Aerated Dough Production via Segmented Mixing and Pressure-Controlled Aeration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing aerated bread suffer from decreased precision and increased complexity in dividing dough into specified weights, as well as reduced quality and energy efficiency due to the use of the same devices for mixing and aeration processes, which lead to foam destruction and increased energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
Separate devices are used for mixing and aeration processes, with the division of dough into portions performed after the mixing process, ensuring a homogenous mass before aeration, and pressure is controlled during the aeration process to minimize foam destruction and maximize dough rise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the same mixing device is used for both mixing and aeration processes, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision and product quality deteriorate due to foam destruction during division
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the dough processing into two distinct stages: mixing in a mixing device, then aeration in a separate aeration device. This segmentation allows each device to be optimized for its specific function, preventing foam destruction during division while maintaining reasonable overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The aeration function is extracted from the mixing device and performed in a separate aeration device. This extraction ensures that the dough is fully aerated before division, eliminating foam destruction issues that would occur if division happened during or immediately after mixing.
2Productivity
If aerated dough is divided into portions after aeration, then portioning can be performed, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to variable density of aerated foam-like mass
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs aeration completely before the division process. By preliminarily aerating the dough to a consistent foam-like mass with uniform characteristics, the subsequent division into portions achieves acceptable precision despite the aerated state, enabling continuous production.
3Loss of time
If pressure is dropped rapidly after aeration, then process time is reduced, but product quality deteriorates due to foam destruction from sudden pressure change
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic pressure control during the transition from aeration to division. The pressure is gradually reduced rather than dropped abruptly, maintaining foam structure integrity while allowing the process to progress efficiently. This dynamic adjustment optimizes both time and quality.
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 simplifies and improves the precision of dough division, enhances the quality of aerated dough, and increases energy efficiency and production productivity by using equipment specifically designed for each process.
Implementation Method 1
the aeration process saturates that homogenous dough mass with air
Implementation Method 2
the aeration process is conducted within and by the same mixing device... the aeration process saturates that homogenous dough mass with air
Implementation Method 3
the aeration process is conducted within and by the same mixing device... being under increased pressure equal to 0.35 Mpa
Data Source
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AI summary
The dough components are mixed in a dough-mixing apparatus (2). The dough produced is divided into portions, each of which is aerated, producing aerated dough. The mixing and aeration are conducted by different devices. The aeration is conducted under a pressure of a minimum of 0.3 MPa with subsequent reduction of the pressure to atmospheric pressure at an adjustable rate of the order of 0.02-0.2 MPa/s. The pressure is reduced to atmospheric pressure either before or after removing the aerating device (6) from the dough. The aeration process is conducted in baking moulds (1), or in intermediate vessels (16), followed by transfer into the moulds (1). The transfer is made either into moulds (1) which are under atmospheric pressure, after reducing the pressure in the intermediate vessels (16) to atmospheric pressure, or into moulds (1) which are under elevated pressure, and the pressure is reduced to atmospheric pressure after the transfer. The invention makes it possible to simplify and to increase the accuracy of dividing the dough, to enhance the quality of the aerated dough, to reduce energy consumption and to increase production efficiency.