Device and method for a high-pressure treatment of a liquid

Abstract

A device (1) for a high-pressure treatment of a liquid has a compression head (2), a housing (11) which is secured to the compression head (2), at least one working plunger assembly (3) which is provided in the housing (11) and has a working chamber (31) and an axially movably mounted working plunger (32) that delimits the working chamber (31), a respective valve body (4) which is positioned between the compression head (2) and the housing (11), adjoins the working chamber (31) and has a through-channel (41) and a suction channel (42) that can be closed by a closing body (43), and at least one outlet valve (5) which is secured to the compression head (2) and has an outlet (53) that can be blocked by a closing body (51), wherein the through-channel (41) of the valve body (4) opens into a compression chamber (22) of the compression head (2), at least one additional plunger assembly (6) is secured to the compression head (2), and the at least one additional plunger assembly (6) has a working chamber (61), which is fluidically connected to the working chamber (22) of the compression head (2), and an additional axially movably mounted spring-loaded plunger (62), which delimits the working chamber (61) and by means of which the working chamber (61) of the additional plunger assembly (6) can be set to a specified volume. The invention further relates to a method for a high-pressure treatment of a liquid.

Description

[0001] DEVICE AND METHOD FOR HIGH-PRESSURE TREATMENT OF A LIQUID

[0002] The present invention relates to a device for the high-pressure treatment of a liquid according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0003] The invention further relates to a method for the high-pressure treatment of a liquid.

[0004] The areas of application of the high-pressure treatment of liquids described below are, for example, preservation, typically the preservation of food, or conversion, i.e. the chemical or biological structural change of liquids, for example the denaturation of proteins.

[0005] Various physical processes such as pasteurization or sterilization are known for preserving food by applying high pressure.

[0006] While pasteurization of food preserves the vitamins, sterilization kills all germs but also destroys the vitamins.

[0007] Conventional pasteurization processes use, among other things, high temperatures to kill germs and bacteria, ensuring long-term storage life for food. Pasteurization with heat treatment has the advantage of being able to implement a continuous industrial process.

[0008] The problem with this type of pasteurization is that the high temperatures also destroy vitamins contained in the food.

[0009] In addition, high-pressure pasteurization (HPP) has gained increasing importance in recent years. This type of pasteurization allows all types of food to be preserved using extreme pressure while preserving vitamins. Both solid and liquid foods are exposed to water pressures of 2000 to 6000 bar in their final packaging in a high-pressure chamber. The disadvantage of this type of pasteurization is that a continuous production process is not feasible, as the high-pressure chambers must first be loaded, flooded with water, the high pressure applied, the pressure released, and then the food removed.

[0010] High-pressure plunger pumps can be used to generate the necessary high pressure. A high-pressure plunger pump of this type, known, for example, from DE 10 2016 124 422 A1, has one or more oscillating plungers. Each plunger draws a volume of fluid into a working chamber of the plunger pump via a control valve designed as a suction valve and discharges it under high pressure through an outlet valve. The plunger is driven by a drive shaft driven by a drive device, for example, an electric motor.

[0011] The object of the present invention is to provide a device with which a high-pressure treatment of liquids, in particular the preservation of liquid foodstuffs, is made possible with reduced energy consumption and with reduced time expenditure.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for high-pressure treatment of a liquid using the device.

[0013] The first object is achieved by a device for high-pressure treatment of a liquid having the features of claim 1.

[0014] The second object is further achieved by a method for high-pressure treatment having the features of claim 16.

[0015] The device according to the invention comprises a compression head with a compression chamber, a housing fastened to the compression head and at least one working plunger arrangement arranged in the housing with a working chamber and a working plunger delimiting the working chamber and arranged axially movable in a working plunger housing.

[0016] The device further comprises at least one inlet valve attached to the compression head with an inlet that can be blocked by a closing body.

[0017] Furthermore, at least one outlet valve with an outlet that can be blocked by a closing body is attached to the compression head. At least one additional plunger assembly is attached to the compression head.

[0018] This at least one additional plunger arrangement has a working chamber fluidically connected to the compression chamber of the compression head and an additional plunger which delimits the working chamber and is arranged to be axially movable in an additional plunger housing, with which the working chamber of the additional plunger arrangement can be adjusted to a volume which determines a maximum pressure in the compression chamber filled with the liquid.

