Ultrasonic rapid unfreezing method and device for fresh meat products

Abstract

The invention provides an ultrasonic rapid unfreezing method and device for fresh meat, and belongs to the technical field of cold chain equipment manufacturing, the ultrasonic rapid unfreezing device mainly comprises an unfreezing chamber, a heat preservation chamber, a waste liquid collection chamber and a temperature control and transmission system, and the unfreezing chamber comprises an ultrasonic unfreezing system and a sterilization system. Firstly, the stainless steel inner container frame filled with frozen meat products is placed in the center of the unfreezing chamber to be positioned, then the ultrasonic probes evenly distributed in the stainless steel outer container are started, the stainless steel outer container filled with the ultrasonic probes slowly rotates through the transmission device, and the fresh meat products in the inner container frame are fully, evenly and rapidly unfrozen. In the whole process, the unfrozen meat in the stainless steel inner container frame is disinfected and sterilized by utilizing an ultraviolet sterilizing lamp arranged in the stainless steel outer container; waste liquid generated in the unfreezing process is collected and discharged through a waste liquid chamber at the bottom of the device. The problems that traditional thawing equipment is low in efficiency, insufficient and uneven in thawing, serious in meat juice loss, many in bacteria, prone to deterioration and the like can be effectively solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of cold chain equipment manufacturing, and specifically relates to a method and device for ultrasonic rapid thawing of fresh meat. Background Art

[0002] In the preservation process of fresh meat, freezing is currently the most practical and longest-lasting way to preserve food. When eating, it is generally required to thaw frozen food to a degree suitable for processing (about -5°C). However, traditional thawing methods such as air thawing and water thawing, although simple in process and easy to operate, have low thawing efficiency. After thawing, the appearance is poor, the freshness is greatly reduced, the juice loss rate is serious, and the taste and freshness are greatly different from before freezing. Ultrasonic thawing has the advantages of high efficiency, fast speed, and high food freshness. At the same time, the addition of ultraviolet light for all-round sterilization is the frontier direction of the development and promotion of fresh meat thawing technology.

[0003] At present, most of the existing ultrasonic thawing methods and devices use ultrasound as an auxiliary thawing method. Invention patent CN108719440A provides a method for ultrasonic assisted thawing of carp, but due to the low frequency of ultrasound, the heating time of water is long, so the thawing efficiency is low and bacteria are easily bred; invention patent CN111096354 A discloses a method for thawing raw tuna with high-frequency ultrasound, which uses high-frequency ultrasound to plastic-seal the tuna and thaw it in a water bath. Although it speeds up the thawing rate to a certain extent and prevents the derivation of bacteria, the process is complicated and cumbersome, the amount of tuna thawed at a time is small, and most of the energy generated by ultrasound is absorbed by the thawing liquid, resulting in large energy loss. Therefore, it is imperative to develop a low-energy, fast, and convenient thawing method and device. Summary of the invention

[0004] The technical problem solved by the present invention is that the existing conventional thawing method for thawing fresh meat will cause serious juice loss, long thawing time, low efficiency and other problems. In order to overcome the shortcomings of the existing meat thawing technology, a method and device for rapid ultrasonic thawing of fresh meat are provided, the purpose is to combine the technical advantages of fast ultrasonic heating speed and good effect with the rotating stainless steel outer liner structure, and invent a method and device for thawing fresh meat.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is: An ultrasonic rapid thawing method and device are designed, comprising: a thawing chamber, a holding chamber, a waste liquid collection chamber, a temperature control and a transmission system, wherein the thawing chamber comprises an ultrasonic thawing system and a sterilization system.

