Two-stage rapid liquid cooling system

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of cooling technology, specifically disclosing a two-stage rapid liquid cooling system. The system includes: a computer system, infrared cameras, a first-stage water pre-cooling system, a second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system, a product loading platform, a transition area, and a product unloading platform. The first-stage water pre-cooling system uses water as a coolant to achieve the first-stage water pre-cooling process; the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system uses ethylene glycol as a coolant to achieve the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling process. The computer system is connected to three infrared cameras, located at the product loading platform, the transition area, and the product unloading platform, respectively, for real-time product identification and temperature detection at these three different locations. This utility model significantly reduces the use of ethylene glycol coolant, thereby lowering operating costs. It can identify individual product types and specifications and detect their temperatures in real time, accurately optimize the two-stage rapid liquid cooling process, and simultaneously reduce manual operation time, improving operational efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of cooling technology, and in particular to a two-stage rapid liquid cooling system. Background Technology

[0002] The existing food cooling technologies in the food processing industry mainly have the following problems:

[0003] a) Design limitations of liquid coolers

[0004] A significant problem in current liquid cooler designs is the labor-intensive nature of the batch loading and unloading process. This manual process not only increases labor costs but also makes it difficult to connect to conveyors for better automation. The lack of automation limits the scalability and consistency of product quality.

[0005] b) Ethylene glycol cost issues

[0006] Another major challenge is that the coolant currently used in liquid coolers is ethylene glycol. The high cost associated with ethylene glycol coolant and the lack of water precooling lead to increased operating costs.

[0007] c) Limited process flexibility and high labor costs

[0008] Traditional food cooling machines are designed with limited process flexibility, making them difficult to adapt to different products and production requirements. This lack of flexibility leads to increased labor costs and slower product changeover times. The inability to quickly switch between products impacts overall productivity and capacity utilization.

[0009] d) Quality and food safety issues

[0010] Quality and food safety are paramount in the food processing industry. However, current batch processing methods often fall short in these areas. The inability to individually package food and to monitor and track temperatures in real time poses significant risks. Uneven cooling of food, especially in the middle of the batch (where products accumulate during batch processing), further exacerbates these problems. Utility Model Content

[0011] The purpose of this invention is to implement a new two-stage rapid liquid cooling technology to address the challenges of food cooling in the food processing industry.

[0012] One technical problem that this utility model aims to solve is that by integrating the conveyor system, it can simplify the loading and unloading process, thereby enabling faster and more consistent product processing.

[0013] One technical problem that this invention aims to solve is that by implementing a water precooling system, the cost of ethylene glycol can be alleviated. Water precooling can reduce the overall demand for ethylene glycol, thereby reducing costs.

[0014] One technical problem this invention aims to solve is that it adopts a continuous processing machine design, which allows for quick and easy reconfiguration, enabling production personnel to switch between products with minimal downtime. This flexibility can significantly improve productivity and reduce labor costs. Furthermore, the control system implemented in this invention can optimize processing time and ensure precise and efficient operation.

[0015] One technical problem this invention aims to solve is that its individual packaging cooling system with real-time temperature monitoring can address quality and food safety issues; it ensures that each product is cooled uniformly and meets required safety standards; its real-time tracking can immediately identify and correct any deviations, ensuring consistent product quality; these measures significantly enhance food safety and consumer trust.

[0016] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is: a two-stage rapid liquid cooling system, comprising: a computer system, infrared cameras, a first-stage water precooling system, a second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system, a product loading platform, a transition zone, and a product unloading platform; the product loading platform is located before the first-stage water precooling system for loading products, the transition zone is located between the first-stage water precooling system and the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system for transporting products, and the product unloading platform is located after the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system for unloading products; the first-stage water precooling system uses water as a coolant to achieve the first-stage water precooling process; the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system uses ethylene glycol as a coolant to achieve the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling process; the computer system is connected to three infrared cameras, which are located at the product loading platform, the transition zone, and the product unloading platform, respectively, and the computer system and infrared cameras are used for real-time product identification and temperature detection at three different locations.

