Patent Application
20170043305
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing hydrogen-containing drinking water.
Since hydrogen-containing water (simply referred to as hydrogen water) in which hydrogen gas is dissolved in water has high reducibility, hydrogen-containing water has an effect of suppressing the oxidation of metal and the spoilage of foods, and the improvement of various health disorders can be expected in a case in which hydrogen-containing water is used for food. For this reason, hydrogen-containing water has been in the spotlight in recent years.
For example, as a method of manufacturing hydrogen-containing drinking water, there is a method of dissolving hydrogen gas in raw water, the hydrogen gas being supplied from a gas cylinder, or generated by the electrolysis of water.
However, if hydrogen gas is just supplied into raw water, nitrogen gas, oxygen gas, and the like dissolved in the raw water will interrupt the dissolution of hydrogen gas at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. For this reason, the dissolved hydrogen concentration in the raw water will become substantially lower than saturated hydrogen concentration.
Therefore, there is, for example, proposed a method of efficiently dissolving hydrogen gas by showering raw water into a pressure container for making the raw water to contact hydrogen gas. In the above condition, air has been removed from the pressure container, and the pressure container is then filled with hydrogen gas. Further, the pressure of the hydrogen gas in the pressure container is maintained in the range of 2 to 10 atmospheres (Patent Literature 1).
Moreover, there is proposed a method of efficiently increasing dissolved hydrogen concentration by removing residual gas from water as a raw material and then introducing obtained deaerated water and pressurized hydrogen gas into a gas permeable membrane module so as to dissolve hydrogen gas in the deaerated water (Patent Literature 2). Furthermore, there is proposed a packaging container with a spout that is filled with hydrogen-containing drinking water manufactured by this method. Still further, there is provided a method of sucking the inside of a packaging container with a spout by changing and adjusting a flow channel of a filling nozzle for hydrogen-containing water before the hydrogen-containing water starts to be filled in. Then, the packaging container is filled with hydrogen-containing water, in which hydrogen gas is dissolved, from a hydrogen-containing water tank, which stores the hydrogen-containing water in advance, by changing and adjusting the flow channel of the filling nozzle again (Patent Literature 3).
However, since the manufacturing method disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is a batch type, there are problems in that its productivity is low, and each size of apparatuses manufactured needs to increase in order to mass-produce hydrogen water. Further, there are also problems in that not only hydrogen gas cannot be efficiently dissolved in raw water but also hydrogen concentration is varied in every lot.
Furthermore, in the methods disclosed in Patent Literature 2 and Patent Literature 3, dissolved hydrogen concentration higher than saturated hydrogen concentration can be realized immediately after the manufacture of hydrogen-containing water. However, since hydrogen-containing water is temporarily stored in the hydrogen-containing water tank during the filling thereof and is exposed to the atmospheric pressure, the dissolved hydrogen concentration of hydrogen-containing water is reduced to saturated hydrogen concentration or less.
In a case in which a storage container is filled with hydrogen-containing water at room temperature under atmospheric pressure and is sealed up as described above, dissolved hydrogen is evaporated and discharged to the outside air until the storage container is sealed up. For this reason, the dissolved hydrogen concentration of the hydrogen-containing water filled in the storage container becomes much lower than the dissolved hydrogen concentration of hydrogen-containing water immediately after the manufacture of the hydrogen-containing water. As a result, there is also a problem in that the quality of the hydrogen-containing water deteriorates.
As a result of earnest investigation to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventor found out the followings. That is, it becomes possible to significantly increase dissolved hydrogen concentration in hydrogen-containing water while reducing dissolved oxygen concentration even immediately after the hydrogen-containing water is filled into the packaging container. Further, particularly, it becomes possible to fill the packaging container with the hydrogen-containing water while preventing the dissolved hydrogen concentration in the hydrogen-containing water from being reduced to a low level in filling. This becomes achievable by applying pressure, significantly higher than pressure in the related art, to water flow, that is, between purified water supplied to a deaeration device and hydrogen-containing water injected to a packaging container. Still further, in the present invention, the pressurized hydrogen-containing water becomes directly injectable into the packaging container without being stored in a tank, etc.
