Pumpable Substrate Chamber Segmentation for Sterilization Dwell Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for killing germs and pathogens in pumpable substrates often fail to ensure the required residence times, which are necessary for effective sterilization and are mandated by legal regulations, especially in food processing and biogas plants.
Innovation Solution
A device with a displacing separating body that divides the container cavity into separate partial volumes, allowing for monitorable and traceable dwell times, preventing contamination and ensuring that treated substrates maintain the required temperature and treatment duration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a simple container design is used without separating bodies, then the device complexity is reduced, but the residence time of the pumpable substrate cannot be monitored and controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The container cavity is divided into multiple partial volumes by separating bodies, creating distinct zones for substrate treatment. This segmentation allows for controlled residence time by defining specific regions where substrate must remain, thereby ensuring regulatory compliance without requiring complex external monitoring systems.
Solution Approach 2:
Position measuring systems and temperature measuring devices are introduced as intermediary components that monitor the substrate's location and conditions within the container. These intermediaries provide the necessary data to verify residence time without fundamentally altering the container's basic structure.
2Reliability
If the container allows free movement of substrate throughout the cavity, then the ease of operation is improved, but the residence time required for effective sterilization cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The container cavity is segmented into multiple partial volumes by separating bodies, creating distinct zones for substrate treatment. This segmentation allows for controlled residence time by defining specific regions where substrate must remain, thereby ensuring regulatory compliance without requiring complex external monitoring systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The separating bodies are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing them to be repositioned based on different sterilization requirements. This dynamic configuration enables flexibility in defining treatment zones while maintaining the core function of residence time control.
3Reliability
If treated substrate remains in the container for extended periods, then the reliability of pathogen elimination is improved, but the risk of re-contamination from untreated substrate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The container cavity is divided into multiple partial volumes by separating bodies, creating distinct zones for substrate treatment. This segmentation allows for controlled residence time by defining specific regions where substrate must remain, thereby ensuring regulatory compliance without requiring complex external monitoring systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The separating bodies are extracted or removed from the container cavity after the sterilization process is complete. This extraction allows the treated substrate to be discharged while preventing re-contamination, as the separating bodies can be taken out along with the treated material rather than leaving stationary separators in place.
4Measurement precision
If multiple separating bodies are arranged in the container cavity, then the monitoring and control of residence time is improved, but the device complexity and difficulty of manufacture increase
Solution Approach 1:
The container cavity is divided into multiple partial volumes by separating bodies, creating distinct zones for substrate treatment. This segmentation allows for controlled residence time by defining specific regions where substrate must remain, thereby ensuring regulatory compliance without requiring complex external monitoring systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The separating bodies are designed with uniform structures and identical positioning mechanisms, allowing for standardized manufacturing and assembly. This homogeneity in design simplifies the manufacturing process despite the presence of multiple separating bodies, as each component can be produced using the same template and installation procedure.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device (1) for killing germs and/or pathogenic agents in a pumpable substrate, wherein the device (1) has at least one container (2) having a container cavity (4) for holding the pumpable substrate, which container cavity is surrounded by a container wall (3) of the container (2), wherein at least one dividing body (5) of the device (1), which can be moved, preferably slid, within the container cavity (4), is arranged in the container cavity (4), wherein the dividing body (5) divides the container cavity (4) into two partial volumes (6, 7) separated from each other for holding the pumpable substrate.