Patent ID: 12194513

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

In the following, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown inFIG.1, an aseptic filling machine includes a content preparation apparatus1and a filler2that fills a container4such as a bottle with a content. The preparation apparatus1and a filling nozzle2ain the filler2are connected by content supply piping7. A filling portion, which includes the filler2, is shielded by a filling portion chamber3.

The preparation apparatus1prepares a content such as coffee with milk, black coffee, a green tea drink, tea, tea with milk or a fruit juice drink according to a desired formula, and detailed description thereof will be omitted since the preparation apparatus1is a well-known apparatus.

The aseptic filling machine is provided with a conveyor path for conveying the container4to the filler2and ejecting the container4filled with a content by the filler2. The conveyor path is typically formed by a large number of wheels and grippers or the like arranged around the wheels for holding the container4.

The filler2is an apparatus that includes a large number of filling nozzles2aarranged around a wheel (not shown) that rotates at high speed in a horizontal plane, and fills containers4gripped by grippers and traveling below the filling nozzles2ain synchronization with the circumferential speed of the wheel with a fixed amount of content from the filling nozzles2arotating with the wheel. The filler2is also a well-known apparatus, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the filling portion chamber3that shields the filling portion provided with the filler2of the aseptic filling machine, COP (Cleaning Out of Place) for cleaning the inside of the filling portion chamber3and SOP (Sterilizing Out of Place) for sterilizing the inside of the filling portion chamber3are performed before an aseptic filling by the aseptic filling machine. Aseptic water is required for COP, SOP, cleaning of a cap after the sterilization and cleaning of an outer surface of a mouth portion of the container after the filling of the container with a content, and therefore, the aseptic filling machine may be provided with an aseptic water production apparatus (not shown).

Viewed from the upstream to the downstream of the flow of the content along the pipe line from the preparation apparatus1to the filler2, the content supply piping7of the aseptic filling machine includes a balance tank5, a heat sterilization portion18, a manifold valve8, an aseptic surge tank19and a filler tank11. The aseptic filling machine also includes a cleaning liquid supply apparatus20that supplies a cleaning liquid to the balance tank5and a controller17that controls the operation of the aseptic filling machine.

When the content is carbonated to produce a carbonated drink, the content supply piping7of the aseptic filling machine includes a cooling apparatus (not shown), a carbonating apparatus and a carbonated drink surge tank. The cooling apparatus, the carbonating apparatus and the carbonated drink surge tank are provided in the listed order from upstream to downstream between the aseptic surge tank19and the filler tank11, and a carbonated drink manifold valve is provided for flowing the carbonated drink through the content supply piping.

The heat sterilization portion18includes therein a first-stage heating portion12, a second-stage heating portion13, a holding tube14, a first-stage cooling portion15, and a second-stage cooling portion16, for example. The content, cleaning liquid or the like supplied from the balance tank5is gradually heated while being fed from the first-stage heating portion12to the second-stage heating portion13, kept at a predetermined sterilization temperature for a predetermined time in the holding tube14, and then fed to the first-stage cooling portion15and the second-stage cooling portion16and gradually cooled. The number of stages of the heating portions and the cooling portions is increased or decreased as required. The heat sterilization portion18may be provided with a homogenizer before or after the holding tube14.

The balance tank5, the manifold valve8, the aseptic surge tank19and the filler tank11are well-known apparatus, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The content is prepared by the preparation apparatus1, fed from the balance tank5to the heat sterilization portion18, and is subjected to a heat sterilization process in the heat sterilization portion18. The content subjected to the heat sterilization process in the heat sterilization portion18is stored in the aseptic surge tank19and then fed to the filler tank11. The content in the filler tank11is supplied to the filler2, and the container4is filled with the content through the filling nozzle2ain an aseptic condition. The container4filled with the content is sealed and then ejected to the outside of the aseptic filling machine.