[0017] Preferably, the first-stage water precooling system includes: a first-stage cooling chamber, a first-stage product conveying mechanism, a first-stage water-cooled spray recirculation system, a first-stage controller, and a user interface; the first-stage cooling chamber is used to contain the water coolant used in the first-stage water precooling process; the first-stage product conveying mechanism is located in the first-stage cooling chamber for transferring products; the first-stage water-cooled spray recirculation system is located in the first-stage cooling chamber for cooling products; the first-stage controller and user interface are used to control the operation of the first-stage product conveying mechanism and the first-stage water-cooled spray recirculation system, and to enable user interaction with the first-stage product conveying mechanism and the first-stage water-cooled spray recirculation system; the second-stage ethylene glycol... The cooling system includes: a second-stage cooling chamber, a second-stage product conveying mechanism, a second-stage ethylene glycol coolant circulation system, a second-stage controller, and a user interface; the second-stage cooling chamber is used to contain the ethylene glycol coolant used in the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling process; the second-stage product conveying mechanism is located in the second-stage cooling chamber for transferring products; the second-stage ethylene glycol coolant circulation system is located in the second-stage cooling chamber for cooling products; the second-stage controller and user interface are used to control the operation of the second-stage product conveying mechanism and the second-stage ethylene glycol coolant circulation system, and to enable user interaction with the second-stage product conveying mechanism and the second-stage ethylene glycol coolant circulation system.

[0018] Preferably, the first-stage product conveying mechanism includes: a first-stage rotating drum and a first-stage output conveyor; the first-stage rotating drum and the first-stage output conveyor are partially submerged in the first-stage cooling chamber; the first-stage rotating drum is a horizontal rotating drum with helical dividing blades, receiving products from the product loading platform; the first-stage output conveyor is an output conveyor with an inclined design, receiving products from the first-stage rotating drum to transport the products to the transition zone; the first-stage water-cooled spray recirculation system includes: an evaporator coil, a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and water coolant spray nozzles; the water coolant spray nozzles are used to continuously spray water onto the first-stage rotating drum; the second-stage product conveying mechanism includes: a second-stage rotating drum and a second-stage output conveyor, the second-stage rotating drum and the second-stage output conveyor being partially submerged in the second-stage cooling chamber; the second-stage rotating drum is a horizontal rotating drum with helical dividing blades, receiving products from the transition zone; the second-stage output conveyor is an output conveyor with an inclined design, receiving products from the second-stage rotating drum to transport the products to the product unloading platform.

[0019] Preferably, the water in the first-stage cooling chamber is continuously cooled to a predetermined temperature of 5°C by a first-stage water-cooled spray recirculation system.

[0020] Preferably, the ethylene glycol in the second-stage cooling chamber is continuously cooled to a predetermined temperature of -20°C by a second-stage ethylene glycol coolant circulation system.

[0021] Preferably, the computer system is connected to the first-stage controller of the first-stage water precooling system and the second-stage controller of the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system, and calculates the cooling time required for the first-stage water precooling process and the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling process according to the product category, specifications and temperature, and transmits the cooling time to the first-stage controller and the second-stage controller respectively to control the operation of the first-stage water precooling system and the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system.

[0022] This utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0023] This invention employs a two-stage rapid liquid cooling system design, which significantly reduces the use of ethylene glycol coolant (by approximately 50%) through a water pre-cooling process, thereby reducing operating costs and minimizing environmental impact.

[0024] This invention enables the product to be transferred and cooled in a horizontal rotating drum and an output conveyor. The rotating drum is continuously sprayed with water or ethylene glycol as a coolant to maximize the contact surface area between the coolant and the product and to maximize the coolant flow rate. The higher coolant flow rate on the contact surface allows the coolant to remove heat more effectively and faster, thereby accelerating the cooling effect.

[0025] This invention enables continuous loading and unloading, which, compared with the batch loading and unloading methods used in traditional single-stage rapid liquid refrigeration systems, allows for more flexible automation and requires less manual operation.

