Abstract: Sterilizing apparatus and a method including a stepped transition heat exchange bank is used to raise the temperature of a an incoming fluent food product before introducing the fluent food product to a sterilizing chamber in which the fluent food product is discharged in the form of a free-falling film; sterilizing steam is injected into the sterilizing chamber, all of which is absorbed by the fluent food product; from the sterilizing chamber, the food product with absorbed steam is passed to a vacuum chamber where part of the water in the fluent food product flashes to steam again and is removed for subsequent processing through heat exchangers and recirculation back to a steam generator upstream of the sterilizing chamber. The food product from the vacuum chamber is passed to a stepped heat exchange bank before passing to storage or packaging facilities.

Abstract: Sterilizing apparatus and a method including a stepped transition heat exchange bank is used to raise the temperature of an incoming fluent food product before introducing the fluent food product to a sterilizing chamber in which the fluent food product is discharged in the form of a free-falling film; sterilizing steam is injected into the sterilizing chamber, all of which is absorbed by the fluent food product; from the sterilizing chamber, the food product with absorbed steam is passed to a vacuum chamber where part of the water in the fluent food product flashes to steam again and is removed for subsequent processing through heat exchangers and recirculation back to a steam generator upstream of the sterilizing chamber. The food product from the vacuum chamber is passed to a stepped heat exchange bank before passing to storage or packaging facilities.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for heating fluids to a relatively high temperature, such as sterilization temperature, in which the fluid, such as a liquid, is heated by direct contact with steam while it is in the form of a very thin, free-falling film or a continuous falling stream so that heating of the fluid is accomplished without the fluid coming into contact with any surface and particularly metal surfaces which are hotter than the fluid product being heated and with minimum agitation and turbulence of the fluid product. This procedure enables maximum and uniform heat penetration in a minimum time interval with the film or stream being maintained as thin as possible and unbroken by introducing steam at a relatively low velocity in a large volume vessel.

Abstract: A process for heating fluids to a relatively high temperature, such as sterilization temperature, in which the fluid, such as a liquid, is heated by direct contact with steam while it is in the form of a very thin, free-falling film or a continuous falling stream so that heating of the fluid is accomplished without the fluid coming into contact with any surface and particularly metal surfaces which are hotter than the fluid product being heated and with minimum agitation and turbulence of the fluid product. This procedure enables maximum and uniform heat penetration in a minimum time interval with the film or stream being maintained as thin as possible and unbroken by introducing steam at a relatively low velocity in a large volume vessel.

Abstract: An apparatus for heating fluids to a relatively high temperature, such as sterilization temperature, in which the fluid, such as a liquid, is heated by direct contact with steam while it is in the form of a very thin, free-falling film or a continuous falling stream so that heating of the fluid is accomplished without the fluid coming into contact with any surface and particularly metal surfaces which are hotter than the fluid product being heated and with minimum agitation and turbulence of the fluid product. This procedure enables maximum and uniform heat penetration in a minimum time interval with the film or stream being maintained as thin as possible and unbroken by introducing steam at a relatively low velocity in a large volume vessel.

Abstract: A process for heating fluids to a relatively high temperature, such as sterilization temperature, in which the fluid, such as a liquid, is heated by direct contact with steam while it is in the form of a very thin, free-falling film or a continuous falling stream so that heating of the fluid is accomplished without the fluid coming into contact with any surface and particularly metal surfaces which are hotter than the fluid product being heated and with minimum agitation and turbulence of the fluid product. This procedure enables maximum and uniform heat penetration in a minimum time interval with the film or stream being maintained as thin as possible and unbroken by introducing steam at a relatively low velocity in a large volume vessel.