The content supplied from the balance tank5is fed to the first-stage heating portion12and the second-stage heating portion13of the heat sterilization portion18, and the content at room temperature (20° C.), for example, is heated to 140° C., for example, in the first-stage heating portion12and the second-stage heating portion13. The heat sterilization process is performed on the content while the content is being heated from room temperature to 140° C. in this way.

The content heated in the first-stage heating portion12and the second-stage heating portion13is kept at the temperature or heated to a target temperature such as 140° C. by a heating mechanism (not shown) in the holding tube14.

The content from the holding tube14is cooled in the first-stage cooling portion15from 140° C. to 80° C., for example. The content cooled in the first-stage cooling portion15is further cooled in the second-stage cooling portion16from 80° C. to 30° C., for example. The cooled content is fed to the aseptic surge tank19via the manifold valve8.

The content fed to and stored in the aseptic surge tank19is fed to and stored in the filler tank11and fed to the filler2, and the sterilized container4is filled with a fixed amount of the content from the filling nozzle2ain the aseptic atmosphere in the filling portion chamber3. The container4filled with the content is sealed with a sterilized lid member and then ejected from the aseptic filling machine.

When contents are changed or the operation of the aseptic filling machine is stopped for a certain time after the aseptic filling operation with the content ends, CIP and SIP of the inside of the content supply piping7are performed. The part in which the residue of the content is most likely to be deposited in the content filling operation is the second-stage heating portion. The second-stage heating portion is a part in which the temperature of the content is rapidly raised, so that the residue is particularly likely to be deposited in the second-stage heating portion because of the heat denaturation of protein, and this is remarkable when the content contains milk. The higher the temperature or the higher the flowrate of the fed liquid, the larger the amount of minerals derived from the ingredients of the product remains. The residue of the content used in the previous filling is removed by CIP.

CIP of the inside of the content supply piping7is performed by circulating a cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply apparatus20to the balance tank5in the content supply piping7. To this end, as shown inFIG.1, the content supply piping7is provided with a feedback path6to form a circulation path. The feedback path6for an upstream piping portion7aextending from the balance tank5to the manifold valve8via the heat sterilization portion18may be provided with an upstream feedback path6ato form an upstream circulation path.

The cleaning liquid may not be circulated in the upstream circulation path but may be flowed from the manifold valve8to the filler2via the filler tank11, and a filler manifold2bof the filler2may distribute the cleaning liquid to the filling nozzles2a.The cleaning liquid flowing out from the filling nozzles2ais received by cups9connected to the tip ends of the filling nozzles2a,and the cleaning liquid flowing out of the large number of filling nozzles2ais collected by a circulation manifold25and fed back to the manifold valve8through a downstream feedback path6b.The cleaning liquid circulates in the content supply piping7by passing through the upstream feedback path6afrom the manifold valve8.

Cups9, each of which can be connected to and disconnected from the opening of a filling nozzle2a,are arranged at openings of the filling nozzles2aof the filler2. When performing CIP or SIP, an actuator (not shown) couples each cup9, which will form the starting end of the downstream feedback path6b,to an opening portion at the tip end of a filling nozzle2aof the filler2, thereby connecting the cup9to the opening of the filling nozzle2a.

As shown by the thick line inFIG.2, the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply apparatus20to the balance tank5circulates in the content supply piping7from the balance tank5by being heated by the heat sterilization portion18, passing through the manifold valve8, the aseptic surge tank19and the filler tank11to reach the filler2, flowing from the filler manifold2bto the filling nozzles2a,being received by the cups9from the filling nozzles2aand collected by the circulation manifold25, passing through the downstream feedback path6band passing through the upstream feedback path6avia the manifold valve8back to the balance tank5.

As shown by the thick line inFIG.3, the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply apparatus20to the balance tank5may be circulated in the upstream circulation path from the balance tank5by being heated by the heat sterilization portion18, reaching the manifold valve8and passing through the upstream feedback path6aback to the balance tank5.

