Drying Cabinet Air Diffuser Layout for Uniform Sausage Curing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drying chambers exhibit inhomogeneous air flow, leading to uneven drying of products, resulting in dry edges, excessive water content, and prolonged drying times with high energy consumption, particularly in the food industry where uniform moisture removal is crucial for preserving and maturing meat products like raw sausage.
Innovation Solution
A drying trolley equipped with a fan unit and diffusers, allowing for controlled and uniform air flow, either vertically through the trolley or horizontally via lateral air ducts, to ensure even drying, independent of the chamber geometry, and adjustable for different products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If conventional drying chambers are used with inhomogeneous air flow, then the drying chamber can accommodate multiple products, but the drying uniformity deteriorates leading to dry edges and excessive water content
Solution Approach 1:
The drying chamber is segmented into multiple independent drying zones, each equipped with its own fan unit and diffuser system. This allows each zone to control air flow independently, ensuring uniform drying across the entire chamber while maintaining the capacity to accommodate multiple products simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Each drying zone is equipped with local air flow control devices (fan units and diffusers) that create optimized air circulation patterns specific to that zone. This local quality approach ensures that each area of the drying chamber receives appropriate air flow for uniform drying, preventing both dry edges and excessive water content regardless of chamber size.
2Productivity
If conventional drying chambers operate with strong air currents at inlet/outlet areas, then air circulation is achieved, but drying uniformity deteriorates causing uneven moisture removal
Solution Approach 1:
The diffuser system creates localized air distribution patterns that evenly disperse air flow throughout each drying zone. The diffusers are positioned and designed to transform the concentrated air flow from fan units into gentle, uniform air currents that reach all products evenly, maintaining high air circulation efficiency while ensuring uniform moisture removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The diffuser acts as an intermediary device between the fan unit and the products. It receives the concentrated air flow from the fan and transforms it into a distributed, gentle air pattern that uniformly contacts all products in the drying zone, preventing both strong localized currents and dead zones.
3Manufacturing precision
If drying times are extended to achieve uniform drying, then drying uniformity improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system optimizes air flow parameters (velocity, distribution pattern, and circulation rate) through the diffuser design to achieve maximum drying efficiency. By adjusting these parameters, the system achieves uniform drying in reduced time, thereby lowering energy consumption while maintaining high drying uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fan units and diffusers create continuous, optimized air circulation throughout the drying process, ensuring that fresh drying air constantly contacts all products uniformly. This continuous efficient action accelerates moisture removal while maintaining uniformity, reducing the total drying time and associated energy consumption.
4Manufacturing precision
If fan units with diffusers are added to each drying zone, then drying uniformity improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drying chamber is divided into multiple independent zones, each with a simple fan-unit-diffuser assembly. This segmentation allows each zone to be designed and installed as a standardized module, reducing overall system complexity through repetition of simple, proven components rather than requiring a complex centralized system.
Solution Approach 2:
The fan unit and diffuser assembly serves multiple functions: it generates air flow, distributes air uniformly, and can be adjusted for different drying requirements. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate devices, simplifying the overall system structure while achieving superior drying uniformity.
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 solution enables rapid and uniform drying of products, reducing energy consumption and ensuring consistent moisture levels, thereby improving the efficiency and quality of the drying process across all areas of the drying chamber.
Implementation Method 1
a fan unit with at least one diffuser (6, 10a) is arranged on the top of the trolley (1)... enabling a uniform impingement of the material to be dried with air
Implementation Method 2
a fan unit with at least one diffuser (6, 10a) is arranged on the top of the trolley (1)... a uniform impingement of the material to be dried with air is achieved
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a cabinet, in particular for drying and curing raw sausage, comprising a frame (2), racks (3) located on the frame (2) for receiving the product to be treated (4), wheels situated at the base (5), at least one ventilator unit (6) comprising a first diffuser (8) and optionally at least one second diffuser (9) that is positioned on the cabinet. The invention further relates to a drying system consisting of a drying chamber (10) and at least one cabinet (1) of this type.