Food processing vat with a clean-in-place vent

摘要

A food processing vat is provided with a vent that can be automatically cleaned in place, without requiring manual cleaning by a technician or removal of the vent from the vat. A nozzle is mounted to at least one of the vent and the vat and has an opening(s) that is posited with respect to the vent to direct cleaning fluid into the vent. The vent may include a canister that concentrically surrounds at least a portion of a vent tube that is fluidly connected to the vat, which collects cleaning fluid and/or condensate from gas that enters or exits the vat.

主权项

1. A food processing vat system comprising:
a vat having wall structure defining an inside space therein; a vent fluidly connecting the inside space of the vat to the ambient so as to maintain a pressure within the vat at an ambient pressure, the vent defining a collection chamber having a lower wall spaced from the wall structure of the vat and including a drain arranged with respect to the lower wall of the collection chamber for removing the entire collected contents of the collection chamber; and a nozzle being configured to convey a cleaning fluid therethrough and mounted to at least one of the vent and the vat, the nozzle having an opening that is positioned with respect to the vent so as to direct the cleaning fluid into the vent, wherein at least some of the cleaning fluid collects in the collection chamber as collected contents and is entirely removed from the collection chamber through the drain while the vent remains attached to the vat.