METHOD AND INSTALLATION FOR THE TREATMENT OF HEAT-SENSITIVE LIQUID FOOD PRODUCTS, AND CENTRIFUGAL PUMP FOR AN INSTALLATION OF SAID TYPE

The invention relates to a method for the treatment of heat-sensitive liquid food products (P) as per the preamble of claim 1, and to an installation for carrying out the method, and to a centrifugal pump for an installation of said type, which ensure that, during the treatment of said food products, the tendency for product contamination in the infuser vessel and from there into the centrifugal pump is reduced, wherein in particular, the centrifugal pump has a considerably lengthened service life in relation to a hydraulically optimized centrifugal pump according to prior art. In terms of the method, this is achieved inter alia by means of the following treatment steps (c) and (d): the liquid food product (P) (c) is subjected to third cooling (K3) in a housing cover (8) of a pump housing (12) of the centrifugal pump (54), which housing cover directly adjoins the outlet pipe (52) or the intake connector (76); (d) serves, with a part of its volume flow delivered in an impeller (100) of the centrifugal pump (54), which volume flow is configured to be open toward the housing cover (8) of the centrifugal pump (54), at least for a planned flushing operation of the pump housing (12) and of the impeller (100) via a rear impeller gap (s1), which is provided between a housing rear wall (10) of the centrifugal pump (54) and the impeller (100), and via a front impeller gap (s2), which is provided between the housing cover (8) and the impeller (100), wherein the volume flows of the planned flushing operations are up to several times greater than the inevitable equalization flows within the pump housing (12) which result from a hydraulically optimized design of the centrifugal pump (54) with an in each case minimal rear and front impeller gap (s1*, s2*), which ensure the mechanical functionality of the centrifugal pump (54).