The structure and principle of operation of the autoclave are the main characteristics. How does an autoclave work? Temperature-pressure relationship

To make canned food tasty, choose only fresh and high-quality products. Wash glass jars, fill them with the recipe ingredients and seal them tightly with metal lids. There is no need to pre-sterilize autoclave jars.

Loading cans into the autoclave

Put closed jars onto the rack at the bottom of the autoclave. You can place jars in an autoclave in several layers. Next row cans can be placed directly on the lids of the previous row.

If the autoclave is equipped with special pressure cassettes, the jars are installed in them according to the instructions that come with the device.

Attention! Important! Only one type of jar with the same lid should be installed in one layer!

Then pour into the autoclave cold water so that free space to the top edge of the device was approximately 3-4 cm.

Preservation in an autoclave

Close the lid of the device, make sure that the O-ring is present. Close the lid. To ensure that the lid does not skew to the side and that it lies flat, tighten the nuts crosswise.

If the autoclave is supplied without cassettes that compensate for the difference in pressure in the jars and the device, pump air into the tank with a pump through the “nipple” until the pressure gauge shows 1 atm using a car or any other pump. Creating a pressure of up to 1 atm in the autoclave is necessary to maintain the integrity of the cans, since when heated, a difference in pressure is formed in the autoclave itself and inside the cans, and to check the tightness of the connection between the lid and the body.

If the autoclave is supplied with special pressure cassettes, pre-pumping is not necessary.

Turn on the heat. As it heats up, the pressure in the device will increase; we need 0.4 MPa, which corresponds to 120 °C. When the autoclave warms up to desired temperature, the jars must be kept in this mode for the time recommended for canned products. For example, for meat it is about an hour, canned vegetables in an autoclave will be ready after 20 minutes of sterilization at the same temperature, pickled mushrooms must be cooked for 40-50 minutes at a temperature of at least 110 degrees.

Completion of sterilization

After the required time has passed, gradually reduce the pressure, gradually reducing the heat until the heat source is completely turned off. Allow the unit to cool to a temperature of no more than 30°C, then slowly release the pressure using the nipple. Do not allow sudden heating and cooling, sudden release or increase in pressure - the jars may burst.

Before opening the lid, check the pressure release valve once to make sure that the pressure in the autoclave and outside are equalized. If nothing happens, you can safely open the lid.

Canned food is ready!

Open the lid and remove the jars. One laying and bringing the canned food to cooking takes 3-3.5 hours. As a rule, experienced people do this in the afternoon and by the evening they turn off the autoclave and then leave it to cool in this position until the morning.

When the sun rises, you can take out the finished jars, which will then be a wonderful delicacy for your table!

After you have studied the instructions for using the autoclave, you can begin preparing dishes, including: fish and meat stews, vegetable preparations, homemade pickles, jams and preserves.

Sterilization modes

Name of canned food	Can volume, ml.	Sterilization temperature, o C	Duration of sterilization, minutes
Canned meat	350	120	30
	500		40
	1000		60
Canned poultry meat	350	120	20
	500		30
	1000		50
Canned fish	350	115	20
	500		25
	1000		30
Canned vegetables	350	100	10
	500		15
	1000		20
Marinated mushrooms	350	110	20
	500		30
	1000		40

