1 (866) 887-9764
Direct Steam Infusion System
Process Description
Products to be processed are blended in the batching system and transferred to the system’s product balance tank. Centrifugal booster and stuffing pumps pump the product through the plate heat exchanger raw regenerator and pre-heater, stuffing the homogenizer. After homogenization, the product flows to the Falling Stream Heater (infusion chamber), where it is rapidly heated to final processing temperature prior to the holding tube. A flow control (timing) device maintains constant flow through the holding tube. From the holding tube, the product is flash cooled to approximately the same temperature at which it entered the infusion chamber. This removes all the water that was added in the steam infusion process, along with any undesirable flavor from the process’s heat treatment. After flash cooling, the product is cooled to the desired packaging temperature using regenerative cooling and cooling water. Product then flows to either an aseptic designed surge tank or the packaging equipment.
Direct Steam Infusion SystemApplication Library
Process System Features
- Uses lower steam temperature than injectors. Falling Stream Heater (FSH) design results in lower pressure/temperature steam than other infusion chamber designs.
- Lower steam temperature and special FSH design also yield longer run times than injectors and other infusion chamber designs.
- Product never contacts metal which is hotter than the product temperature.
- FSH design and operation reduces sediment, allowing use of standard (non-aseptic) homogenizer on raw product.
- Available for aseptic and extended shelf life products.
- Available options include vapor heat recovery regeneration, enzyme pre-treatment, tubular heat exchangers and variety of timing device configurations.
