Patent ID: 7566430

Claim:
Apparatus for sterilizing, pasteurizing and/or disinfecting a pumpable or free-flowing medium, comprising: at least one heating source receiving medium via a feed conduit; a temperature sensor for monitoring a temperature of the medium along a temperature holding device downstream of the heating source; an outlet; a conveying member moving the medium to the temperature holding device and maintaining a feed pressure in the temperature holding device; and at least two conduits routed downstream from the temperature holding device, with one of the conduits communicating with the outlet, and with the other one of the conduits constituting a return conduit for returning the medium to the feed conduit, each conduits including a flow restriction member generating a resistance pressure in opposition to the feed pressure of the conveying member by restricting a passage for flow of medium, and a shutoff member for controlling a flow of fluid through the conduit, wherein the restriction member is part of a heat exchanger which guides medium from the temperature holding device in counterflow to a flow of medium to the heating source.