Single motive pump, clean-in-place system, for use with piping systems and with vessels

A single motive pump, clean-in-place system for use with an associated piping system and with a vessel to be cleaned of contaminating material, the vessel having a discharge outlet at substantially the bottom of the vessel and having an inlet for providing a liquid to the vessel, comprising:

• a. a recirculation loop for providing flow communication and including a recirculation pump, an eductor, and a separator, the recirculation pump being a motive pump, being arranged to discharge a liquid through the eductor into the separator, and being supplied with liquid from the separator;
• b. a return line for providing flow communication between the discharge outlet of the vessel to be cleaned and the eductor, the recirculation pump causing liquid flowing through the recirculation loop to have a sufficient dynamic head at the eductor to draw liquid from the discharge outlet of the vessel through the return line;
• and
• c. a feed line including a feed line valve for providing flow communication between the recirculation loop and the vessel inlet when the feed line valve is opened, the recirculation pump being arranged to provide a generally continuous flow of liquid through the feed line into the vessel at a generally constant velocity to clean the vessel;
• wherein the liquid entering the vessel through the inlet and the liquid discharged from the vessel through the return line are dynamically balanced to minimize pooling of the liquid in the vessel, to suspend contaminating material in the liquid within the vessel, and to carry off the suspended contaminating material from the vessel through the return line.