| 摘要 |
A method of cleaning root crops having adhering soil comprises placing the crops 7 in a pressure vessel 1, covering the crops with water, sealing the vessel, reducing the pressure in an air space above the water, and maintaining the reduced pressure until the soil becomes detached from the root crops. Preferably the pressure is reduced to 20kPa for three minutes. The invention further provides apparatus for cleaning root crops having adhering soil, comprising a pressure vessel 1 connected to a means for reducing pressure 3, an inlet 10 for introducing clean water into the vessel and an outlet 8 for removing contaminated water from the vessel, and water treatment means 9 between the inlet and the outlet for separating entrained soil from the water. The pressure may be reduced by moving two relatively-movable sealed parts of the pressure vessel rapidly so as to increase the volume within the vessel. Alternatively, the pressure may be reduced using a vacuum pump. |
