Patent ID: 8434502
Filing Date: 2013-05-07
Classification: A23C,A23G

Abstract:
1. A C.I.P. cleaning system for flowing a caustic aqueous solution through a liquid food processing system, comprising: a caustic supply tank holding a quantity of said caustic aqueous solution; a rinse water tank holding a supply of rinse water; a pump connected at an inlet side thereof to inlet conduits leading from said caustic supply tank and said rinse water tank to said pump inlet side, and connected at an outlet side thereof to a conduit that leads from said pump outlet side to said food processing system; controlled valving means for connecting the caustic supply tank and said rinse water tank respectively to said pump; a return conduit connected to an outlet of said food processing equipment for receiving therefrom said caustic aqueous solution and entrained food solids cleaned from said food processing system; a conductivity sensor detecting electrical conductivity of the solution in the return conduit; a diverter valve in line in said return conduit after said conductivity sensor, having a first outlet and a second outlet, the diverter valve being electrically controlled by the conductivity sensor and operative to switch to the first outlet when the sensed conductivity is greater than a predetermined threshold, and to switch to the second outlet when the sensed conductivity is below said predetermined threshold; a caustic recovery settling tank of sufficient capacity to hold said quantity of said caustic aqueous solution that had been held in said caustic supply tank, and having a barrel portion and a conic portion below the barrel portion; a caustic recovery conduit leading from the first outlet of said diverter valve to an inlet of said caustic recovery tank; a solution drain conduit leading from a solution drain port at lower end of said barrel portion above the conic portion of said caustic recovery tank, the solution drain port being at a position such that solids entrained in the caustic solution settle to a level below the solution drain port; a solids drain conduit leading from an outlet at the bottom end of the conic portion of the caustic recovery tank; a caustic recovery pump in line in said caustic recovery conduit; valving situated in said caustic recovery conduit and in said solids drain conduit; a portion of said caustic recovery conduit leading from a discharge of the caustic recovery pump to an inlet of said caustic supply tank and adapted for supplying the caustic aqueous solution from the solution drain port of said caustic recovery tank; and control means connected with said valving and with said caustic recovery pump, and configured to open said caustic recovery conduit to empty the solution from the barrel portion of the caustic recovery tank and transfer said solution to the caustic supply tank after the solution and entrained solids have remained for a predetermined settle time sufficient for solid particles to settle into the conic portion of the caustic recovery tank, and to operate said caustic recovery pump to pump the solution into said caustic supply tank; and, after the caustic solution has been emptied from the barrel portion of the caustic recovery tank, to open the solids drain conduit to drain the solids residue out of the conic portion and through said solids drain conduit.