Patent ID: 6291000
Filing Date: 2001-09-18
Classification: A23L

Abstract:
A method of concentrating tomato juice, said method comprising the steps of:causing tomato juice to flow down under a high-pressure condition in a straight flow to a one-stage unit having an inlet, an outlet and a plurality of tubular membrane modules connected in series; andTABLE 1 Test X Y Pi Po .DELTA.P Brix Examples (cm/sec) (m) (kg/cm.sup.2) (kg/cm.sup.2) (kg/cm.sup.2) (%) 1 33 130.0 60.0 47.6 12.4 20.5 2 44 150.0 60.0 45.6 14.4 20.7 3 55 170.0 60.0 39.1 20.9 21.1 4 66 190.0 60.0 41.0 19.0 20.5 5 33 230.8 60.0 39.8 20.2 20.5 6 44 219.6 60.0 39.3 20.7 20.5 7 55 208.4 60.0 35.8 24.2 20.9 8 66 197.2 60.0 40.4 19.6 20.9 9 33 175.0 60.0 44.0 16.0 22.0 10 44 180.0 60.0 43.0 17.0 22.5 11 55 190.0 60.0 42.0 18.0 21.5 12 66 195.0 60.0 40.7 19.3 20.7TABLE 2 Com- parison X Y Pi Po .DELTA.P Brix Examples (cm/sec) (m) (kg/cm.sup.2) (kg/cm.sup.2) (kg/cm.sup.2) (%) 1 33 100.0 60.0 52.0 8.0 18.0 2 44 130.0 60.0 49.0 11.0 18.2 3 55 150.0 60.0 45.0 15.0 18.5 4 66 170.0 60.0 43.0 17.0 19.0 5 33 250.0 60.0 39.8 20.2 18.0 6 44 240.0 60.0 36.0 24.0 18.5 7 55 230.0 60.0 35.0 25.0 18.0 8 66 210.0 60.0 33.0 27.0 17.5concentrating said tomato juice by reverse osmosis to over 20% in Brix scale;wherein pressure loss inside said unit is 30 kg/cm.sup.2 or less, linear speed X in units of cm/second of said tomato juice at said inlet and total membrane length Y in units of meters of said tubular membrane modules satisfy Formula given by 1.8182X+70.ltoreq.Y.ltoreq.-1.0182X+264.4, said tubular membrane modules have salt rejecting rate of 90% or over, and X is greater than 33.