[0006] Preferably, the fixed stainless steel inner rack structure is designed so that the meat can be placed in the stainless steel inner rack. The stainless steel inner rack is fixed during the thawing process to avoid mechanical failure caused by excessive meat mass due to increased motor power during the rotation process; Preferably, the design has a rotating stainless steel outer liner structure, during the thawing process, the stainless steel outer liner rotates and the stainless steel inner liner frame containing the frozen meat product is fixed; Preferably, an array type ultrasonic probe is designed in the rotating stainless steel outer container, and the stainless steel outer container slowly rotates to drive the ultrasonic probe to rotate, thereby reducing the number of ultrasonic probes and being able to fully, quickly and evenly defrost the fresh meat in the stainless steel inner container rack; Preferably, the array-type ultrasonic probe is designed to achieve zoned thawing according to the power of the ultrasonic probe; Preferably, an array of ultraviolet sterilization lamps is designed in the rotating stainless steel outer container, which can sterilize and disinfect the stainless steel inner container rack and the thawed meat products in the stainless steel inner container rack; Preferably, a funnel-shaped waste liquid collection chamber is designed at the bottom of the device to collect waste liquid thawed in fresh meat; Preferably, the device can adjust the power of the ultrasonic transmitter through the ultrasonic thawing system, and can control the rotation speed of the stainless steel outer container through the transmission system to control the thawing depth and hardness of the meat product to be thawed; Preferably, a specific power is applied to a specific fresh meat product, and the thawing time is estimated, which can be adjusted according to the actual situation during use. Wherein, P=W / t, W is the total work required for thawing, unit: J, t is the total time required for thawing, unit: s; W=Q / η, Q is the total heat consumed by thawing, unit: J, η is the functional conversion efficiency, Q=cm(T-T0), is the specific heat capacity of the fresh product to be thawed, unit: J / (kg·℃), m is the total mass of the fresh product to be thawed, unit: kg, T is the temperature after thawing, generally about -5℃, T0 is the temperature before thawing, unit: ℃.

[0007] The present invention also provides a rotary fresh meat ultrasonic rapid thawing method, based on the rotary fresh meat ultrasonic rapid thawing device, comprising the following steps: Step 1: Place the frozen meat products in the stainless steel inner rack and secure them; Step 2: Place the stainless steel inner rack containing frozen meat products in the thawing chamber and secure it; Step 3: Turn on the ultrasonic probes evenly distributed in the stainless steel outer tank and adjust their power to the specific range for different types of meat; Step 4: Use the transmission system to slowly rotate the stainless steel outer liner equipped with ultrasonic probes, and use the ultrasonic probes evenly distributed in the stainless steel outer liner to fully and quickly thaw the fresh meat in the stainless steel inner liner rack; Step 5: Use the ultraviolet lamp built into the stainless steel outer tank to sterilize the thawed meat products in the stainless steel inner tank rack, and disinfect the stainless steel inner tank rack containing the frozen meat products; Step 6: The waste liquid generated by thawing is collected and discharged through the waste liquid chamber at the bottom of the device; Step 7: When the meat product to be thawed is thawed to a certain depth and hardness, the entire device stops working, the stainless steel inner rack containing the thawed meat product is taken out of the device, and the meat product is taken out of the inner rack; Step 8: Reinstall the stainless steel inner liner frame onto the equipment, and restart the ultraviolet sterilization lamp in the stainless steel outer liner to sterilize and disinfect the stainless steel inner liner frame in all directions. Finally, turn off the power supply of the assembly and return all components to their positions.

