Material Cooling / Refrigeration Systems

Abstract

1. A heat exchange module for an in-line refrigeration / cooling system for freezing / freezing a material, comprising: a body forming a conduit having an inner wall defining the inner space extending the length of the body; and an outer wall spaced from the inner wall and defining at least one channel formed therebetween and extending the length of the body; an inlet manifold attached to the inlet end of the body to seal the inlet end, the inlet manifold having at least one inlet for introducing a heat exchange medium into the at least one channel and controllable for introducing the material to be frozen / cooled into the interior space of the body; and an outlet manifold attached to the outlet end of the body to seal the outlet end, the outlet manifold having at least one outlet for removing the heat exchange medium from the at least one channel and controllable for receiving the frozen / cooled material from the interior space of the body.

Description

Related Applications

[0001] This application claims priority to Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2022903914 filed on December 20, 2022 and Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2023903481 filed on October 31, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for processing organic material, and more particularly to systems and methods for receiving and chilling / freezing organic material for further processing.

[0003] In food processing facilities, especially pet food processing facilities, there is a constant need to receive and process raw organic material into a form that can be stored and further processed. In-line cooling systems have been developed to receive and cool organic material, such as offal and other animal organs, for storage or further processing into pet food products.

[0004] Plate freezers are one type of in-line cooling system that has been successful in achieving this. Plate freezers generally include multiple refrigerated plates mounted within a frame and defining spaces between them, into which organic material is supplied for freezing. Refrigerant is supplied to the plates, which act as evaporators, absorbing heat energy from the organic material, thereby rapidly freezing it. Once frozen, the refrigerant circuit can be reversed to supply warm gas to the plates, thawing the contact areas between the frozen product and the plate surfaces and facilitating removal of the frozen product from the plates. In most commercially available plate freezers, it is desirable to be able to quickly fill the spaces formed between the plates with the organic material to be frozen and then quickly remove the resulting frozen material as needed.

[0005] One problem with conventional plate freezers is that they require a filling means to deliver organic materials to the spaces between the plates, which is typically labor-intensive. Furthermore, these plate freezers require the removal of frozen blocks after formation. This is typically accomplished by manually transferring the frozen blocks onto a pallet or conveyor, which can take up to 10 minutes to unload each plate freezer, depending on the number of plates used, making this labor-intensive. Furthermore, because the blocks are frozen to temperatures as low as -15°C and can weigh up to 70 kg, manually handling these blocks poses a significant safety hazard, requiring skill and effort. Handling the blocks also poses a risk of bacterial contamination of the product. Furthermore, most existing commercial applications use conveyors that run parallel to the plate freezer unit, which is an inefficient use of space.

[0006] To provide more continuous processing of viscous materials, some food processing facilities use scrape surface heat exchangers, which can continuously cool (or heat) moving materials. This equipment typically includes an inner tube with a surrounding jacket through which a heating or cooling medium circulates to generate a low or high temperature on the tube's inner surface. A central shaft is rotatably mounted within the tube, and scraper blades attached to the shaft rotate along the tube's inner surface. The material to be processed is fed into the tube and moves along the tube, contacting its inner surface, which promotes heat transfer between the material and the tube. When the material is frozen, the scraper blades remove the frozen material from the inner surface of the tube, ensuring a smooth flow of material through the tube and promoting product mixing.

[0007] This scraped surface heat exchanger can easily process non-fibrous liquids and viscous fluids. When materials contain fibrous matter, such as organs or animal organs, the central shaft and rotating scraping blades often become clogged or tangled with fibrous matter, causing the exchanger to malfunction.

[0008] In-line heat exchange systems, similar to scraped surface heat exchangers but lacking internal scraping blades, have also been proposed for some applications. These systems also work with materials being processed, fed into tubes and moving through the tubes to contact the tube's inner surface, which facilitates heat transfer between the material and the tube. Because the material is constantly moving through the tube, it flows continuously from one end of the tube to the other. However, if the material freezes and solidifies into a more solid mass upon contact with the tube's inner surface, it can "stuck" within the tube, causing the material flow to stop. This requires overhauling the system, removing the refrigerant from the system, flushing with heated fluid to melt the frozen material, and removing the material from the tube. This process can result in significant system downtime, which is costly and time-consuming.

