Device and method for emulsifying liquid or solid products, in particular food products such as milk or ice cream
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for emulsifying food products like milk and ice cream are inefficient, leading to excessive product wastage, hygiene issues, and unsatisfactory emulsion quality, with complex designs limiting their application to industrial sectors.
Innovation Solution
A compact device with a double worm screw pump and integrated cooling means that emulsifies and cools products using a double worm screw mechanism, allowing for efficient homogenization and texturing, while minimizing dead volumes and facilitating easy cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If gear pumps or eccentric screw pumps are used to automate the whipping process, then the emulsification process is automated and productivity is improved, but excessive quantities of product stagnate in dead volumes causing waste and hygiene issues
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is divided into two separate chambers: a first chamber for receiving the product to be emulsified and a second chamber for receiving the emulsifying gas. This segmentation eliminates dead volumes where product could stagnate, as each chamber has a defined function and complete flow path.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful dead volumes are extracted or eliminated from the system by designing a pump where the product flow path is completely filled and controlled by the screw mechanism, leaving no stagnant regions for product accumulation.
2Productivity
If gear pumps or eccentric screw pumps are used with large dead volumes, then automation is achieved, but cleaning difficulty increases and hygiene is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the pump into distinct functional chambers with clear separation between product handling and gas injection zones, the design enables targeted cleaning of each section, improving overall hygiene without compromising automation.
3Productivity
If complex machine components with dead volumes are used, then emulsification automation is achieved, but emulsion quality and texturing remain unsatisfactory
Solution Approach 1:
The screw mechanism dynamically controls the flow and mixing of product and gas through rotating elements that create controlled turbulence and shear forces, improving emulsion quality while maintaining automation.
Solution Approach 2:
A dedicated emulsifying gas chamber acts as an intermediary between the product chamber and the emulsion output, allowing controlled introduction of gas that enhances texturing and emulsion quality without disrupting the automated process.
4Productivity
If large pump components with cooling circuits are used, then industrial applications are enabled, but device complexity and dimensions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling function is merged directly into the pump housing structure rather than being a separate system, reducing overall device complexity and dimensions while maintaining industrial processing capability.
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 device produces high-quality emulsions with reduced wastage and improved hygiene, offering flexibility in processing parameters and reliability, suitable for both industrial and non-industrial applications.
Implementation Method 1
a pump (3) comprising a double worm screw (9) arranged between a suction duct (5) and a delivery duct (7). The double worm screw (9) is adapted for emulsifying the product and the gas to obtain an emulsion
Implementation Method 2
cooling means (11) associated with the pump (3) in an area comprised between the suction duct (5) and the delivery duct (7) and adapted for cooling the product, gas and/or emulsion present in the area of the pump (3) comprised between the suction duct (5) and the delivery duct (7)
Data Source
AI summary
A device for emulsifying liquid or solid products, in particular food products such as milk or ice cream, including a pump having at least one suction duct adapted for sucking a product to be emulsified and an emulsifying gas, and a delivery duct adapted for dispensing an emulsion obtained starting from the product to be emulsified and from the emulsifying gas, where the pump has a double worm screw arranged between the suction duct and the delivery duct, the double worm screw being adapted for emulsifying the product and the gas to obtain the emulsion and to push the product, the gas and/or the emulsion with a flow substantially parallel to the axis of the screws of the double worm screw from the suction duct to the delivery duct. Moreover, the device comprises cooling means associated with the pump in an area comprised between the suction duct and the delivery duct and adapted for cooling the product, the gas and/or the emulsion present in the area of the pump comprised between the suction duct and the delivery duct.