Melter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for melting cheese, such as using a gas burner or bain-marie, face challenges in uniform heat distribution, leading to potential grating or increased energy costs, and require operator expertise to prevent overheating.
Innovation Solution
A melter with a stainless steel container lined with independent electrical heating fabrics on the bottom and side walls, controlled by temperature sensors, and housed in an insulated envelope, featuring a flow control system and heating elements to ensure uniform heating and prevent solidification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a gas burner or single-source heat source is used to heat the bottom of the container, then the cheese can be heated and melted, but the heat distribution becomes uneven causing the cheese to brown on contact with hot walls
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system is segmented into multiple independent heating zones: a first heating means applied to the bottom wall and a second heating means applied to the peripheral wall. This segmentation allows each zone to be controlled independently, distributing heat more uniformly across the cheese container and preventing localized overheating that causes browning.
Solution Approach 2:
Different heating means are applied to different locations (bottom vs. peripheral walls) with potentially different heating characteristics. The controller can adjust the heating intensity locally in each zone based on temperature sensor feedback, ensuring optimal heat distribution throughout the cheese mass without creating hot spots.
2Quantity of substance
If the container size is increased to produce large quantities of fondue, then more cheese can be melted, but the heating becomes more difficult and heat distribution more uneven
Solution Approach 1:
For large containers, multiple heating means are distributed across different surfaces (bottom and peripheral walls). This segmentation of the heating system allows heat to be applied from multiple directions simultaneously, improving heating efficiency and uniformity in large-volume containers that would be difficult to heat effectively from a single bottom source.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating approach transitions from a single-dimensional bottom heating to multi-dimensional heating by adding peripheral wall heating. This dimensional expansion of the heating system enables effective heat distribution in large containers, addressing the scaling challenge of melting large quantities of cheese uniformly.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a bain-marie technique is used with water bath, then the cheese is heated more evenly without burning, but additional energy is required to heat and maintain the water temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the intermediate water bath medium from the heating system. Instead of heating water and then transferring heat to the cheese container, the heating means are applied directly to the cheese container's bottom and peripheral walls, providing controlled heat directly to the cheese without the energy-intensive water bath intermediary.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical bain-marie water bath system is replaced with an electrical or induction heating system that provides direct, controllable heat to the cheese container. This substitution eliminates the need to heat and maintain a large volume of water, significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining even heat distribution through the segmented heating approach.
4Loss of energy
If copper containers are used to improve heat conduction, then heat diffuses more quickly from the bottom, but this requires precise operator skill to prevent overheating and browning
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system is segmented into multiple independently controlled zones with temperature sensors in each zone. This segmentation allows automated control of heat distribution, eliminating the need for operator skill to manage heat diffusion in high-conductivity materials like copper. The controller balances heat input across zones based on real-time temperature feedback.
Solution Approach 2:
Temperature sensors are positioned to monitor cheese temperature in different zones, providing feedback to the controller. The controller uses this feedback to automatically adjust the heating means, maintaining optimal temperature distribution without requiring operator intervention or expertise. This closed-loop control system manages the rapid heat diffusion characteristic of copper containers automatically.
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 solution provides consistent and controlled melting of cheese, reducing the risk of grating and energy inefficiencies, while simplifying the heating process through programmable temperature control and insulation for safer operation.
Implementation Method 1
the external face of the bottom of the stainless steel container and the external face of the side wall of said container are each lined with an independent heating fabric and each connected to an electrical energy source
Implementation Method 2
container is housed in an envelope providing between the internal face of the envelope and the external face of the container covered with heating fabrics a space containing thermal insulation
Implementation Method 3
Melter for transforming a product from a solid state to a liquid state
Data Source
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AI summary
The subject of the invention is a melter comprising a metal container intended to contain a product to be melted and a means for heating the container, this melter being characterized in that the external face of the stainless steel container is lined with a heating fabric connected to an electrical source controlled by a heating program with reference to temperature sensors fitted to the melter and said container is housed in an envelope providing between the internal face of the envelope and the external face of the container covered with heating fabrics a space containing a thermal insulator. According to the invention, to take the melted cheese, a pipe, located at the base of the container containing the melted product, crosses the space delimited by the container and the envelope, to emerge outside in a means of control of the flow rate, with part of the pipe replacing part of the bottom of the container and forming a low point.