[0008] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: The present invention utilizes the technical advantages of ultrasonic thermal thawing, such as fast speed, high freshness, good effect, and easy sterilization by ultraviolet light, to provide a method and device for rapid ultrasonic thawing of fresh meat, so as to solve the problems of serious loss of food juice, long time, low efficiency, etc. during thawing of fresh meat. The rotation speed of the stainless steel outer container and the power of the ultrasonic probe used in the present invention can be adjusted according to the shape, quality, type and freezing state of the fresh meat, and no additional auxiliary equipment is required, so that various fresh meats can be thawed, which greatly reduces the equipment manufacturing and procurement costs; The present invention adopts ultraviolet sterilization lamp to sterilize and disinfect stainless steel inner rack and fresh meat in real time, and the sterilization effect can reach more than 99%, which solves the problem of bacterial growth during thawing by previous thawing equipment and ensures the quality of fresh meat after thawing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a fresh meat ultrasonic rapid thawing device of the present invention Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the infrared temperature measuring device of the present invention Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the thawing chamber of the present invention Figure 4 This is the ultrasonic thawing flow chart of the present invention Description of Reference Numerals 1-Insulation chamber, 2-Temperature measuring device, 3-Thaw chamber, 4-Funnel type waste liquid collection chamber, 5-Transmission system A1-infrared temperature measuring head, A2-temperature display B1-stainless steel outer tank, B2-ultrasonic probe, B3-stainless steel inner tank frame, B4-ultraviolet sterilization lamp Implementation

[0010] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a method and device for rapid ultrasonic thawing of fresh meat, so as to solve the problems of serious loss of food juice, long time, low efficiency, bacterial growth, etc. during thawing of fresh meat.

[0011] The invention discloses a method and device for rapid ultrasonic thawing of fresh meat, and relates to a device for rapid ultrasonic thawing of fresh meat.

[0012] The whole device can be used in a variety of occasions to thaw and sterilize fresh meat of different types and qualities. Except for normal mechanical wear, no parts need to be replaced.

[0013] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0014] Example Figure 1-4 It is a schematic diagram of the equipment and process flow of the present invention. Figure 1 It is a schematic half-section view of a thawing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The thawing device comprises an insulation chamber 1, a temperature measuring device 2, a thawing chamber 3, a funnel-shaped waste liquid collection chamber 4, and a transmission system 5; wherein the thawing chamber 3 comprises a stainless steel outer chamber B1, an ultrasonic probe B2, a stainless steel inner chamber frame B3, and an ultraviolet sterilization lamp B4; The stainless steel inner liner rack B3 is configured to be detachable, so that meat can be placed in the stainless steel inner liner rack B3. The stainless steel inner liner rack B3 is fixed during the thawing process to prevent mechanical failure caused by increased motor power during rotation due to excessive meat mass.

