Claims
- 1. A method for destroying harmful microorganisms in liquids by short-time high-temperature heating of the liquid in micro heat exchangers having up to 10,000 microchannels per cm3 active heat exchanger volume formed by stacks of metal foils having parallel microchannels formed in said metal foils, with the metal foils being joined by diffusion welding, said method comprising the steps of: in a first step, rapidly heating the liquid in a micro heat exchanger with a gradient of at least 200° K/sec, during a second step, maintaining the liquid at said high temperature for a time period of <2 sec. And, in a third step, cooling said liquid again in a micro heat exchanger with a gradient of at least 2000° K/sec.
- 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said second step also takes place in a micro heat exchanger in which heat is supplied to said liquid to maintain the high temperature of said liquid.
- 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said liquid is heated within 0.2-0.3 sec to a temperature of 140° C. to 200° C. and is cooled down again within the same time of 0.2 to 0.3 sec.
- 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said liquid is liquid food including milk.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
199 12 541.4 |
Mar 1999 |
DE |
|
Parent Case Info
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part application of international application PCT/EP00/02087 filed Mar. 3, 2000 and claiming the priority of German application 199 12 541.4 filed Mar. 3, 1999.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
PCT/EP00/02087 |
Mar 2000 |
US |
Child |
09906006 |
Jul 2001 |
US |