[0009] Therefore, there is a need to provide an alternative heat exchange system that can simply and effectively process fibrous materials and that addresses at least some of the shortcomings of existing systems.

[0010] The foregoing references and descriptions of prior proposals or products should not be construed as statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the foregoing discussion of the prior art is intended to aid in the understanding of the inventive step of the present invention, without regard to matters known or generally known to those skilled in the art, and identifying relevant prior art proposals is only one element thereof. Summary of the Invention

[0011] Thus, in one aspect, the present invention comprises: a body forming a conduit having an inner wall defining an interior space for cooling / freezing a contained material, the interior space extending the length of the body; and an outer wall spaced from the inner wall and defining at least one channel formed therebetween and extending the length of the body; an inlet manifold attached to the inlet end of the body to seal the inlet end, the inlet manifold having at least one inlet for introducing a heat exchange medium into at least one channel and controllably introducing a material to be frozen / cooled into the interior space of the body; and an outlet manifold attached to the outlet end of the body to seal the outlet end, the outlet manifold having at least one outlet for removing heat exchange medium from the at least one channel and controllable to receive frozen / cooled material from the interior space of the body; A heat exchange module for an in-line refrigeration / cooling system for freezing / cooling a material is provided.

[0012] In one embodiment, the body may be extruded from metal and include a plurality of channels running the length of the body. In another embodiment, the body may include an inner tube defining an interior space for cooling / freezing a material, and an outer shell formed over the inner tube and forming at least one channel therebetween. The inlet manifold may include one or more valve members for controlling the introduction of material to be cooled / frozen into the interior space.

[0013] The outlet manifold may include a cutter, guillotine, and / or robotic handling system to receive and size the cooled / frozen material. In one embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the body can be substantially circular. In another embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the body can be any shape.

[0014] Therefore, in another aspect of the present invention, an inlet for receiving organic material; a pump that applies positive pressure to the organic material to promote its flow; At least one module in fluid communication with the pump for receiving organic material and storing the material therein for a predetermined period of time, the at least one module having an interior wall in communication with (contacting) the material stored therein, the interior wall adapted to apply cold temperature to the material to at least partially freeze the material and to apply heat to the material to thaw the material at an interface between the material and the interior wall; and an outlet for receiving the at least partially frozen material from the at least one module; receiving at least partially frozen material from at least one module under the action of a pump at an outlet after thawing the material; A system for cooling / freezing organic material is provided. At least one module may include a tube having a shell formed therearound defining a space between the tube and the shell for receiving a heat exchange medium.

[0015] The tube may receive the organic material from the pump. The system may include multiple modules arranged in parallel, and the modules may be controlled to operate on different cycles.

[0016] Thus, in yet another aspect of the present invention, Collect materials to be frozen / cooled; supplying material to the module, thereby causing the material to flow into the module and substantially fill the module; introducing a refrigerant heat exchange medium into the module to at least partially freeze material present therein; After a predetermined time, introducing a defrost heat exchange medium into the module to replace the refrigerant heat exchange medium and at least partially melt the interface material of the module; supplying fresh material to the module and causing material to flow out of the module to replace the fresh material present in the module; and collecting material exiting the module for further processing; A method for freezing / cooling a material is provided.

[0017] The material may be collected in a collection hopper for processing. The material may be supplied to the module under pressure to flow into and substantially fill the module. The material may be supplied to the module under pressure by a pump.

[0018] The module may include an elongated space into which the material may be supplied, and the material may flow into the elongated space to substantially fill the elongated space.

[0019] The module may include one or more channels configured to extend along the elongated space, and a refrigerant heat exchange medium is introduced into the one or more channels to at least partially freeze material present within the elongated channel.

[0020] After a predetermined period of time, the refrigerant heat exchange medium in one or more channels may be replaced with a thawed heat exchange medium, at least partially melting the material present at the interface of the elongated space. Pressurized unfrozen material may be supplied to the module to cause material present within the module to flow out of the module. Pressure may be supplied to the unfrozen material by a pump.

