초록 ▼

A continuous, counter current freeze concentration system and method for concentrating aqueous solutions such as fruit juices, coffee and cold water soluble tea extracts, milk, beer, wine, vinegar, and the like in which the aqueous liquid is passed through one or more concentrating stages, each of w

A continuous, counter current freeze concentration system and method for concentrating aqueous solutions such as fruit juices, coffee and cold water soluble tea extracts, milk, beer, wine, vinegar, and the like in which the aqueous liquid is passed through one or more concentrating stages, each of which include a crystallizer associated with a gradient column, to crystallize ice in each of the stages and increase the concentration of the liquid, and the ice formed in each stage is passed in reverse direction through the stages. Ice crystals are separated and removed from the system in a wash column associated with the first stage, and concentrated liquid is removed as product from the last stage. The environment viscosity of ice crystals formed in each stage is reduced by forming the ice crystal fraction of the slurry produced in the crystallizer of each stage into a porous rising bed of agglomerated ice crystals in the gradient column associated with the crystallizer, and contacting the ice bed with a counter current flow of more dilute liquor whereby liquor occluded on the ice crystals is displaced with more dilute liquor as the ice bed rises in the column, thereby facilitating the removal of liquor occluded on the ice and promoting the growth of ice crystals in the system.

대표청구항 ▼

A subassembly for reducing the environment viscosity of ice crystals in an aqueous liquid slurry formed in a freeze concentration system, which comprises a gradient column having slurry inlet means at one end of the column for introducing a slurry of ice crystals in an aqueous liquid into the column

A subassembly for reducing the environment viscosity of ice crystals in an aqueous liquid slurry formed in a freeze concentration system, which comprises a gradient column having slurry inlet means at one end of the column for introducing a slurry of ice crystals in an aqueous liquid into the column, liquid outlet means for removing liquid from said column, filter means in said column intermediate the slurry inlet means and the liquid outlet means for separating ice crystals from the liquid fraction of the slurry, means for forming the ice into a porous bed of agglomerated ice crystals which rises to the opposite end of the column and controlling the degree of compaction of the ice bed, said means including rotatable perforated means adjacent the opposite end of the column for restraining and regulating upward movement of the ice bed and removing ice from the ice bed, liquid inlet means in the opposite end of the column for supplying dilute liquid into the column above said rotatable perforated means, add slurry outlet means in the opposite end for removal from the column of a slurry of ice removed from the ice bed in said dilute liquid.