Heat treating a dairy product using a heat pump

Abstract

A method for heating and cooling a consumable product disposed in a product container includes the steps of: (i) heating the consumable product to a first temperature by transferring heat from ambient air to refrigerant through a liquid-to-air heat exchanger; and (ii) heating the consumable product to a second temperature without transferring heat from the ambient air to the refrigerant through the liquid-to-air heat exchanger; wherein the second temperature is greater than the first temperature.

1 . A multi-phase heating system, comprising:
 a product container;   a product heat exchanger that selectively transfers heat into or out of the product container;   a liquid-to-air heat exchanger;   a compressor; and   a system valve that selectively configures the system between a first heating loop and a second heating loop, which first heating loop extends through the product heat exchanger, the liquid-to-air heat exchanger and the compressor, and which second heating loop extends through the product heat exchanger and the compressor, and bypasses the liquid-to-air heat exchanger.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system valve further selectively configures the system into a cooling loop that extends through the liquid-to-air heat exchanger, the product heat exchanger, and the compressor. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising a bi-directional expansion valve coupled with the product heat exchanger. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the system valve comprises a four-way valve, a first three-way valve, and a second three-way valve, which four-way valve couples the first and the second three-way valves to the compressor. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the system valve comprises a four-way valve, a first two-way valve, a second two-way valve and a third two-way valve, which four-way valve couples the first, the second and the third two-way valves to the compressor. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising a suction heat exchanger coupled between the product heat exchanger and the liquid-to-air heat exchanger, and between the product heat exchanger and the compressor in the cooling loop. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the product container comprises at least one of a product storage canister and a hopper. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a product heater disposed with the product container. 
     
     
         9 . A heating and refrigeration system, comprising:
 a product container;   a product heat exchanger that selectively transfers heat into or out of the product container;   an expansion valve;   a liquid-to-air heat exchanger;   a compressor; and   a system valve that selectively configures the system between a cooling loop and heating loop, which cooling loop extends through the liquid-to-air heat exchanger, the expansion valve, the product heat exchanger and the compressor, and which heating loop extends through the product heat exchanger, the expansion valve, the liquid-to-air heat exchanger and the compressor.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the expansion valve comprises a bi-directional expansion valve. 
     
     
         11 . The system in  claim 9 , wherein the system valve further configures the system into a second heating loop that extends through the product heat exchanger, the expansion valve and the compressor, and bypasses the liquid-to-air heat exchanger. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a product heater disposed with the product container, which product heater transfers heat into the product container. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the system valve comprises a four-way valve, a first three-way valve, and a second three-way valve, which four-way valve couples the compressor to the first and the second three-way valves. 
     
     
         14 . A method for heating and cooling a consumable product disposed in a product container, comprising:
 heating the consumable product to a first temperature by transferring heat from ambient air to refrigerant through a liquid-to-air heat exchanger; and   heating the consumable product to a second temperature without transferring heat from the ambient air to the refrigerant through the liquid-to-air heat exchanger;   wherein the second temperature is greater than the first temperature.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the consumable product is a diary product. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the step of heating the consumable product to the second temperature comprises the step of heating the consumable product via a product heater. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the product heater is an electrical heating element. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the step of heating the consumable product to the second temperature comprises the step of compressing the refrigerant in a compressor. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of cooling the consumable product. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the steps of:
 configuring a multi-phase system into a first heating loop for heating the consumable product to the first temperature, which multi-phase system includes the liquid-to-air heat exchanger; and   configuring the multi-phase system into a second heating loop for heating the consumable product to the second temperature, which second heating loop bypasses the liquid-to-air heat exchanger.