[0021] Material exiting the module may exit the module through an outlet manifold, which may include cutters, guillotines, and robotic handling systems to receive and process the material into slabs of predetermined sizes for further processing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] The present invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, wherein: [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 1 along axis AA. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a top cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a side view of an apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 4 along axis BB. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a side view of an apparatus according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a side view of a processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a heat exchange module of the device of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 8 is a cross-sectional end view of the heat exchange module taken along line AA of FIG. 7. [Figure 10] 8 is a cross-sectional end view of the heat exchange module taken along line BB in FIG. 7. [Figure 11] FIG. 9 is an end cross-sectional view of the heat exchange module body of FIG. 8. Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Invention

[0023] The present invention will be described below in relation to its use in creating frozen blocks (logs) of animal protein, such as animal organs and viscera, for use in pet food production. However, it should be understood that the present invention may equally be used to process a variety of other materials, such as fish for pet food, fruit and vegetable pulp, water (block ice), beef trimmings, poultry, mechanically deboned meat (MDM), dairy products, and waste organic products that require cooling before disposal or further processing. Additionally, the apparatus of the present invention may be used to form frozen or partially frozen blocks of material, as desired.

[0024] 1, there is shown a processing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus 10 includes an inlet 12 for receiving material to be processed and a pump 14 for pressurizing the material through the apparatus 10. The pump 14 may be a mechanical positive displacement pump or a pneumatic pump and operates in a manner described in more detail below.

[0025] A heat exchange module 16 is in fluid communication with the inlet 12 for receiving the material to be processed supplied under pressure by the pump 14. The module 16 is shown in cross section in Figure 2 and is in the form of a tube 17 having an outer shell 18 extending therearound to define a space 19 in which a heat exchange medium is provided.

[0026] The heat exchange medium is a refrigerant that enters space 19 to initially cool and partially freeze the material within tube 17. As the material within the tube freezes starting at the walls of tube 17 (contact area) and then gradually inward toward the core of tube 17, the temperature of the material can be monitored to ensure that the material reaches the desired temperature. This can be done in a variety of ways, including the use of sensors and by managing the time the material resides within tube 17. Once the material reaches the desired temperature or has resided within the tube for a predetermined period of time, the refrigerant is removed from space 19 and replaced with a hot fluid, such as a hot gas or liquid, which thaws the material in the contact area and releases it from the interior surface of tube 17, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0027] Pump 14 then operates to push new material into module 16 to replace the processed material therein, which then exits module 16 to be removed at outlet manifold 20. The release of processed material may also be aided by the expansion of tube 17 as a result of the replacement of refrigerant with hot fluid, resulting in a temperature change in the contact area within the region from (-30°C) to (+8°C). The outlet end of tube 17 leading to outlet manifold 20 may be tapered outward to aid in the flow of processed material from the tube to the outlet manifold.

[0028] This system for processing ingredients functions to freeze a fixed percentage of a given amount of organic ingredients and then mix the unfrozen and frozen portions to create a finished chilled product as the ingredients exit module 16. The temperature of the finished chilled product may be determined by the amount of frozen ingredients compared to the percentage of unfrozen ingredients in the mix. The refrigeration efficiency of module 16 may be determined by the size of the tubes (larger is less efficient) and the time the ingredients reside in the tubes, i.e., the refrigeration time.

[0029] It should be understood that the system of the present invention is intended to process batches of raw material in a process having freezing and thawing steps and to facilitate removal of batch frozen / cooled material for further processing. To form a continuous in-line cooling system for bulk processing of material, multiple modules 16 may be configured in parallel with modules operating at different cycle stages to ensure that batches of material are continuously supplied from the modules for processing. One embodiment of such an arrangement is shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0030] In this embodiment, the system 30 includes a drum 32 containing a plurality of modules 16, each connected in parallel to the inlet 12 and the feed pump 14 via a distribution manifold 34 having automatically actuated feed valves (not shown) for individually filling each module.

[0031] 5, in this embodiment, each module 16 is configured to run parallel within drum 32 and is insulated from one another by insulation 35 that fills the space between them. Modules 16 are individually plumbed to allow for maximum refrigerant supply for minimal freezing time and hot gas supply for rapid thawing.

[0032] It should be appreciated that by controlling the pumps 14 and supply valves to each module, the modules 16 can be automatically controlled to accommodate the requirements of the incoming raw material. In this regard, the modules 16 can be controlled by a simple microcontroller to be at different stages or phases of the process, allowing the system 30 to operate as a continuous processing system by individually and sequentially filling, freezing / cooling, blending hot and cold sections, and removing the final product which is cooled for storage.

