Treatment chambers for industrial-scale operation

Industrial applications of pulsed electric field treatment require for long-lifetime and failure-free operation of PEF treatment devices. Particular attention in scale-up developments at IHM is given to electrode effects encountered with single cell suspension treatment. Single cells are carrying a negative surface charge.

In case of applying unfavourable treatment parameters, single cells can be precipitated on the anode surface in the treatment volume due to coulomb forces. Cell material accumulates and may clog the chamber and deteriorate treatment homogeneity. This effect can be minimized by applying short pulses with a duration on the order of several µs. Current R&D activities focus on appropriate choice of pulse shape, amplitude and duration for low material deposition at the treatment chamber’s electrodes.