The cleaning liquid is an alkaline cleaning liquid containing water and an alkaline chemical agent as an additive such as caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium silicate, sodium phosphate, sodium hypochlorite, surfactant and a chelating agent (sequestering agent) such as sodium gluconate and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), or an acidic cleaning liquid containing water and a nitric acid-based or phosphoric acid-based acidic chemical agent as an additive. The water can be any water containing no foreign matters, such as ion exchanged water, distilled water or tap water.

The alkaline cleaning liquid may contain lithium carbonate, ammonium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, calcium carbonate, propylene carbonate or a mixture thereof, although the alkaline cleaning liquid is not limited to these. The alkaline cleaning liquid may also contain a bicarbonate such as sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, lithium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate, magnesium bicarbonate or calcium bicarbonate, a sesquicarbonate such as a sodium sesquicarbonate, potassium sesquicarbonate or lithium sesquicarbonate, or a mixture thereof.

The acidic cleaning liquid may contain not only the nitric acid or phosphoric acid described above but also hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, acetic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, formic acid, glycolic acid, methanesulfonic acid, sulfamic acid, or a mixture thereof, although the acidic cleaning liquid is not limited to these.

The cleaning liquid may contain various bleaching agent such as hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, peroctanoic acid, persulfate, perborate, hydrosulfite or thiourea dioxide, or percarbonate, for example. Furthermore, the cleaning liquid may contain a water softener such as aluminosilicate or polycarboxylate, or may contain an anti-redeposition agent such as sodium phosphate, sodium polyacrylate or sodium carboxylate. Furthermore, an enzyme, a solvent, fatty acid, a foam modifier or an active oxygen source may be added to the cleaning liquid, for example.

As cleaning liquids used in CIP, an alkaline cleaning liquid can be flowed first, and then an acidic cleaning liquid can be flowed, although the order of flowing cleaning liquids is not limited to this order. For example, an acidic cleaning liquid may be flowed first, and then an alkaline cleaning liquid may be flowed, or an acidic cleaning liquid and an alkaline cleaning liquid may be alternately flowed multiple times. Alternatively, only one of an acidic cleaning liquid and an alkaline cleaning liquid may be flowed for CIP.

A fixed amount of cleaning liquid is constantly or intermittently supplied from the cleaning liquid supply apparatus20, and the cleaning liquid circulates and removes any residue of the previous content deposited on the inside of the content supply piping7. To activate the cleaning liquid, the temperature of the cleaning liquid may be raised to a predetermined temperature by the heat sterilization portion18. The predetermined temperature is 60° C. to 150° C., and raising the temperature can improve the cleaning effect and produce the sterilizing effect. The cleaning liquid being circulated may be discharged to the outside of the machine as required.

SIP is performed after CIP. A liquid feeding pump used for CIP is not stopped to keep the cleaning liquid used for CIP circulating in the content supply piping7, and the cleaning liquid is heated to a required temperature for SIP by the heat sterilization portion18. SIP is performed in succession to CIP by circulating the cleaning liquid heated to a higher temperature in the content supply piping7. In this process, since the liquid feeding pump is not stopped, the set temperature of the heat sterilization portion18raised in CIP is not lowered but raised to a temperature for SIP, and therefore, the temperature of the inside of the content supply piping7including the heat sterilization portion18does not decrease in the transition from CIP to SIP.

FIG.5shows the temperature of the second-stage heating portion13of the heat sterilization portion18when CIP and SIP are performed in succession. The cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply apparatus20to the heat sterilization portion18via the balance tank5and heated to a temperature for CIP. The cleaning liquid heated to the temperature for CIP is circulated in the circulation path for a predetermined time. After circulating for the predetermined time, the cleaning liquid is heated to a required temperature for SIP and circulates for a predetermined time until SIP is completed. During SIP, the cleaning liquid is circulating, so that CIP is also performed. After SIP is completed, water is supplied to the heat sterilization portion18to rinse the cleaning liquid. The rinsed cleaning liquid is received by the cups through the filling nozzles2a,collected by the circulation manifold25and then discharged. Alternatively, the cleaning liquid may pass through the downstream feedback path6band the upstream feedback path6aand be discharged immediately before the balance tank5. After the cleaning liquid is rinsed off, products can be immediately manufactured by filling containers with the content without changing the set temperature of the heat sterilization portion18.