[0019] With such a device according to the invention, it is possible to preserve liquids, in particular liquid foodstuffs, for example orange juice, within a continuous production process, in particular to pasteurize or sterilize them, without significantly increasing the temperature of the liquid foodstuff.

[0020] In addition, a particularly economical production process is made possible because the energy introduced into the liquid food after pressurization in the pressure stroke drives the working plunger of the device as relief energy in a subsequent relief stroke of the working plunger.

[0021] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

[0022] According to an advantageous embodiment, the additional plunger arrangement has an actuating unit directly coupled to the additional plunger, with which the volume of the working space of the additional plunger arrangement required to set the maximum pressure can be adjusted by positioning the additional plunger.

[0023] The additional plunger can preferably be controlled by a control unit accommodated in a housing of the actuating unit

[0024] In an advantageous development, the additional plunger arrangement comprises an actuating unit with an actuating element, with which the volume of the working chamber of the additional plunger arrangement required to set the maximum pressure can be adjusted by limiting the deflection of the additional plunger to a predetermined value. This allows different operating pressures for the high-pressure treatment process to be easily adjusted.

[0025] According to an advantageous development, the actuating element is designed as a travel adjustment unit. Pneumatic, electrical, or hydraulic adjustment of the actuating element is conceivable.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, the travel adjustment unit is designed as an adjusting screw.

[0027] The additional plunger is preferably spring-loaded by an energy accumulator accommodated in a housing of the actuating unit, preferably in the form of a compression spring.

[0028] According to an alternative design variant, the travel adjustment unit is designed as a linear actuator directly coupled to the additional plunger.

[0029] According to a further alternative design variant, the additional plunger can be controlled by a control unit accommodated in a housing of the actuating unit.

[0030] According to a preferred development of the invention, the additional plunger is coupled to the compression spring via a pressure piston.

[0031] According to an advantageous design variant, the outlet valve can be controlled pneumatically, electrically or hydraulically.

[0032] A control of the outlet valve is preferably designed such that an opening of the outlet valve can be controlled after one working stroke of the working plunger or a plurality of working strokes of the working plunger.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the at least one inlet valve is integrated into a valve body arranged between the compression head and the housing. The valve body has a through-channel adjoining the working chamber and opening into the compression chamber of the compression head, as well as a suction channel that can be closed with a closing body. The suction channel, together with the closing body, forms the inlet valve. According to a preferred alternative embodiment, the at least one inlet valve is mounted on the compression head as a separate component.

[0034] The design of the inlet valve as a separate component on the compression head enables particularly easy cleaning of all media-exposed components of the device.

[0035] According to a preferred embodiment, the working plunger, the additional plunger and a respective sealing bushing receiving the latter are made of hard metal or ceramic.

[0036] The method according to the invention for the high-pressure treatment of a liquid foodstuff using a device as described above comprises the following method steps:

[0037] In a first method step a), the working chamber of the working plunger is filled with the liquid through the open inlet valve in a suction stroke of the working plunger with the outlet valve closed and with the working chamber of the additional plunger arrangement minimized in an initial position of the additional plunger.

[0038] Subsequently, in a method step b), a compression phase is initiated in the pressure stroke of the working plunger with the outlet valve and suction channel closed, wherein the additional plunger is pressed by the liquid from the starting position into a position that enlarges the working space of the additional plunger arrangement and wherein at least in a final phase of the pressure stroke of the working plunger, the liquid is under maximum pressure due to a counterforce exerted on the liquid by the additional plunger.

[0039] Subsequently, in process step c), a decompression phase is initiated during the subsequent suction stroke of the working plunger with the outlet valve and suction channel closed. The working plunger is moved by the expansion energy of the compressed liquid food, and the spring-loaded auxiliary plunger is pushed back into its initial position by the spring force, minimizing the working space of the auxiliary plunger assembly. Finally, the outlet valve opens, and the liquid, high-pressure-treated food is expelled during the discharge stroke of the working plunger.

[0040] Optionally, process steps b) and c) can be repeated once or several times to increase the pressurised residence time of the liquid food, while realising moderate pressures up to preferably 4500 bar.

[0041] In a first further development, the additional plunger is pressed against the adjusting element in process step b) to adjust the volume of the working space of the additional plunger arrangement required to reach the maximum pressure.

