Flexible Coolant Wrapping Material for Faster Food Freezing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current fast-freezing techniques for food preservation, such as using cold air and metal plates, still require improvement in reducing the time spent in the maximum ice crystal generation zone (-1 to -5°C) to minimize cell damage and maintain food freshness.
Innovation Solution
A flexible wrapping material comprising a coolant gel composition with a hydrophilic polyurethane prepolymer, coolant agent, water, and thermally conductive filler, optimized in weight ratios to enhance thermal conductivity and freezing speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If cold air freezing technique is used, then food can be frozen, but the time to pass through the maximum ice crystal generation zone is around 200 mins which is too long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a flexible wrapping material as an intermediary between the food and the cold air environment. This material contains a coolant gel composition with thermally conductive fillers that act as a mediator to transfer heat more efficiently from the food to the surrounding cold air, thereby accelerating the freezing process and reducing the time spent in the dangerous temperature zone.
Solution Approach 2:
The wrapping material uses a composite gel composition combining hydrophilic polyurethane prepolymer, coolant agent, water, and thermally conductive filler. This composite structure leverages the thermal conductivity of the filler particles embedded in the gel matrix to enhance heat transfer efficiency beyond what conventional single-material solutions can achieve.
2Speed
If metal plate is added to accelerate freezing, then freezing speed improves to 150 min, but further acceleration is still needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thermal parameters of the wrapping system by incorporating thermally conductive fillers with high thermal conductivity values. This fundamentally alters the heat transfer characteristics of the wrapping material, enabling significantly faster heat extraction from the food compared to conventional metal plates alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the conventional mechanical contact-based heat transfer (metal plate touching food) with a chemical/physical solution where the gel composition itself provides enhanced thermal conductivity through its filler content, allowing for more efficient and uniform heat transfer without requiring direct mechanical contact.
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 coolant gel composition significantly reduces the time to pass through the maximum ice crystal generation zone, improving food preservation by accelerating the freezing process and maintaining freshness.
Implementation Method 1
a coolant gel composition comprising, i) at least one hydrophilic polyurethane prepolymer, ii) a coolant agent, iii) water, and iv) thermally conductive filler
Implementation Method 2
The coolant gel composition significantly reduces the time to pass through the maximum ice crystal generation zone, improving food preservation by accelerating the freezing process
Implementation Method 3
Most liquid in the food would become ice crystal in this temperature range
Implementation Method 4
The faster freezing speed can maintain more freshness of meats after freeze-thaw circles
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a flexible wrapping material comprising a coolant gel composition comprising, i) at least one hydrophilic polyurethane prepolymer, ii) a coolant agent, iii) water, and iv) thermally conductive filler.