The cleaning liquid used for CIP may be heated to the required temperature for SIP by the heat sterilization portion18while being kept circulating after the end of CIP. Alternatively, the cleaning liquid may be heated to the required temperature for SIP at the start of CIP, and CIP and SIP may be performed at the same time.

FIG.4Ashows the temperature of the second-stage heating portion13of the heat sterilization portion18when CIP and SIP are performed at the same time. The cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply apparatus20to the heat sterilization portion18via the balance tank5and heated to a required temperature for SIP. The cleaning liquid is circulated for a predetermined time until CIP and SIP are completed. After SIP is completed, water is supplied to the heat sterilization portion18to rinse the cleaning liquid. The rinsed cleaning liquid is received by the cups9through the filling nozzles2aand discharged through the circulation manifold25. Alternatively, the cleaning liquid may pass through the downstream feedback path6band the upstream feedback path6aand be discharged immediately before the balance tank5. After the cleaning liquid is rinsed off, products can be immediately manufactured by filling containers with the content without changing the set temperature of the heat sterilization portion18.

FIG.4Bshows the temperature of the second-stage cooling portion16of the heat sterilization portion18when CIP and SIP are performed at the same time. The cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply apparatus20to the heat sterilization portion18via the balance tank5and heated to a required temperature for SIP. The cleaning liquid is circulated for a predetermined time until CIP and SIP are completed. After SIP is completed, the first-stage and/or second-stage cooling portions (15and/or16) are activated, and the cleaning liquid is circulated until the temperature of the second-stage cooling portion16becomes equal to or lower than100° C. When the temperature of the cleaning liquid passing through the outlet of the second-stage cooling portion becomes equal to or lower than 100° C., a discharge valve, which is provided on the circulation path for discharging the cleaning liquid, is opened to switch the circulation path to an open path, water is supplied to the heat sterilization portion18, and the heat sterilization portion18heats and sterilizes the supplied water to make the water aseptic. The cleaning liquid is rinsed off by the aseptic water.

When rinsing the cleaning liquid, the cleaning liquid at the high temperature to be discharged without being cooled and the supplied rinse water at room temperature may be passed through a heat exchanger26to raise the temperature of the rinse water before the rinse water is supplied to the heat sterilization portion. This can reduce the thermal energy consumption. The aseptic rinse water may be introduced from another aseptic water production facility.

As shown inFIG.1, temperature sensors10,10aand10bare arranged at locations in the heat sterilization portion18. A location where the temperature sensor10ais arranged is the inlet of the second-stage heating portion13, and a location where the temperature sensor10bis arranged is the outlet of the second-stage heating portion13. Information on the temperatures measured by these temperature sensors10,10aand10bis transmitted to the controller17.

As shown inFIG.6, in order to heat the second-stage heating portion13located at the downstream end of the heating portions12and13, a heating medium line21for supplying a heating medium is connected to the second-stage heating portion13.

The heating medium line21is provided with a heated steam supply portion22that supplies heated steam to the heating medium line21, and the heating medium flowing in the heating medium line21is heated to a high temperature by the heated steam supplied from the heated steam supply portion22. The heating medium may be heated by an electric heater. The heating medium line21is further provided with a pressure pump23. A suitable heating medium is water. In addition to water, oil can also be used. However, since oil cannot be heated by heated steam, a heating apparatus need to be provided.