[0042] In an alternative development, the additional plunger in process step b) is initially held in the starting position by the force of the energy accumulator, wherein the energy accumulator is set in such a way that the liquid is compressed to the volume required to reach the maximum pressure immediately after initiation of the pressure stroke of the working plunger and in the further pressure stroke of the working plunger, when the force of the energy accumulator is exceeded, the additional plunger is pushed away from its starting position.

[0043] Preferred embodiments are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show:

[0044] Fig. 1 and 2 are schematic isometric views of a first embodiment of a device according to the invention,

[0045] Figure 3 is a sectional view through the device according to Figure 1 showing a working plunger arrangement, a compression head mounted thereon and an outlet valve and additional plunger arrangement attached thereto,

[0046] Figure 4 is an enlarged detail of the compression head area shown in Figure 2,

[0047] Fig. 5 to 7 schematic sectional views of various embodiments of the additional plunger arrangement,

[0048] Figure 8 is a schematic isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a device according to the invention, Figure 9 is an enlarged detail of the area of ​​the alternative compression head corresponding to Figure 4 in a sectional view through the device according to Figure 8,

[0049] Figure 10 is an enlarged detail corresponding to Figure 4 of the area of ​​a further alternative embodiment of the device with a controlled inlet valve in a sectional view through the device according to Figure 8,

[0050] Fig. 11 to 18 are schematic diagrams for explaining the high pressure treatment process,

[0051] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram showing possible pressure curves in the compression chamber depending on the crankshaft coupled to the working plunger and

[0052] Figure 20 is a schematic diagram showing possible volume curves of the total compression space depending on the crankshaft coupled to the working plunger.

[0053] In the following description of the figures, terms such as top, bottom, left, right, front, rear, etc., refer exclusively to the exemplary representation and position of the device, working plunger, additional plunger, working chamber, valve body, outlet valve, actuating unit, and the like chosen in the respective figures. These terms are not to be understood as limiting; i.e., these references may change due to different working positions or the mirror-symmetrical design, etc.

[0054] In Figures 1 to 3 and in Figure 8, the reference numeral 1 denotes embodiments of a device according to the invention.

[0055] In all variants, the device 1 comprises a compression head 2 with a compression chamber 22 and a housing 11 fastened to the compression head 2, in which at least one working plunger arrangement 3 is arranged.

[0056] The working plunger arrangement 3 has in all variants, as shown in Figures 3, 4, 9 and 10, a working chamber 31 and a working plunger 32 which delimits the working chamber 31 and is arranged to be axially movable in a plunger housing 33 and which is coupled to a drive shaft 13 driven by a motor, for example an electric motor, as shown in Figure 3.

[0057] The drive shaft 13 is surrounded by a housing 12 of the device 1. The axial movement of the working plunger 32 occurs axially relative to the longitudinal axis AAP of the working plunger 32, in Figures 1 to 3, 8, and 9 in the z-direction.

[0058] As further shown in Figures 3 and 4, at least one valve body 4 adjoining the working chamber 31 is arranged between the compression head 2 and the housing 11. It has a through-channel 41, designed here as a pressure channel, and a suction channel 42 that can be closed by a closing body 43. The liquid to be treated under high pressure, in particular a liquid foodstuff, is introduced into the working chamber 31 through the suction channel 42. In this first embodiment, the suction channel 42 and the closing body 43 form an inlet valve 9' for introducing the liquid to be treated, for example, to be pasteurized under high pressure, into the compression chamber 22.

[0059] In the illustrated embodiment, the closing body 43 is designed as a cone that holds the suction channel 42 at its opening into the working chamber 31 of the working plunger assembly 3. During the suction stroke of the working plunger 32, when the working chamber 31 is not filled with liquid food, the cone is pushed away from the opening of the suction channel 42 by the pressure of the liquid food supplied to the suction channel 42 from outside.

[0060] If the working chamber 31 of the working plunger arrangement 3 is filled with the liquid, this presses the closing body 43 against the mouth of the suction channel 42 and thus closes the suction channel 42.

[0061] The valve body 4 can be provided with one suction channel 42 or with several suction channels 42, each of which is assigned a closing body 43. The suction channel 42, together with the closing body 43, forms the inlet valve 9', which is designed here as a suction valve.

