Method of sterilizing drink filling apparatus and drink filling apparatus
To reduce the time required to start a drink filling operation or the time interval between productions. In a method of sterilizing a drink filling apparatus that includes drink supply piping that feeds a drink into a filling machine through a heating sterilization part, a heated liquid or heated steam is fed to the drink supply piping, temperatures of the drink supply piping at a plurality of positions are detected at predetermined time intervals, a lowest temperature is selected from the detected temperatures, an F value is calculated for the selected lowest temperature, the calculated F value is integrated, and a sterilization step is ended when the integrated F value reaches a target value.
1 . A method of sterilizing a drink filling apparatus that includes drink supply piping that feeds a drink into a filling machine through a heating sterilization part,
passing a heated liquid or heated steam through the drink supply piping to sterilize the drink supply piping during a sterilization step,
detecting a plurality of temperatures of the drink supply piping at a plurality of positions by a plurality of temperature sensors at predetermined time intervals,
selecting only a lowest temperature from the detected temperatures,
calculating an F value for only the selected lowest temperature,
integrating the calculated F value, and
ending the sterilization step when the integrated F value reaches a target value indicative of a sufficient application of the heated liquid or the heated steam at a temperature and for a time to achieve sterilization, wherein
wherein the F value is calculated according to the following formula:
F
=
∫
t
0
t
1
10
(
T
-
121.1
)
/
10
dt
[
Formula
1
]
where T denotes an arbitrary sterilization temperature (° C.), 10 (T-121.1)/10 represents a fatality rate at an arbitrary temperature T and corresponds to a heating duration (in minutes) at 121.1° C., which is a reference temperature, and 10 denotes a Z value (° C.).
2 . The method of sterilizing a drink filling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an upstream-side feedback path is provided for an upstream-side piping section of the drink supply piping that passes through the heating sterilization part to form an upstream-side circulation path, the heated liquid or heated steam is passed through the upstream-side circulation path, temperatures of the upstream-side piping section at a plurality of positions are detected at predetermined time intervals, a lowest temperature is selected from the detected temperatures, an F value is calculated for the selected lowest temperature, the calculated F value is integrated, and a sterilization step of the upstream-side piping section is ended when the integrated F value reaches a target value.
3 . The method of sterilizing a drink filling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heated liquid or heated steam is passed through a downstream-side piping section of the drink supply piping that extends from a point downstream of an upstream-side piping section of the drink supply piping that passes through the heating sterilization part to an interior of a filling machine via an aseptic surge tank and a filling machine tank, temperatures of the downstream-side piping section at a plurality of positions are detected at predetermined time intervals, a lowest temperature is selected from the detected temperatures, an F value is calculated for the selected lowest temperature, the calculated F value is integrated, and a sterilization step of the downstream-side piping section is ended when the integrated F value reaches a target value.
4 . The method of sterilizing a drink filling apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the heated liquid or heated steam is passed through the aseptic surge tank of the downstream-side piping section, temperatures of the aseptic surge tank at a plurality of positions are detected at predetermined time intervals, a lowest temperature is selected from the detected temperatures, an F value is calculated for the selected lowest temperature, the calculated F value is integrated, and a sterilization step of the aseptic surge tank is ended when the integrated F value reaches a target value.
5 . The method of sterilizing a drink filling apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the heated liquid or heated steam is passed through a filling piping section of the downstream-side piping section that extends to the interior of the filling machine via the filling machine tank, temperatures of the filling piping section at a plurality of positions are detected at predetermined time intervals, a lowest temperature is selected from the detected temperatures, an F value is calculated for the selected lowest temperature, the calculated F value is integrated, and a sterilization step of the filling piping section is ended when the integrated F value reaches a target value.
6 . The method of sterilizing a drink filling apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the heated liquid or heated steam is passed through a carbonating piping section between the aseptic surge tank and the filling machine tank of the downstream-side piping section, the carbonating piping section including a carbonating unit and a carbonated drink surge tank, temperatures of the carbonating piping section at a plurality of positions are detected at predetermined time intervals, a lowest temperature is selected from the detected temperatures, an F value is calculated for the selected lowest temperature, the calculated F value is integrated, and a sterilization step of the carbonating piping section is ended when the integrated F value reaches a target value.