Facility for thawing or tempering frozen food products
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food thawing and tempering technologies face challenges in achieving rapid thawing or tempering while maintaining a low surface temperature to prevent damage and preserve the appearance of sensitive products like fish, as they often result in excessive thawing times that can lead to bacterial growth and spoilage, and surface temperature increases that cause discoloration.
Innovation Solution
A thawing or tempering installation with a chamber for forced air circulation, steam injection, hot and cold water misting, and a high-frequency electromagnetic system, allowing for precise temperature control to balance heat input and transfer, ensuring quick thawing without excessive surface temperature rise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If rapid thawing or tempering is implemented using conventional methods, then the thawing speed is improved, but the surface temperature increases causing discoloration and damage to sensitive food products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by directing forced air circulation specifically at the surface of the food product to enhance heat transfer, while using steam injection and water misting to locally control surface temperature. The ventilation means creates turbulent flow (speed ≥ 5 m/s) that targets the product surface, allowing rapid thawing without uniform overheating that would cause discoloration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes multiple parameters simultaneously: air flow speed (≥ 5 m/s), steam temperature, water mist temperature, and humidity levels. By dynamically adjusting these parameters, the system achieves rapid thawing while maintaining surface temperature within acceptable limits to prevent discoloration of sensitive products like fish.
2Device complexity
If conventional thawing methods are used, then the process is simple, but the thawing time is excessive allowing bacterial growth and spoilage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into a single integrated system: forced air circulation for convective heating, steam injection for rapid heat transfer, water misting for surface cooling and humidity control, and electromagnetic radiation for direct energy transfer. This combination achieves rapid thawing (reducing time losses) while maintaining manageable system complexity through integrated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous forced air circulation at high speed (≥ 5 m/s) throughout the thawing process, ensuring constant heat transfer to the product surface. This continuous action, combined with ongoing steam and water mist injection, prevents bacterial growth by keeping the product in a controlled thawing state without prolonged停留 in the danger zone.
3Temperature
If forced air circulation at high speed is used, then heat transfer to the product surface is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes phase transitions of water (liquid to vapor in steam injection, vapor to liquid in condensation on product surface) to enhance heat transfer efficiency. The latent heat released during condensation provides intensive heating at the product surface, reducing the need for prolonged high-speed air circulation and thereby lowering overall energy consumption while maintaining effective heat transfer.
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 installation efficiently thaws or tempers food quickly while maintaining a controlled surface temperature, reducing bacterial risk and preserving product appearance by optimizing heat transfer through turbulent air circulation and regulated water misting, ensuring high-quality defrosting with minimal appearance alteration.
Implementation Method 1
ventilation means, in particular directed horizontally or vertically, to establish a forced air circulation in the chamber, at a speed greater than or equal to 5 ms-1
Implementation Method 2
steam injection means to introduce steam into the chamber
Implementation Method 3
means of spraying, showering or misting water, in order to create a water mist therein
Implementation Method 4
a high-frequency electromagnetic system, allowing for precise temperature control to balance heat input and transfer
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A facility (10) for thawing or tempering frozen food products, comprising: A chamber (12) for receiving the products to be thawed or tempered, a fan means (60), in particular directed horizontally or vertically, for establishing a forced air flow in the chamber, at a speed greater than or equal to 5 ms-1, a means for heating the products present in the chamber, comprising at least one of a means (30) for injecting or creating steam in the chamber, in particular by low-pressure steam diffusion, a means for spraying, showering or misting hot water or water at room temperature, a means for mixing air on a hot heat exchanger or a heating resistor, and a high-frequency, in particular microwave, electromagnetic system, and preferably a means (30) for injecting or creating steam in the chamber or a high-frequency electromagnetic system, a means for cooling the air in the chamber comprising at least one of a means for injecting cold air via a dedicated inlet, a means for mixing air on a cold heat exchanger, and a means for misting, showering or spraying cold water in the chamber (12), and preferably a means for misting, showering or spraying cold water in the chamber (12).