Conagra Grocery Products Company

Liviu V Popa

Constantine Sandu

John J Mercurio

The present invention is directed to a device and method for removing build-up on such measurement gauges. The inventive device and method involve a movable scraper that fits around a cylindrical shield of a measurement gauge and continuously removes the build-up on the shield. Movement of the scraper is accomplished by a magnetic coupling between a magnetic core attached to the scraper, which is inside a pipe or other piece of equipment, and solenoids that are installed on the outside of the pipe. The device and method of the invention ensure instantaneously correct readings from the measurement gauge and improve control and operation strategies of heat exchanges, with significant economic advantages.

Method for removing build-up on measurement gauges

Device and method for removing build-up on measurement gauges

A seal-less magnetically driven scraped-surface heat exchanger is provided that is particularly useful for aseptic processing. The heat exchanger comprises an elongated generally cylindrical heat transfer tube having an inlet, an outlet, and a sidewall defining a chamber between the inlet and the outlet. An elongated media tube is provided in surrounding relation to the heat transfer tube. A rotary shaft is mounted axially within the heat transfer tube. The rotary shaft has an outer surface and one or more scraper blades extending from the outer surface of the rotary shaft. A drive end containment shroud is mounted at an axial end of the heat transfer tube. The drive end containment shroud has a closed end, an open end, and a sidewall defining a drive chamber in open communication with the interior chamber of the heat transfer tube through the open end of the containment shroud. An inner rotatable magnet assembly is mounted within the drive chamber of the drive end containment shroud and connected to the rotary drive shaft. An outer rotatable magnet assembly is mounted outside the drive end containment shroud and magnetically coupled to the inner rotatable magnet assembly. In use, rotation of the outer magnet assembly results in rotation of the inner magnet assembly, which results in rotation of the rotary drive shaft.

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Garden Grove, CA, United States of America

Liviu V Popa