Temperature field investigation of the industrial autoclave ASCAMAT-230

Heterogeneity of the temperature field in the sterilization chambers of industrial autoclaves during heating and cooling phase is one of the problems in the development of new regime for product heat treatment on the preliminary selection and laboratory testing stages. This is the reason of studying the temperature field of the industrial autoclave ASCAMAT-230. The autoclave ASCAMAT-230 is a vertical autoclave of 230 liters capacity heated by three tubular electric heaters. Determination of temperature field parameters has been carried out according to the method for studying the temperature field of periodic devices' heating medium for sterilizing canned food. Six Thermochron iButton temperature loggers have been used to measure the temperatures in the sterilization chamber of the ASCAMAT-230 autoclave. Logger 1 has been put in the place of the standard thermometer installation, loggers 2 and 3, 5 and 6 - in the center and on periphery of the lower and upper parts of the autoclave respectively, logger 4 - in the center of the middle part of the autoclave's sterilization chamber. Temperature measurement in cans with the product has been carried out by temperature loggers from the Ellab TrackSense PRO complex. The loggers have been installed in two cans with homogeneous product located in the upper and lower parts of the autoclave. The time temperature dependences for the entire sterilization process, as well as for the heating and cooling stages have been constructed according to the acquired information. Based on these data conclusions about the uniformity of the temperature field inside the sterilization chamber of the autoclave ASCAMAT-230 during the heating, sterilization and cooling stages have been developed. Some recommendations for using the autoclave ASCAMAT-230 in the preliminary selection and verification of sterilization regimes for canned foods from hydrobionts, and also for the creation of an industrial autoclave control system have been given in the paper.