[0033] An alternative embodiment of a system 40 having multiple modules 16 is shown in Figure 6. In this system 30, each module 16 is arranged in a vertical stack between an inlet manifold 42 and an outlet manifold 44, with each module 16 isolated to function independently of the other modules 16. It should be understood that the modules 16 may alternatively be arranged horizontally and in a variety of other configurations depending on the space available to receive the system.

[0034] Each module 16 can have a different configuration depending on the material being processed. In this regard, the diameter of the tubes 17 of the modules 16 can be varied to suit the material being processed and the size of the particles in the material mixture. As an example, lung lobes can be processed in a 150 mm diameter tube 17, while a 100 mm diameter tube 17 can be used for kidney plates, ground whole sheep, and pig offal. Other tube sizes and configurations can be used to process other materials, depending on the application.

[0035] 7, an alternative embodiment of a processing apparatus 50 according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. The apparatus 50 is described below in connection with an apparatus for freezing materials; however, it should be understood that the apparatus may be used to partially freeze or cool materials, if desired.

[0036] The apparatus 50 includes an inlet 52 for receiving the material to be processed, which is supplied under pressure by a pump (not shown). The apparatus 50 also includes a collection area 56 for receiving the processed material.

[0037] A plurality of heat exchange modules 54 are disposed in fluid communication with the inlet 52 to receive the material to be processed. The material is fed under pressure into the inlet manifold 55 of the heat exchange modules 54. In the illustrated embodiment, the heat exchange modules may be arranged in a row including ten vertically spaced parallel banks of heat exchange modules 54, with each bank having eight horizontally spaced modules 54. However, it should be understood that the manner in which the modules 44 are arranged can be varied depending on space requirements, and other arrangements are also contemplated.

[0038] The inlet manifold 55 of each heat exchange module 54 may be connected to an inlet 52 via a pinch valve 53 that is controlled to release material into the heat exchange module 54 as needed. To avoid shorting the system, all inlets and / or outlets except for the module 54 being filled are regulated during operation. As explained in more detail below, once the heat exchange module 54 receives material, a heat exchange medium, such as a refrigerant, is supplied to the module 54 and the material is exposed to the refrigeration temperature of the heat exchange medium through the walls of the module 54.

[0039] According to one embodiment of the present invention, module 54 may be equipped with temperature sensors to determine the temperature of the material to easily identify when frozen material should be released from module 54 into collection area 56 and replaced with fresh material for freezing. Additionally, the temperature change from frozen (approximately -14°C) to unfrozen (approximately +25°C) may be recorded as the material passes each temperature sensor to determine when the frozen / chilled product has been completely removed and module 54 is filled with unchilled / unfrozen, unprocessed material. Typically, when replacing frozen material with unfrozen material, the system only needs to determine a temperature change of approximately 2-3°C, so it is not necessary to record the actual temperature of the material. In other embodiments, the temperature sensors may be replaced with a timing system that calculates the exposure time of the material within the module to determine when the material is released. Various other systems for controlling product release and determining the status of the processed material are also contemplated, based on an understanding of the material properties and temperature conditions of the system.

[0040] As an example of a variation of the above-described embodiment of the apparatus 50, two temperature sensors may be provided. The first sensor may be located in the module 54 approximately 800 mm from the outlet to the collection area 56, and the second sensor may be located immediately adjacent to the outlet to the collection area 56 of the module 54. When material is pressurized and fed into the module 54, the unfrozen material may travel through the module 54 at a speed of approximately 600 mm / sec. Thus, detecting a temperature change at the first sensor may alert the system to control the pinch valve associated with that module 54 to close the switch valve and immediately activate the switch valve of an adjacent module 54 when the second sensor registers a temperature change. In this regard, the first sensor registering a temperature change may immediately open the adjacent module 54, thereby allowing the module to close and the adjacent module to open for filling when the second sensor detects a change. This prevents the inlet 52 from deadheading against the pinch valve of each module. It will be understood that other means for regulating the supply of unfrozen material to the modules are also contemplated.

[0041] It will be appreciated that when unfrozen material is supplied to module 54 and exposed to the refrigeration temperatures therein for a predetermined period of time, the refrigerant is replaced by a heat source to facilitate the release of the pressurized frozen material. This may be accomplished by supplying a warm liquid or gas to module 54 to perform the thawing step.