[0026] This invention enables the food processing industry to achieve higher efficiency, save costs, and improve product quality, ultimately leading to a more sustainable and competitive future. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the present utility model. Figure 1 .

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the present utility model. Figure 2 .

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the first-stage water precooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] In the picture:

[0032] 1. Computer system

[0033] 2. Infrared camera,

[0034] 3. First-stage water precooling system; 31. First-stage rotating drum; 32. First-stage output conveyor; 33. User interface; 34. First-stage cooling chamber; 35. Water coolant spray nozzles.

[0035] 4. Second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system; 41. Second-stage rotary drum; 42. Second-stage output conveyor; 43. User interface; 44. Second-stage cooling chamber; 45. Ethylene glycol coolant circulation system.

[0036] 5. Product loading platform,

[0037] 6. Connecting transition zone,

[0038] 7. Product unloading platform. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The detailed description and technical content of this utility model are explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the drawings are provided for reference and illustration only and are not intended to limit this utility model.

[0040] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention includes a two-stage rapid liquid cooling system comprising: a computer system 1, infrared cameras 2, a first-stage water pre-cooling system 3, a second-stage glycol cooling system 4, a loading station 5, a bridging station 6, and an unloading station 7.

[0041] Product loading platform 5 is located before the first-stage water precooling system 3, transition zone 6 is located between the first-stage water precooling system 3 and the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system 4, and product unloading platform 7 is located after the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system 4. Computer system 1 is connected to three infrared cameras 2, which are located at product loading platform 5, transition zone 6, and product unloading platform 7, respectively. Computer system 1 and infrared cameras 2 are used for real-time product identification and temperature detection at the three different locations.

[0042] See again Figure 3As shown, the first-stage water precooling system 3 in this utility model includes: a first-stage cooling chamber 34, a first-stage product conveying mechanism, a first-stage water-cooled spray recirculation system, and a first-stage controller and user-interface (UI) 33.

[0043] The first-stage product conveying mechanism includes: a first-stage rotating drum 31 and a first-stage output conveyor 32.

[0044] The first-stage water-cooled spray recirculation system includes: evaporator coil, compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and water coolant spraying nozzles 35. The evaporator coil, compressor, condenser, and expansion valve can adopt the structure and function of a typical refrigeration system, while the water coolant spraying nozzles 35 are used for continuously spraying water outwards.

[0045] The first-stage water precooling system 3 aims to rapidly precool steamed, hot, pre-packaged food from approximately 90°C to approximately 44°C using water as a coolant, achieving optimal cooling in a shorter time and at the lowest cost. This first-stage water precooling process design reduces ethylene glycol usage by approximately 50%, making it more environmentally friendly compared to traditional single-stage rapid liquid cooling systems. The water temperature in the first-stage water precooling process is preferably around 5°C.

[0046] Furthermore, the first-stage water precooling system 3 enables continuous loading and unloading of products. Compared to the batch loading and unloading methods used in traditional single-stage rapid liquid cooling systems, it offers greater automation flexibility and significantly reduces manpower requirements during operation. Traditional batch loading and unloading methods not only require more manpower and time for product loading / unloading and product transfer, leading to a significant decrease in production capacity, but also face the serious problem of uneven cooling effects, which may result in serious quality and food safety issues.

[0047] The first-stage cooling chamber 34 is used to contain the water coolant used in the first-stage water precooling process. The first-stage rotating drum 31 and the first-stage output conveyor 32 are partially submerged in the first-stage cooling chamber 34. The first-stage water-cooled spray recirculation system is located in the first-stage cooling chamber for cooling the products.

[0048] The first-stage rotating drum 31 is a horizontal rotating drum with helical dividing blades. The first-stage rotating drum 31 receives hot pre-packaged food from the product loading platform 5 and is used to transfer and cool the hot pre-packaged food within the first-stage cooling chamber 34. The upper part of the first-stage rotating drum 31 is equipped with a first-stage water-cooled spray recirculation system to achieve maximum cooling efficiency.

[0049] The first-stage output conveyor 32 is a partially submerged output conveyor with an inclined design. It receives the pre-packaged food from the first-stage rotating drum 31 and is used to transport the pre-packaged food to the transition zone 6.

