The most significant difference between aging tanks and commonly used vessels such as reactors, enzymatic hydrolysis tanks, dissolution tanks, and mixing tanks lies in their jacket design—aging tanks typically utilize a Miele plate jacket. This is because aging tanks are commonly operated under low-temperature stirring conditions, and Miele plate jackets offer excellent heat exchange efficiency, enhanced fluidity, and thorough heat transfer. Notably, these jackets can not only facilitate cooling but also accommodate high-pressure steam for heating. The medium circulates along the spiral guide rings around the tank wall, allowing high-pressure, high-temperature steam to function without affecting the thickness of the inner tank wall. Compared to standard reactors under the same pressure conditions, this design enables thinner tank walls, reducing costs while maintaining superior heat exchange performance. However, it is not suitable for viscous heat transfer media such as heat-conducting oil.
Aging tanks generally feature upper and lower conical heads or an upper flat head with a lower cone. The agitation system typically employs a milk slurry-specific mixer, which is a customized combined design modified from a basic frame-and-inclined-blade configuration. Our company’s proprietary aging tank agitator ensures efficient mixing, enabling thorough and rapid aging. The agitator operates at low speeds, typically ranging from 15 to 43 revolutions per minute.
For convenient monitoring of the aging process, aging tanks are usually equipped with a long strip sight glass on the cylinder, facilitating observation and rough volume estimation.