Modern autoclaves for industry they are complex units with high productivity. Represents vertical autoclave or a horizontal vessel that is closed hermetically with spherical lids.
Applicable horizontal autoclave for processing composite materials. In most cases it is used gas autoclave, because gas heating has greater flexibility and minimal heating time. This the best option classic autoclave, as it has simple installation, takes up a small area and does not require a diathermic heating system. In addition, the process costs heat treatment products from such an autoclave are significantly lower than those required for electric autoclave(for example, compare the cost of electricity and gas). Of course, there are models of horizontal autoclave and with a spiral heat exchanger, which represent a model of energy-saving technologies. A spiral heat exchanger allows you to work with any product, but its cost is much higher than a gas heat exchanger; in addition, it has a long payback period.
A pressure vessel is vertical autoclave, heating of the water environment in which is carried out mainly using heating elements located in the inner lower part of the autoclave.
As a rule, modern industrial autoclaves range in diameter from 1.2 m to 7.6 m, and in length - from 1.9 m to 40 m. Autoclaves are distinguished according to the loading method: horizontal and vertical. There are also specialized models of autoclaves. But the principle of their operation is the same: it consists in heating the sterilized product under pressure to high temperatures. The increased pressure in the autoclave compensates for the thermal expansion of the product.
The autoclave is installed on supports that allow it to expand when heated. Steam is supplied to the perforated pipe through a fitting, and condensate is removed through a drain valve. Inside the autoclave itself there is a rail track along which trolleys with products for sterilization are rolled.
To avoid big heat losses, external surfaces The autoclave is covered with thermal insulation, which contributes to the intensification of the technological process.
Changes in pressure and temperature in the autoclave are carried out by sensors. As a rule, temperature changes are made by platinum or copper resistance thermal converters.
The operating principle of the autoclave is as follows: after the sterilization cycle is selected, a preliminary fractionated vacuum with periodic heating is created in the working chamber of the autoclave, i.e. Air and condensate are effectively removed from the working chamber of the sterilizer. Then pressure and temperature are created in the chamber in accordance with the specified parameters and the sterilization phase begins. After the sterilization period is completed, the pressure in the autoclave chamber is initially released and the stage of vacuum pulsating drying begins. In this way, the sterilized products are effectively dried, and the remaining moisture instantly evaporates at high temperature and negative pressure. This type of sterilization is absolutely adequate for all sterilized products that can withstand a temperature of 135 degrees Celsius, and the operator is unable to allow even the slightest mistake, since the sterilization cycle is fully automated.
The sterilization cycle is controlled, as well as the display of cycle parameters, using an interactive, electronic touch screen located on the front panel autoclave The display allows the operator to select a cycle, adjust the display contrast, and also put the autoclave into standby mode.
Currently, a wide variety of autoclave models are produced for various industries, the operating principle of which is not much different from each other. Used in industry autoclave with air cooled and water. With water cooling, water is circulated by a pump, continuously spraying the product, and with air cooling, cooling is carried out by a stream of cold air.
For the production of film triplex it is necessary autoclave for triplex, which provides improved optical characteristics glass, increases their moisture resistance and makes it possible to perform additional machining designs. At the first stage of triplex production, glass is cut the right size and it is processed until it is received smooth surface. After this, polyvinyl butyral or ethylene vinyl acetate film is laid between the glasses and the product is pressed in an autoclave.
Also, when producing carbon fiber, a carbon autoclave is required. In general, there are several methods for producing carbon fibers, but the most widespread is the autoclave method. It consists of the following: polyacrylonitrile fibers are oxidized in air during the day at a temperature of 2500C. Then the fibers are transferred to an inert gas, in which the carbonization process is carried out at high temperatures - 800-15000C. This is followed by the graphitization process at temperatures from 1600-30000C. The process of making carbonate threads ends here.
Irreplaceable is also autoclave for carbon fiber, since it produces products of uniform thickness, it is possible to mold large-sized, high-quality products with low porosity.

Under these conditions, an acceleration of the reaction and an increase in product yield are achieved. When used in chemistry or for carrying out chemical reactions use the name chemical reactor. When used in medicine for sterilization during high blood pressure and temperature - autoclave only. If sterilization is carried out at high temperature, but without pressure, the term sterilizer or drying cabinet is used. It was invented by Denis Papin in 1679.

Types of autoclaves

Autoclaves are: rotating, swinging, horizontal, vertical and columnar. An autoclave is a vessel either closed or with an opening lid. If necessary, they are equipped with internal, external or remote heat exchangers, mechanical, electromagnetic or pneumatic mixing devices and instrumentation for measuring and regulating pressure, temperature, liquid level, etc.

