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US 6,616,731 B1Granted
Method and arrangement to monitor a fatty oil treatment process carried through under vacuum
AssigneeAlfa-Laval AB
InventorAnders Hillstrom
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AssigneeAlfa-Laval AB
InventorAnders Hillstrom
Estimating the term…
The present invention is a method and apparatus for monitoring the vacuum conditions for the treatment of vegetable or animal oil. During the treatment, a number of processes, such as refining, bleaching and/or deodorization, are carried out under a vacuum. The vacuum is maintained by a vacuum system, comprised of at least one vacuum creating means and at least one condenser, and a pump arranged at the outlet of the condenser. The condenser is connected to a mass flow meter monitoring the flow of a gas and generates a signal receivable by a controller. The method of monitoring the vacuum system, using the above apparatus, includes the steps of sensing, and registering the mass flow of non-condensable gas out of the vacuum system. An alarm is triggered when the amount of gas exiting the vacuum system differs from a set value.
A method to monitor the vacuum conditions in equipment during the processes of refining, bleaching and/or deodorization, during which treatment a number of process steps are carried through under vacuum achieved by a vacuum system, the method including the steps of sensing the mass flow of non-condensable gas out from the vacuum system;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.