[0042] To discharge the frozen / semi-frozen "log" of material from each module 54, fresh product is pumped into the module 54 from behind the frozen / semi-frozen "log." This acts to push the frozen / semi-frozen product out of the module 54 following the thawing step. This combines the loading and unloading functions into one step, significantly reducing the turnaround time (total operation time) between freeze cycles. It will be appreciated that a compressed air supply may also be utilized in alternative embodiments to assist in the discharge of the frozen / semi-frozen "log" from the module 54. Other means for pressurized discharge of the frozen / semi-frozen "log" from the module 54 are also envisioned.

[0043] It will be appreciated that the ejection of the frozen / semi-frozen "block" of material is aided by the different behavior of metal and high moisture material products during temperature changes. In this regard, during the freezing step, the metal module 54 contracts and the product within the module 54 expands. During the thawing step, the metal module 54 expands, causing ice to return to liquid on the surface of the frozen material within the module, thereby reducing the volume and lubricity of the product at the material / module interface. Thus, the frozen / semi-frozen "block" of material is free to eject from the module. To aid in this process, the end of the module adjacent the collection area may have an inner wall that tapers outward to promote the flow of the frozen / semi-frozen "block" from the module 54.

[0044] The collection area 56 receives the frozen material extruded from the modules 16 in the form of elongated strips of frozen material. The collection area may include cutters, guillotines, and robotic handling systems that receive and process the frozen material into slabs of a predetermined size so that they can be delivered to processing stations for further processing or palletizing.

[0045] In some embodiments, the individual tubes forming the module 54 may be insulated and encased in a waterproof sleeve (not shown). The waterproof sleeve may be made of a metal, such as stainless steel, or a plastic material. Providing such an insulating sleeve allows for increased energy efficiency within the system that is not possible in other systems, such as plate freezer systems.

[0046] Additionally, the in-line nature of the system allows for a clean-in-place (CIP) cleaning circuit, which requires minimal water usage compared to other systems, such as plate freezer systems. Additionally, the freeze / thaw process cleans the interior walls of the tubes after each cycle, eliminating the complex, labor-intensive cleaning process synonymous with scraped-surface heat exchange systems. Additionally, the present invention provides the ability to cool / freeze liquid products in in-line tubes, thereby avoiding fluid leaks common in plate freezer systems, which require plates to be opened and closed, potentially releasing fluid.

[0047] Although the modules 54 may be formed from stainless steel tubing to form frozen blocks of material, such tubular systems do not accommodate other shapes of material, such as blocks that may have a square or rectangular cross-sectional profile. Providing blocks of frozen material with a flat profile allows for a block palletizing operation that can substitute for current industry-standard refrigeration pallets formed with conventional plate freezing methods without significant disruption to the end user's production system. However, fabricating the flat-sided modules 54 from stainless steel is not practical due to the pressure vessel requirements of the modules.

[0048] To this end, module 54, shown in Figures 8-11, is proposed. Module 54 has an elongated body 60 formed from an extruded metal material, such as aluminum, with built-in refrigeration channels 62 for receiving refrigerant for freezing and warm liquid / gas for thawing, formed in an extrusion process in accordance with the requirements of the desired pressure vessel. Module 54 has body 60 of substantially square or rectangular cross section, although it will be understood that the body may be formed to assume any type of cross-sectional shape as desired.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 11 , a cross-sectional view of a body 60 according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. The body 60 has a continuous inner wall 64 defining an interior space 65 in which material is received for freezing. An outer wall 63 is spaced from the inner wall 64 and is supported by support struts 66 that extend at intervals between the inner and outer walls 64, 63. A channel 62 is formed between the support struts 66 and the inner and outer walls 64, 63 that extend the length of the body 60. The channel can receive refrigerant from a refrigerant supply to facilitate freezing of the material in the interior space 65 and can be connected to a heat source to facilitate thawing of the frozen material in the space 65 at the interface with the inner wall 64 and to facilitate removal of the frozen material from the body in the manner described above.

[0050] The dimensions of the body 60 will vary depending on the requirements of the material being processed. In one embodiment, the body 60 may have an outer width of 300-350 mm and a height of 90-110 mm. The channel 62 may be 10-15 mm in height and width. These dimensions are merely an example of one embodiment of the invention, and dimensions can be varied depending on the requirements of the system and the material being processed.