Autoclave design

Design and main parameters industrial autoclave varied, capacity from several tens of cm³ to hundreds of m³, designed to operate under pressure up to 150 MPa (1500 kgf/cm²) at temperatures up to 500 °C. For chemical production, if it is necessary to mix the product, autoclaves with sealless mixers and a shielded electric motor that does not require sealing are promising options. The rotor of this electric motor is mounted directly on the stirrer shaft and covered with a sealed thin-walled screen made of non-magnetic material that does not prevent the penetration of magnetic lines of force from the motor stator to the rotor.

In production building materials Tunnel or dead-end autoclaves are used. Externally, they are a pipe 3-6 m in diameter and 15-20 m in length, closed with a lid with a bayonet lock (dead-end on one side, tunnel on both sides).

Along the length of the autoclave there are rails for trolleys with products. Autoclaves are equipped with lines for inlet of saturated steam, bypass of waste steam into another autoclave, release of steam into the atmosphere or into a recovery unit, and for condensate removal.

IN Food Industry Vertical and horizontal autoclaves are used in a wide range of varieties, sizes and operating principles. For example, in horizontal autoclaves for the food industry, the necessary back pressure can be created in relation to each individual product package, which allows sterilization of products not only in rigid containers (glass jars, tin cans), but also in soft and semi-rigid packaging.

Application of autoclaves

The autoclave protective jacket is a device that protects the seams and the main material of the reactor vessel from the effects of the coolant.

Autoclaves are widely used in the food industry. Modern autoclave cooking systems are equipped with multi-stage security mechanisms, special locks and systems automatic shutdown. Today, about 1.5 million autoclaves are constantly used for these purposes throughout the world.

The use of autoclaves is not limited industrial scale. Autoclaves of small size and low productivity are used for domestic purposes, for preparing home-made canned meat, fish and vegetables. Household autoclaves can be either industrial production, and homemade, made from a gas cylinder or receiver. Household autoclaves, similar to industrial autoclaves, are equipped with temperature and pressure control devices and safety valves.

Autoclaves in the food industry

Autoclave cooking is a method of cooking food in a sealed vessel or autoclave that does not allow air or liquid to leave the container under high pressure. Because the boiling point of a liquid moves upward as pressure increases, the temperature of the liquid inside the system can exceed 100 °C without the liquid reaching its boiling point. Most high pressure cooking systems operate at an operating pressure of 1.5 - 1.9 atmospheres. At this pressure, the boiling point of water rises to 125 °C. The increased temperature allows you to cook the product disproportionately faster than the standard method.

For example, chopped fresh cabbage cooks within one minute. Fresh green beans or small potatoes take about five minutes to cook, and a whole chicken up to 3kg takes about 20 minutes. Another advantage of the autoclave cooking method is the achievement of the effect of stewing and slow boiling of the product in a very short time.

Currently small installations Used by climbers to boil water at high altitudes. High in the mountains, water boils away before reaching a temperature of 100 °C, which prevents proper preparation food and normal cooking of foods, as Charles Darwin wrote in The Voyage of the Beagle.

The autoclave method of cooking was considered very explosive. Modern autoclave cooking systems are equipped with various mechanisms protection - special locks, valves, automatic shutdown systems, etc.

How the system works

Under normal conditions, heating a liquid above its boiling point is impossible. As soon as the water temperature reaches 100 °C, the water becomes steam and leaves the heating zone. The intense formation of steam in a container with liquid is called boiling. If water boils for a long time, it turns into steam completely.

When water is boiled in an autoclave, the boiling point increases. It happens like this: as the water temperature approaches 100 °C, the evaporation of water increases. Water vapor, being essentially a gas, creates excess pressure in the autoclave, which leads to a decrease in further evaporation, and eventually the pressure rises so much that boiling stops, and water heated above 100 ° C continues to remain liquid. The higher the temperature, the higher the pressure in the system. More high heat, and even at high blood pressure, has a more powerful effect both for the preparation of products and for the destruction of microorganisms.

