Abstract:
The invention relates to an inlet for a tank which is intended for a liquid food product. The inlet is placed in the side wall of the tank and at the upper end of the tank. The inlet is further designed so that the inflowing product is distributed in fan-shape along the inside of the tank. The application also includes a method of supplying liquid food product to a tank.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to an inlet for a tank, intended for a liquid food product, where the inlet is placed in the side wall of the tank and at the upper end of the tank. 
         [0002]    The present invention also relates to a method of supplying a liquid food product to a tank, and where such supply takes place above the liquid surface of the tank. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0003]    When a liquid food is processed, situations occasionally arise where the product must be circulated across a balance tank. The process may be some type of heat treatment, such as pasteurization or UHT-treatment (Ultra High Temperature). Other processes may also occur. A situation which may occur is, for example, when the correct temperature has not been reached in the heat treatment equipment. The liquid food product may be some form of dairy produce, such as milk, cream or the like. 
         [0004]    When a liquid food product is circulated over a balance vessel or tank, it is almost inevitable that air will be admixed into the product. Air in a dairy product which is to be heat treated markedly increases the risk of fouling, i.e. burning of the product onto surfaces in the heat treatment equipment. Air also affects the standardization of milk products in that a lower level of accuracy will be achieved. There will also be a reduction of accuracy in other measurement equipment. Air in a food product also has a harmful effect of the homogenization of, for example, milk. 
         [0005]    One method of avoiding the admixture of air into the food product is that the inlet in the balance tank or vessel is positioned below the liquid surface of the tank. This is an efficient method of avoiding the admixture of air, but unfortunately suffers from the drawback that there is a slight risk that treated product will be mixed with untreated product. In some countries, there is moreover legislation in place which prevents the adoption of such a solution. 
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    One object of the present invention is to realise an inlet for a tank which minimizes the admixture of air in the product. 
         [0007]    A further object of the present invention is to avoid the risk that treated product be mixed with untreated product if the product must be circulated over a balance tank. 
         [0008]    Yet a further object of the present invention is that the inlet according to the invention may be employed for all types of tanks, all types of food processes, as well as all types of liquid food products, where air has a harmful effect on the process. 
       Solution 
       [0009]    These and other objects have been attained according to the present invention in that the inlet inside the tank is designed so that the inflowing products is distributed in fan-shape along the inside of the tank. 
         [0010]    These and other objects have further been attained according to the present invention in that the tank is provided with an inlet which distributes the inflowing product in fan-shape along the inside of the tank. 
         [0011]    Preferred embodiments of the present invention have further been given the characterising features as set forth in the appended subclaims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    One preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in greater detail hereinbelow, with reference to the accompanying Drawings. In the accompanying Drawings: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a flow diagram with a balance tank according to the prior art; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  shows a schematic flow diagram with a balance tank with an inlet according to the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a side elevation of a balance tank with an inlet according to the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a three-dimensional view of an inlet according to the present invention; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  shows another three-dimensional view of an inlet according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0018]    In  FIG. 1 , untreated product enters through a conduit  1 , passes a balance tank  2  and continues via a conduit  3  to a heat treatment equipment unit  4 . The heat treatment equipment unit  4  may be a pasteurizer, an UHT unit (Ultra High Temperature) or some other form of process equipment which requires circulation over a balance tank  2 . 
         [0019]    When the correct temperature has been reached in the heat treatment equipment  4 , the treated product passes out through a conduit  5 . If the correct temperature has not been reached, a valve  6  closes and another valve  7  opens so that the product enters into the balance tank  2 . In  FIG. 1 , which illustrates the prior art, the inlet  8  of the balance tank  2  is disposed in the lower region of the tank  2 , below the liquid surface  9 . Until the correct temperature has been reached in the heat treatment equipment  4 , the product will be circulated over the balance tank  2 . The drawback inherent in the above-outlined circulation and the low positioning of the inlet  8  in the balance tank  2  is that there is a slight risk that untreated product may be mixed together with treated product. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  illustrates a circulation over a balance tank  2  where the tank  2  has an inlet  8  according to the present invention. In  FIG. 2 , untreated product enters through a conduit  1  and continues to a heat treatment equipment unit  4 . The heat treatment equipment unit  4  may be a pasteurizer, an UHT-treatment equipment unit (Ultra High Temperature) or some other form of process equipment which requires circulation over a balance tank  2 . 
