Cooling Compartment Moisture Reduction Using Phase-Transition Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for drying a spiral freezer or chiller compartment after defrosting or cleaning are time-consuming, energy-intensive, and cause wear on the drive system, while also affecting production and hygiene.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a coil assembly that alternates between heating and cooling the compartment to evaporate and condense moisture, followed by drainage, to efficiently reduce moisture content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If fan arrangement is used to blow water off the belt and main freezer fans run to evaporate residual water, then moisture is removed from the compartment, but the drying process becomes very time consuming and consumes significant power
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes phase transitions of water (liquid to vapor during heating, vapor to liquid during cooling) to efficiently remove moisture. The coil assembly heats the compartment to evaporate water, then cools it to condense the vapor, which is subsequently drained. This phase transition approach is significantly faster and more energy-efficient than conventional fan-based evaporation methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The drying process employs periodic heating and cooling cycles through the coil assembly. The system alternates between heating phases (to evaporate moisture) and cooling phases (to condense vapor), creating a rhythmic process that efficiently removes moisture while minimizing energy consumption and time compared to continuous fan operation.
2Quantity of substance
If main freezer fans run to increase temperature and evaporate water, then moisture is removed, but the drive system experiences wear and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system leverages phase transitions to transfer moisture from the compartment to a drainable state. By heating to evaporate water and then cooling to condense it, the system moves moisture efficiently without requiring continuous high-power fan operation, thereby reducing overall power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical fan-based drying system with a thermal system using the coil assembly. Instead of relying on mechanical fans to evaporate and remove moisture, the system uses controlled heating and cooling to phase-change water, eliminating the need for continuous mechanical operation and reducing energy consumption.
3Quantity of substance
If compartment doors are opened to move evaporated water out, then moisture is removed, but the processing plant atmosphere is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts moisture from the compartment by condensing vapor onto the coil assembly and draining the condensed liquid through a drainage system. This extraction method removes moisture internally without releasing evaporated water into the plant atmosphere, eliminating the harmful atmospheric impact associated with door-opening methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The coil assembly serves as an intermediary that captures water vapor through condensation and channels it to a drain. This intermediary mechanism prevents direct release of evaporated moisture into the environment, solving the atmosphere impact problem while maintaining effective drying.
4Quantity of substance
If repeated drying cycles are performed until necessary moisture is removed, then adequate drying is achieved, but valuable production time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The rapid phase transition process (evaporation followed by condensation) achieves thorough drying in a single efficient cycle rather than requiring multiple repeated cycles. The coil assembly's ability to quickly change temperature and phase moisture accelerates the drying process, restoring production time.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating and cooling cycles are performed continuously and efficiently until the drying objective is met, maximizing the useful action during each cycle. This continuous optimized process achieves complete drying faster than intermittent or repeated conventional methods, improving productivity.
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 significantly reduces the time and energy required for drying, minimizes wear on the drive system, and maintains a dry environment for improved hygiene and production efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
increasing a temperature of the cooling compartment to a minimum temperature level
Implementation Method 2
decreasing the temperature of the cooling compartment to a maximum temperature level
Data Source
AI summary
A method of reducing moisture content of a cooling compartment includes increasing a temperature of the cooling compartment to a minimum temperature level, decreasing the temperature of the cooling compartment to a maximum temperature level, and draining any condensed moisture from the cooling compartment. A system for reducing moisture content of a cooling compartment includes a coil assembly configured to increase a temperature of the cooling compartment to a minimum temperature level and decrease the temperature of the cooling compartment to a maximum temperature level, and a drain for draining any condensed moisture from the cooling compartment.