That is, the present invention relates to an apparatus for continuously manufacturing hydrogen-containing drinking water, the apparatus including:
(a) a deaeration device that deaerates purified water of a supplied raw material through a hollow fiber membrane;
(b) a hydrogen dissolution device that dissolves pressurized hydrogen gas in deaerated water, which is supplied from the deaeration device, through the hollow fiber membrane;
(c) a filling device that fills a packaging container with a spout from an injection port of the packaging container with hydrogen-containing water supplied from the hydrogen dissolution device;
(d) a sealing device that seals the injection port of the packaging container with a spout completely filled with the hydrogen-containing water;
a pressure pump that is capable of applying pressure to water flow channels corresponding to the hydrogen-containing water, which is to be injected to the packaging container by the filling device (c), from the purified water that is to be supplied to the deaeration device (a);
a relief valve that is connected to a loop flow channel allowing the water flow channel, to which pressure has been applied by the pressure pump, to communicate with the water flow channel to which pressure is not yet applied, closes the loop flow channel when water pressure of the water flow channel to which pressure has been applied is lower than a certain reference pressure, and opens the loop flow channel when the water pressure exceeds the certain reference pressure; and
an orifice that is connected to the water flow channel provided ahead of the filling device (c) and limits the flow rate of hydrogen-containing water, to which the reference pressure is applied and which is to be supplied to the filling device (c), to a certain reference flow rate or less,
wherein the filling device (c) includes a cavity that is formed in a device body and is connected to a filling port, and includes a stem valve that is capable of reciprocating so that a tip portion of the stem valve faces the filling port,
the cavity communicates with the water flow channel extending from the hydrogen dissolution device (b),
the stem valve is a valve mechanism that allows the injection port of the packaging container, which is connected to the filling port, to communicate with the water flow channel extending from the hydrogen dissolution device (b) and blocks the communication of the injection port by the reciprocation thereof,
the cavity is connected to gas decompression means and gas pressurization means through a gas channel that is formed in the stem valve or formed along an outer surface of the stem valve, and
the gas channel is adapted to be opened and closed by the reciprocation of the stem valve.
In the manufacturing apparatus, it is preferable that the reference pressure applied by the pressure pump is in the range of 0.1 MPa to 0.5 MPa.
In addition, the present invention relates to a method of continuously manufacturing hydrogen-containing drinking water, the method including:
(A) a deaeration step of deaerating purified water of a supplied raw material through a hollow fiber membrane in a deaeration device and sending obtained deaerated water to a hydrogen dissolution device;
(B) a hydrogen dissolving step of dissolving pressurized hydrogen gas in the supplied deaerated water through a hollow fiber membrane in the hydrogen dissolution device and sending obtained hydrogen-containing water to a filling device;
(C) a filling step of filling a packaging container with a spout from an injection port of the packaging container with the supplied hydrogen-containing water in the filling device; and
(D) a sealing step of sealing the injection port of the packaging container with a spout filled with the hydrogen-containing water,
the hydrogen-containing water to which pressure is applied being supplied to the filling device, by applying pressure to water flow channels corresponding to the hydrogen-containing water, which is to be injected to the packaging container in the filling step (C), from the purified water, which is to be supplied to the deaeration device in the deaeration step (A), by the operation of a pressure pump,
wherein the filling step (C) includes
the method includes:
a step of immediately proceeding to the sealing step (D) when the injection port and the filling port are disconnected from each other.
In the method of manufacturing hydrogen-containing drinking water according to the present invention, it is preferable that when water pressure of the water flow channel to which pressure has been applied by the pressure pump exceeds a certain reference pressure, a relief valve connected to a loop flow channel extending to the water flow channel, to which pressure is not yet applied, from the water flow channel to which pressure has been applied is opened so that hydrogen-containing water, to which the reference pressure is applied, is capable of being stably supplied to the filling device.
In addition, it is preferable that an operation of the stem valve for opening and closing the filling port is periodically repeated in the filling step (C), and the flow rate of the hydrogen-containing water, which is supplied to the filling device from the hydrogen dissolving step (B) and to which the reference pressure is applied, is limited to a certain reference flow rate or less by an orifice.
Meanwhile, it is preferable that the method of manufacturing hydrogen-containing drinking water of the invention is performed using the above-mentioned manufacturing apparatus.
Further, in the manufacturing method, it is preferable that the reference pressure applied by the operation of the pressure pump is in the range of 0.1 MPa to 0.5 MPa, that is, pressure to be added to atmospheric pressure is in the range of 0.1 MPa to 0.5 MPa.
The manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is allowed to fill a packaging container with hydrogen-containing water with no significant reduction in the dissolved hydrogen concentration of the hydrogen-containing water obtained immediately after hydrogen gas has been dissolved. That is, the present invention can maintain the dissolved hydrogen concentration value in the hydrogen-containing water filled into the packaging container at a rate much higher than that of the manufacturing method in the related art. Further, the present invention can maintain the high dissolved hydrogen concentration regardless of whether a long period (days) has passed after the hydrogen-containing water had been manufactured. Accordingly, since the manufacturing apparatus of the invention is very suitable for the highly efficient use of the manufacturing method of the invention, the effect of the manufacturing method of the invention to be described below can be sufficiently obtained.
Further, according to the manufacturing method of the invention, it is possible to increase the dissolved hydrogen concentration of hydrogen-containing water to be obtained, to reduce dissolved oxygen concentration, and particularly, to fill the packaging container with the hydrogen-containing water while maintaining high dissolved hydrogen concentration of hydrogen-containing water that is obtained immediately after the dissolution of hydrogen gas. That is, it is possible to manufacture hydrogen-containing water in which the dissolved hydrogen concentration of the hydrogen-containing water filled into the packaging container is maintained at a level substantially equal to the dissolved hydrogen concentration of the hydrogen-containing water, which is obtained immediately after the dissolution of hydrogen gas, and to maintain the high dissolved hydrogen concentration of a hydrogen-containing water product even though a long period (days) has passed after the manufacture of the hydrogen-containing water.
