Crust Freezer Rollers With Preheating to Prevent Frost Buildup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing crust freezers face issues with frost accumulation under rollers, leading to operational disruptions and food product sticking to conveyor belts, which hinders continuous operation and hygiene.
Innovation Solution
A crust freezer design featuring rotating rollers with a chamber for blowing cold air, where the rollers move in a loop with adjustable speed and reverse rotation, ensuring the rollers exit the chamber before frost forms, and are heated post-use to prevent sticking and frost accumulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If cold air is blown between rotating rollers to form a crust on food products, then crusting efficiency is improved, but frost accumulates on the rollers blocking rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The rollers are preheated to a temperature above the freezing point of water before entering the crusting chamber. This preliminary heating action ensures that when the rollers contact the food product and cold air, the rollers themselves do not freeze, preventing frost accumulation and maintaining continuous rotation operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature parameter of the rollers is changed and maintained above the freezing point through preheating. This parameter change prevents the phase transition of moisture on the rollers from liquid to solid, thereby preventing frost accumulation that would block roller rotation and disrupt continuous operation.
2Productivity
If food product is transported on an endless belt in a cold air chamber, then crusting is achieved, but food product sticks to the belt
Solution Approach 1:
The rollers are preheated before contacting the food product. This preliminary heating creates a temperature barrier that prevents the food product from freezing to the rollers, eliminating the sticking problem while still allowing cold air to crust the food surface effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The heated rollers act as an intermediary between the cold air chamber and the food product. They allow cold air to pass through for crusting while their elevated temperature prevents direct freezing adhesion between the food product and the conveyor surface, solving the sticking issue.
3Productivity
If rollers are kept in a cold environment for crusting, then crusting effectiveness is improved, but frost blocks roller rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system is divided into separate functional zones: a preheating zone for the rollers and a crusting chamber zone with cold air. This segmentation allows the rollers to be heated separately from the crusting environment, enabling them to rotate freely without frost blockage while still achieving effective crusting when they contact the cold air and food product.
Solution Approach 2:
The rollers receive preliminary heating treatment in a separate zone before entering the crusting chamber. This preliminary action ensures they maintain a temperature above freezing, preventing frost accumulation that would impede their rotation during the crusting process.
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 design prevents frost accumulation and food product sticking, enabling continuous operation and efficient crusting of food surfaces while maintaining conveyor hygiene.
Implementation Method 1
blowing cold air at a negative temperature at least from bottom to top in the space between the rollers to ensure a crusting of the food product located on the rollers
Implementation Method 2
the rollers passing outside the chamber in a device for brought to a positive temperature
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The deepfreezer comprises a conveyor comprising rotating rollers between which a space is present for moving the food product, a chamber containing a unit for blowing cold air at a negative temperature upwards between rollers to ensure crusting of the foodstuff located on the rollers. The conveyor further comprises a first device to move in one direction for advancing the rollers linked together in a loop passing through the chamber, and a second device to rotate the rollers on themselves in one direction of reverse rotation of a direction for advancing in the chamber. The deepfreezer comprises a conveyor comprising rotating rollers between which a space is present for moving the food product, a chamber containing a unit for blowing cold air at a negative temperature upwards between rollers to ensure crusting of the foodstuff located on the rollers. The conveyor further comprises a first device to move in one direction for advancing the rollers linked together in a loop passing through the chamber, a second device to rotate the rollers on themselves in one direction of reverse rotation of a direction for advancing in the chamber, and a unit for adjusting the speed for advancing rollers in the advancing direction and the speed of rotation of rollers in the rotation direction opposite to the advanced rotation direction so that the rollers exit from the chamber after a predetermined period after their entry into the chamber, and pass outside the chamber in a heating-up device. The residence time of the foodstuff on the rollers in the chamber is determined by the difference between the speed of advancing the rollers in the advanced direction and the non-zero tangential velocity imparted to the foodstuff by the speed of rotation of the rollers in direction opposite to the advancing direction of rotation of the rollers. The rollers contact with foodstuff at their outer surface, which is metallic. The heating up device comprises a box of water vapor in which the rollers pass outside the chamber, and heats the rollers at a temperature such that the rollers have at the inlet in the chamber at a temperature greater than the foodstuff. The first device comprises a first chain with respect to which the rollers are supported. The first chain is rotated using a rotation unit in the direction of advancing. The second rotational device comprises a second chain meshing with a pinion attached to each roller, and a second unit of rotating the second chain to turn the rollers by the gears in the direction opposite to the advanced rotation direction is set. The first chain comprises links having joints between them. The joints of the first chain are separated from rollers. The rollers pass through a device of washing rollers in downstream of the chamber and upstream of the heating up device.