Vapor contact-type heating device

A vapor contact-type heat sterilization device comprising:

• a vapor mixing pump which transfers a liquid food with an increase in pressure by the action of a rotor, and which mixes vapor into the liquid food in a midway of pressurizing the liquid food, thereby heating the liquid food up to a sterilization temperature;
• a vapor supply region which is arranged inside the vapor mixing pump and supplies the vapor to the liquid food, the vapor having a higher pressure than a pressure of the liquid food;
• and
• a back pressure regulating valve which is arranged downstream of the vapor mixing pump,
• wherein the vapor mixing pump includes
• a casing having an inlet portion and an outlet portion for the liquid food, the rotor being contained within the casing,
• a partition portion formed between the inlet portion and the outlet portion in a circumferential direction of the rotor, and
• a fluid pressurizing duct for the liquid food, an entirety of the fluid pressurizing duct being formed partly annularly between the casing and the rotor along an outer circumferential periphery of the rotor so as to connect the inlet portion and the outlet portion to each other, wherein one end of the fluid pressurizing duct is connected to the inlet portion and another end of the fluid pressurizing duct is connected to the outlet portion,
• wherein the casing comprises a supply port for the vapor,
• wherein the supply port opens at a position along the fluid pressurizing duct, except for at an entrance of the fluid pressurizing duct, at which the liquid food is transferred from the inlet portion to the outlet portion with the increase in pressure, the vapor supply region being arranged at an opening portion of the supply port,
• and wherein the back pressure regulating valve maintains the pressure of the liquid food at the outlet portion and downstream of the outlet portion so as to be higher than a pressure of the vapor at the supply port for the vapor.