As described above, a method of temporarily storing hydrogen-containing water, in which hydrogen gas is dissolved, in a hydrogen-containing water tank and filling a packaging container with a spout with the hydrogen-containing water has been employed in the manufacturing method in the related art.
As illustrated in
A specific filling step is as follows.
First, manufactured hydrogen-containing water is temporarily stored in the hydrogen-containing water tank as illustrated in
After gas is completely removed from the packaging container with a spout by suction, the stem valve of the filling device and the piston of the measuring device are moved up in synchronization with each other. Accordingly, hydrogen-containing water is sent to the filling device from the measuring device through the water flow channel, and the packaging container with a spout is filled with hydrogen-containing water from the filling port of the filling device.
As described above, in the related art, the use of the measuring device using the piston and the use of the hydrogen-containing water tank required for the use of the measuring device have been essential to measure a predetermined amount of hydrogen-containing water that fills the packaging container with a spout. Further, hydrogen-containing water has been stored in the hydrogen-containing water tank and has been exposed to the atmospheric pressure, that is, hydrogen-containing water has been temporarily stored under ambient pressure environment. For this reason, even though high dissolved hydrogen concentration can be realized immediately after the manufacture of hydrogen-containing water, hydrogen dissolved in hydrogen-containing water is liberated (evaporated) as hydrogen gas when the hydrogen-containing water is stored under ambient pressure environment. As a result, dissolved hydrogen concentration has been reduced.
The inventor investigated not only a method of increasing the dissolved hydrogen concentration of hydrogen-containing water but also a method of filling a packaging container with hydrogen-containing water while maintaining high dissolved hydrogen concentration of hydrogen-containing water.
Then, the inventor removes the measuring device and the hydrogen-containing water tank, which have been used to fill a packaging container with hydrogen-containing water until now, and has made a method and apparatus for increasing the dissolved hydrogen concentration of hydrogen-containing water, which are also made in consideration of safety, in addition to a method and apparatus for directly sending hydrogen-containing water, which is manufactured in a hydrogen dissolving step, to a filling device (without storing the hydrogen-containing water).
The invention will be described in detail below.
<Method of Manufacturing Hydrogen-Containing Drinking Water>
A method of continuously manufacturing hydrogen-containing drinking water of the invention includes at least (A) a deaeration step, (B) a hydrogen dissolving step, (C) a filling step, and (D) a sealing step.
Pressure, which is much higher than pressure in the related art, can be applied to water flow channels corresponding to hydrogen-containing water, which is to be injected to a packaging container in the filling step (C), from purified water, which is to be supplied to the deaeration device in the deaeration step (A), by the operation of a pressure pump, so that the hydrogen-containing water to which pressure is applied is supplied to a filling device. For example, since reference pressure in the range of 0.1 MPa to 0.5 MPa to be described below is applied, hydrogen-containing water to which the reference pressure is applied is supplied to the filling device.
Further, the filling step (C) includes a plurality of successive stages to be described below.
That is, the filling step (C) includes a preparation stage of making a state in which a stem valve closes a filling port of the filling device and hydrogen-containing water to which pressure (reference pressure) applied from the hydrogen dissolving step (B) is applied is supplied into a cavity connected to the filling port,
a deaeration stage of connecting an injection port of the packaging container to the filling port and subsequently removing gas, which is present in the packaging container, through a gas channel of the stem valve by gas decompression means,
an injection stage of closing the gas channel, allowing the stem valve to open the filling port, and directly injecting the hydrogen-containing water, to which pressure (reference pressure) is applied, into the packaging container, and
a discharge stage of discharging hydrogen-containing water, which remains in the filling device, into the packaging container by opening the gas channel and introducing pressurized air into the cavity through the gas channel by gas pressurization means after the stem valve closes the filling port.
The method includes a step of immediately proceeding to the sealing step (D) when the injection port and the filling port are disconnected from each other.
When water pressure of the water flow channel to which pressure has been applied by the pressure pump exceeds a certain reference pressure (for example, 0.1 MPa to 0.5 MPa), a relief valve connected to a loop flow channel extending to the water flow channel, to which pressure is not yet applied, from the water flow channel to which pressure has been applied is opened. Accordingly, hydrogen-containing water to which the reference pressure is applied can be stably supplied to the filling device.
Further, an operation of the stem valve for opening and closing the filling port is periodically repeated in the filling step (C), and the flow rate of the hydrogen-containing water, which is supplied to the filling device from the hydrogen dissolving step (B) and to which the reference pressure is applied, is limited to a certain reference flow rate or less by an orifice. Accordingly, it is possible to set the amount of hydrogen-containing water that is to be filled into the packaging container by the filling device.
Further, it is possible to maintain the amount of hydrogen-containing water that is to be filled into the packaging container, at a set certain amount of hydrogen-containing water by lastly discharging hydrogen-containing water, which remains in the filling device, into the packaging container in the filling step (C).
