Adjustable Trunnion Screw Blancher for Cleaning Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Prior art screw blanchers are costly, difficult to adjust, hard to clean, and do not allow product to enter and discharge from the center of the tube, with small screw-to-tank tolerances making cleaning of particulates challenging.
Innovation Solution
A blancher design featuring adjustable trunnion wheels and a single point discharge chute, with an open center inlet and steam injection through tank perforations, allowing for easy cleaning and efficient product handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the auger is supported by fixed trunnions, then the structure is simple, but the device is hard to adjust and clean
Solution Approach 1:
The trunnions are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing them to adjust between operating and retracted positions. This dynamic structure enables the auger to be repositioned for different operating conditions and facilitates easier cleaning access, resolving the contradiction between adjustability and structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The trunnion assembly is divided into separate components that can move independently, allowing the auger to be adjusted relative to the tank. This segmentation provides adjustability while keeping each individual component simple, balancing operational flexibility with structural simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If the screw-to-tank tolerance is small, then the manufacturing precision is high, but the cleaning of particulates becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The movable trunnions allow the auger to be repositioned during cleaning operations, creating greater clearance between the auger and tank wall. This dynamic adjustment enables easy removal of particulates while maintaining tight tolerances during operation, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and cleaning ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows the system to serve itself during cleaning by using the movable trunnions to create access pathways for cleaning agents and tools. The auger can be repositioned to allow cleaning solutions to flow through and remove particulates, making the cleaning process more effective without compromising the tight tolerances needed for operation.
3Ease of operation
If the inlet is off-center, then the product can be input from above, but the water level requirement increases and cleaning becomes harder
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet is positioned at the center of the auger rather than off-center, creating a symmetric arrangement that allows product to be input from above while maintaining lower water levels. This central positioning enables better product distribution and reduces the water level requirement compared to off-center designs.
4Ease of manufacture
If the auger is slowly turned during cleaning, then particulates can be removed, but the cleaning time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable trunnions enable the auger to be repositioned during cleaning, creating clearance that allows cleaning solutions to flow through and remove particulates more effectively. This dynamic adjustment eliminates the need for slow auger rotation, enabling faster cleaning while maintaining effectiveness.
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
The design facilitates easy cleaning, adjustable operation, and efficient product discharge, reducing costs and improving cleaning efficiency while ensuring uniform heat distribution and reduced clumping.
Implementation Method 1
The plurality of flights move the food product from the first end to the second end as the augur is turned
Implementation Method 2
steam injection through tank perforations
Implementation Method 3
steam injection through tank perforations, allowing for easy cleaning and efficient product handling
Data Source
AI summary
A blancher includes a tank and auger. The tank has a wall defining an interior space at least partially cylindrical with end walls. The auger is in the interior space and has flights. Each flight has a circumferential edge in close proximity to the wall. The flights move food product from one end to the other as the augur is turned. The auger is preferably supported by a trunnion ring extending through the end wall and as the trunnion ring turns the augur and of flights are turned. An inlet is preferably located at one end wall and located along a center line of the augur. An outlet is preferably a discharge chute extending through the other end wall. The auger preferably includes at least one lifting flight between the plurality of flights and the end, such that the lifting flight lifts the food product to the discharge chute.