Cheese Filling Inlet Pipe Dynamics for Curd Whey Homogeneity
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cheese production methods face challenges in ensuring even distribution and loading of the cheese curd/whey mixture into portioning tubes, leading to uneven curd/whey ratios and potential agglomeration, which affects the quality and consistency of cheese production.
Innovation Solution
A device and method where the cheese curd/whey mixture is introduced into a container using an inlet pipe with a flow element that can be moved in different directions, ensuring homogeneous distribution, and a poppet valve with a variable flow cross-section is used to maintain suspension of the cheese curd in the whey, preventing agglomeration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the curd/whey mixture is filled into the container in an uncontrolled manner, then the filling process is simple and fast, but the distribution of curd/whey mixture becomes uneven and agglomeration occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet pipe is made movable within the container, allowing its position to be dynamically adjusted during the filling process. This enables the pipe to be moved in different directions to distribute the curd/whey mixture evenly throughout the container, preventing agglomeration while maintaining continuous filling operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow cross-section of the inlet pipe is made variable through a poppet valve mechanism. By adjusting the flow cross-section, the flow rate and distribution pattern of the curd/whey mixture can be controlled, ensuring uniform distribution while preventing localized agglomeration, thus resolving the contradiction between filling speed and distribution uniformity.
2Loss of time
If the curd/whey mixture is filled quickly into the container, then the filling time is reduced, but curd settlement and agglomeration occur in individual areas
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet pipe can be moved in different directions during the filling process, allowing the filling operation to continue without interruption while evenly distributing the mixture. This dynamic positioning prevents curd settlement and agglomeration even during rapid filling, maintaining mixture homogeneity while minimizing filling time.
Solution Approach 2:
The filling process is designed to be continuous with the inlet pipe moving throughout the container during filling. This continuous movement ensures that curd and whey are distributed evenly throughout the entire filling process, preventing settlement and agglomeration while maintaining high filling speed without interruption.
3Device complexity
If the curd/whey mixture is poured into the container without controlled distribution, then the equipment complexity is low, but the curd/whey ratio becomes uneven in individual tubes
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet pipe is made movable within the container, adding minimal complexity to the equipment. By moving the pipe in different directions during filling, uniform distribution of curd/whey mixture is achieved, which ensures consistent curd/whey ratio in all portioning tubes without requiring complex distribution mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The poppet valve that adjusts the flow cross-section of the inlet pipe adds a simple but effective control mechanism. By varying the flow cross-section, the mixture distribution can be optimized for uniformity, ensuring consistent curd/whey ratio in portioning tubes while keeping the overall equipment relatively simple.
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 ensures continuous, even feeding of the cheese curd/whey mixture to portioning tubes, maintaining a uniform curd/whey ratio and preventing agglomeration, resulting in high-quality cheese production with consistent quality.
Implementation Method 1
the curd/whey mixture is already introduced evenly into the container by means of the flow device in question, the mixture being introduced into the container in different directions
Implementation Method 2
a poppet valve with a variable flow cross-section is used to maintain suspension of the cheese curd in the whey, preventing agglomeration
Implementation Method 3
the point at which the curd/whey mixture flows out of the inlet pipe can be changed in order to ensure the most homogeneous feeding of the container and even mixing of the curd/whey mixture
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device (10) for filling a format set (14) comprising several portioning tubes (12) with a cheese curd/whey mixture. The device comprises a container (22) for receiving the cheese curd/whey mixture, with a container bottom (24) having several openings for dispensing the cheese curd/whey mixture into the respective portioning tubes, and an inlet pipe (32) for supplying the container with the cheese curd/whey mixture. A flow element (42) is provided at the downstream end of the inlet pipe, which deflects the cheese curd/whey mixture flowing in the inlet pipe in several directions and whose position relative to the container is variable.