The manufacturing method of the invention can be suitably performed using, for example, an apparatus for manufacturing hydrogen-containing drinking water of the invention to be described below.
<Apparatus for Manufacturing Hydrogen-Containing Drinking Water>
An apparatus for continuously manufacturing hydrogen-containing drinking water of the invention includes at least (a) a deaeration device, (b) a hydrogen dissolution device, (c) a filling device, and (d) a sealing device.
Each device will be described in detail below.
(a) Deaeration Device
This device is a device that deaerates purified water of a supplied raw material through a hollow fiber membrane.
As long as the deaeration device (a) can remove dissolved gas, such as oxygen gas, nitrogen gas, or carbon dioxide, the deaeration device (a) is not particularly limited. For example, a vacuum deaeration device or a deaeration device including a hollow fiber membrane module can be used, but it is preferable that the deaeration device including the hollow fiber membrane module is used to efficiently remove a very small amount of dissolved gas.
The hollow fiber membrane module includes a plurality of hollow fiber membranes that are generally disposed in the form of a bundle with an appropriate space interposed therebetween; is partitioned into water chambers and a gas chamber by the hollow fiber membranes; and deaerates dissolved gas, which flows in the water chambers, by allowing the purified water to permeate the water chambers to decompress the gas chamber.
Further, two or more hollow fiber membrane modules may be used in parallel, and it is possible to more efficiently remove a very small amount of dissolved gas by particularly using two or more hollow fiber membrane modules in series.
Furthermore, since pressure is applied to the water flow channel through which purified water is supplied to the deaeration device in the invention, the hollow fiber membrane used in this device requires high pressure resistance. However, as long as the hollow fiber membrane has such pressure resistance, the type of the hollow fiber membrane is not particularly limited. For example, polymer membranes, such as polypropylene, polydimethylsiloxane, a polycarbonate-polydimethylsiloxane block copolymer, a polyvinyl phenol-polydimethylsiloxane-polysulfone block copolymer, poly (4-methyl pentene-1), poly (2, 6-dimethyl phenylene oxide), and polytetrafluoroethylene, can be used as the hollow fiber membrane.
Meanwhile, since high pressure is applied to the water flow channel through which purified water is supplied to the deaeration device in the invention, there is a concern that the hollow fiber membrane used in this device may be more quickly consumed than in the related art in which low pressure is applied to a water flow channel. Accordingly, it is preferable that a hollow fiber membrane having more excellent pressure resistance is employed.
Meanwhile, the deaeration of purified water may be performed under a heating condition in order to increase the efficiency of deaeration. In this case, the purified water needs to be cooled to a lower temperature, that is, at least room temperature (about 25° C.) in order to increase the efficiency of the dissolution of hydrogen later.
Meanwhile, purified water used in the deaeration device (a) can be obtained through the filtration of water serving as a raw material in, for example, a purification device.
As long as water serving as a raw material is water supplied from a drinkable water source, the water serving as a raw material is not particularly limited and tap water (water supplied from a water supply provided for a water supply business, a water supply for exclusive use, or a temporary water supply for exclusive use), underground water, or the like can be used.
The purification device generally includes an activated-carbon-filtration unit and a membrane-filtration unit.
The removal of the musty odor of water serving as a raw material and trihalomethane, dechlorination, and the like are performed by the activated-carbon-filtration unit. Further, floating matters (including activated carbon and the like), bacteria, such as coli bacilli, protozoan pathogen, such as cryptosporidium, and the like can also be removed by the safety filter-filtration unit.
Examples of a membrane, which can be used in the membrane-filtration unit, includes a microfiltration membrane (MF film), an ultrafiltration membrane (UF membrane), a nano-filter membrane (NF membrane), and a reverse osmosis membrane (RO membrane). However, considering operability or the residual property of a mineral component that is means for determining a taste in the case of drinking, it is most preferable that the MF film is used. When the NF membrane or the PO membrane is used, mineral components dissolved in raw water, such as sodium ions or potassium ions, are easily removed. Accordingly, in order to make drinkable water, the residual ratios of these mineral components need to be adjusted or materials need to be newly added to the raw water in post-steps. Moreover, since operation becomes complicated in this case, it is not preferable that the NF membrane or the RO membrane is used.
(b) Hydrogen Dissolution Device
This device is a device that dissolves pressurized hydrogen gas in the deaerated water, which is supplied from the deaeration device (a), through the hollow fiber membranes.
Since the amount of hydrogen gas to be dissolved per unit time and unit space is large and the dissolution efficiency of hydrogen gas is easily improved in the case of a hydrogen dissolution device including a hollow fiber membrane module, the hydrogen dissolution device including the hollow fiber membrane module is used as the hydrogen dissolution device (b).
The hollow fiber membrane module includes a plurality of hollow fiber membranes that are generally disposed in the form of a bundle with an appropriate space interposed therebetween; is partitioned into water chambers and a gas chamber by the hollow fiber membranes; and dissolves hydrogen gas in the deaerated water, which flows in the water chambers, by allowing the deaerated water to permeate the water chambers to supply hydrogen gas to the gas chamber.