A similar process is easily achievable when preparing solid, non-cavernous foods. In the case of preparing sponge-like, cavernous products, you should choose a system with deep vacuuming of the container. Residual gas content can help protect bacteria from destruction by creating thermal insulation for their shells.

There are autoclaves that use fractional evacuation, which removes gases in multiple cycles, allowing 100% heat penetration to sterilize and homogenize the product.

Nutrients

Since food is cooked without intense evaporation and faster than usual, significantly less liquid, vitamins, minerals, salts and other substances are boiled out of food in an autoclave.

And lat. clavis - constipation, valve), a sealed apparatus designed to carry out various processes (processing of products, raw materials, products, etc.) when heated and under pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure. Depending on the scope and purpose, autoclaves differ in design, equipment, apparatus capacity, creation temperature regime. A wide variety of autoclave models are produced for various industries, but in terms of basic operating principles they differ little from each other.

Principle of operation

In an autoclave, a water medium is used to increase temperature and create pressure, which fills the space between the walls (water vapor chamber). After selecting the technological (working) cycle, a preliminary fractionated vacuum with periodic heating is created in the working chamber of the autoclave, i.e., effective removal of air and condensate in the working chamber occurs. When heated, water vapor enters the chamber, increasing its pressure and temperature in accordance with the specified parameters, and the sterilization phase begins. The increased pressure in the autoclave compensates for the thermal expansion of the product. Such conditions make it possible to speed up the reaction and also increase the yield of the product. At the end of the sterilization period, the pressure in the autoclave chamber is released and the stage of vacuum pulsating drying of products begins, and the remaining moisture instantly evaporates at high temperature and negative pressure.

Depending on the nature of the operation, autoclaves are equipped with internal, external or external heat exchangers, mechanical, electromagnetic or pneumatic mixing devices, various devices for monitoring temperature, pressure, liquid level and adjusting parameters. In industry, autoclaves are used with water (water circulates in the system using a pump) and air (cooling occurs using a stream of cold air) cooling.

The sterilization cycle is controlled, as well as the display of cycle parameters, using an interactive electronic touch screen located on the front panel of the autoclave. Using the control elements located on the panel (buttons, smooth controls, etc.), the operator selects a cycle, sets parameters, and also has the ability to put the autoclave into standby mode.

Autoclave design

Modern industrial autoclaves are complex high-tech devices with high productivity. By design, autoclaves can be vertical, horizontal, rotating, swinging and columnar. The autoclave has the form of a vessel (chamber, cylinder), which during operation is closed with specially fitted spherical lids, ensuring its complete tightness, since the product is heated under pressure to high temperatures in it.

IN vertical autoclaves(characterized by compact design) the water medium is heated mainly using special tubular electric heaters (heating elements) located inside the lower part of the autoclave chamber. Such autoclaves are widely used for use in laboratory conditions. IN horizontal autoclaves(Fig.) Gas heating is more often used, which is characterized by minimal heating time and greater operational flexibility. Such autoclaves are usually used in industry for processing composite materials. This is the best version of a classic autoclave, as it has simple installation, occupies a small area and does not require a diathermic heating system. In addition, the cost of heat treatment of the product in such an autoclave is significantly lower than when using an electric autoclave. There are models of a horizontal autoclave and with a spiral heat exchanger, which are an example of energy-saving technologies. A spiral heat exchanger allows you to work with any product, but its cost is much higher than a gas heat exchanger; in addition, it has a long payback period.Rotating autoclavesused for working with suspended (suspended, weighed) solid or mushy substances (for leaching mineral concentrates of various metals and ores). The autoclave has the form of a sealed vessel with a removable lid, which is attached to the body using a sealing gasket and pins. A shut-off valve with a multilayer filter is mounted outside the lid.Rocking autoclavesallow mixing of substances in packages for which sterilization in conventional autoclaves is considered unacceptable.Column autoclavesare usually used to create alumina from bauxite (allowing them to reduce labor and time costs in the process of obtaining them).

