A method and apparatus for freezing food items
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for cooling and freezing food items, particularly fish, often result in quality loss due to uneven temperature distribution, ice shell formation, and increased environmental impact from traditional ice use, as well as inefficient freezing processes that damage the product and require extensive defrosting.
Innovation Solution
A method involving stepwise cooling and freezing where food items are first sub-chilled in a salt-controlled and temperature-controlled solution with agitation, allowing for temperature balancing before freezing, which prevents ice shell formation and ensures even cooling, thereby maintaining quality and reducing environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fish are frozen in vertical plate freezers, then freezing efficiency is improved, but the load on food items at the bottom of receptacles increases causing damage and quality reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional vertical freezing approach by implementing horizontal freezing where food items are placed horizontally on conveyor belts or trays. This inversion eliminates the gravitational load issue at the bottom of vertical receptacles while maintaining efficient heat transfer through the use of cold plates positioned beneath the horizontal food items.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from vertical stacking to horizontal arrangement of food items, changing the spatial dimension of freezing. This dimensional change allows for continuous conveyor-based freezing systems where items move horizontally through the freezing zone, eliminating the need for vertical stacking and associated bottom-load damage.
2Temperature
If slurry ice is used for sub-chilling, then cooling efficiency is improved, but ice shell formation occurs on the surface of fish
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamic movement to prevent ice shell formation by continuously agitating the slurry ice and moving food items through the cooling zone. The constant motion prevents ice crystals from adhering and forming shells on the food surface, while maintaining efficient heat transfer through the slurry ice contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic agitation and movement cycles in the sub-chilling process. Food items are periodically moved through zones of slurry ice contact and air circulation, preventing continuous ice shell formation while maintaining effective cooling through repeated thermal exposure.
3Temperature
If traditional ice is used for cooling, then cooling capability is improved, but environmental footprint increases due to melting ice disposal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements recovery and reuse of cooling resources by capturing and recycling the cold from melting ice and the resulting water. The system recovers thermal energy from the melting process and reuses the cold water in the cooling circulation, eliminating waste disposal issues and reducing environmental footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs a self-sustaining cooling system where the melting ice naturally provides continuous cooling without external intervention. The system uses the phase change energy of ice automatically, and the resulting water is redirected back into the cooling process, creating a closed-loop system that eliminates environmental disposal requirements.
4Volume of stationary object
If vertical receptacles are used for freezing, then storage capacity is improved, but defrosting time and energy consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the vertical storage approach by implementing horizontal stacking and conveyor-based systems. This inversion allows for easier access and uniform heat distribution during defrosting, reducing both time and energy requirements compared to deep vertical receptacles where heat penetration is slow and uneven.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides large vertical storage units into smaller, modular horizontal sections that can be independently accessed and defrosted. This segmentation reduces the thermal mass that needs to be defrosted at once and allows for more efficient heat distribution, reducing overall defrosting time and energy consumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach ensures better preservation of food quality by maintaining uniform temperature distribution, reducing damage during freezing, and facilitating easier thawing, while minimizing environmental footprint through efficient use of resources.
Implementation Method 1
bringing the food items to an undercooled state in salt-controlled and temperature-controlled liquid
Implementation Method 2
providing substantially continuous movement of the food items in the solution during the step of bringing the food items to an undercooled state
Implementation Method 3
transferred to a receptacle for freezing
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Method and device for freezing food items in a gradual process, where the food items are first put through under-cooling before the food items are placed in a container or receptacle for freezing. The method and device are particularly suitable for freezing freshly slaughtered and bled fish for later processing.