Further, two or more hollow fiber membrane modules may be used in parallel, and it is possible to further improve the dissolution efficiency of hydrogen gas by particularly using two or more hollow fiber membrane modules in series.
Furthermore, since pressure is applied to the water flow channel through which deaerated water is supplied to the hydrogen dissolution device in the invention, the hollow fiber membrane used in this device requires high pressure resistance. However, as long as the hollow fiber membrane has such pressure resistance, the type of the hollow fiber membrane is not particularly limited. The polymer membranes, which are used as the above-mentioned hollow fiber membrane, can be used as the hollow fiber membrane used in this device.
A method of supply hydrogen gas is not particularly limited. For example, pressure is applied to a commercially available highly pure-hydrogen gas cylinder or hydrogen gas, which is obtained from the electrolysis of water or the like, so that hydrogen gas is supplied to the gas chamber of the hollow fiber membrane module. Here, the pressure to be applied to hydrogen gas is in the range of, for example, 0.1 MPa to 0.5 MPa, that is, pressure to be further added to atmospheric pressure (about 0.1 MPa) is in the range of 0.1 MPa to 0.5 MPa. It is possible to further increase dissolved hydrogen concentration by applying pressure to hydrogen gas.
Meanwhile, in the invention, as described below, high pressure is applied to a water flow channel through which deaerated water is supplied to the hydrogen dissolution device (b). For this reason, since there is a concern that the hollow fiber membrane used in this device may be more quickly consumed than in the related art in which low pressure is applied to a water flow channel, it is preferable that a hollow fiber membrane having more excellent pressure resistance is employed as the hollow fiber membrane.
The manufacturing apparatus of the invention includes a pressure pump that is capable of applying pressure to water flow channels corresponding to the hydrogen-containing water, which is to be injected to the packaging container by a filling device (c) to be described below, from the purified water that is to be supplied to the deaeration device (a). Accordingly, hydrogen-containing water, to which pressure much higher than pressure in the related art is applied and of which dissolved hydrogen concentration is high, can be transported to the filling device through the water flow channel.
As long as the pressure pump can apply pressure to the water flow channel (pipe), the pressure pump is not particularly limited and a well-known pressure pump can be used.
Further, the manufacturing apparatus of the invention is provided with a loop flow channel allowing the water flow channel (that is, the water flow channel extending toward the deaeration device (a)), to which pressure has been applied by the pressure pump, to communicate with the water flow channel to which pressure is not yet applied by the pressure pump.
A relief valve is connected to the loop flow channel. When the water pressure of the water flow channel to which pressure has been applied by the pressure pump exceeds a certain reference pressure, the relief valve functions to open the loop flow channel. While the water pressure is lower than a certain reference, the relief valve functions to close the loop flow channel. That is, since water circulation between the pressure pump and the loop flow channel is frequently performed by the opening and closing of the relief valve, the relief valve has a role to maintain the water pressure at the reference pressure or less.
In terms of the consumption of the hollow fiber membrane, the pressure resistance of each device, and the like, a pressure in the range of, for example, 0.1 MPa to 0.5 MPa is applied as the reference pressure, and the pressure is preferably in the range of, for example, 0.1 MPa to 0.4 MPa and in the range of, for example, 0.1 MPa to 0.3 MPa. That is, a pressure in the range of 0.1 MPa to 0.5 MPa is applied to the water flow channel as pressure to be further added to atmospheric pressure (about 0.1 MPa).
The manufacturing apparatus of the invention includes an orifice that is provided on the water flow channel provided ahead of the filling device (c) to be described below, for example, on the water flow channel between, for example, the hydrogen dissolution device (b) and the filling device (c). The orifice has a role to limit the flow rate of hydrogen-containing water, to which the reference pressure is applied by the pressure pump and which is to be supplied to the filling device (c), to a certain reference flow rate or less. The water pressure of the water flow channel is reduced with the start of the injection of hydrogen-containing water into the packaging container. However, when the orifice is provided, it is possible to suppress reduction in pressure in comparison with a case in which the orifice is not provided. Accordingly, hydrogen-containing water is stably supplied to the filling device. The orifice also has a role to smoothly and safely fill the packaging container with hydrogen-containing water as described above.
(c) Filling Device
This device is a device that fills the packaging container with a spout from an injection port of the packaging container with hydrogen-containing water supplied from the hydrogen dissolution device (b).
Since a bursiform container with a spout, which is made of an aluminum laminate film, particularly has excellent airtightness and can prevent the leakage of hydrogen, it is preferable that the bursiform container with a spout, which is made of an aluminum laminate film, is used as the packaging container with a spout.
The filling device (c) includes a cavity that is formed in a device body and is connected to the filling port, and includes a stem valve that is capable of reciprocating so that a tip portion of the stem valve faces the filling port. Further, the cavity communicates with the water flow channel extending from the hydrogen dissolution device (b), and the stem valve is a valve mechanism that allows the injection port of the packaging container, which is connected to the filling port, to communicate with the water flow channel extending from the hydrogen dissolution device (b) and can block the communication of the injection port by the reciprocation thereof.
