METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE WASHING AGAINST CURRENT, FOR THE TRANSPORTATION AND THE PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL TREATMENT OF VEGETABLES AND FRUITS, IN A RESTRICTED ENVIRONMENT, WITH HIGH WATER AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

摘要

The technology of washing and treatment MWU (modular washing unit) is conceived to wash and treat fruits and vegetables in a confined environment, with progressively more and more clean water (counter-current) and with an optimal ratio between the quantities of water used and processed products. The system allows important savings of water, chemicals and energy. The technology of washing and treatment MWU (modular washing unit) is conceived to allow the transport and the treatment of the product in confined environment, with clean water (counter-current) In the MWU the product is submitted to sequence of filling and emptying with appropriated solutions, progressively cleaner, prior to subsequent discretionary treatments. A treatment plant can be equipped with a variable number of MWUs, with additional remote MWUs to meet the desired production capacity. Each MWU consists of a vertical watertight cylinder containing a concetric basket; on the top it is connected to the main product manifold and to the vacuum collector, and at the bottom it is connected to the product drain collector, to the load/unload manifold and to the fluids recycling manifolds. Each MWU is connected to the other MWU of the plant, and to the external tank, through independent manifolds, by appropriate valves, to prevent the mixing of fluids and the cross-contamination.