Electrospraying Liquid Food Dehydration Without Thermal Damage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for processing liquid food products, such as milk, into concentrated or dehydrated forms like milk powder, involve high energy consumption and thermal damage, leading to nutritional loss and changes in functional properties.
Innovation Solution
The use of electrospraying technique with an electrical potential between 20 kV and 50 kV, and a nozzle-collector distance of 10 cm to 50 cm, applies an electrical field to liquid food products without thermal treatment, extracting water and preserving nutritional and functional properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If thermal processing methods (pasteurization, evaporation, atomization) are used to concentrate or dehydrate liquid food products, then water extraction and concentration are achieved, but high energy consumption and thermal damage occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thermal processing methods with electrospraying technology that uses electrical fields instead of heat to achieve water extraction and concentration. The electrospraying system applies high voltage (20-50 kV) to create electrostatic forces that remove water from liquid food products without thermal treatment, directly resolving the contradiction between achieving concentration and reducing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental processing parameter from temperature to electrical potential. By applying electrical potential between 20-50 kV and controlling nozzle-collector distance (10-50 cm), the system achieves dehydration through electrostatic mechanisms rather than thermal evaporation, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining effective water extraction.
2Quantity of substance
If successive heat treatments are applied to process liquid food products, then concentration and dehydration are achieved, but nutritional loss and denaturation of milk components occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes thermal processing with electrical field-based electrospraying technology. The system uses high voltage electrical fields (20-50 kV) to generate electrostatic forces that concentrate and dehydrate liquid food products without applying heat, thereby preventing thermal damage to proteins, minerals, lactose, fat, and vitamins while achieving the desired concentration levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrospraying process creates a non-thermal processing environment that acts as an inert condition for heat-sensitive nutrients. By conducting dehydration through electrical fields rather than thermal exposure, the system protects nutritional components from denaturation and degradation, preserving the functional properties of milk proteins and other sensitive constituents.
3Loss of energy
If electrospraying technique is used to concentrate or dehydrate liquid food products, then non-thermal dehydration with reduced energy consumption is achieved, but high electrical potential (20-50 kV) and precise nozzle-collector distance control (10-50 cm) are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes specific parameter ranges for electrospraying operation: electrical potential between 20-50 kV and nozzle-collector distance between 10-50 cm. These defined parameters optimize the balance between energy efficiency and process control, allowing the system to achieve effective non-thermal dehydration while maintaining manageable electrical field requirements through standardized operational specifications.
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 method achieves non-thermal dehydration with reduced energy consumption, preserving protein functionality, nutritional value, and avoiding thermal damage, while enabling the production of high-quality concentrated or dehydrated food products.
Implementation Method 1
When the drop leaves the needle, it becomes electrically charged, causing the accumulation of charges on its surface. This causes the electrostatic repulsion of the charges to counteract the surface tension of the liquid, provoking the deformation of the drop surface.
Implementation Method 2
The phenomenon of electrohydrodynamic atomization or EHDA, commonly called electrospray, in which Electro refers to electrical energy; HydroDynamic refers to fluid dynamics; and Atomization refers to converting liquid into fine droplets, is a technique that generates very fine droplets with a mono-dispersed size from a liquid under the influence of an electrical field.
Implementation Method 3
This deformation continues until a critical point is reached where the electrostatic repulsion exceeds the surface tension, causing the evaporation of the solvent
Data Source
AI summary
A method for concentrating or dehydrating liquid food products is provided. The method comprises using an electrospraying technique on a liquid food product, the electrospraying technique including the application of an electrical potential, comprised in a range between 20 kV and 50 kV, on the liquid food product using an injection needle, obtaining a concentrated or dehydrated product as a result, the distance between said injection needle and a collector used for collecting the concentrated or dehydrated product being between 10 cm and 50 cm. The invention also relates to the use of an electrospraying technique to concentrate or dehydrate a liquid food product.