[0050] The first-stage water precooling system 3 also includes a machine controller, a programmable logic controller (PLC), and a user interface (UI) for machine control and user equipment interaction.

[0051] The first-level controller includes a machine controller and a programmable logic controller (PLC). The user interface 33 refers to the user interface (UI) for user equipment interaction. The first-level controller and user interface 33 are used to control the first-level product conveying mechanism and the first-level water-cooled spray recirculation system, and can adopt existing technology structures.

[0052] See again Figure 4 As shown, the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system 4 in this utility model includes: a second-stage cooling chamber 44, a second-stage product conveying mechanism, a second-stage ethylene glycol coolant circulation system 45, and a second-stage controller and user-interface (UI) 43.

[0053] The second-stage product conveying mechanism includes: a second-stage rotating drum 41 and a second-stage output conveyor 42.

[0054] The second-stage ethylene glycol coolant circulation system 45 can adopt the structure and function of a conventional coolant circulation system.

[0055] The second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system 4 aims to rapidly cool hot pre-packaged food from approximately 44°C to 27°C or even lower using ethylene glycol as a coolant, achieving optimal cooling results in a shorter time and at the lowest cost. The ethylene glycol temperature in the second-stage cooling process should be set significantly below 0°C, ideally around -20°C.

[0056] When the ethylene glycol cooling temperature is -20°C and the temperature difference between the coolant and the pre-packaged food exceeds 60°C, the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling process is very effective, and can rapidly cool the hot pre-packaged food from about 44°C to below 27°C.

[0057] Furthermore, the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system 4 enables continuous loading and unloading of products. Compared to the batch loading and unloading methods used in traditional single-stage rapid liquid cooling systems, it offers greater automation flexibility and significantly reduces manpower requirements during operation. Traditional batch loading and unloading methods not only require more manpower and time for product loading / unloading and product conversion, leading to a significant decrease in production capacity, but also face the serious problem of uneven cooling effects, which may result in serious quality and food safety issues.

[0058] The second-stage cooling chamber 44 is used to contain the ethylene glycol coolant used in the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling process. The second-stage rotating drum 41 and the second-stage output conveyor 42 are partially submerged in the second-stage cooling chamber 44. A second-stage ethylene glycol coolant circulation system is located in the second-stage cooling chamber for cooling the product.

[0059] The second-stage rotating drum 41 is a horizontal rotating drum with helical dividing blades. It receives pre-packaged food from the transition zone 6 and is used to transfer and cool the pre-packaged food within the second-stage cooling chamber 44. The upper part of the second-stage rotating drum 41 is equipped with a second-stage ethylene glycol coolant circulation system to achieve maximum cooling efficiency.

[0060] The second-stage output conveyor 42 is a partially submerged output conveyor with an inclined design. It receives the pre-packaged food from the second-stage rotating drum 41 and is used to transport the pre-packaged food to the product unloading table 7.

[0061] The second-level controller includes a machine controller and a programmable logic controller (PLC). User interface 43 refers to the user interface (UI) for user equipment interaction. The second-level controller and user interface 43 are used to control the second-level product conveying mechanism and the second-level ethylene glycol coolant circulation system 45, and can employ existing technology structures.

[0062] Product loading platform 5 is located at the input position before the first-stage rotating roller 31. Product loading platform 5 is used to introduce hot pre-packaged food into a two-stage rapid liquid cooling system for rapid cooling. Product loading platform 5 also serves as a temporary storage area for the first infrared camera, which captures images and measures the temperature of the pre-packaged food before the first-stage water recooling.

[0063] The transition zone 6 is located between the first-stage output conveyor 32 and the second-stage rotating drum 41. The transition zone 6 guides the hot pre-packaged food from the first-stage output conveyor 32 into the second-stage rotating drum 41. The transition zone 6 also serves as a temporary storage area for a second infrared camera to capture images and measure the temperature of the pre-packaged food after the first-stage water pre-cooling.