[0062] In the embodiments of the device 1 shown in Figures 8 to 10, the at least one inlet valve 9 is mounted as a separate component on the compression head 2, in the illustrated embodiment opposite the working chamber 31 of the working plunger assembly 3. The coupling of the working plunger assembly 3 to the compression head 2 is achieved here via a simpler valve body 4 with a through-channel 41 for connecting the working chamber 31 to the compression chamber 22 of the compression head 2, but without a suction channel 42 and closing body 43.

[0063] In the embodiments shown in Figures 8 to 10, the inlet valve 9 has a closing body 91, which serves to close an inlet 93. The closing body 91 is accommodated in a housing 94. The housing 94 further has a passage 92 for connection to the compression chamber 22 of the compression head 2.

[0064] On its side facing away from the inlet 93, the closing body 91 in the embodiment according to Figures 8 and 9 is loaded by a compression spring in order to allow the liquid food to flow in only when pressure acts on the closing body 91 from the inlet.

[0065] In the alternative embodiment according to Figure 10, the inlet valve 9 is designed as a controllable inlet valve, analogous to the outlet valve 5 described in more detail below.

[0066] Furthermore, in all embodiments of the device 1, at least one outlet valve 5 is attached to the compression head 2.

[0067] The outlet valve 5 has an outlet 53 which can be blocked by a closing body 51 and through which the high-pressure treated liquid food is discharged from the device 1 at the end of the high-pressure treatment process.

[0068] The outlet valve 5 can preferably be controlled pneumatically, electrically or hydraulically.

[0069] The through-channel 41 of the valve body 4 opens into a compression chamber 22 of the compression head 2, which leads firstly to the outlet valve 5 and secondly to an additional plunger arrangement 6 fastened to the compression head 2.

[0070] In the embodiment shown in Figures 1, 2 and 8, a total of three outlet valves 5 and correspondingly three additional plunger arrangements 6 are fixed to the compression head 2. Depending on the capacity requirement, more or fewer outlet valves 5 and additional plunger arrangements 6 are also conceivable, which are fixed to a correspondingly designed compression head 2.

[0071] Figures 5 to 7 show different embodiments of the additional plunger arrangements 6.

[0072] Common to all variants of the additional plunger arrangements 6 is a working chamber 61 fluidically connected to the working chamber 22 of the compression head 2 and an additional plunger 62 which delimits the working chamber 61 and is arranged so as to be axially movable.

[0073] The variable working chamber 61 of the additional plunger 62, together with the compression chamber 22 of the compression head 2, forms a total compression chamber 15 (shown in the schematic representations for explaining the high-pressure treatment method of Figures 11 to 18), to which the liquid can be compressed in a pressure stroke of the working plunger 32 of the working plunger arrangement 3 and which has a maximum pressure p ma x of the liquid is defined.

[0074] While in the embodiments of the additional plunger arrangement 6 shown in Figures 5 and 7, the working chamber 61 of the additional plunger arrangement 6 can be adjusted by a stop to a predetermined maximum volume defining the maximum pressure pmax of the liquid, in the embodiment of the additional plunger arrangement 6 shown in Figure 6, the maximum pressure Pmax of the liquid is defined exclusively by the spring constant of a force accumulator 66.

[0075] In the embodiments shown in Figures 5 and 7, the additional plunger arrangement 6 has an actuating unit 63 with an actuating element 64 for setting a predetermined volume of the working chamber 61 required for pressure generation.

[0076] The adjusting element limits the deflection of the additional plunger 62 in the axial direction AZP to a predetermined amount. The adjusting element is preferably designed as a travel adjustment unit.

[0077] In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, an adjusting unit 63 with an adjusting element 64 is also present, which serves to adjust the spring constant of the energy accumulator 66. In the preferred embodiment of the additional plunger arrangement 6 shown in Figures 5 and 6, the adjusting element 64 is designed as an adjusting screw. The adjusting screw is screwed into an internal thread of a housing 69 of the adjusting unit 63.

[0078] It is also conceivable, as shown in Figure 7, to design the travel adjustment unit, here the actuating element 64, as a linear actuator directly coupled to the additional plunger 62.

[0079] The additional plunger 62 can preferably be controlled by a control unit accommodated in a housing of the actuating unit 63.

[0080] As further shown in Figure 5, an end 642 remote from a screw head 641 of the adjusting screw projects into a cavity 691 of the housing 69 of the adjusting unit 63. This end 642 serves as a stop for the additional plunger 62.

