Intermediate Air Plenum Layout for Uniform Convection Oven Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional convection ovens experience uneven heating due to regions of high and low air flow, leading to inconsistent cooking results, where food items on different racks or at different heights are cooked at varying rates, resulting in food waste and increased labor and time requirements to achieve uniform cooking.
Innovation Solution
A convection oven design featuring one or more air plenums that direct heated air through strategically positioned inlets and outlets, with curved surfaces to optimize air flow, ensuring uniform distribution across multiple cooking chambers, thereby addressing the uneven heating issue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a fan is used to circulate heated air in a conventional convection oven, then air movement is generated to distribute heat, but regions of high and low speed air flow are created resulting in uneven heating
Solution Approach 1:
The oven cavity is divided into multiple cooking chambers separated by air plenums. Each plenum acts as an independent air distribution unit with multiple outlets, segmenting the air flow path to eliminate high and low speed regions. This segmentation allows heated air to be distributed more uniformly across different zones simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Air plenums are strategically positioned at different locations (top, bottom, intermediate levels) with outlets oriented to deliver heated air to specific local zones. Each plenum receives heated air from side channels and redistributes it locally through multiple outlets, ensuring each region receives appropriate air flow speed for uniform heating.
2Productivity
If multiple racks at different heights are placed in the oven to increase capacity, then productivity increases, but heating uniformity across different heights deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Air plenums extend in the vertical dimension, with outlets positioned at multiple heights (top surfaces of plenums, bottom surfaces of plenums, and side walls). This vertical dimensionality ensures heated air is delivered to all rack levels simultaneously, maintaining heating uniformity while accommodating multiple racks for increased productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical space is segmented into multiple cooking chambers by air plenums positioned at different heights. Each plenum serves as an independent air distribution unit for its zone, ensuring that food items at different vertical positions receive uniform heated air flow, enabling consistent cooking across all rack levels.
3Manufacturing precision
If reduced cooking temperatures and blower speeds are used to overcome uneven cooking, then heating uniformity improves, but cooking time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple air plenums with numerous outlets provide continuous and simultaneous heated air distribution throughout all cooking chambers. This eliminates dead zones and ensures continuous useful heat transfer to all food items regardless of position, maintaining high cooking temperatures and short cooking times while achieving uniform heating.
4Manufacturing precision
If skilled labor and tray rotation are used to achieve uniform cooking, then heating uniformity improves, but labor requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The air plenum system automatically distributes heated air uniformly to all cooking zones without requiring manual intervention. The system self-regulates air flow through its multi-outlet design, eliminating the need for skilled labor to rotate trays or monitor heating uniformity, thereby reducing labor requirements while maintaining consistent cooking results.
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 air plenum design enhances air flow uniformity, reducing cooking time and labor by ensuring consistent heating across all food items, regardless of their position within the oven, thus minimizing food waste and improving cooking efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
an air blower for sending heated air to the left side air channel and the right side air channel
Implementation Method 2
The heated air moves through the oven cavity to help distribute heat energy to food articles placed within the oven cavity
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A convection oven having one or more intermediate air plenums is disclosed. An intermediate air plenum placed within an oven cavity defines the bottom of an upper cooking chamber and the top of a lower cooking chamber. Each intermediate air plenum comprises a left side air inlet for receiving heated air from a left side air channel located on a left side cavity wall of the oven cavity, a right side air inlet for receiving heated air from a right side air channel located on a right side cavity wall of the oven cavity, a top plenum surface including a plurality of top air outlets configured to direct a portion of the heated air upwards, and a bottom plenum surface including a plurality of bottom air outlets configured to direct a portion of the heated air downwards. The top and bottom plenum surfaces are preferably shaped to optimize even distribution of heated air flow into the oven cavity.