[0064] Product unloading station 7 is located after the second-stage output conveyor 42. Product unloading station 7 is used to unload pre-packaged food from the two-stage rapid liquid cooling system after rapid cooling. Product unloading station also serves as a temporary storage area for the first infrared camera to capture images and measure the temperature of the pre-packaged food after the second-stage glycol cooling.

[0065] Computer system 1 is connected to the first-stage controller of the first-stage water precooling system and the second-stage controller of the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system. This enables the computer system to communicate with both cooling systems in real time. The computer system can issue processing instructions to the controllers of the first and second-stage cooling systems. These instructions may involve the computer system calculating the required cooling times for the first-stage water precooling process and the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling process based on product category, specifications, and temperature, and then transmitting these cooling times to the first-stage and second-stage controllers respectively to control the operation of the first-stage water precooling system and the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system.

[0066] Three infrared (IR) cameras were used to take photos of the product and measure its temperature in real time.

[0067] The computer system uses image recognition technology to analyze product images captured by infrared cameras. By comparing information such as the product's shape, size, and packaging features with pre-stored product information in the computer system's database, it accurately identifies different product types and specifications. The cooling time is the optimal cooling time parameter calculated by the computer system for a specific product, enabling the product to reach the target temperature in the shortest possible time.

[0068] The computer system and infrared cameras are used for real-time product identification and temperature detection at three different locations (product loading platform 5, connecting transition area 6 and product unloading platform 7, respectively), and the computer system can issue processing instructions to the controllers of the first and second stage cooling systems using existing technologies.

[0069] In this invention, the two-stage liquid cooling process includes a first-stage water pre-cooling process and a second-stage ethylene glycol cooling process. The water temperature in the first-stage water pre-cooling process is preferably around 5°C. The ethylene glycol temperature in the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling process is below 0°C, preferably around -20°C.

[0070] The first stage, water precooling, is used to cool the steaming hot packaged food, typically from about 90°C to about 44°C. Water precooling has two main advantages. First, water is significantly cheaper and more environmentally friendly than ethylene glycol coolant. Second, water is an effective coolant for food at temperatures above 40°C. Therefore, using water as the precooling agent in this invention is ideal.

[0071] The second-stage ethylene glycol cooling process is used to cool hot-packaged foods, typically from around 44°C to below 27°C. A key advantage of ethylene glycol cooling is that the coolant remains unfrozen or unsolidified at temperatures as low as -20°C or lower, depending on the glycol concentration. An ethylene glycol coolant at -20°C enables a highly efficient second-stage cooling process, rapidly cooling hot-packaged foods from 44°C to below 27°C. This unique characteristic makes ethylene glycol coolants ideally suited for the second-stage cooling process described in this invention.

[0072] In this invention, the product conveying mechanism for water precooling and glycol cooling relates to a continuously submerged product conveying mechanism. The continuously submerged product conveying mechanism can be a fully or partially submerged rotating drum, a fully or partially submerged conveyor, or a combination thereof.

[0073] In this invention, the preferred product conveying mechanism comprises a partially submerged horizontal rotating drum and a partially submerged output conveyor. Crucially, in this design, water or glycol is continuously sprayed as a coolant through spray nozzles onto the partially submerged horizontal rotating drum to maximize the contact surface area between the coolant and the product, and to maximize the coolant flow rate. The higher coolant flow rate on the contact surface allows the coolant to conduct heat more effectively and quickly, thereby accelerating the cooling effect.

[0074] In addition, the coolant in the water precooling chamber (first-stage cooling chamber 34) or the ethylene glycol cooling chamber (second-stage cooling chamber 44) will be continuously cooled to their predetermined temperatures of 5°C and -20°C respectively by the evaporator coils of the cooling mechanisms (first-stage water-cooled spray recirculation system and second-stage ethylene glycol coolant circulation system) located in the water precooling chamber and the ethylene glycol cooling chamber.

[0075] In this invention, a two-stage rapid liquid cooling process is adopted. Two key real-time process settings must be optimized to achieve better cost, quality, productivity and capacity: 1. Water precooling time; 2. Ethylene glycol cooling time.