[0081] In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, a piston 65 movable in the axial direction AZP and a force accumulator 66 loading the piston 65 are mounted in the cavity 691 of the housing 69. The force accumulator 66 pushes the piston away from the end 642 of the adjusting screw.

[0082] A first end of the additional plunger 62 is fixed to the end of the piston 65 facing away from the energy accumulator 66. The energy accumulator 66 is preferably designed as a compression spring, as shown in Figures 3 to 6, 9, and 10.

[0083] The penetration depth of the adjusting screw into the cavity 691 of the housing 69, ie the position of the end 642 of the adjusting element 64 designed as an adjusting screw, viewed in the axial direction AZP, can be easily adjusted by means of the screw head 641.

[0084] In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the spring constant of the energy accumulator 66 also causes a compression of the volume of the liquid, increasing the pressure of the liquid.

[0085] The spring constant of the energy accumulator 66 is dimensioned in this design variant so that the maximum pressure p max of the liquid is only reached after the additional piston 62 has struck the end 642 of the actuating element 64. As further shown in Figures 4 to 7, 9 and 10, the additional plunger 62 is guided in a plunger guide 68 adjoining the actuating unit 63. The plunger guide is attached, in particular screwed, to the compression head 2 together with a guide housing 67.

[0086] In the transition area between the compression head 2 and the guide housing 67, a first coupling piece 7 with a passage 71 for the liquid between the compression chamber 22 of the compression head 2 and the working chamber 61 of the additional plunger arrangement 6 is preferably provided.

[0087] Furthermore, a second coupling piece 8 with a passage 81 for the liquid between the compression chamber 22 of the compression head 2 and the outlet 53 of the outlet valve 5 is preferably provided between the compression head 2 and a housing 54 of the outlet valve 5.

[0088] The working plunger 32, the additional plunger 62 and a respective sealing bushing 14 receiving the latter, shown in Figures 3, 4, 9 and 10, are preferably made of hard metal or ceramic.

[0089] With reference to Figures 11 to 18, a method for the high-pressure treatment of a liquid, in particular a liquid food, using a device 1 as described above is described below.

[0090] The process can be divided into four phases, as shown in Figures 19 and 20, using a pressure curve (depending on the crankshaft position of the crankshaft coupled to the working plunger(s)) or volume curve: a) suction of the liquid (suction stroke), b) compression of the liquid (pressure stroke), c) decompression of the liquid (relaxation stroke) and d) ejection of the liquid (discharge stroke).

[0091] Figure 11 schematically shows a position of the working plunger 32 shortly after the start of a suction stroke, in which, in a method step a), a total compression chamber 15 is filled with a quantity of the liquid to be treated corresponding to the volume of the working chamber 31 of the working plunger arrangement 3 through the open inlet valve 9, 9'. The suction stroke described here represents a suction stroke in which the compression chamber 22 itself is already or still filled with the liquid. During initial filling, the volume defined by the compression chamber 22 must also be filled with the liquid.

[0092] During this first work step, the outlet valve 5 is closed. The additional plunger 62 is in its position minimizing the working chamber 61 of the additional plunger assembly 6 with the compression spring 66 relaxed. The intake stroke is completed when the bottom dead center (UT) is reached.

[0093] Figure 12 shows schematically a position of the working plunger 32 shortly after the start of a pressure stroke (first pressure stroke phase b1 )), after the working plunger 32 has passed the bottom dead center, at which the filling of the working chamber 31 with the liquid to be treated is completed.

[0094] During the pressure stroke phase b2), the additional plunger reaches its maximum volumetric released end position of the working chamber 61, as shown in the figure.

[0095] As soon as the additional plunger 61 has reached its end position, the volume in the total compression chamber 15 is compressed and changed exclusively via the pressure stroke of the working plunger 32 until the pressure stroke phase b3) is completed at the top dead center TDC, shown in Figure 14.

[0096] In the variant of the additional plunger arrangement 6 shown in Figure 6, the release of the volume-maximizing total compression chamber 15 extends over the entire compression stroke phase. The corresponding volume or pressure curve in the total compression chamber 15 is shown by the dashed line in Figures 19 and 20.

[0097] Preferably, the pressure is increased to a pressure of 2000 bar to 8000 bar, particularly preferably to a pressure of 4000 bar to 5000 bar. The compression chamber 22 and the working chambers 31, 61 opened by the working plunger 32 and the additional plunger 62 form the overall compression chamber 15.

