Extruding Machine Low-Shear Zone for Inclusion Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing extrusion cooking methods for producing expanded edible food products with solid inclusions larger than 0.5 mm face challenges such as energy inefficiency, degradation of inclusions due to high shear and temperature, and difficulty in achieving uniform distribution and visibility of inclusions in the final product.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a multi-zone extruding machine with specific screw profiles and zones for mixing, compression, degassing, and low-shear inclusion introduction, followed by expansion through an extrusion die, to maintain inclusion integrity and achieve uniform distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If inclusions are introduced into the extrusion cylinder in the supply zone, then the material can be processed continuously, but the inclusions are subjected to excessive crushing and degradation due to high shear rates
Solution Approach 1:
The extrusion cylinder is divided into multiple functional zones: a supply zone for material introduction, a cooking zone for thermal processing, and a low-shear mixing zone for inclusion incorporation. This segmentation allows different operations to occur in optimized environments, protecting inclusions from excessive shear while maintaining continuous production capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the extrusion system are designed with locally optimized properties: the supply zone has high shear for material transformation, while the mixing zone has low shear specifically for inclusion protection. The screw profile is locally adapted in each zone to provide appropriate mechanical action for the specific operational requirement.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If inclusions are introduced at low pressure and low shear to avoid crushing, then inclusion integrity is maintained, but the steam from overheated water prevents inclusions from entering the product
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary degassing of the dough before inclusion introduction, removing excess steam and water vapor that would otherwise interfere with inclusion incorporation. This preliminary action creates favorable conditions for subsequent inclusion entry and distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The extrusion process maintains continuous operation with constant material flow through the system. The low-shear mixing zone continuously incorporates inclusions into the degassed dough, ensuring uninterrupted production while protecting inclusion integrity throughout the process.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional kneading and cooking methods are used, then the dough can be processed, but the production duration is long and energy consumption is high
Solution Approach 1:
The cooking and mixing operations are merged into a single continuous extrusion process. The extrusion system simultaneously performs cooking (thermal processing) and mixing (inclusion incorporation) in one continuous operation, eliminating the need for separate batch processes and reducing overall production time and energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Traditional mechanical kneading is replaced with extrusion-based mixing. The extrusion screw provides gentle conveying and mixing action that achieves homogeneous inclusion distribution without the high-energy mechanical kneading required by traditional methods, reducing both time and energy input.
4Ease of manufacture
If high shear mixing zones are used to transform and cook the material, then the material can be processed effectively, but the inclusions are considerably reduced in size and become invisible
Solution Approach 1:
The extrusion system separates material transformation (cooking) from inclusion mixing into different zones. The cooking zone performs thermal transformation with appropriate shear, while the subsequent low-shear mixing zone incorporates inclusions without size reduction, preserving their visibility in the final product.
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 enables the continuous production of expanded food products with high yields of visible inclusions, reducing energy consumption and production costs while maintaining inclusion integrity, with yields ranging from 20 to 90% depending on inclusion type.
Implementation Method 1
high shear rates, due to the co-penetrating and self-cleaning screws of said extruding machine, as the material has to be transformed or cooked by the application of mechanical energy
Implementation Method 2
it is necessary for the product, which is extruded at the outlet of the extruding machine and which is formed by a mixture containing water, to pass from a zone, in the pressure-temperature diagram of water, where the water is in the liquid state to a zone where normal pressure and temperature conditions prevail and where the water is in the gaseous state
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for the continuous production of an expanded edible food product obtained by cooking-extrusion and containing solid inclusions having a size larger than 0.5 mm.