The heating medium line21is connected to heating piping13aof the second-stage heating portion, and the heating medium flows in the heating piping13ain the opposite direction to the direction in which the content flows in the content supply piping7. The heating medium may flow in the same direction as the content flowing in the content supply piping7in parallel with the content. A temperature sensor10cis provided at the inlet of the heating piping13a,and a temperature sensor10dis provided at the outlet of the heating piping13a.In addition, a flowmeter24that measures the flowrate of the content flowing in the content supply piping7is provided between the balance tank5and the heat sterilization portion18.

As shown inFIG.6, the heating medium flowing in the heating medium line21is supplied to the heating piping13ato heat the content flowing in the second-stage heating portion13. Although the temperature of the heating medium that heats the content in the second-stage heating portion13is lowered until the heating medium reaches the outlet of the heating piping13a,the heating medium is heated by the heated steam supplied from the heated steam supply portion22, and the heating medium heated is supplied to the heating piping13aand circulates.

The second-stage heating portion13of the heat sterilization portion18is a part that heats and sterilizes the content at high temperature, and soil such as burnt deposit is likely to occur on the inner surface of the heating piping13a.In this embodiment, the overall heat transfer coefficient of the heating piping13aof the second-stage heating portion13that is most likely to be soiled is calculated to efficiently perform CIP of the inside of the heat sterilization portion18. The overall heat transfer coefficient can be calculated for the other heating portions and cooling portions of the heat sterilization portion18. The overall heat transfer coefficient should be calculated for all the heating portions and cooling portions, and CIP should be completed when all the overall heat transfer coefficients reach a target value. However, the part where the amount of residue of the content is the largest is the heating portion at the downstream end, and it can be determined that CIP is completed when the overall heat transfer coefficient of the heating portion at the downstream end reaches a target value.

FIG.7shows temporal variations of the overall heat transfer coefficient (U value) with production time. Higher overall heat transfer coefficient (U value) means that heat is more likely to be transferred. The overall heat transfer coefficient of the heating piping13agradually decreases as products are manufactured because of deposits of the content such as burnt deposit formed on the inside of the heating piping13ain the course of the sterilization of the content. The overall heat transfer coefficient having decreased in the course of manufacture is raised by performing CIP, and the overall heat transfer coefficient before the start of manufacture is recovered. That is, a basis for completion of CIP is that the overall heat transfer coefficient of the heating piping13arecovers to the overall heat transfer coefficient in the state where no residue of the content is deposited in the heating piping13a.A target value of the decreased overall heat transfer coefficient is determined, and it is determined that CIP is completed when the overall heat transfer coefficient of the heating piping13areaches the target value as a result of CIP. In this way, no time is wasted in CIP, and CIP can be efficiently performed.

The controller17stores various kinds of data, calculates the overall heat transfer coefficient from the measured temperatures transmitted from the heating piping13aof the second-stage heating portion13, determines whether or not the calculated overall heat transfer coefficient reaches the target value, determines that CIP is completed when the overall heat transfer coefficient reaches the target value, and completes CIP of the inside of the content supply piping7. This determination of completion is made for the second-stage heating portion13of the heat sterilization portion18. Since the second-stage heating portion of the heat sterilization portion18is most heavily soiled, the determination of completion of CIP of the second-stage heating portion13of the heat sterilization portion18may be considered as the determination of completion of CIP of the inside of the content supply piping7.

To calculate the overall heat transfer coefficient, as shown inFIG.6, the temperature sensor10ais provided at the inlet for the cleaning liquid of the heating piping13aof the second-stage heating portion13of the heat sterilization portion18, the temperature sensor10bis provided at the outlet for the cleaning liquid, the temperature sensor10cis provided at the inlet for the heating medium of the heating piping13a,and the temperature sensor10dis provided at the outlet for the heating medium of the heating piping13a.These temperature sensors measure temperature, the temperature from the temperature sensor10ais denoted as T1, the temperature from the temperature sensor10bis denoted as T2, the temperature from the temperature sensor10cis denoted as T3, and the temperature from the temperature sensor10dis denoted as T4.

