Working principle of fully automatic pasteurization production line
The fully automatic pasteurization production line is a continuous sterilization system that integrates heat exchange, insulation, cooling, and automated control. The core principle is to heat the product to a specific temperature (usually 60-85 ° C) under precise control and maintain it at this temperature for a strictly defined period of time, thereby killing pathogenic bacteria and spoilage microorganisms, while maximizing the preservation of the fresh flavor and nutritional value of the food.
The entire process does not require manual intervention, achieving full automation from raw material inlet to finished product outlet.
1、 Core work steps
A standard fully automated pasteurization production line typically consists of the following three core stages, with the entire process product flowing in enclosed pipelines and systems:
1. Heating stage
Purpose: To rapidly raise the product from the initial temperature to the target temperature for pasteurization.
Key equipment: Plate or tube heat exchanger.
Working Principle:
Cold products are pumped from the storage tank into the plates or pipes of the heat exchanger.
Meanwhile, the sterilized and cooled hot water or steam flows through the channel on the other side of the heat exchanger.
Both are efficiently heat exchanged through stainless steel plates, and the cold product is quickly and uniformly heated to the set temperature.
Energy recovery: Modern production lines typically use regenerative heating sections. The cold product that has just entered and the hot product that needs to be sterilized are first subjected to heat exchange. In this way, cold products are preheated while hot products are pre cooled, greatly saving energy.
2. Insulation stage
Purpose: To ensure that all products remain at the target temperature for a certain period of time, which is crucial for killing microorganisms.
Key equipment: insulation pipe (also known as holding pipe or retention pipe).
Working Principle:
The heated product enters a long and coiled pipeline with a good insulation layer.
The length and diameter of the pipeline are precisely calculated to ensure that the product can stay in the pipeline for the required time (e.g. 15 seconds at 72 ° C) when passing through at a specific flow rate.
This stage ensures the thoroughness and consistency of the sterilization effect.
3. Cooling stage
Purpose: Quickly cool the sterilized product to a predetermined low temperature (usually below 4 ° C) to prevent the proliferation of residual microorganisms and ensure product safety and quality.
Key equipment: Plate or tube cooler.
Working Principle:
The hot product coming out of the insulation pipe enters the heat exchanger in the cooling section.
Ice water or coolant flows on the other side, taking away the heat of the product and causing its temperature to drop sharply.
Similarly, in the regeneration cooling section, the hot product will first exchange heat with the incoming cold product to achieve energy savings.