Patent ID: 8250973
Filing Date: 2012-08-28
Classification: A23N

Abstract:
1. A steam peeling system comprising: a rotatable pressure vessel supported for rotation about an axis of rotation and having an opening for loading the vessel with product to be peeled and discharging the product from the vessel, the product being receivable into the pressure vessel through the opening in a first orientation of the pressure vessel in which the opening is directed generally upwardly and being dischargeable from the pressure vessel through the opening in a second orientation of the pressure vessel in which the opening is directed generally downwardly; the vessel having an oblate spheroid form; a door for sealing the opening of the pressure vessel between an open disposition, in which the door is located within the container, and a sealed disposition in which the door closes the opening of the pressure vessel from an interior of the vessel; a steam introducing device that introduces pressurized steam into the pressure vessel while the pressure vessel is loaded with the product to be peeled for a steam treatment of the product; and a rotating device that rotates the pressure vessel about the axis of rotation of the pressure vessel, wherein the pressure vessel includes a plurality of lifters inside the pressure vessel for entraining and lifting the product about the axis of rotation of the pressure vessel during rotation of the pressure vessel, and wherein each of the lifters protrudes substantially radially inwardly from a region of an interior wall surface of the pressure vessel and is configured to assist lifting and mixing of the product to be peeled to enable steam to access each individual product.