[0076] To optimize cost, quality, productivity, and capacity, the system optimizes the water precooling time and ethylene glycol cooling time in real time based on the initial product temperature. This optimization aims to minimize the cooling duration while ensuring that the product reaches the predetermined target temperature range (preferably 23°C to 27°C) at the output station.

[0077] The working process of this utility model's two-stage rapid liquid cooling system is as follows:

[0078] 1. The user loads the product (prepackaged food) at the product loading platform.

[0079] 2. The first infrared camera will capture real-time product photos and temperature. Then, a two-stage rapid liquid cooling process will begin.

[0080] 3. When the first batch of pre-packaged food arrives at the transition zone, a second infrared camera captures another real-time photo of the product and its temperature. This data is fed back to the computer system to determine if the process settings have been optimized. If not, the computer system instructs the first-stage water precooling system to adjust its settings. This process continues until the settings are optimized.

[0081] 4. When the first batch of pre-packaged food arrives at the product unloading station, a third infrared camera captures another real-time photo of the product and its temperature. This data is fed back to the computer system to determine if the process settings have been optimized. If not, the computer system instructs the secondary glycol cooling system to adjust its settings. This process continues until the settings are optimized.

[0082] 5. Once the two-stage rapid liquid cooling system reaches its optimized settings, it will continue to run and monitor the process in real time. If any abnormality is detected that exceeds the control range of the two-stage rapid liquid cooling system, an alarm will be triggered, and the machine will stop operating.

[0083] 6. If no anomaly is detected, the two-stage rapid liquid cooling system will continue to operate until none of the three infrared cameras detect the product within a predefined duration. Then, the two-stage rapid liquid cooling system will stop.

[0084] 7. All process data, including product photos and temperatures, are archived to facilitate better product traceability and process troubleshooting.

[0085] This invention relates to a two-stage rapid liquid cooling system applicable to the cooling of various types and sizes of cooked foods, particularly for cooling piping hot pre-packaged foods in food processing plants or central kitchens. In these facilities, piping hot pre-packaged foods require a rapid cooling process to improve production capacity, productivity, cost-effectiveness, and quality. This is especially important for addressing food safety issues, as insufficiently frozen pre-packaged foods can pose a significant risk of microbial growth.

[0086] Table 1 Comparison of different cooling methods

[0087]

[0088] As shown in Table 1, the two-stage rapid liquid cooling system outperforms fan cooling and existing single-stage rapid liquid cooling systems in terms of capacity, productivity, product changeover time, product quality, overall cost factor, food safety, and environmental impact.

[0089] The advantages of a two-stage rapid liquid cooling system lie in its individual product identification, individual product temperature detection, flexible real-time process control, continuous loading and unloading machine design, and two-stage cooling process.

[0090] Both fan cooling and single-stage rapid liquid cooling methods are labor-intensive and time-consuming. Overall, fan cooling is the least effective. While single-stage rapid liquid cooling is an improvement over fan cooling, it remains limited by the labor-intensive nature of batch loading and unloading. Furthermore, existing single-stage rapid liquid cooling methods lack the ability to optimize performance for different product types in real time.

[0091] Processing time capability.

[0092] The two-stage rapid liquid cooling system brings significant benefits to the food processing industry. The advantages of this method far surpass those of traditional cooling methods, giving this invention enormous potential in the market.

[0093] In summary, this invention offers numerous advantages. Compared to other methods, it boasts higher capacity and productivity. It significantly reduces product changeover time and overall operating costs, including ethylene glycol costs. Furthermore, it reduces environmental impact by 50% of ethylene glycol usage, making it more environmentally friendly.

[0094] Most importantly, the two-stage rapid liquid cooling system provides better and more uniform cooling for each type of pre-packaged food. This is particularly important for addressing food safety concerns, as the risk of microbial growth in rapidly frozen pre-packaged foods is significantly reduced.

