US 4,597,876 AGranted

Regasifying pasteurization system

AssigneeHallsonic Corporation

InventorMark N. Hall

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Abstract

Disclosed is a regasifying pasteurization system and related methods using compressional waves. The system first degasifies the incoming liquid acoustically and under a static pressure below atmospheric pressure. The compressional waves used in degasification are preferably modulated to increase efficiency. The degassed liquid is then exposed to vaporous cavitation in a microorganism disintegrator wherein microorganisms are disintegrated and killed, preferably using frequency modulated compressional waves and vacuum pressures. The regassified pasteurization system also includes a regasification subsystem which injects gases back into the liquid. The gases are sometimes the same gases removed during the degasification step. The degasification and disintegration step form independent subsystems and combine to form a pasteurization subsystem all of which can be used independent of the regasification subsystem.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for treating liquids containing dissolved gases and microorganisms so that at least portions of the microorganisms are destroyed and at least portions of said dissolved gases are present in resulting treated liquid in order to maintain distinctive flavors associated therewith, comprising:

degassing a liquid to remove approximately all of the dissolved gases by subjecting the liquid to a static degasification pressure which is below atmospheric pressure and above the vapor pressure of the liquid in its then-existing state, and by creating degassing compressional waves within the liquid to hasten removal of dissolved gases therefrom;
disintegrating microorganisms contained in the liquid degassed in the previous step using vaporously cavitating compressional waves;
pressurizing the liquid after the degassing step above;
regasifying the liquid after the liquid has been subjected to said disintegrating step by injecting small bubbles of gas into the liquid, and creating compressional waves in the liquid injected with bubbles of gas at least a portion of which is gas previously dissolved within and removed from the liquid during the degassing step, to thereby dissolve the bubbles of gas into the liquid.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.