Patent ID: 9671167
Date: 2017-06-06
CPC Classifications: A61L,B01J,F28C

Claim:
1. A process for reducing the temperature of an effluent stream from a sterilization chamber, comprising: (A) flowing the effluent stream from the sterilization chamber through a first heat exchanger and a vacuum pump into a mixing tank, the effluent stream flowing from the sterilization chamber being a first stream, the first stream, which comprises water and/or steam, being cooled in the first heat exchanger; (B) flowing a second stream, which comprises water, from the mixing tank through a second heat exchanger, the second stream being cooled in the second heat exchanger; (C) flowing the second stream from the second heat exchanger to and through the first heat exchanger into the mixing tank, the second stream exchanging heat with the first stream in the first heat exchanger; (D) flowing a third stream, which comprises water, through the vacuum pump into the mixing tank; and (E) flowing a fourth stream, which comprises water, out of the mixing tank.