Pressure processing a pumpable substance with a flexible membrane

Abstract

An apparatus and method for pressure processing a pumpable substance, such as a pumpable food product or slurry. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a pressure vessel having an inlet valve toward one end and outlet valve toward the other end. A flexible bladder is coupled between the inlet and outlet valves for receiving the pumpable substance. The pressure vessel can further include a high-pressure inlet port for receiving high-pressure fluid that biases the membrane inwardly to pressure process the pumpable substance. The pumpable substance is then removed from the vessel through the outlet valve.

1 . A method for pressure processing a pumpable substance, comprising: 
 introducing the pumpable substance through a first opening of a membrane;    pressurizing the pumpable substance by disposing a high-pressure fluid between the membrane and a wall of a pressure vessel spaced apart from the membrane; and    removing the pumpable substance through a second opening of the membrane spaced apart from the first opening of the membrane.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first opening of the membrane is positioned above the second opening of the membrane, further comprising moving the pumpable substance in an at least partially downward direction from the first opening of the membrane to the second opening of the membrane.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting the pumpable substance from a food or an abrasive slurry.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting the high-pressure fluid to include water.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising pressurizing the high-pressure fluid to a pressure of at least approximately 100,000 psi.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting a temperature of the high-pressure fluid to be approximately 100° F.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a temperature of the high-pressure fluid from a first temperature to a second temperature to raise a Charpy characteristic of the vessel from a first value to a second value.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein pressurizing the pumpable substance includes flexing the membrane away from the wall of the pressure vessel.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein pressurizing the pumpable substance includes introducing the pressurizing fluid through an opening in the wall of the pressure vessel.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein removing the pumpable substance includes disposing the high-pressure fluid between the membrane and the vessel wall while the second opening of the membrane is in fluid communication with a region exterior to the vessel.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising disposing a liner within the vessel between the vessel wall and the membrane.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising attaching the liner to the vessel wall.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the liner is a first liner, further comprising removing the first liner and replacing the first liner with a second liner.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising selecting a material of the liner to include stainless steel.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting the membrane to have a generally tubular shape with the first opening toward one end and the second opening toward an opposite end.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising controlling a stiffness of the membrane to have a lower stiffness at a first region near the first opening than at a second region between the first and second openings.  
     
     
         17 . A method for pressure processing a pumpable substance, comprising: 
 introducing one of the pumpable substance and a pressurizing fluid through a first opening of a membrane;    pressurizing the pumpable substance by disposing the other of the pumpable substance and the pressurizing fluid between the membrane and a wall of a pressure vessel spaced apart from the membrane; and    removing the pumpable substance through a second opening of the membrane spaced apart from the first opening of the membrane.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein introducing one of the pumpable substance and the pressurizing fluid includes selecting the pumpable substance to be a food and introducing the food through the first opening of the membrane.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein pressurizing the pumpable substance includes disposing the pressurizing fluid between the membrane and the wall of the pressure vessel and biasing the membrane inwardly away from the wall of the pressure vessel.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein introducing the pumpable substance includes passing the pumpable substance into the vessel through a first opening of the vessel and removing the pumpable substance includes passing the pumpable substance out of the vessel through a second opening of the vessel spaced apart from the first opening of the vessel.  
     
     
         21 . A method for regulating a flow of a pumpable substance into or out of a high-pressure vessel, the vessel having an opening and a valve body in fluid communication with the opening, the method comprising: 
 moving a piston to a first position within a passage of the valve body to block the flow of pumpable substance from a first portion of the passage to a second portion of the passage while the piston remains sealably engaged with a wall of the passage; and    moving the piston to a second position within the passage of the valve body to permit the flow of pumpable substance from the first portion of the passage to the second portion of the passage while the piston remains sealably engaged with the wall of the passage.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising supplying a purging fluid to a region of the passage adjacent to the piston.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein moving the piston includes applying fluid pressure toward one end of the piston to drive the piston axially within the passage.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the passage is a valve passage and moving the piston includes: 
 sliding an actuator within an actuator passage while the actuator passage is aligned with the valve passage;  
 engaging the piston with the actuator to move the piston;  
 separating the actuator from the piston; and  
 axially offsetting the actuator passage from the valve passage to seal the passages from fluid communication with each other.  
 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein moving the piston to the first position includes engaging a seal shield with the piston and moving the seal shield axially within the passage to expose a piston seal, further comprising engaging the piston seal with the piston.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising biasing the seal shield toward the piston.  
     
     
         27 . A method for regulating a flow of a fluid into or out of a pressure vessel, comprising: 
 applying pressure to a first passageway with a driver fluid to move a piston within the first passageway; and    engaging the piston with a sealing member to move the sealing member away from a second passageway and permit fluid communication between the second passageway and the pressure vessel.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising biasing the sealing member toward the second passageway with a biasing member.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising reducing pressure applied to the first passageway to seal the sealing member against the second passageway and at least restrict fluid communication between the second fluid passageway and the pressure vessel.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27  wherein applying pressure to the first passageway includes applying gas pressure to the first passageway.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27  wherein permitting fluid communication between the second passageway and the pressure vessel includes permitting liquid to flow between the second passageway and the pressure vessel.  
     
     
         32 . A method for replacing a liner of a high-pressure vessel, comprising: 
 removing from the high-pressure vessel a first liner having an external surface adjacent an interior surface of the high-pressure vessel;    disposing a second liner within the high-pressure vessel such that an external surface of the second liner is adjacent the interior surface of the high-pressure vessel and an internal surface of the second liner is spaced apart from the external surface; and    sealably engaging the external wall of the second liner with the interior wall of the high-pressure vessel.    
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  wherein sealably engaging the external wall includes expanding the high-pressure vessel before disposing the second liner and contracting the high-pressure vessel around the external wall of the second liner after disposing the second liner within the high-pressure vessel.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  wherein expanding the high-pressure vessel includes heating the high-pressure vessel and contracting the high-pressure vessel includes cooling the high-pressure vessel.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising selecting at least one of the first and second liners to include stainless steel.