[0015] A rotating stainless steel outer liner structure is designed outside the stainless steel inner liner frame B3. During the thawing process, the stainless steel outer liner B1 rotates and the stainless steel inner liner frame B3 containing the frozen meat products is fixed. An array type ultrasonic probe B2 is designed in the rotating stainless steel outer container B1. With the help of the slow rotation of the stainless steel outer container B1, the ultrasonic probe B2 is driven to rotate, which can fully, quickly and evenly defrost the fresh meat in the stainless steel inner container frame B3 while reducing the number of ultrasonic probes B2. In the present invention, the selected ultrasonic frequency should be penetrating, and the ultrasonic frequency is preferably 30-100kHz, which can increase the thawing rate and make the temperature of fresh food uniform. The ultrasonic signal power is preferably 50-100W, which can enable the thawing equipment to achieve excellent thawing effect under the premise of low energy consumption; The ultrasonic probe B2 can generate ultrasonic signals in multiple propagation directions during the thawing process, for example, the ultrasonic propagation direction forms an angle of 30°, 45°, 60° and other angles with the vertical direction. The applicant of the present invention has made an in-depth study of ultrasonic characteristics and, in combination with mechanical devices, has creatively proposed the use of mechanical devices to enable the ultrasonic probe B2 to provide ultrasonic waves at various angles to defrost the fresh meat on the stainless steel inner rack B3. Compared with the use of ultrasonic thawing equipment in a single direction, the thawing time is shortened and the uniformity of thawing is improved. Compared with the use of a control system to directly control the ultrasonic probe B2 to emit ultrasonic waves along multiple fixed angles, the difficulty of equipment manufacturing and the number of ultrasonic probes are reduced, and ultrasonic waves at various angles can be provided at the same time, further improving the uniformity of the thawing effect. An array of ultraviolet sterilization lamps B4 is designed in the rotating stainless steel outer container B1, which can sterilize and disinfect the stainless steel inner container rack B5 and the thawed meat products in the stainless steel inner container rack; The ultraviolet sterilization lamp B4 uses ultraviolet rays emitted by a mercury lamp to achieve sterilization, and the sterilization efficiency can reach more than 99%. The preferred power is 3~8w, such as 3w and 5w. It is not suitable to use the commonly used indoor ultraviolet sterilization lamps on the market, such as 15w, 30w, and 40w. At the same time, as the use time increases, the ultraviolet sterilization lamp will have a slow leakage phenomenon, and it is generally replaced once a year; A funnel-shaped waste liquid collection chamber 4 is designed at the bottom of the device to collect the waste liquid thawed in the fresh meat; the waste liquid collection chamber 4 should be made of stainless steel welding, sheet metal and other processes, with a thickness of about 1-2 mm, and a maximum diameter that is slightly larger than the diameter of the stainless steel outer liner. During the actual installation process, a gap of 2-5 mm should be left with the thawing chamber 3 to reduce the impact of ultrasonic vibration on the waste liquid collection chamber; The thawing device also includes a temperature measuring system 2, which includes an infrared temperature measuring head A1 and a temperature display A2. The infrared temperature measuring head A1 is used to measure the temperature of the fresh meat on the stainless steel inner rack B5, and the temperature display A2 displays the measured real-time temperature. Through this device, the ultrasonic thawing situation can be observed; The device can control the rotation speed of the stainless steel outer container B1 through the transmission system 5 by adjusting the power emitted by the ultrasonic probe B2, and the rotation speed is generally set to 5-15 rpm to control the thawing depth and hardness of the meat product to be thawed; Apply specific power to specific fresh meat products and estimate the thawing time, which can be adjusted according to actual conditions during use. Among them, P=W / t, W is the total work required for thawing, unit: J, t is the total time required for thawing, unit: s; W=Q / η, Q is the total heat consumed by thawing, unit: J, η is the functional conversion efficiency, Q=cm(T-T0), is the specific heat capacity of the fresh product to be thawed, unit: J / (kg·℃), m is the total mass of the fresh product to be thawed, unit: kg, T is the temperature after thawing, generally around -5℃, T0 is the temperature before thawing, unit: ℃.

[0016] The present invention also provides a method for rapid thawing of fresh meat using ultrasonic wave by using the above-mentioned thawing device, which is used for thawing fresh meat. The thawing process mainly includes the following steps: Step 1: Place the frozen meat product in the stainless steel inner rack B5 and secure it; Step 2: Place the stainless steel inner rack B5 containing frozen meat products in the thawing chamber 3 and fix it; Step 3: Turn on the ultrasonic probes B2 evenly distributed in the stainless steel outer container B1, and adjust their power to a specific range for different types of meat, generally 50~100W; Step 4: Use the transmission system 5 to slowly rotate the stainless steel outer container B1 equipped with the ultrasonic probe B2 at a speed of 5 to 15 rpm, and use the ultrasonic probes B2 evenly distributed in the stainless steel outer container B1 to fully and quickly defrost the fresh meat in the stainless steel inner container frame B3; Step 5: Use the ultraviolet sterilization lamp B4 built into the stainless steel outer liner B1 to sterilize the thawed meat products in the stainless steel inner liner rack B3, and disinfect the stainless steel inner liner rack B3 containing the frozen meat products; Step 6: The waste liquid generated by thawing is collected and discharged through the waste liquid chamber 4 at the bottom of the device; Step 7: When the meat product to be thawed is thawed to a certain depth and hardness, the entire device stops working, the stainless steel inner liner rack B3 containing the thawed meat product is taken out of the device, and the meat product is removed from the inner liner rack B3; Step 8: Reinstall the stainless steel inner liner frame B3 onto the equipment, and restart the ultraviolet sterilization lamp B4 in the stainless steel outer liner B1 to sterilize and disinfect the stainless steel inner liner frame B3 in all directions. Finally, turn off the main power supply and return all components to their positions.