Autoclaves are made from high-quality steels, aluminum and other metals, which are often chemically coated resistant materials(enamel, fluoroplastic). The hull is constructed by welding or riveting links with convex bottoms. Special openings (lids) are made in the housing through which it is convenient to load materials. Steam is supplied to the perforated pipe through a fitting, and condensate is removed through a drain valve. In electric autoclaves, the heated steam supply system is separated from the working chamber. Steam is supplied to the chamber through a pipe from a boiler equipped with an electric heating element with a heating degree regulator. To avoid large heat losses, the outer surfaces of the autoclave are covered with thermal insulation, which contributes to the intensification of the technological process.

The design and main parameters of an industrial autoclave are varied: capacity from several tens of cubic centimeters to cubic meters; designed to work under pressure up to 150 MPa (1500 kgf/cm²) at temperatures up to 500 °C. As a rule, modern industrial autoclaves range from 1.2 m to 7.6 m in diameter and from 1.9 m to 40 m in length. When carrying out physical and chemical processes in an autoclave, pressures of up to 300 MPa and temperatures of up to several thousand are used. degrees.

Application of autoclaves

Autoclaves are used for scientific research(laboratory autoclaves), in medicine, biology, metallurgy, chemical, rubber, food industries, in the production of building materials.

The main part of autoclaves used in medicine and biologists and, – a hermetically sealed tank with double walls that can withstand high pressure. If the sterilization process is carried out without exposure to high pressure, then the term sterilizer or drying oven is used. Medical autoclaves are used to sterilize surgical dressing material and tools, utensils and some devices for growing microorganisms, disinfecting infected material, destroying cultures of pathogenic microorganisms, when creating products from carbon fiber, to give them solid forms, etc. Distilled water is poured into the interwall space (water-steam chamber). When heated, water vapor enters the sterilization chamber, increasing its pressure and temperature (above 100 °C).

In metallurgy (hydrometallurgy, see also Autoclave leaching) with the help of autoclaves, metal solutions are purified from impurities and the process of recovery of precious and rare earth metals after leaching from prepared solutions is carried out. The volume of the apparatus can vary from tens of cubic millimeters (laboratory pulse autoclaves) to several hundred cubic meters (horizontal autoclaves for the oxidation of Ni-concentrates). For aggressive liquids, stainless steel autoclaves are used, as well as devices lined with corrosion- and heat-resistant coatings or tiles. They use cylindrical or spherical autoclaves operating at 260 °C and a pressure of 6 MPa, and autoclave units of the “pipe-in-pipe” type (coolant is supplied to the outer pipe, the heated mixture is supplied to the inner one), operating at a temperature of less than 300 °C.

IN chemical industry autoclaves are used in the production of herbicides, organic intermediates and dyes, and in synthesis processes. To carry out various chemical reactions, this apparatus is called chemical reactor m. If it is necessary to mix the product, autoclaves with sealless mixers and a shielded electric motor that do not require sealing are used.

IN rubber industry Autoclaves are used to vulcanize or cure many rubber or plastic products.

IN Food Industry autoclaves are used for sterilization, pasteurization of products (including canned food), cooking, etc. Vertical and horizontal autoclaves of a wide range of varieties, sizes and operating principles are used. For example, in horizontal autoclaves for the food industry, the necessary back pressure can be created in relation to each individual product package, which allows sterilization of products not only in hard containers (glass, iron), but also in soft and semi-rigid packaging.

Production of building materials c, in particular silicate ones, is based on the hydrothermal synthesis of calcium hydrosilicates, which is carried out in an autoclave reactor in an environment of saturated water vapor with a pressure of 0.8–3 MPa and a temperature of 175–200 °C. IN this production A large amount of work involves the process of obtaining lime for the raw material mixture. IN technological process lime production includes the following operations: extraction limestone in quarries, crushing and sorting it into fractions, firing in shaft rotary and other kilns, crushing or grinding lump lime (producing quicklime). The raw material mixture is produced in two ways: drum and silo, which differ from each other in the preparation of the lime-sand mixture.