The measured temperatures T1, T2, T3 and T4 are transmitted to the controller17, and the controller17calculates the overall heat transfer coefficient. The overall heat transfer coefficient is determined as follows.

First, a logarithmic mean temperature difference ΔT is determined. The logarithmic mean temperature difference ΔT is determined as follows.

[Expression⁢1]Δ⁢T=❘"\[LeftBracketingBar]"((T⁢4-T⁢1)-(T⁢3-T⁢2))ln⁢((T⁢4-T⁢1)/(T⁢3-T⁢2))❘"\[RightBracketingBar]"(Formula⁢1)

A heat quantity Q in the second-stage heating portion13is then determined from the temperatures T1 and T2 and a flowrate R(L/h). Provided that the specific heat is 1 (kcal/kg*° C.), and the specific weight is 1 (kg/L),
Q=1×1×R×(T2−T1)  (Formula 2)
The flowrate R is measured by the flowmeter24and is transmitted to the controller17.

A heat transfer area A(m2) of the heating piping13aof the second-stage heating portion13is determined in advance.

On this condition, the controller17calculates the overall heat transfer coefficient (U value) of the second-stage heating portion13according to
U=Q/(A×ΔT)  (Formula 3).

As described above, according to this embodiment, the overall heat transfer coefficient of the second-stage heating portion13is calculated during CIP, and when the overall heat transfer coefficient reaches a target value, it is determined that CIP is completed and the process can proceed to the next step. Therefore, CIP need not be performed for an unnecessarily long time and can be efficiently performed.

The controller17determines that CIP is completed when the calculated overall heat transfer coefficient reaches the target value determined in advance. In CIP inFIG.4A or5, if the overall heat transfer coefficient has not reached the target value when SIP is completed, CIP continues.

SIP for sterilizing the inside of the content supply piping7is performed by circulating the cleaning liquid for CIP that cleans the inside of the content supply piping7in the content supply piping7to perform CIP of the inside of the content supply piping7, heating the cleaning liquid to a required temperature for sterilization of the inside of the content supply piping7from the start of CIP or during CIP, and circulating the heated cleaning liquid in the content supply piping7.

As shown inFIG.1, the temperature sensors10are arranged at locations on the content supply piping7including locations where the temperature is less likely to rise in SIP. The locations where the temperature sensors10are arranged include locations between components in the heat sterilization portion18, the location of the outlet of the second-stage cooling portion16, the location before the manifold valve8, a location in the aseptic surge tank19, a location near the outlet of the aseptic surge tank19, the location of a bent part of the pipe line between the aseptic surge tank19and the filling nozzles2a,locations near the inlet and outlet of the filler tank11, a location between the filler manifold2band the filling nozzles2ain the filler2and a location in a filling nozzle2aon the pipe line between the first-stage heating portion12in the heat sterilization portion18and the manifold valve8, for example. The temperature sensors10are arranged at these locations on the pipe line. Information on the temperatures measured by the temperature sensors10is transmitted to the controller17.

When the cleaning liquid is flowing in the content supply piping7, a plurality of temperatures measured at predetermined time intervals by the temperature sensors10arranged at locations in the content supply piping7is transmitted to the controller17at regular time intervals. The controller17selects the lowest temperature from the temperatures measured at a time and calculates the F value. Since the controller17selects the lowest temperature, the selected temperature is not always the temperature from the same temperature sensor10. The temperature sensors10measure temperature and transmit the temperature to the controller17at predetermined time intervals, and the location where the temperature is the lowest of the measured temperatures is not always the same location.