[0017] The contents not described in detail in the specification of the present invention belong to the common knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0018] At this point, those skilled in the art should recognize that, although an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications that conform to the principles of the present invention can still be directly determined or derived based on the content disclosed in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood and identified as covering all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A method and device for rapid ultrasonic thawing of fresh meat, characterized in that: The fresh meat ultrasonic rapid thawing device comprises: a thawing chamber, a heat preservation chamber, a waste liquid collection chamber, a temperature control and a transmission system, wherein the thawing chamber comprises a rotary ultrasonic thawing system and a sterilization system. The use process specifically comprises the following steps: Step 1: Place the frozen meat products in the stainless steel inner rack and secure them; Step 2: Place the stainless steel inner rack containing frozen meat products in the thawing chamber and secure it; Step 3: Turn on the ultrasonic probes evenly distributed in the stainless steel outer liner and adjust their power P to a specific range for different types of meat; Step 4: Use the transmission system to slowly rotate the stainless steel outer liner equipped with ultrasonic probes, and use the ultrasonic probes evenly distributed in the stainless steel outer liner to fully, evenly and quickly defrost the fresh meat in the stainless steel inner liner rack; Step 5: Use the ultraviolet sterilization lamp built into the stainless steel outer tank to sterilize the thawed meat products in the stainless steel inner tank rack, and disinfect the stainless steel inner tank rack containing the frozen meat products; Step 6: The waste liquid generated by thawing is collected and discharged through the waste liquid chamber at the bottom of the device; Step 7: When the meat product to be thawed is thawed to a certain depth and hardness, the entire device stops working, the stainless steel inner rack containing the thawed meat product is taken out of the device, and the meat product is taken out of the inner rack; Step 8: Reinstall the stainless steel inner liner frame onto the equipment, and restart the ultraviolet sterilization lamp in the stainless steel outer liner to sterilize and disinfect the stainless steel inner liner frame in all directions. Finally, turn off the power supply of the assembly and return all components to their positions.

2. A method and device for rapid ultrasonic thawing of fresh meat according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixed stainless steel inner rack structure is designed to place meat in the stainless steel inner rack. The stainless steel inner rack is fixed during the thawing process to avoid mechanical failure caused by excessive meat mass causing increase in motor power during rotation.

3. The method and device for rapid ultrasonic thawing of fresh meat according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating stainless steel outer liner structure is designed. During the thawing process, the stainless steel outer liner rotates and the stainless steel inner liner frame containing the frozen meat product is fixed.

4. The method and device for rapid ultrasonic thawing of fresh meat according to claim 1, characterized in that: An array type ultrasonic probe is designed in the rotating stainless steel outer container, and can realize zoned thawing according to the power of the ultrasonic probe.

5. The method and device for rapid ultrasonic thawing of fresh meat according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotation of the stainless steel outer container drives the ultrasonic probe to rotate, thereby reducing the number of ultrasonic probes and being able to fully, quickly and evenly defrost the fresh meat in the stainless steel inner container rack.

6. The method and device for rapid ultrasonic thawing of fresh meat according to claim 1, characterized in that: An array type ultraviolet sterilization lamp is designed in the rotating stainless steel outer container, which can sterilize and disinfect the stainless steel inner container rack and the thawed meat products in the stainless steel inner container rack.

7. The method and device for rapid ultrasonic thawing of fresh meat according to claim 1, characterized in that: A funnel-shaped waste liquid collection chamber is designed at the bottom of the device to collect waste liquid generated by thawing fresh meat.

8. The method and device for rapid ultrasonic thawing of fresh meat according to claim 1, characterized in that: The device can adjust the power of the ultrasonic transmitter through the ultrasonic thawing system and control the rotation speed of the stainless steel outer container through the transmission system to control the thawing depth and hardness of the meat product to be thawed.

Images