[0051] 8-10, module 54 is shown in isolation. Module 54 includes a body 60 that generally extends between an inlet manifold 55 and an outlet manifold 57. In a preferred embodiment, body 60 may have a length of approximately 6000 mm, although other lengths are also contemplated as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0052] The inlet manifold 55 has inlet holes 59 connected to both a refrigerant source and a heat source for selectively supplying heat exchange fluid to the channels 62 as needed. The outlet manifold 57 has outlet holes 58 for removing the heat exchange fluid as it passes through the channels 62 along the length of the body 60. It will be appreciated that the system may include a microcontroller to control and regulate the supply of heat exchange fluid to each module 54 as needed. In use, when a module 54 is defrosting, the outlet holes 58 are used to supply heated liquid or gas and the inlet holes 59 are used to remove heated liquid or gas, so that the flow is reversed from the supply of refrigerant liquid.

[0053] The body 60 functions as a sealed body having extruded inner and outer walls that define an interior space 65 and a longitudinal channel 62 extending the length of the body. The body 60 is open at its opposite end to facilitate mating with the inlet and outlet manifolds 55, 57 to seal the interior space 65 and the channel 62 and allow for the supply of a heat exchange medium to the channel 62. As noted above, the extrusion characteristics of the body 60 allow the channel 62 to be pressure-rated refrigeration channels, and the body 60 can be formed into any cross-sectional shape desired. Such shapes include standard geometric shapes, including circular and elliptical derivatives, squares, and rectangles with or without corner radii. Flower-shaped cross sections are also envisioned, as are other, more irregular shapes.

[0054] It will be appreciated that by providing such various shapes and sizes of extruded sealed tubes, longitudinally extending refrigeration channels of desired pressure ratings can be appropriately positioned to provide an in-line refrigeration / cooling system that can achieve rapid and efficient processing of frozen materials for food and other related applications.

[0055] The system of the present invention can process any pumpable meat or organ product, with particle size limited only by the limitations of the pump. In most embodiments, basic pre-comminuted processing of the material prior to processing ensures the most efficient results. In this regard, conventional scraped surface heat exchangers are unable to process whole meat or organ products due to fouling or jamming of the internal scraper mechanism.

[0056] It will be appreciated that the present invention may also be used to process animal products that are typically difficult to process using conventional scraped surface heat exchangers. In this regard, caul fat, which is traditionally difficult to cool because it changes from a warm (slippery) state to a cold (solid / sticky) state, can be pneumatically pumped from the kill floor and processed using the present system. The caul fat is easily loaded into the system's modules when warm. After cooling, a thawing step is applied, which allows the caul fat to easily melt at the tubing interface, allowing the cooled product to be easily removed from the module by pump action.

[0057] It will be appreciated that the system of the present invention provides a refrigeration / cooling system that is easy to clean because it does not have hang-up points like traditional scraped surface heat exchangers. The system can also cool products, including the innards and fat of sheep, beef, pork, and chicken, without the addition of ice, CO2, or the like. The modular nature of the system makes it scalable and easily tailored to meet the needs of the user by adding or removing modules as needed. It can also be configured to minimize footprint and can be tailored to a specific location by positioning modules at any orientation / angle to suit the available space.

[0058] The system of the present invention is also well suited for use as a clean-in-place (CIP) system, especially when compared to conventional scraped-surface heat exchangers that require removal of scraping elements before cleaning. In the present invention, all product is removed from the tubing at the completion of each processing cycle as the processed product is forced through the system. CIP technology is easily used on fill pumps, supply lines, take-off manifold systems, and downstream of the pumps, and once the CIP process is established, no part of the system needs to be opened for manual cleaning access.

[0059] While the system of the present invention has been described above as being used in a process for chilling / freezing offal and related animal products, the system may also be used to thoroughly freeze certain suitable products where traditional blocks are not necessarily required, such as freezing fish such as pilchards for fish feed boats on a fish farm. In this example, the pilchards are pumped into the module, processed, and then discharged fully frozen into bulk skips for storage in a refrigerated storage facility. Other similar uses for the system are also envisioned.

[0060] Throughout the specification and claims, the word "comprises" and its derivatives are intended to have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning unless expressly stated otherwise or the context requires otherwise. That is, the word "comprises" and its derivatives shall be deemed to indicate the inclusion of not only the listed components, steps, or features to which it directly refers, but also other components, steps, or features not specifically listed, unless expressly stated otherwise or the context requires otherwise.

