Electrostatic Spray Chilling to Reduce Foodstuff Weight Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for cooling foodstuffs, such as meat carcasses, result in significant weight loss due to evaporation and inefficiencies in fluid application, leading to delayed cooling, bacteriological contamination, and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
An electrostatic spray chilling system that uses a chilled primary airflow and charged fluid sprays to rapidly cool foodstuffs by generating a charged fluid spray and orienting it parallel to the airflow, ensuring efficient transfer and evaporation on the foodstuff surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If water is sprayed onto carcasses to accelerate cooling and reduce weight loss, then cooling efficiency is improved, but freezing of water on surfaces and condensation formation occurs which delays cooling and causes contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies electrostatic charging to water droplets, transforming their physical property from neutral to charged state. This parameter change enables the droplets to be attracted to and adhere to the carcass surface more effectively, improving cooling efficiency while reducing the amount of water needed, thereby preventing freezing and condensation issues
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the conventional mechanical spray system with an electrostatic spray system. Instead of relying solely on mechanical force to deposit water droplets, the system uses electrostatic fields to charge and direct droplets onto the carcass, achieving more precise and efficient fluid application
2Productivity
If forced air movement is used to blow cold air over carcasses to accelerate cooling, then cooling rate is improved, but significant weight loss due to evaporation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of water from neutral droplets to electrostatically charged droplets. This parameter change allows for more efficient water deposition on the carcass surface, reducing the amount of water that evaporates and is lost, thereby minimizing weight loss while maintaining accelerated cooling
Solution Approach 2:
The electrostatic field acts as an intermediary between the water spray system and the carcass. It mediates the interaction by charging the droplets and attracting them to the carcass surface, improving the effectiveness of water application and reducing unnecessary evaporation and weight loss
3Productivity
If conventional spray systems are used to apply water to carcasses, then cooling is accelerated, but only a small portion (typically about 20%) of the sprayed water is actually effective in reducing weight loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the electrical parameter of water droplets from neutral to charged state through electrostatic induction. This parameter change dramatically improves spray efficiency by enabling electrostatic attraction between charged droplets and the grounded or oppositely charged carcass surface, ensuring that a much higher percentage of sprayed water effectively contacts and cools the carcass
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes electrostatic forces for mechanical spray forces. Instead of relying on high-pressure mechanical spraying which results in significant water waste, the system uses electrostatic fields to precisely direct and deposit water droplets onto the carcass surface, achieving superior spray efficiency with much lower water consumption
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 significantly reduces weight loss and accelerates cooling by increasing transfer efficiency of the fluid, reducing condensation and waste, and creating a more sanitary environment, with enhanced cooling rates up to 20% compared to uncharged fluid methods.
Implementation Method 1
generating a charged fluid spray; applying the charged fluid spray to the foodstuff; electrically grounded foodstuff
Implementation Method 2
generating a chilled primary airflow and blowing the primary airflow into a chilling tunnel
Implementation Method 3
ensuring efficient transfer and evaporation on the foodstuff surface; significantly reduces weight loss and accelerates cooling by increasing transfer efficiency of the fluid
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
An electrostatic spray chilling system is configured to rapidly cool foodstuffs. A conveyor traverses foodstuffs through a chilling tunnel. A chilled primary airflow is provided to the chilling tunnel to cool the foodstuffs. As the foodstuff is traversed through the chilling tunnel, spray modules generate and apply sprays of electrostatically charged fluid onto the foodstuff. The charged fluid droplets are attracted to the grounded foodstuff. The charged fluid droplets can be guided onto the foodstuff by secondary fans, configured to generate subflows of the chilled primary air, and by air guiding baffles.