[0095] The above-described embodiments are merely preferred embodiments provided to fully illustrate the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the present invention are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A two-stage rapid liquid cooling system, characterized by, It includes: Computer system, infrared camera, first-stage water precooling system, second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system, product loading platform, connecting transition area and product unloading platform; The product loading platform is located before the first-stage water precooling system and is used to load products. The connecting transition area is located between the first-stage water precooling system and the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system and is used to transport products. The product unloading platform is located after the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system and is used to unload products. The first-stage water precooling system uses water as a coolant to achieve the first-stage water precooling process. The second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system uses ethylene glycol as a coolant to achieve the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling process. The computer system is connected to three infrared cameras, which are located at the product loading platform, the transition area, and the product unloading platform, respectively. The computer system and the infrared cameras are used for real-time product identification and temperature detection at the three different locations.

2. The two-stage rapid liquid cooling system of claim 1, wherein, The first-stage water precooling system includes: a first-stage cooling chamber, a first-stage product conveying mechanism, a first-stage water-cooled spray recirculation system, a first-stage controller, and a user interface; the first-stage cooling chamber is used to contain the water coolant used in the first-stage water precooling process; the first-stage product conveying mechanism is located in the first-stage cooling chamber for transferring products; the first-stage water-cooled spray recirculation system is located in the first-stage cooling chamber for cooling products; the first-stage controller and user interface are used to control the operation of the first-stage product conveying mechanism and the first-stage water-cooled spray recirculation system, and to enable user interaction with the first-stage product conveying mechanism and the first-stage water-cooled spray recirculation system; The second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system includes: a second-stage cooling chamber, a second-stage product conveying mechanism, a second-stage ethylene glycol coolant circulation system, a second-stage controller, and a user interface; the second-stage cooling chamber is used to contain the ethylene glycol coolant used in the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling process; the second-stage product conveying mechanism is located in the second-stage cooling chamber for transferring products; the second-stage ethylene glycol coolant circulation system is located in the second-stage cooling chamber for cooling products; the second-stage controller and user interface are used to control the operation of the second-stage product conveying mechanism and the second-stage ethylene glycol coolant circulation system, and to enable user interaction with the second-stage product conveying mechanism and the second-stage ethylene glycol coolant circulation system.

3. The two-stage rapid liquid cooling system of claim 2, wherein, The first-stage product conveying mechanism includes: a first-stage rotating drum and a first-stage output conveyor; the first-stage rotating drum and the first-stage output conveyor are partially immersed in the first-stage cooling chamber; the first-stage rotating drum is a horizontal rotating drum with spiral dividing blades, which receives products from the product loading platform; the first-stage output conveyor is an output conveyor with an inclined design, which receives products from the first-stage rotating drum to transport the products to the connecting transition area. The first-stage water-cooled spray recirculation system includes: an evaporator coil, a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and water coolant spray nozzles; the water coolant spray nozzles are used to continuously spray water onto the first-stage rotating drum. The second-stage product conveying mechanism includes: a second-stage rotating drum and a second-stage output conveyor, the second-stage rotating drum and the second-stage output conveyor being partially submerged in the second-stage cooling chamber; the second-stage rotating drum is a horizontal rotating drum with spiral dividing blades, receiving products from the transition zone; the second-stage output conveyor is an output conveyor with an inclined design, receiving products from the second-stage rotating drum to transport the products to the product unloading platform.

4. The two-stage rapid liquid cooling system of claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein, The water in the first-stage cooling chamber is continuously cooled to a predetermined temperature of 5°C through the first-stage water-cooled spray recirculation system.

5. The two-stage rapid liquid cooling system of claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein, The ethylene glycol in the second-stage cooling chamber is continuously cooled to a predetermined temperature of -20°C through a second-stage ethylene glycol coolant circulation system.

6. The two-stage rapid liquid cooling system of claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein, The computer system is connected to the first-level controller of the first-stage water precooling system and the second-level controller of the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system. It calculates the cooling time required for the first-stage water precooling process and the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling process based on the product category, specifications and temperature, and transmits the cooling time to the first-level controller and the second-level controller respectively to control the operation of the first-stage water precooling system and the second-stage ethylene glycol cooling system.

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