Patent ID: 7846486

Claim:
A method for pasteurizing or sterilizing a product in a chamber, the chamber having a continuously driven chain transport chain therein extending through at least a first pair of vertical hydrostatic columns in side-by-side relationship and an intermediate pressurizing compartment and at least a second pair of vertical hydrostatic columns in side-by-side relationship, the chamber having at least one pressurizing airlock opening to a pressurized inlet compartment, the chamber having at least one depressurizing airlock opening to a pressurized outlet compartment, the method comprising: transferring the product from an exterior of the chamber through the pressurizing airlock and into the pressurized inlet compartment; loading the product onto the transport chain within the pressurized inlet compartment; heating the product by moving the product through the first pair of vertical hydrostatic columns by the transport chain such that the product is dipped into each hydrostatic columns, a first column of the first pair of vertical hydrostatic columns having a temperature less than a temperature of a successive column of the first pair of vertical hydrostatic columns, a pressure of the first column and the successive columns being proportional to a respective temperature therein; passing the product from the first pair of vertical hydrostatic columns through the intermediate pressurizing compartment by the transport chain; cooling the product by moving the product through the second pair of vertical hydrostatic columns by the transport chain such that the product is dipped into each hydrostatic column of the second pair of vertical hydrostatic columns, a first column of the second pair of vertical hydrostatic columns having a temperature that is greater than a temperature of the successive column of the second pair of vertical hydrostatic columns, a pressure of the first column and the successive column of the second pair of vertical hydrostatic columns being proportional to a respective temperature therein; discharging the product from the second pair of vertical hydrostatic columns into the pressurized outlet compartment; and transferring the product from the pressurized outlet compartment to an exterior of the chamber through the depressurizing outlet.