Blast cell apparatus and system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Blast freezing processes are inefficient and costly due to manual operation, large footprints, and ice buildup, which hinders automation and increases energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
Automated blast cell systems with side-loading doors, air flow guides, and controlled air circulation pathways to enhance efficiency and reduce turbulence, allowing for automated loading and unloading using autonomous cranes and robots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual operation with forklifts is used for loading and unloading blast cells, then ease of operation is maintained, but device complexity and required footprint increase due to need for maneuvering space and cross-traffic avoidance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual forklift operations with an automated robotic system featuring autonomous mobile robots that transport pallets to and from blast cells. This substitution eliminates the need for human operators and forklifts, reducing the required maneuvering space and cross-traffic avoidance areas, thereby decreasing the overall warehouse footprint while maintaining operational capability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If extended blast freezing cycles are used to ensure thorough cooling, then temperature uniformity is improved, but loss of time increases due to prolonged freezing duration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the air circulation system into multiple independent channels, each serving specific pallet positions within the blast cell. This segmentation allows different regions to be cooled independently and simultaneously, enabling thorough cooling of all pallets without requiring extended sequential cycles, thereby reducing total freezing time while maintaining temperature uniformity across all positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces multi-level stacking of pallets in vertical dimensions within the blast cell. By arranging pallets across multiple levels with appropriate air flow distribution, the system achieves thorough cooling of increased volumes without extending horizontal footprint or cycle time, effectively adding a dimensional aspect to the cooling process.
3Area of stationary object
If automated systems are introduced to reduce footprint, then area is reduced, but device complexity increases due to automation components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs autonomous mobile robots with multi-functionality, enabling them to perform multiple tasks including pallet transport, navigation to various blast cells, and interaction with loading/unloading mechanisms. This universal design consolidates what would otherwise require multiple specialized devices, reducing overall system complexity while achieving the goal of reduced footprint through automation.
4Ease of operation
If side-loading doors are implemented for automated access, then ease of operation for automation is improved, but device complexity increases due to door mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements side-loading doors with automated opening and closing mechanisms that operate autonomously in response to the arrival and departure of autonomous mobile robots. The system self-manages the door operations without requiring additional manual intervention or complex control systems, achieving ease of automated access while keeping the door mechanism relatively simple through self-service operation.
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
Improves safety and efficiency by automating the blast freezing process, reducing the required warehouse footprint, and optimizing throughput and cycle time while maintaining consistent cooling across multiple levels.
Implementation Method 1
convective air blast freezing is a process by which freezing of items like foodstuffs is facilitated by flowing very cold air over the items via mechanical force
Implementation Method 2
a cooling system (e.g., cooling coils, such as evaporators) that effectively transfers heat picked up from the pallets out of the enclosure
Implementation Method 3
The channels can be designed to provide independent fluid pathways that are in fluid communication with different levels in a bay space of a blast cell, such that air flow that has passed through the respective levels is partitioned and pulled through the independent channels to a fan that operates to draw air from the bay space in the blast cell
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
A system for blast-freezing items includes a plurality of cells arranged side-by-side, each cell including a housing with a bay space, a plenum, a front air passage, a rear air passage, and a fan. The fan is positioned in the plenum and configured to circulate air through the bay space. Each cell also includes a plurality of channels to separate pathways of air to segments of the bay space. The system also includes a plurality of crane rails extending between rows of cells and at least one crane capable of traveling along the plurality of crane rails to load or unload each of the plurality of cells.