[0098] After reaching the top dead center of the working plunger 32 shown in Figure 14, a decompression phase shown in Figures 15 and 16 is initiated in a process step c) in the subsequent relief stroke of the working plunger 32 with the outlet valve 5 closed and the suction channel 42 or the inlet valve 9 closed.

[0099] In the relief stroke phase c1) shown in Figure 15, the additional plunger initially remains in the end position until the spring force acting on the additional plunger exceeds the reducing pressure force. The spring force pushes the additional plunger 62, as shown in Figure 16, back into the volume-minimizing starting position of the working chamber in a relief stroke phase c2).

[0100] During the relief stroke, the working plunger 32 is driven by the relaxation energy of the compressed fluid.

[0101] The drive of the working plunger 32 is supported by the expansion energy of the liquid food compressed during the compression stroke. The spring-loaded auxiliary plunger 62 is pushed back into the initial position, minimizing the working chamber 61 of the auxiliary plunger assembly 6, by the spring force of the spring element 66.

[0102] If the outlet valve 5 remains closed after the relief stroke, the above-described process steps b) and c) are repeated once or several times in an optional process step e). The alternating pressure applied to the fluid during the rapid pressure and relief stroke further increases the intensity of the high-pressure treatment on the fluid.

[0103] In a process step d), shown in Figure 17), a quantity of the treated liquid corresponding to the working chamber 31 of the working plunger 32 is finally pushed out of the compression chamber without pressure in a subsequent delivery stroke of the working plunger 32 with the outlet valve 5 open and the inlet valve 9, 9' closed.

[0104] The rotating additional plunger 62 ensures that the entire stroke volume of the working plunger can always be pumped.

[0105] The volume or pressure curve in the overall compression chamber 15 corresponding to the embodiment variant of the additional plunger arrangement 6 shown in Figure 5 is shown by the solid line in Figures 19 and 20. Accordingly, control of the outlet valve 5 is preferably designed such that opening of the outlet valve 5 can be controlled after one working stroke of the working plunger 32 or a plurality of working strokes of the working plunger 32.

[0106] List of reference symbols

[0107] 1 device

[0108] 2 compression head

[0109] 21 Valve accommodation space

[0110] 22 Compression chamber

[0111] 3 Working plunger arrangement

[0112] 31 work space

[0113] 32 working plungers

[0114] 33 Working plunger housing

[0115] 4 valve bodies

[0116] 41 Through channel

[0117] 42 suction channel

[0118] 43 locking bodies

[0119] 5 exhaust valve

[0120] 51 locking body

[0121] 52 pistons

[0122] 53 Outlet

[0123] 54 housings

[0124] 6 Additional plunger arrangement

[0125] 61 workspace

[0126] 62 additional plungers

[0127] 63 Actuator

[0128] 64 Control element

[0129] 641 screw head

[0130] 642 End

[0131] 65 pressure pistons

[0132] 66 compression spring

[0133] 67 Additional plunger housing

[0134] 68 Plunger guide

[0135] 69 housings

[0136] 691 Cavity

[0137] 7 first coupling piece 71 passage

[0138] 8 second coupling piece 81 passage

[0139] 9, 9' intake valve

[0140] 91 locking body

[0141] 92 passage

[0142] 93 Entrance

[0143] 94 housings

[0144] 11 housings

[0145] 12 housings

[0146] 13 Drive shaft

[0147] 14 socket

[0148] 15 Total compression space

[0149] 16 Starting position

[0150] 17 Final position

[0151] X direction

[0152] Y direction

[0153] Z direction

[0154] AAP movement axis working plunger

[0155] AZP movement axis additional plunger

Claims

Claims 1 . Device (1 ) for high-pressure treatment of a liquid, comprising - a compression head (2) with a compression chamber (22), - a housing (11) attached to the compression head (2), - at least one working plunger arrangement (3) arranged in the housing (11) with a working chamber (31) and a working plunger (32) delimiting the working chamber (31) and arranged axially movable in a working plunger housing (33), - at least one inlet valve (9, 9') attached to the compression head (2) with an inlet (93, 42) which can be blocked by a closing body (91, 43), - at least one outlet valve (5) attached to the compression head (2) with an outlet (53) which can be blocked by a closing body (51), characterized in that - at least one additional plunger arrangement (6) is attached to the compression head (2), - wherein the at least one additional plunger arrangement (6) has a working chamber (61) fluidically connected to the compression chamber (22) of the compression head (2) and an additional plunger (62) which delimits the working chamber (61) and is arranged to be axially movable in an additional plunger housing (67), with which the working chamber (61) of the additional plunger arrangement (6) can be adjusted to a volume which has a maximum pressure (p ma x) in the compression chamber (22) filled with the liquid.