Furthermore, the cavity, which is provided in the device body, is connected to gas decompression means and gas pressurization means through a gas channel that is formed in the stem valve or formed along an outer surface of the stem valve. The gas channel is adapted to be opened and closed by the reciprocation of the stem valve, that is, the gas channel and the cavity are allowed to communicate with each other and the communication between the gas channel and the cavity is blocked by the reciprocation of the stem valve.
The stem valve is set so as to periodically reciprocate. Accordingly, the filling port is periodically opened and closed. Meanwhile, the gas channel is also periodically opened and closed while being interlinked with the periodic reciprocation of the stem valve.
Then, while the filling port is opened, hydrogen-containing water is injected into the packaging container. The amount of hydrogen-containing water to be filled by the filling device can be set by the period of the reciprocation of the stem valve (the opening and closing of the filling port) and the setting of a reference flow rate adjusted by the orifice (the diameter of the orifice).
(d) Sealing Device
This device is a device that seals the injection port of the packaging container with a spout completely filled with hydrogen-containing water.
As long as this device can immediately seal the injection port of the packaging container with a spout sent from the filling device, this device is not particularly limited and a well-known sealing device can be used.
Then, after the sealing step ends, the packaging container with a spout is sent to an appropriate heat sterilizer and is completed as a final product by being subjected to heat sterilization.
For example, a heating steam sterilizer can be used as the heat sterilizer, and it would be preferable that heating temperature and heating time during the sterilization are appropriately determined in consideration of an F value (heating period (min.) required to kill a predetermined number of specific bacterial spores or bacteria at a predetermined temperature) or the quality of a product. For example, heating temperature is in the range of 85° C. to 90° C., heating time is in the range of 20 minutes to 1 hour. For example, a heating time of 30 minutes and a heating temperature of 85° C. are employed.
A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the invention is not limited by the embodiment.
[Example Method of Manufacturing Hydrogen-Containing Drinking Water of Invention]
An aspect of an apparatus for manufacturing hydrogen-containing drinking water, which can be used in a method of manufacturing hydrogen-containing drinking water of the invention, is illustrated in
This manufacturing apparatus 1 mainly includes a raw water supply device 2, a filtering tower 3, a safety filter tower 4, a pressure pump 5, a deaeration tower 6, an electrolytic device 7, a hydrogen dissolution tower 8, a filling device 9, a relief valve 12, and an orifice 13. The deaeration tower 6 corresponds to the above-mentioned deaeration device (a), and the hydrogen dissolution tower 8 corresponds to the hydrogen dissolution device (b).
First, the entirety of the flow of water (raw water, purified water, deaerated water, and hydrogen-containing water) in this manufacturing apparatus will be described.
As illustrated in
Next, water, which is discharged from the filtering tower 3, is sent to the safety filter tower 4, in which an MF film is installed, through a pipe L2.
Then, purified water, which is discharged from the safety filter tower 4, is sent to the pressure pump 5 through a pipe L3.
The pressure pump 5 functions to apply pressure to water flow channels (L4 to L6) corresponding to hydrogen-containing water, which is to be injected to a packaging container with a spout to be described below, from the purified water that is discharged from the safety filter tower 4 (purified water to be supplied to the deaeration tower 6); and can transport hydrogen-containing water, of which dissolved hydrogen concentration is high, to the filling device through water flow channels by applying pressure, which is much higher than pressure in the related art, (for example, reference pressure after the adjustment of pressure performed by a loop flow channel and a relief valve to be described below: 0.1 MPa to 0.5 MPa) to water that is to be changed to hydrogen-containing water from the purified water.
Subsequently, purified water, which is discharged from the pressure pump 5, is sent to the deaeration tower 6 through the pipe L4. Meanwhile, as described below, a part of the purified water, which is discharged from the pressure pump 5, returns to the pressure pump 5 through the pipe L7 (a loop flow channel), that is, a circulating flow can t e formed at a normal time. Further, the relief valve 12 is installed on the pipe L7, and the operation of water circulation/the stop of water circulation through the pipe L7 of the loop flow channel is performed by the opening and closing of the relief valve 12.
A hollow fiber membrane module 61 is installed in the deaeration tower 6, and the hollow fiber membrane module 61 is partitioned into water chambers 612 and a gas chamber 613 by hollow fiber membranes 611 as illustrated in
Deaerated water from which dissolved gas has been removed is sent to the hydrogen dissolution tower 8, in which a hollow fiber membrane module 81 is installed, through the pipe L5.
The hollow fiber membrane module 81 is partitioned into water chambers 812 and a gas chamber 813 by hollow fiber membranes 811 as illustrated in
Further, in the hollow fiber membrane module 81, hydrogen gas supplied from the electrolytic device 7 is pressurized and is sent to the gas chamber 813. Accordingly, hydrogen gas penetrates the hollow fiber membrane 811 due to partial pressure difference and is supplied to deaerated water flowing in the water chambers 812. As a result, hydrogen-containing water is manufactured.
