Coconut Water Extraction Using Nitrogen Displacement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods of extracting coconut water from coconuts in the presence of oxygen lead to rapid oxidation, degrading the flavor, color, nutritional value, and other attributes, resulting in reduced consumer benefits and increased costs due to the need for costly transportation and processing to maintain quality.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that involves penetrating the coconut shell with a probe having a gas inlet and egress port, injecting a gas under pressure to extract coconut water into an oxygen-free collection vessel, thereby preventing oxygen contact and preserving the quality of the coconut water.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If coconut water is extracted in the presence of oxygen, then the extraction process is simple and fast, but the quality of coconut water degrades rapidly due to oxidation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveextraction speedVSAvoidoxidation degradation

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the inert atmosphere principle by introducing nitrogen gas into the extraction system to displace oxygen. The nitrogen atmosphere prevents oxidation of coconut water during extraction, storage, and transport while maintaining efficient extraction speeds. This is achieved through nitrogen injection systems and sealed extraction chambers that maintain an oxygen-free environment throughout the process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #39Inert atmosphere (Inert environment)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If growers transport coconuts to remote locations for processing to maintain quality, then consumer benefits are preserved, but transportation costs increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequality preservationVSAvoidtransportation cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the harmful element (oxygen) from the processing environment and implements local processing capabilities at the grove level. By extracting oxygen through nitrogen displacement and implementing on-site extraction equipment, growers can maintain quality without transporting coconuts to remote facilities, thereby eliminating excessive transportation costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Loss of energy

If coconut water is extracted locally without oxygen protection, then transportation costs are reduced, but the coconut water cannot be transported to foreign countries in fresh state

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransportation costVSAvoidoxidation during transport

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables local extraction with oxygen protection by implementing nitrogen-filled extraction and storage systems. This allows coconut water to be extracted at the grove, stored in nitrogen-preserved containers, and transported to foreign countries while maintaining fresh state, thereby enabling both cost-effective local processing and international distribution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #39Inert atmosphere (Inert environment)

4Object-affected harmful factors

If oxygen-free extraction system is implemented, then coconut water quality is preserved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoxidation preventionVSAvoidextraction system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses pneumatic principles to simplify the oxygen-free extraction system. Nitrogen gas is injected through pressure-controlled systems to displace oxygen automatically, and pneumatic valves control the flow of gases and extraction of coconut water. This pneumatic approach reduces mechanical complexity compared to vacuum systems or complex sealing mechanisms while effectively maintaining an oxygen-free environment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

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 effectively prevents oxidation, allowing for the preservation of coconut water quality, reducing transportation costs, and enabling global distribution in a 'grove-fresh' state while maintaining superior flavor, nutritional, and other attributes.

Implementation Method 1

injecting a gas under pressure into the coconut through the gas inlet; and allowing at least the gas pressure to effectuate the coconut water transfer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGas pressure: Pressure Increase

Data Source

PatentUS8679562B2Preventing oxygen from contacting coconut water during extraction from a coconut

Publication Date: 2014.03.25 CEVES TECH LLC

AI summary

The present invention relates to a system and method of preventing oxygen from contacting coconut water during extraction from a coconut, the method including: penetrating the shell of a coconut with a probe, the probe further having a gas inlet and an egress port, the coconut further including a coconut water; injecting a gas under pressure into the coconut through the gas inlet; and allowing at least the gas pressure to effectuate the coconut water transfer, by way of the egress port, from the coconut to an oxygen free collection vessel. Additional embodiments of the present invention include conveying the coconut to a coconut water extraction point, placing the coconut in a chamber and removing oxygen from around the coconut, macerating the coconut to form a composting material, and processing the coconut from a mobile platform proximate the coconut groves.