Introduction

The invention describes a modular apparatus and a method for the generation of high intensity pulsed electric fields for the inactivation treatment of pathogenic microorganisms present in a product, which can be both organic and of other nature, or for the extraction of substances present in the product. Voltage values ​​can be as high as 80 kV by simply combining multiple base modules. Firstly, the product is placed in a treatment chamber, to which the electrical impulses are applied. Electrodes are installed in the treatment chamber by which electrical impulses are generated.

Technical features

The modular apparatus for the generation of high intensity pulsed electric fields includes a treatment chamber (10), inside which it is possible to place the product to be treated; a converter module (14A), configured to receive a direct or alternating supply voltage at a first frequency and convert it into an alternating supply voltage at a second frequency; two electrodes (111-112) spaced apart to generate an electric field; a multiplier module (12A), arranged downstream of the converter module (14A), and a switch module (13A). The main limitation of current technologies is the cost of implementation. The present patent surpasses them thanks to: modularity of the voltage level produced by the generator; reduction of production costs due to the aforementioned modularity and the use of low-cost commercial electronic devices, such as SCR switches as an alternative to expensive switches such as IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors); combination of identical basic modules for the creation of the generator system that allows to generate both unipolar and bipolar pulsed fields; high number of pulses generated in the unit of time.

Possible Applications

• Treatment of organic and non-organic products;
• Food industry;
• Microbiology;
• Extraction of substances from organic and non-organic products.

Advantages

• Cost reduction;
• Simplicity of control;
• High reliability and system robustness.
• No damage to the  organic food product with an increase in its organoleptic qualities, which are altered without  the need of further conservation treatments (e.g. heat treatment).