Hydrogen-containing water, which is obtained in this way, is supplied to the filling device 9 through the pipe L6 while the high pressure applied to the hydrogen-containing water is maintained. Meanwhile, as described below, the pipe L6, which extends to the filling device 9 from the hydrogen dissolution tower 8, is provided with the orifice 13 that adjusts the flow rate of the hydrogen-containing water. Further, in the filling device 9, hydrogen-containing water is injected and filled into the packaging container from an injection port of the packaging container with a spout. Then, the injection port of the container is sealed. Subsequently, a water product, which is sealed in the packaging container with a spout, is subjected to heat sterilization in a heat sterilizer 10. The heat sterilization is performed by heating treatment for 30 minutes at 85° C. in accordance with a rule of a food sanitation law. Lastly, the water product, which has been subjected to heat sterilization, is packaged by a packaging device 11.
Further,
Meanwhile, the loop flow channel is provided so that the water flow channel to which pressure has been applied by the pressure pump communicates with the water flow channel to which pressure is not yet applied as illustrated in
Furthermore, the orifice for adjusting a flow rate is provided between the hydrogen dissolution device and the filling device.
Moreover, the filling device includes a cavity that is formed in a device body and is connected to a filling port, and includes the stem valve that can reciprocate (move up and down in the drawings) so that the tip portion of the stem valve faces the filling port; and the reciprocation of the stem valve is periodically repeated. In addition, the cavity communicates with the water flow channel extending from the hydrogen dissolution device; and the injection port of the packaging container, which is connected to the filling port, is allowed to communicate with the water flow channel extending from the hydrogen dissolution device and the communication of the injection port is blocked by the reciprocation of the stem valve, that is, the opening and closing of the filling port can be performed.
Further, the cavity is connected to gas decompression means (gas suction means) and gas pressurization means (gas injection means) through a gas channel formed in the stem valve, and the gas channel is adapted to be opened and closed by the reciprocation of the stem valve (the up-and-down movement in the drawings).
First, as illustrated in
Meanwhile,
Next, in the deaeration stage illustrated in
After that, in the injection stage illustrated in
Meanwhile, as illustrated in
Further, water is circulated between the pressure pump and the loop flow channel at the beginning (
After that, the step proceeds to the discharge stage illustrated in
After that, the valve element, which is provided at the upper portion of the stem valve, is opened so that pressurized air is introduced into the cavity through the gas channel formed in the stem valve by gas pressurization means (not illustrated). Accordingly, hydrogen-containing water remaining in the filling device is discharged into the packaging container. Therefore, the amount of hydrogen-containing water to be filled into the packaging container is maintained constant.
Lastly, the injection port of the packaging container and the filling port of the filling device are disconnected from each other (returning to
A water product, which is filled with hydrogen-containing drinking water manufactured by the method of manufacturing hydrogen-containing drinking water of the invention, was manufactured using tap water as a raw material of purified water by the manufacturing apparatus illustrated in
In this example, the pressure of hydrogen gas to be supplied to the hydrogen dissolution device was set to the range of 0.25 MPa to 0.3 MPa (a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure by pressure in the range of 0.25 MPa to 0.3 MPa). Further, reference pressure to be applied to the water flow channels corresponding to hydrogen-containing water, which is to be injected into the packaging container in the filling device, from the purified water, which is to be supplied to the deaeration device, was set to 0.3 MPa (pressure higher than atmospheric pressure by a pressure of 0.3 MPa). Meanwhile, when the water pressure of the water flow channel exceeded the reference pressure (0.3 MPa), the relief valve was opened and started to circulate water between the loop flow channel and the pressure pump, and the water pressure was maintained at a reference pressure value. On the other hand, when the water pressure was lower than the reference pressure during the filling of hydrogen-containing water to the packaging container, the relief valve was closed and stopped circulating water. Furthermore, in this example, an orifice of 6φ was employed to adjust the flow rate of hydrogen-containing water to be supplied to the filling device and the reciprocation of the stem valve was performed at a rate of 70 shot/min (in a case of a container having a volume of 150 mL to be described below) and a rate of 20 shot/min (in a case of a container having a volume of 500 mL to be described below). Moreover, after the packaging container is filled with a predetermined amount of hydrogen-containing water, pressure applied to the water flow channel to which pressure had been applied was about 0.2 MPa (a state in which pressure higher than atmospheric pressure by about 0.2 MPa was applied to the water flow channel).
Further, a packaging container with a spout having a volume of 150 mL was used as the packaging container with a spout in Example 1, and a packaging container with a spout having a volume of 500 mL was used as the packaging container with a spout in Example 2.
Meanwhile, the dissolved hydrogen concentration of hydrogen-containing water was about 2.6 ppm (2.4 ppm to 2.8 ppm) at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. The above-mentioned dissolved hydrogen concentration is the dissolved hydrogen concentration of hydrogen-containing water when the packaging container is not yet subjected to heat sterilization (for 30 minutes at 85° C.) after being filled with hydrogen-containing water.
