increasing the thermal conductivity of the material constituting the second pipe 80, increasing the temperature or flow rate of the refrigerant, or increasing the contact area between the refrigerant and the second pipe 80.

[0044] Therefore, the heat dissipation performance can be adjusted by adjusting the temperature or flow rate of the coolant, and feedback control to a target temperature can be performed by measuring the temperature of the object to be treated. Alternatively, feedforward control can be performed to adjust the temperature or flow rate of the coolant according to the output power of the pulsed power source 10. Both feedback control and feedforward control have the effect of adjusting the temperature with high precision.

[0045] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the configuration of the pulse electric field processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 11, a heating water channel 66 and a connecting water channel 67 are added to the configuration shown in FIG. 10. The first piping 60 is provided with the heating water channel 66, which is a second water channel through which a refrigerant for raising the temperature of the object to be processed flows. A connecting water channel 67 is also provided, connecting the heating water channel 66 and the cooling water channel 86. The refrigerant whose temperature has been increased in the cooling water channel 86 can be passed through the heating water channel 66, so that the thermal energy removed from the object to be processed in the second piping 80 can be used to raise the temperature of the object to be processed in the first piping 60. This configuration enables efficient use of energy, resulting in energy savings. Furthermore, shortening the length of the connecting water channel 67 and insulating it further contributes to energy savings.

[0046] As described above, according to the second embodiment, the temperature of the object to be treated can be more appropriately controlled, and the quality of the object to be treated is improved. Furthermore, since the heating water channel 66 and the cooling water channel 86 are connected, an energy saving effect can be expected.

[0047] The control method of the second embodiment may be executed in combination with the plurality of control methods described in the first embodiment as appropriate.

[0048] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are examples of the contents of the present disclosure, and may be combined with other known technologies, and parts of the configurations may be omitted or modified within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 10 pulse power supply, 11, 12 capacitor, 13, 14 switch, 15 DC power supply, 16 current limiter, 40 upstream piping, 41 downstream piping, 50 first processing section, 51 electrode, 52 high-voltage electrode, 53 low-voltage electrode, 54 insulating material, 55 processing chamber, 60 first piping, 64 insulating material, 66 heating water channel, 67 connecting water channel, 70 second processing section, 80 second piping, 84 heat dissipation fin, 86 cooling water channel, 90 third processing section.

Claims

1. a first processing unit that performs a first process, which is a pulse electric field process, on a liquid processing object; a first pipe through which the object to be treated passes after passing through the first processing unit; a second processing section into which the object to be treated that has passed through the first pipe flows and which performs a second process including the pulse electric field process on the object to be treated; a second pipe through which the object to be treated passes after passing through the second processing unit; a third processing section through which the object to be processed that has passed through the second pipe passes and which performs a third process including the pulse electric field treatment on the object to be processed; Equipped with The pulse electric field processing apparatus is characterized in that the heat dissipation performance of the second pipe is higher than the heat dissipation performance of the first pipe.

2. 2. The pulse electric field processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object to be processed flows through the second pipe longer than through the first pipe.

3. 2. The pulse electric field processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat dissipation performance per passing distance of the second pipe is higher than the heat dissipation performance per passing distance of the first pipe.

4. 2. The pulse electric field processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second pipe has a wall thickness thinner than that of the first pipe.

5. 2. The pulse electric field processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermal conductivity of the material forming the second pipe is higher than the thermal conductivity of the material forming the first pipe.

6. 2. The pulse electric field processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat dissipation area of ​​the second pipe is larger than the heat dissipation area of ​​the first pipe.

7. 7. The pulse electric field processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a heat insulating material is provided on an outer periphery of the first pipe.

8. 7. The pulse electric field processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an average height of the objects to be processed in the first pipe is higher than an average height of the objects to be processed in the second pipe.

9. the first processing unit and the second processing unit each include an electrode for performing the pulse electric field processing; 7. The pulse electric field processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an area of ​​the electrodes of the first processing section is larger than an area of ​​the electrodes of the second processing section.

10. 7. The pulse electric field processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power of the pulse electric field processing input to the first processing section is greater than the power of the pulse electric field processing input to the second processing section.

11. 7. The pulse electric field processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling device for cooling the second pipe.

12. the first pipe and the second pipe are provided with a first water passage and a second water passage, respectively, for adjusting a temperature; 7. The pulse electric field processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first water channel and the second water channel are connected to each other.

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