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DEVICE FOR THE CONTINUOUS UNIFORM CONDITIONING OF GROUND OLIVE PASTE USING POWER ULTRASOUND
WO19016427
The invention relates to a device for the continuous uniform conditioning of ground olive paste using power ultrasound, in order to heat a ground olive paste moving through a pipe (2). The device comprises: an applicator (2) for applying power ultrasound to olive paste; a first temperature sensor (3) for determining the temperature prior to the application of ultrasound; a physical-chemical sensor (4) for determining parameters of the olive paste prior to the application of ultrasound; a flow meter (5); and a second temperature sensor (6) for determining the temperature after the application of ultrasound. A controller (7) acts on the ultrasound applicator (1) and on the flow meter (5) according to the values obtained by the first (3) and second (6) temperature sensors and the physical-chemical sensor.
There is no marketed product based on the multifrequency application of power ultrasound for the conditioning of the olive mass, prior to its injection into the horizontal centrifugal decanter for oil extraction. There are only rapid preheating systems for the dough before it is beaten, and all of them are based on water-based heat exchangers. Pieralisi's 'Protoreactore' and Alfa-Laval's 'Flash Heater' are the only ones known. The main advantages of the proposed system with respect to the mentioned products are summarized in: * Lower energy consumption and CO2 emissions, since the ultrasound is responsible for heating the dough directly, while the other products require heating apart from the heating water, with the consequent fuel consumption and CO2 emission that existing boilers have in the mills. * Greater extractability of the oil, without its alterations. * Better control of the heating of the olive mass by using a control system to optimize flow rates, time and frequency of ultrasound to be applied at all times. * Ability to activate/deactivate certain enzymes that produce volatile compounds according to the ultrasonic frequency used, allowing a certain modulation of the sensory attributes of the elaborated oil. * Less physical space, with the possibility of eliminating the mixer, an element that is essential in the other systems mentioned.