Apparatus for processing a product by treatment with a liquid cryogen and process for treating a product with a liquid cryogen.

摘要

In an apparatus and a process for treating a product with a liquid cryogen, the liquid cryogen is supplied to an removed from a processing chamber (11) containing the product to be treated, cryogen vapor is supplied to said processing chamber (11) from a source (19) containing the cryogen vapor at superatmospheric pressure and the cryogen vapor is withdrawn by interconnecting upon the removal of liquid cryogen the processing chamber (11) and a compressing means (75, 77, 79) in fluid communication to thereby recover said cryogen vapor. The pressure at said compressing means (75, 77, 79) is monitored and vapor is supplied from said sources (19) to said compressing means (75, 77, 79) when said pressure at said compressing means is at or below a predetermined pressure, said predetermined pressune being less than superatmospheric pressure at said source. Overheating the compressing means (75, 77, 79) is avoided by the invention when process conditions or equipment malfunctions cause curmailment or stoppage of the cryogen vapor flow from the treatment chamber (11) to the compressing means.