Method and apparatus for pasteurizing fluids
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsAlbert R. Szembrot, Charles S. Christ, Daniel C. Davis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermoelectric Peltier heat transfer device is used to treat a fluid, such as a photographic processing solution to reduce or prevent biogrowth. The device include both hot and cold sides that are in direct fluid flow communication so that the same fluid is treated on both sides of the device. The treated fluid is subjected to flash pasteurization on the hot side of the device, and immediately and rapidly cooled on the cold side without loss of volume. Thus, the same fluid is treated on both sides of the heat transfer device in a closed system before being returned to desired chemical, photographic or other processes.
Claims15
A thermoelectric Peltier heat transfer device having a cold side and a hot side in direct fluid flow communication so that the same fluid entering the heat transfer device is first treated on the hot side and then treated on the cold side of said heat transfer device, and further comprising means for passing the fluid directly from thermal contact with said hot side to thermal contact with said cold side.
A method for treating a photographic processing solution in a thermoelectric Peltier heat transfer device having a hot side and a cold side that are in direct fluid flow communication so that the same fluid is treated on both the cold and hot sides of said heat transfer device, comprising the steps of:
- A) contacting a photographic processing solution with said hot side of said heat transfer device for a residence time sufficient for flash pasteurization of said photographic processing solution without any volume loss of said flash pasteurized photographic processing solution, and
- B) directly contacting solely said flash pasteurized photographic processing solution with said cold side to rapidly cool said flash pasteurized photographic processing solution.
A method for treating a fluid in a thermoelectric Peltier heat transfer device having hot and cold sides that are in direct fluid flow communication so that the same fluid is treated on both the cold and hot sides of said heat transfer device, comprising the steps of:
- A) contacting a fluid with said hot side of said heat transfer device for a residence time sufficient for flash pasteurization of said fluid without any volume loss of said fluid, and
- B) directly contacting solely said flash pasteurized fluid with said cold side of said heat transfer device to rapidly cool said flash pasteurized fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.