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the additional plunger arrangement (6) has an actuating unit directly coupled to the additional plunger (62), with which the volume of the working space (61) of the additional plunger arrangement (6) required to set the maximum pressure (pmax) can be adjusted by positioning the additional plunger (62).

3. Device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the additional plunger (62) can be controlled by a control unit accommodated in a housing of the actuating unit.

4. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the additional plunger arrangement (6) has an actuating unit (63) with an actuating element (64) with which the pressure required to set the maximum pressure (pmax) The required volume of the working space (61) of the additional plunger arrangement (6) can be adjusted by limiting a deflection of the additional plunger (62) to a predetermined amount.

5. Device (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the adjusting element (64) is designed as a travel adjusting unit.

6. Device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the travel adjustment unit is designed as a linear actuator directly coupled to the additional plunger (62).

7. Device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the adjustment unit is designed as an adjusting screw.

8. Device (1) according to claim 4 to 7, characterized in that the additional plunger (62) is spring-loaded by a force accumulator (66) accommodated in a housing of the actuating unit (63).

9. Device (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the energy accumulator (66) is designed as a compression spring.

10. Device (1) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the additional plunger (62) is coupled to the energy accumulator (66) via a pressure piston (65).

11. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outlet valve (5) can be controlled pneumatically, electrically or hydraulically.

12. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a control of the outlet valve (5) is designed such that an opening of the outlet valve (5) can be controlled after one working cycle of the working plunger (32) or a plurality of working cycles of the working plunger (32).

13. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one inlet valve (9) is attached to the compression head (2) as a separate component.

14. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the working plunger (32), the additional plunger (62) and a respective sealing bushing (14) receiving the latter are made of hard metal or ceramic.

15. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one inlet valve (9') is integrated into a valve body (4) which is arranged between the compression head (2) and the housing (11) and has a through-channel (41) adjoining the working chamber (31) and opening into the compression chamber (22) of the compression head (2), as well as a suction channel (42) which can be closed by a closing body (43), the suction channel (42) together with the closing body (43) forming the inlet valve (9').

16. A method for the high-pressure treatment of a liquid with a device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the method steps: a) filling the working chamber (32) with the liquid through the open inlet valve (9, 9') in a suction stroke of the working plunger (32) with the outlet valve (5) closed and with the working chamber (61) of the additional plunger arrangement (6) minimized in an initial position of the additional plunger (62), b) initiating a compression phase in a pressure stroke of the working plunger (32) with the outlet valve (5) closed and the suction channel (42) closed, wherein the additional plunger (62) is pressed by the liquid out of the initial position into a position enlarging the working chamber (61) of the additional plunger arrangement (6), and wherein at least in a final phase of the pressure stroke of the working plunger (32), the liquid is pressurized to maximum pressure (p max), c) initiating a decompression phase in a subsequent relief stroke of the working plunger (32) with the outlet valve (5) and the suction channel (42) closed, wherein the relief stroke of the working plunger (32) is moved with the support of the expansion energy of the compressed liquid and the additional plunger (62) is moved back into the initial position which minimizes the volume of the working chamber (61) of the additional plunger arrangement (6), d) Opening the outlet valve (5) and pushing out the liquid in one delivery stroke of the working plunger (32).

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that after method step c) and before method step d) the method steps b) and c) are repeated once or several times.

18. Method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the additional plunger (62) in method step b) is moved against the adjusting element (64) to adjust the pressure required to reach the maximum pressure (p ma x) required volume of the working space (61) of the additional plunger arrangement (6) is pressed.

19. Method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the additional plunger (62) is initially held in its initial position in method step b) by the force of the energy accumulator (66), the energy accumulator (66) being set such that the liquid is compressed to the volume required to reach the maximum pressure (pmax) immediately after initiation of the pressure stroke of the working plunger (32) and in the further pressure stroke of the working plunger (32) when the force of the energy accumulator (66) is exceeded, the additional plunger (62) is pushed away from its initial position.

Images