Cheese Coagulation Tunnel with Automated CIP and Heat Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coagulation tunnels for cheese production are inefficient due to manual cleaning difficulties, temperature control issues, and inefficient transfer mechanisms, leading to increased energy consumption and longer tunnel lengths.
Innovation Solution
A coagulation tunnel system with a closed housing and recirculating sterile air, integrated cleaning liquid-spraying means, and a transfer device that moves containers between conveyors, allowing for CIP cleaning and efficient temperature maintenance, reducing manpower and energy usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual cleaning is used in known coagulation tunnels, then cleaning can be performed, but it is difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system operates automatically without manual intervention. The spray bars move along the conveyor belt and spray cleaning liquid onto the containers and tunnel surfaces, while the system self-drains and self-circulates the cleaning liquid through filtration and heating units, eliminating the need for manual cleaning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical cleaning process is replaced with an automated spray-based cleaning system. The system uses spray bars that move mechanically to distribute cleaning liquid, followed by automated drainage and circulation systems that handle the cleaning liquid without human intervention.
2Temperature
If sterile air units heat air for coagulation, then coagulation temperature is maintained, but warm air discharged into air-conditioned rooms increases refrigeration capacity requirements
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of discharging the warm air directly into the air-conditioned room, the system recovers the warm air and passes it through a heat exchanger where it transfers heat to the incoming cold sterile air. This recovers the thermal energy that would otherwise be wasted, reducing the refrigeration load on the air-conditioning system.
Solution Approach 2:
A heat exchanger is introduced as an intermediary between the warm discharged air and the cold incoming air. This intermediary device facilitates heat transfer between the two air streams, allowing thermal energy recovery without direct mixing of the air streams.
3Temperature
If cooling units are added to sterile air units for high ambient temperatures, then coagulation temperature is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system recovers cold from the coagulation process itself. The cold sterile air entering the tunnel and the cooler portions of the coagulating product serve as heat sinks, while the warm air is recovered and reused. This internal heat recovery system eliminates or reduces the need for external cooling units.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger serves multiple functions: it cools the incoming sterile air, heats the discharged air for reuse, and maintains the overall temperature balance in the tunnel. This multi-functional component replaces what would otherwise require separate heating and cooling units.
4Ease of operation
If continuous water spray cleaning is used on inlet conveyors, then product dripping is cleaned, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous water spraying, the system uses periodic intermittent spraying. The spray bars are activated only when needed during the cleaning cycle, and the system alternates between spraying and draining phases. This periodic operation significantly reduces water and energy consumption compared to continuous spraying.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning system operates continuously in an automated cycle without interruption to production. The spray bars continuously move along the conveyor, and the cleaning liquid is continuously circulated and reused through the heat exchanger and filtration system, maintaining continuous useful cleaning action while reducing resource consumption.
5Reliability
If push-out devices are used to transfer containers, then contamination is prevented, but tunnel length increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer mechanism is moved from a horizontal arrangement (requiring long tunnel) to a vertical arrangement. The transfer device operates in the vertical dimension by lowering and raising transfer elements to move containers between the inlet conveyor and coagulation tunnel, thereby shortening the horizontal tunnel length while maintaining contamination prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
A vertical transfer device acts as an intermediary between the inlet conveyor and the coagulation tunnel. This intermediary mechanism transfers containers vertically, eliminating the need for long horizontal push-out devices while maintaining hygienic separation between clean and non-clean zones.
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 system enables complete conveyor cleaning, maintains optimal coagulation temperatures with reduced energy consumption, and minimizes tunnel length while preventing contamination and dripping, enhancing overall efficiency and productivity.
Implementation Method 1
cleaning liquid-spraying means arranged above the conveyer belt and being adapted to spray a cleaning liquid onto the interior surface of the closed housing, the conveyer belt
Implementation Method 2
sterile air units sending laminar flows of sterile air down over the containers
Implementation Method 3
heating units are known to have been incorporated in the sterile air units
Implementation Method 4
blower arranged inside the closed housing for recirculating air internally in the tunnel
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3D
AI summary
The invention relates to coagulation tunnels used when producing cheeses cast in retail containers. The tunnels are provided with conveyor belts on which the open top containers with the product are moved during the coagulation process which is initiated by rennet being mixed into the product in the filling process.