[0061] Terms relating to direction, such as vertical, horizontal, upper, lower, over, under, etc., used in the specification and claims are to be construed relative to one another and generally assume that the component, item, article, instrument, device, apparatus, or tool in question is considered in a particular orientation, usually relative to the top of the instrument.

[0062] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations can be made to the methods of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. a body forming a conduit having an inner wall defining an interior space for cooling / freezing a contained material, the interior space extending the length of the body; and an outer wall spaced from the inner wall and defining at least one channel formed therebetween and extending the length of the body; an inlet manifold attached to the inlet end of the body to seal the inlet end, the inlet manifold having at least one inlet for introducing a heat exchange medium into at least one channel and controllably introducing a material to be frozen / cooled into the interior space of the body; and an outlet manifold attached to the outlet end of the body to seal the outlet end, the outlet manifold having at least one outlet for removing heat exchange medium from the at least one channel and controllable to receive frozen / cooled material from the interior space of the body; Contains: Heat exchange module for an in-line refrigeration / cooling system for freezing / cooling materials.

2. 10. The heat exchange module of claim 1, wherein the body is extruded from metal and includes a plurality of channels extending the length of the body.

3. 2. The heat exchange module of claim 1, wherein the body includes an inner tube defining an interior space for cooling / freezing a material, and an outer shell formed to cover the inner tube and forming at least one channel therebetween.

4. 3. A heat exchange module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inlet manifold includes one or more valve members for controlling the introduction of material to be cooled / frozen into the interior space.

5. 3. The heat exchange module of claim 1 or 2, wherein the outlet manifold includes a cutter, guillotine, and / or robotic handling system for receiving and sizing the cooled / frozen material.

6. The heat exchange module of claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the body is substantially circular.

7. 3. The heat exchange module of claim 2, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the body can be any shape.

8. entrance for receiving materials; pumps that apply positive pressure to the material to promote material flow; At least one module in fluid communication with the pump for receiving a material and storing the material therein for a predetermined period of time, the at least one module having an inner wall in communication with (contacting) the material stored therein, the at least one module adapted to apply cold temperature to the material to at least partially freeze the material and to apply heat to the material to thaw the material at an interface between the material and the inner wall; and an outlet for receiving the at least partially frozen material from the at least one module; receiving at least partially frozen material from at least one module under the action of a pump at an outlet after the material has thawed; A system for cooling / freezing materials.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one module includes a tube having a shell formed therearound, defining a space between the tube and the shell for receiving a heat exchange medium.

10. The system of claim 2 , wherein the tube receives the material from a pump.

11. A system according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the system comprises a plurality of modules arranged in parallel, the modules being controlled to operate in different cycles.

12. Collecting material to be frozen / cooled; supplying material to the module, thereby causing the material to flow into the module and substantially fill the module; introducing a refrigerant heat exchange medium into the module to at least partially freeze material present therein; after a predetermined time, introducing a thawed heat exchange medium into the module to replace the refrigerant heat exchange medium and at least partially melt the interface material of the module; supplying unfrozen material to the module and flowing material out of the module to replace the unfrozen material present in the module; and collecting material exiting the module for further processing; This includes: methods of freezing / cooling ingredients.

13. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the material is collected in a collection hopper for processing.

14. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the material is supplied to the module under pressure so as to flow into and substantially fill the module.

15. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the material is supplied to the module under pressure by a pump.

16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the module includes an elongated space into which the material is supplied, and the material flows into the elongated space to substantially fill the elongated space.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the module includes one or more channels configured to extend along the elongated space, and wherein a refrigerant heat exchange medium is introduced into the one or more channels to at least partially freeze material present within the elongated channel.

18. 20. The method of claim 17, further comprising replacing the refrigerant heat exchange medium in the one or more channels with a thawed heat exchange medium after a predetermined period of time, at least partially melting material present at the interface of the elongated space.

19. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein pressurized unfrozen material is supplied to the module, causing material present within the module to flow out of the module.

20. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein pressure is applied to the unfrozen material by a pump.

21. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein material exiting the module exits the module through an outlet manifold.

22. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the outlet manifold includes a cutter, a guillotine, and a robotic handling system for receiving and processing the material into slabs of a predetermined size for further processing.

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