Conveyor Rail Support Layout for Cleanable Cryogenic Freezers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Cryogenic freezers face challenges in maintaining sanitation due to food debris accumulation, high capital costs, and thermal stress from material mismatch in coefficients of thermal expansion.
Innovation Solution
A cryogenic freezer design featuring a conveyor rail support system with notched bars and legs that allow for easy cleaning and thermal expansion without fasteners, combined with a multi-stage lift mechanism for accessing the bottom of the freezer and a thermal seal between housings to reduce thermal stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If stainless steel is used throughout the freezer construction, then ease of cleaning and sanitation are improved, but the capital cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Stainless steel is applied selectively only to surfaces that require frequent cleaning and contact with food products, such as the conveyor belt, support rails, and internal housing surfaces. Non-critical structural components use less expensive materials, reducing overall cost while maintaining sanitation standards where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The freezer construction combines stainless steel components with other materials that have appropriate properties for their specific functions. This composite approach allows cost reduction in non-critical areas while preserving the cleaning advantages of stainless steel in areas where it is most beneficial.
2Ease of manufacture
If the freezer is constructed with multiple materials to reduce cost, then the capital cost is reduced, but thermal stress increases due to mismatch in coefficients of thermal expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The design accommodates thermal expansion by incorporating expansion joints, flexible connections, and clearance gaps between different material components. These design features allow each material to expand and contract independently according to its coefficient of thermal expansion, preventing stress buildup while maintaining structural integrity.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional freezing methods are used, then the capital cost is lower, but the freezing time is significantly longer and food quality is inferior
Solution Approach 1:
The freezer utilizes phase transition of cryogenic liquid (such as liquid nitrogen evaporating from liquid to gas) to achieve extremely rapid heat transfer to the food products. This phase change process absorbs large amounts of heat quickly, enabling flash freezing that preserves food quality while reducing freezing time compared to conventional methods.
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 design facilitates thorough cleaning, reduces capital costs, and minimizes thermal stress, ensuring improved sanitation and operational efficiency while maintaining food quality.
Implementation Method 1
a cryogenic freezer made partially of stainless steel and partially of one or two other materials can experience a relatively high degree of thermal stress due to the mismatch in coefficients of thermal expansion of the various materials of construction
Implementation Method 2
a thermal seal between housings to reduce thermal stress
Implementation Method 3
the food product is cooled by passing the food product through the tunnel along a belt and exposing the food product to the cryogen within the tunnel
Data Source
AI summary
A cryogenic freezer includes a plurality of conveyor rail supports that rest upon side walls of a lower housing of the freezer. The conveyor rail supports include upper and lower bars that support upper and lower conveyor support rails extending perpendicular to the bars.