         [0021]    When the correct temperature has been reached in the heat treatment equipment  4 , the treated product passes out through a conduit  5 . If the correct temperature has not been reached, a valve  6  closes and another valve  7  opens so that the product enters into the balance tank  2 . The inlet  8  is positioned in the side wall  11  of the tank  2  and at the upper end of the tank  2 . Until the correct temperature has been reached in the heat treatment equipment  4 , the product will be circulated over the balance tank  2 . 
         [0022]    The inlet  8  according to the present invention is shown in detail in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 . The balance tank  2 , which is normally covered with an upper section  10 , is here illustrated without said upper section  10 . The inlet  8  passes through the side wall  11  of the tank  2  at the upper end of the tank  2 . The inlet  8  discharges in a pipe socket  12  which is thus fixedly secured against the inside of the tank  2 . The socket  12  has a downwardly directed opening with a span of 90-130°, preferably 100-120° and in the preferred embodiment 110°. The span is illustrated in  FIG. 4  as the angle α. 
         [0023]    In direct connection with the socket  12  and its opening, there is disposed a fan-shaped disk  13 . The disk  13  has a span which corresponds to the span of the opening of the socket  12 , i.e. 90-130°, preferably 100-120° and in the preferred embodiment 110°. The disk  13  also has side portions  14  which entail that the opening of the socket  12  is completely enclosed by means of the disk  13  and the side portions  14 . 
         [0024]    The disk  13  is further arched so that it follows the rounded inside of the side wall  11  of the tank  2 . Moreover, the disk  13  is bulged downwards, so that the gap  15  which occurs between the disk  13  and the side wall  11  of the tank  2  is approx. 2 cm at a point  16 , located at the outer definition of the disk  13 , and the gap  15  is further approx. 1 cm at a point  17 , at the central region of the disk  11   
         [0025]    As a result of the design of the gap  15 , so that it will be wider out towards the outer definition  16  of the disk  13 , an inlet  8  according to the present invention is capable of handling capacities of 5,000-20,000 l/h. When the flow rate of product is low (5,000 l/h) the flow distributes in fan-shape from the central region  17  of the disk  13  halfway out towards the outer definition  16  of the disk  13 . When the product flow rate is high (20,000 l/h) the flow distributes in fan-shape from the central region  17  of the disk  13  all the way out to the outer definition  16  of the disk  13 . 
         [0026]    The socket  12  of the inlet  8  has a length A which is 5-10 cm, preferably the length A is 7-8 cm. The disk  13  has a length B which corresponds to 1-1.5 times the diameter D of the inlet. The diameter D of the inlet is illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0027]    The inlet  8  is wholly manufactured of stainless steel so as to meet the extremely stringent hygiene requirements of the food industry. Other materials may also occur, such as food-approved plastics. The design of the inlet  8  makes it easy to clean using the CIP-equipment (Cleaning In Place) of the plant. 
         [0028]    Trials have demonstrated that an inlet  8  in, for example, a balance tank  2  which enters straight into the tank  2  above the liquid surface  9  of the tank  2  gives an admixture of air of approx. 3%. The longer time the product must be circulated over the balance tank  2 , the more air will be admixed into the product. Corresponding trials with an inlet  8  according to the present invention demonstrate a possible admixture of air which is no longer capable of being measured. 
         [0029]    An air admixture of a few percent would also affect the product and there is, among other things, an increased risk of fouling of the product in the heat treatment equipment  4 . Standardization of milk products is also affected by air admixture in that there will be a lower level of accuracy of the mixing ratios in the standardization. Other measurement equipment also suffers from a lower level of accuracy if the product contains air. Homogenization of milk products similarly suffers from poorer results if the milk product contains air. 
         [0030]    An inlet  8  according to the invention and according to the foregoing description may be employed for all types of tanks  2  where the intention is to obtain a controlled inflow of product. The inlet  8  may further by employed in a plurality of processes and for different types of products, which are negatively affected by an admixture of air. 
         [0031]    As will have been apparent from the foregoing description, the present invention realises a tank inlet which minimizes the admixture of air in the inflowing product. The inlet makes it possible for the product to be fed to the tank above the existing liquid surface, which may be a mandatory requirement in some countries.