Cryogenic Poultry Chilling by Internal Cavity Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Poultry processing facilities face challenges in chilling poultry carcasses due to refrigeration shortages, leading to inefficiencies in heat transfer and increased labor costs, as existing chilling methods primarily cool the external surface rather than the internal cavity, and may not effectively reduce bacterial contamination.
Innovation Solution
An inline cryogenic chilling system that injects cryogenic fluid directly into the cavity of poultry carcasses using a specially configured carousel and cryogen delivery apparatus, ensuring rapid chilling and bacterial reduction by delivering liquid cryogen through a tundish and injector system, with mechanisms to control flow and alignment for efficient cooling and bacterial reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If existing chilling equipment is used to cool the external surface of poultry carcasses, then cooling of the external surface is achieved, but heat transfer efficiency is insufficient and internal chilling is not effective
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the chilling action from the external surface environment and delivers it directly into the carcass cavity through injection nozzles. This removes the limitation of external heat transfer and enables direct internal cooling, significantly improving heat transfer efficiency and overall chilling effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from two-dimensional external surface cooling to three-dimensional internal cavity cooling by injecting cryogenic fluid directly into the carcass cavity. This dimensional change allows cooling to occur throughout the internal volume rather than just at the external surface, dramatically improving heat transfer efficiency.
2Temperature
If refrigeration capacity is increased to meet chilling requirements, then chilling performance improves, but capital cost and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention utilizes the phase transition of cryogenic fluid (from liquid to gas) within the carcass cavity to achieve rapid cooling. The phase change absorbs large amounts of heat directly inside the carcass, providing efficient chilling without requiring large-scale refrigeration equipment, thus reducing energy consumption and capital costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical refrigeration system with a cryogenic injection system. Instead of using large compressors and refrigeration cycles, the system uses direct injection of pre-cooled cryogenic fluid, eliminating the need for extensive mechanical refrigeration infrastructure and reducing energy consumption.
3Temperature
If refrigeration capacity is increased to meet chilling requirements, then chilling performance improves, but capital cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the core cooling function from complex refrigeration systems and implements it through a simple cryogenic injection mechanism. This removes the need for expensive refrigeration equipment while maintaining effective chilling performance, significantly reducing capital costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses cryogenic fluid as a disposable cooling medium that is injected and then evaporates, leaving no residue. This eliminates the need for expensive, complex refrigeration equipment that requires maintenance and replacement, using instead a simple, cost-effective approach with no long-term infrastructure investment.
4Temperature
If conventional chilling methods are used, then external surface cooling is achieved, but bacterial contamination is not effectively reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the cooling action from the external environment and delivers it directly into the carcass cavity where bacteria are most likely to contaminate. This direct internal cooling rapidly reduces temperatures in the cavity and neck areas, effectively inhibiting bacterial growth and reducing contamination risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from external surface cooling to internal cavity cooling, reaching the three-dimensional space where bacteria can contaminate during processing. This dimensional change ensures that cooling occurs throughout the entire carcass volume, not just at the surface, effectively reducing bacterial contamination in critical areas.
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 system achieves efficient and homogeneous cooling within the carcass, reducing bacterial contamination, particularly in the neck area, while minimizing disruption to processing lines and avoiding external freezing or damage, with the capability to process up to 10,000 birds per hour.
Implementation Method 1
deliver substantially liquid cryogen into the tundish
Implementation Method 2
deliver liquid cryogen by gravity from the injector into the cavity
Data Source
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AI summary
A cryogenic poultry chilling system including a rotatable carousel having a plurality of stations each configured and arranged to receive a poultry carcass suspended from leg hangers, the poultry carcass having an upward facing cavity opening and a downward facing neck opening, a tundish having an outlet port corresponding to each of the stations, and an injector extending downwardly from each of the tundish outlet ports configured and arranged to deliver cryogen into the cavity opening of a carcass in the corresponding station, and a cryogen delivery apparatus configured to deliver substantially liquid cryogen into the tundish.