When the selected lowest temperature of the temperatures at the locations raised by heating by the cleaning liquid reaches 121.1° C., the controller17starts calculating the F value based on the lowest temperature. The calculation formula is as follows. Although the Z value in the calculation formula is 10° C., which is a typical value for heat resistant spores, the Z value may be changed in a range from 3° C. to 30° C. as required, based on the resistance of the target fungus to the heat of the cleaning liquid.
F=∫t0t110(T−121.1)/10dt[Expression 2]
where T denotes an arbitrary sterilization temperature (° C.), 10(T−121.1)/10represents a fatality rate at an arbitrary temperature T and corresponds to a heating duration (in minutes) at 121.1° C., which is a reference temperature, and 10 denotes a Z value (° C.).

In the case of a highly acidic drink having a pH lower than 4.0, the reference temperature may be 65° C. rather than 121.1° C. When pH is equal to or higher than 4.0 and lower than 4.6, the reference temperature may be equal to or higher than 85° C. When the lowest temperature is lower than the reference temperature during accumulation of the F values, the accumulation of the F values may be stopped and the accumulation may be resumed after the lowest temperature becomes higher than the reference temperature. Preferably, however, SIP is stopped, the accumulation of the F values is reset, and SIP is performed again.

The controller17accumulates the F values for the lowest temperature calculated according to the formula described above, and when the accumulated F values reaches the target value, the controller17indicates to complete the sterilization step, which is SIP of the inside of the content supply piping7. According to the indication, the circulation of the cleaning liquid is stopped, and cooling water is supplied to the first-stage cooling portion15and the second-stage cooling portion16to cool the cleaning liquid. After rinsing is performed to rinse the cleaning liquid off with aseptic water, the aseptic filling machine waits for the next manufacturing process while the aseptic water is continuously circulated.

The required temperature for SIP is typically equal to or higher than 121.1° C. Depending on the content with which the containers are filled by the aseptic filling machine, however, the temperature need not be equal to or higher than 121.1° C. For example, in the case of a highly acidic drink having a pH lower than 4.0, the temperature may be equal to or higher than 65° C. When pH is equal to or higher than 4.0 and lower than 4.6, the temperature may be equal to or higher than 85° C.

InFIG.3, CIP of the inside of the upstream piping portion7amay be performed by circulating the cleaning liquid in the upstream circulation path of the content supply piping7, which includes the upstream piping portion7apassing through the heat sterilization portion18and the upstream feedback path6aextending from the manifold valve8, the cleaning liquid may be heated to a temperature required for sterilization of the inside of the content supply piping7from the start of CIP or during CIP, and SIP for sterilizing the inside of the upstream piping portion7amay be performed by circulating the heated cleaning liquid in the content supply piping.

The overall heat transfer coefficient of the second-stage heating portion13is calculated during CIP of the upstream circulation path, and when the overall heat transfer coefficient reaches the target value CIP can be stopped and the process proceeds to the next step. Therefore, CIP need not be performed for an unnecessarily long time and can be efficiently performed.

When the cleaning liquid is flowing in the upstream piping portion7a,a plurality of temperatures measured at predetermined time intervals by the temperature sensors10arranged at locations in the upstream piping portion7ais transmitted to the controller17at regular time intervals. The controller17selects the lowest temperature from the temperatures measured at a time and calculates the F value. Since the controller17selects the lowest temperature, the selected temperature is not always the temperature from the same temperature sensor10. The temperature sensors10measure temperature and transmit the temperature to the controller17at predetermined time intervals, and the location where the temperature is the lowest of the measured temperatures is not always the same location.

The controller17accumulates the calculated F values for the lowest temperature, and when the accumulated F value reaches the target value, the controller17indicates to complete the sterilization step, which is SIP of the inside of the upstream piping portion7a.

Although the present disclosure is configured as described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. The container to be filled with a content by the aseptic filling machine is not limited to the bottle, the aseptic filling machine can fill cups, trays or cans with a content, for example. Furthermore, the material of the container is not limited to plastics and may be any material such as a composite of paper and plastics, glass or metal.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

2filler6feedback path6aupstream feedback path6bdownstream feedback path7content supply piping7aupstream piping portion10temperature sensor17controller18heat sterilization portion21heating medium line24flowmeter