Nowadays, almost all elements of buildings and structures (panels, floor slabs, staircase elements, etc.) can be made from reinforced silicate concrete, which in its properties is almost not inferior to reinforced concrete, and thanks to the use of local raw materials and industrial waste costs 15 –20% cheaper than similar reinforced concrete elements using Portland cement. Modern autoclave plants produce aerated concrete and foam concrete. They are widely used in the construction of commercial and residential buildings for various purposes and number of storeys. Aerated concrete and foam concrete can be used both for load-bearing structure, and for interior partitions and as jumpers. The autoclave method for producing aerated concrete and foam concrete is the main one, since in an autoclave they are created optimal conditions for hardening the mixture, and the use of a controlled autoclave process makes it possible to obtain aerated concrete and foam concrete with specified technical characteristics.

They also make cellular concrete, silicate blocks and panels, facing, thermal insulation materials and other products. Autoclaves are used for the production of triplex film. Using autoclave technology improved optical characteristics of glass are ensured, its moisture resistance increases, etc. In the production of triplex, tunnel or dead-end autoclaves are used. Externally, they are a pipe 3–6 m in diameter and 15–20 m in length, closed with a lid with bayonet locks (dead-end on one side, tunnel on both sides). Along the length of the autoclave there are rails for trolleys with products. Autoclaves are equipped with lines for inlet of saturated steam, bypass of waste steam into another autoclave, release of steam into the atmosphere or into a recovery unit, and for condensate removal.

Historical reference

The prototype of the modern autoclave was a medical device for sterilization created by D. Papen in 1680 (it was carried out at high temperatures, but without pressure above atmospheric pressure), the so-called. sterilizer or drying cabinet. In 1795, the French confectioner F. Appert invented a way to preserve food supplies. He packed the food in a special container and boiled it in ordinary water; Thus, the first autoclave for home (household) use was obtained. In 1879, the Frenchman C. Chamberlain created a real autoclave, in which the required pressure was created while the temperature increased. The invention became widespread exclusively among chemist and medical scientists, who were faced with the acute question of sterilizing instruments.

The prototype of a modern autoclave used in chemical technology is a device created by V. N. Ipatiev in 1904. In construction, a method for producing silicate (lime-sand) bricks in an autoclave was invented in Germany in 1880 by the scientist V. Michaelis. In Russia, autoclave devices for the production of lime-sand blocks, fiberboard, facing slabs appeared in the 1930s. Until the 1950s the only type of silicate autoclave products were sand-lime brick and small stones made of cellular silicate concrete. However, thanks to the work of Russian scientists, for the first time in the world, the production of large-sized silicate concrete autoclave products for prefabricated construction was created. The possibility of forming a stone-like product in an autoclave was established at the end of the 19th century, but mass production silicate products, parts and structures, especially concrete types, was organized for the first time in our country. The technology for their production is mechanized and largely automated, which ensures cheaper products compared to cement materials and products. Effective research in this direction was carried out by P. I. Bozhenov, A. V. Volzhensky, P. P. Budnikov, Yu. M. Butt and others. It was shown that autoclave processing produces the most stable low-basic hydrosilicates.

In 1953, the Lagarde company developed an autoclave for use in the textile industry (it was used to dye fabrics). In 1988, an autoclave for home canning, which worked by connecting to the home electrical network.

At high pressure and temperature - only an autoclave. If sterilization is carried out at high temperature, but without pressure, the term sterilizer or drying cabinet is used. It was invented by Denis Papin in the year. Autoclave - Reactor for hydrothermal synthesis. It is a cylindrical horizontal welded vessel, hermetically sealed with spherical lids. Autoclave diameter 2–3.6 m, length 19–40 m.

