Aperture-Element Cooling Chamber for High-Rate Product Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling apparatuses and methods for food products are insufficiently energy efficient and have slow cooling rates for certain applications.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus comprising a cooling chamber with a conveyor and at least one circulator for circulating a cooling gas, featuring a first aperture element with multiple openings that directs the cooling gas to impinge the conveyor where products are placed, enhancing energy efficiency and cooling rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If cooling gas is circulated throughout the entire cooling chamber, then the cooling coverage is comprehensive, but the energy consumption increases and cooling rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by directing cooling gas flow specifically to the conveyor belt area where products are located, rather than circulating cooling gas throughout the entire cooling chamber. The aperture element creates localized high-velocity jets of cooling gas that impinge directly on the products, concentrating the cooling effect where it is most needed and reducing energy consumption in areas without products.
Solution Approach 2:
The aperture element segments the cooling gas flow into multiple discrete jets through its array of aperture openings. This segmentation allows the cooling gas to be distributed in targeted streams to specific product locations on the conveyor belt, improving cooling efficiency while reducing the total volume of cooling gas required compared to uniform chamber-wide circulation.
2Speed
If cooling gas flow is increased to improve cooling rate, then the cooling speed increases, but the amount of cooling gas required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes pneumatic principles by creating high-velocity jets of cooling gas through the aperture element. The aperture openings accelerate the cooling gas into focused streams that impinge on the products with high momentum, achieving rapid cooling through concentrated kinetic energy rather than relying on large volumes of slower-moving gas.
Solution Approach 2:
The aperture element introduces a new dimension to the cooling gas flow by creating three-dimensional jet patterns that can penetrate and wrap around products. This dimensional approach allows the cooling gas to access product surfaces from multiple angles simultaneously, increasing cooling effectiveness without proportionally increasing gas 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
The apparatus achieves high energy efficiency and fast cooling of products by locally restricting the cooling gas flow and generating a pressure gradient across the conveyor, reducing the amount of cooling gas required and increasing the cooling rate.
Implementation Method 1
at least one circulator for circulating a cooling gas within at least a part of the cooling chamber... the cooling gas can impinge a first side of the conveyor
Implementation Method 2
the conveyor is designed such that a pressure gradient between the first side of the conveyor and a second side of the conveyor is generated when the first side of the conveyor is impinged with the cooling gas
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
Apparatus (1) for cooling products (2) comprising at least: - a cooling chamber (3) with a conveyor (4) for conveying the products (2) through the cooling chamber (3), - at least one circulator (5) for circulating a cooling gas within at least a part of the cooling chamber (3), - a first aperture element (12) with a plurality of first aperture openings (14), wherein the conveyor (4) and the at least one circulator (5) are arranged within the cooling chamber (3) such that the cooling gas can impinge a first side (8) of the conveyor (4), wherein the first aperture element (12) is arranged within the cooling chamber (3) such that the cooling gas penetrates through the first aperture openings (14) before impinging the first side (8) of the conveyor (4). With the apparatus 1 products 2 such as food products can be cooled using a cooling gas such a gas comprising nitrogen. With aperture elements 12, 13 a flow of the cooling gas can be guided. Thereby, the products 2 can be cooled particularly energy efficiently and at a particularly high cooling rate.