David A Seitz

US Patent:

48306452, May 16, 1989

Filed:

Jul 11, 1988

Appl. No.:

7/217732

Inventors:

Yousef Ghodsizadeh - Worthington OH
David A. Seitz - Marysville OH

Assignee:

Nestec S.A. - Vevey

International Classification:

B01D 904
C02F 122

US Classification:

62541

Abstract:

A continuous, counter current freeze concentration system and method for concentrating aqueous solutions such as fruit juices, coffee and cold water soluble tea extracts, milk, beer, wine, vinegar, and the like in which the aqueous liquid is passed through one or more concentrating stages, each of which include a crystallizer associated with a gradient column, to crystallize ice in each of the stages and increase the concentration of the liquid, and the ice formed in each stage is passed in reverse direction through the stages. Ice crystals are separated and removed from the system in a wash column associated with the first stage, and concentrated liquid is removed as product from the last stage. The environment viscosity of ice crystals formed in each stage is reduced by forming the ice crystal fraction of the slurry produced in the crystallizer of each stage into a porous rising bed of agglomerated ice crystals in the gradient column associated with the crystallizer, and contacting the ice bed with a counter current flow of more dilute liquor whereby liquor occluded on the ice crystals is displaced with more dilute liquor as the ice bed rises in the column, thereby facilitating the removal of liquor occluded on the ice and promoting the growth of ice crystals in the system.