Types of autoclaves

Autoclave

Autoclave design

The design and main parameters of an industrial autoclave are varied, the capacity ranges from several tens of cm³ to hundreds of m³, and is designed to operate under pressure up to 150 MN/m² (1500 kgf/cm²) at temperatures up to 500 °C. For chemical production, sealless autoclaves with a shielded electric motor that does not require sealing are promising. The rotor of this electric motor is mounted directly on the stirrer shaft and covered with a sealed thin-walled screen made of non-magnetic material that does not prevent the penetration of magnetic lines of force from the motor stator to the rotor. In the production of building materials, tunnel or dead-end autoclaves are used. Externally, they are a pipe 3-6 m in diameter and 15-20 m in length, closed with a lid with a bayonet lock (dead-end on one side, tunnel on 2 sides). Along the length of the autoclave there are rails for trolleys with products. Autoclaves are equipped with lines for inlet of saturated steam, bypass of waste steam into another autoclave, release of steam into the atmosphere or into a recovery unit, and for condensate removal.

The food industry uses vertical and horizontal autoclaves of a wide range of varieties, sizes and operating principles. For example, in horizontal autoclaves for the food industry, the necessary back pressure can be created in relation to each individual product package, which allows sterilization of products not only in rigid containers (glass jars, tin cans), but also in soft and semi-rigid packaging.

Application of autoclaves

Autoclaves are used in the chemical industry (production of herbicides, organic intermediates and dyes, in synthesis processes); in hydrometallurgy (leaching with subsequent recovery of non-ferrous and precious metals and rare elements from solutions); in the rubber industry (vulcanization of technical products); in the food industry (sterilization, pasteurization of products [including canned food], food preparation); in the building materials industry. Autoclaves are widely used in medicine. Also when creating products from carbon fiber, to give them solid shapes. The autoclave protective jacket is a device that protects the seams and the main material of the reactor vessel from the effects of the coolant. Autoclaves are widely used in the food industry. Modern autoclave cooking systems are equipped with multi-stage protection mechanisms, special locks and automatic shutdown systems. Today, about 1.5 million autoclaves are constantly used for these purposes throughout the world.

Operating principle of the system in the food industry

Autoclave cooking is a method of cooking food in a sealed vessel or autoclave that does not allow air or liquid to leave the container under high pressure. Since, with increasing pressure, the boiling point of the liquid moves upward, the temperature of the liquid inside the system can be increased to 100 °C. In this case, the liquid does not reach the boiling point. Most high-pressure cooking systems operate at an operating pressure of 15 psi, a standard established in the United States back in 1917. At this pressure, the liquid boils at a temperature of 125 °C. The increased temperature allows you to cook the product disproportionately faster than the standard method.
For example, chopped fresh cabbage is cooked within one minute, preserving the entire vitamin and flavor range of the product. Fresh green beans or small potatoes take about five minutes to cook, and a whole chicken up to 3 kilograms takes about 20 minutes. Another advantage of the autoclave cooking method is the achievement of the effect of stewing and slow boiling of the product in a very short time.
The prototype of the first autoclave was invented by the French physicist Denis Papin in 1679. Today, small installations are used by climbers to boil water at high altitudes. High in the mountains, water boils away before reaching a temperature of 100 °C, which prevents proper cooking and normal cooking of food, as Charles Darwin wrote in The Voyage of the Beagle.
The autoclave method of cooking was considered very explosive. Modern autoclave cooking systems are equipped with multi-stage protection mechanisms, special locks and automatic shutdown systems.

How the system works

Under normal conditions, heating water above the boiling point is impossible. As soon as the temperature reaches 100 °C, the water stops heating. This occurs due to the intense evaporation of water during the heating process. If water is boiled for a long time, it completely turns into steam.
When water or liquid is boiled in an autoclave, the boiling point increases. As soon as the temperature of the soup or puree reaches 90 °C, intense evaporation begins. Water vapor, being essentially a gas, creates excess pressure in combination with temperature, which causes evaporation to stop. The higher the temperature, the higher the pressure in the system. The heat generated by increasing pressure is called latent heat and has a great penetrating force into the structure of microorganisms, destroying them even in a dormant state - in spores. A similar process is easily achievable when preparing solid, non-cavernous foods. In the case of preparing spongy, cavernous products, you should choose a system with deep vacuuming of the tank. Residual oxygen content can help protect bacteria from destruction by providing thermal insulation for their membranes. Modern autoclaves use fractional evacuation, which removes oxygen in several cycles, ensuring 100% steam penetration during the process of sterilization and homogenization of the product.
Cooking food using the autoclave method allows you to cook food many times faster, while maintaining all the nutritional properties of the product.