Hydrogen-containing drinking water of Comparative Example was manufactured by a manufacturing method based on a method disclosed in JP 2010-269246 A.
Specifically, hydrogen-containing water was manufactured by a method including: (1) a purification step of filtering and purifying water as a raw material in a purification device and sending obtained purified water to a deaeration device: (2) a deaeration step of deaerating the purified water supplied to the deaeration device and sending obtained deaerated water to a hydrogen dissolution device; (3) a hydrogen dissolving step of dissolving hydrogen gas in the deaerated water supplied to the hydrogen dissolution device and sending obtained hydrogen-dissolved water to a sterilizer; (4) a sterilization step of sterilizing the hydrogen-dissolved water supplied to the sterilizer and sending obtained hydrogen-containing water to a filling device; (5) a filling step of filling a sealed container with the hydrogen-containing water supplied to the filling device and sending a filled water product to a heat sterilizer: and (6) a heat sterilization step of heat ing and sterilizing the water product sent to the heat sterilizer. The hydrogen dissolution device includes a gas permeable membrane module that is partitioned into a water chambers and a gas chamber by gas permeable membranes. The gas permeable membrane module dissolves hydrogen gas in the deaerated water by allowing the deaerated water to permeate the water chambers, and pressurizing hydrogen gas and supplying the hydrogen gas to the gas chamber.
A packaging container was filled with obtained hydrogen-containing water by a filling method in the related art illustrated in
After that, the stem valve of the filling device and the piston of the measuring device were moved up in synchronization with each other, so that the packaging container was filled with the hydrogen-containing water through the filling port.
Lastly, an injection port of the packaging container with a spout was sealed so that a water product was formed. Subsequently, the water product was subjected to heat sterilization (for 30 minutes at 85° C.) by the heat sterilizer.
Meanwhile, as the packaging container, the packaging container with a spout having a volume of 150 mL was used in Comparative Example 1 and the packaging container with a spout having a volume of 500 mL was used in Comparative Example 2.
Further, the dissolved hydrogen concentration of the hydrogen-containing water according to this example was about 1.5 ppm at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. The dissolved hydrogen concentration is the dissolved hydrogen concentration of hydrogen-containing water when the packaging container is not yet subjected to heat sterilization (for 30 minutes at 85° C.) after being filled with hydrogen-containing water.
<Change with Time of Dissolved Hydrogen Concentration>
The water product in which the packaging container was filled with hydrogen-containing drinking water manufactured by the manufacturing method in the related art (Comparative Example), and the water product in which the packaging container was filled with hydrogen-containing drinking water manufactured by the manufacturing method of the invention (Example) were kept for a predetermined time. Dissolved hydrogen concentration, pH, and an oxidation-reduction potential (vs. Ag/AgCl) were measured when 60 days, 90 days, 120 days, 150 days, and 180 days had elapsed (water products were stored at 25° C.±5° C.) after the manufacture of the water product. Meanwhile, five water products were produced for each elapsed period, and measurement results were derived as average values thereof.
Tables 1 to 3 show a change in dissolved hydrogen concentration dH, a change in pH, and a change in oxidation-reduction potential ORP that were measured from Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2.
Meanwhile, saturated hydrogen concentration at 20° C. under one atmosphere was 1.6 ppm.
As shown in Tables 1 and 3, in the case of the water products of Examples according to the invention, high dissolved hydrogen concentration was maintained even after the elapse of 180 days and an oxidation-reduction potential was also maintained at a low value. Accordingly, hydrogen-containing water could be maintained at high quality by the manufacturing method of the invention even after being stored for a long time.
On the other hand, in the case of the water products of Comparative Examples, dissolved hydrogen concentration was already lower than 1.0 ppm at the time of the elapse of 60 days, and an oxidation-reduction potential was changed to a positive value after the elapse of 120 days in the case of the water product (Comparative Example 1) having a volume of 150 mL and after the elapse of 150 days in the case of the water product (Comparative Example 2) having a volume of 500 mL.
These results supported the fact that the quality of hydrogen-containing water could be maintained at a high value until the time of actual consumption (intake) in the manufacturing method of the invention, considering a storage period until products were actually distributed and consumed, and the quality of hydrogen-containing water deteriorates during the storage period in the manufacturing method in the related art.
Since the manufacturing method of the invention employs the above-mentioned structure as described above, it is possible to increase the dissolved hydrogen concentration of hydrogen-containing water to be obtained and to reduce dissolved oxygen concentration. Particularly, it is possible to fill the packaging container with hydrogen-containing water while suppressing the change of the dissolved hydrogen concentration of hydrogen-containing water to a low level.
Further, since the manufacturing apparatus of the invention is suitable for the highly efficient use of the manufacturing method of the invention, the effect of the manufacturing method of the invention can be sufficiently obtained.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-092648 | Apr 2014 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2015/062895 | 4/28/2015 | WO | 00 |