Pressure

Steaming food under high pressure is the most nutritious way to cook food. High pressure promotes the release of natural natural juices from the product, allowing you to cook dishes at high temperatures in its own juice. High-pressure cooking allows food that has been vacuum-packed or previously frozen to “repair” damaged tissue.

Steam

Super-heated steam, generated at high pressure and elevated temperatures, allows you to cook 3 to 10 times faster. High temperature steaming allows you to cook without salt, with a minimum amount of oil, sugar, flavorings and flavor enhancers, with less aging and drying out while maintaining fresh taste.

Nutrients

Low fat content

Pressure cooking is essentially the process of cooking low-fat food. Hot steam strains fat from the microfibers of the product, releasing it into the surrounding liquid environment.

Product disinfection

Mold is a fungus that grows like silky threads and appears on the product in the form of a fluff. Some types of mold produce mycotoxins that are hazardous to health. Mold can grow and grow in acids that protect us from bacteria. Mold breaks down food into enzymes and makes it unfit for consumption. The acid partially neutralizes the harmful effects of mold. Mold and yeast are destroyed at temperatures between 60-87 degrees.

Operation of industrial autoclaves

To use autoclaves, the owner must ensure that the vessels are kept in good condition and safe conditions their work.

For these purposes it is necessary:

appoint by order from among specialists who have passed the in the prescribed manner testing the knowledge of the Rules of those responsible for the good condition and safe operation of vessels, as well as those responsible for the implementation of production control over compliance with the requirements industrial safety when operating pressure vessels.

Quantity responsible persons for the implementation of production control should be determined based on the calculation of the time required for the timely and high-quality performance of the duties assigned to these persons by their official position. An organization order may appoint specialists responsible for the good condition of the vessels and responsible for their safe operation;
appoint required amount persons of maintenance personnel trained and certified to service vessels, and also establish a procedure so that personnel assigned responsibilities for servicing vessels carefully monitor the equipment assigned to them by inspecting it, checking the operation of fittings, instrumentation, safety and blocking devices and maintaining blood vessels in good condition. The results of inspection and testing must be recorded in the shift log;
ensure the implementation technical examinations, diagnostics of blood vessels in a timely manner;
ensure the procedure and frequency of testing knowledge by managers and specialists of the Rules;
organize periodic testing of staff knowledge of instructions on the operating mode and safe maintenance of vessels;
provide specialists with Rules and guidelines for the safe operation of vessels, and personnel with instructions;
ensure that specialists comply with the Rules, and service personnel- instructions.

The organization operating autoclaves must develop and approve instructions for those responsible for the good condition and safe operation of the vessels and those responsible for the implementation of production control over compliance with industrial safety requirements during the operation of the vessels.

When operating autoclaves, you should be guided by the regulatory documents annually approved by the Gosgortekhnadzor of Russia List of existing regulatory documents Gosgortekhnadzor of Russia.

Design, production, operation of industrial autoclaves

In the territory Russian Federation establish requirements for the design, design, manufacture, reconstruction, adjustment, installation, repair, technical diagnostics and operation of autoclaves "RULES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND SAFE OPERATION OF PRESSURE VESSELS" PB 03-576-03

Responsibility for violation of PB 03-576-03 The rules are mandatory for all officials, specialists, employees involved in the design, manufacture, reconstruction, installation, adjustment, repair, technical diagnostics and operation of vessels. Persons who violate these Rules are liable in accordance with the current legislation of the Russian Federation.