Foaming Chamber Mixing for Continuous Milk Powder Dissolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for dissolving and frothing instant powders, such as milk powder, often require manual portioning and can be inefficient, leading to partial blockages and uneven mixing, especially when trying to produce continuous milk froth.
Innovation Solution
A device that injects high-energy hot water with entrained air into a closed foaming chamber, where it tangentially meets continuously metered instant powder, promoting thorough mixing and foaming, with a progressively widening inlet funnel to ensure consistent composition and easy operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual portioning of instant powder is used, then the device structure can be simple, but the mixing becomes uneven and partial blockages occur
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet funnel is designed with a progressively widening cross-section from bottom to top, which preliminarily guides and distributes the powder flow before it enters the mixing chamber. This preliminary action ensures uniform powder distribution and prevents blockages without requiring complex additional mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The inlet funnel acts as an intermediary element between the powder storage and the mixing chamber. It mediates the powder flow by gradually widening its cross-section, which smooths the powder flow and ensures uniform distribution into the mixing chamber, preventing both blockages and uneven mixing.
2Productivity
If continuous powder supply is used, then productivity increases, but controlling the powder-water ratio becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates a feedback mechanism where the hot water jet rate and powder supply rate are coordinated based on the observed mixing效果和foam quality. This allows continuous operation while maintaining consistent powder-water ratio through real-time adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous operation by dynamically adjusting parameters such as hot water temperature, water jet rate, and powder supply rate. These parameter changes ensure that the powder-water ratio remains controlled and consistent throughout continuous operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If hot water spray head is positioned above the powder, then dissolution is effective, but the spray head gets contaminated by foam
Solution Approach 1:
The hot water injection is separated from the foam generation zone. The hot water is injected directly into the mixing chamber below the powder inlet, where it mixes with powder and entrained air to create foam. The spray head remains positioned above the liquid level, extracting it from the harmful foam environment while maintaining dissolution effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The mixing chamber acts as an intermediary space where hot water, powder, and air interact. The hot water is injected into this chamber rather than spraying from above, allowing the spray head to remain contamination-free while the mixing chamber handles the dissolution and foam generation processes.
4Ease of operation
If open-topped frothing vessel is used, then foam can be easily accessed, but hot water jets may escape into the environment causing disruption
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing chamber is nested within the frothing vessel structure. The inlet funnel extends upward into the frothing vessel, creating a nested configuration where the mixing chamber is contained within the larger vessel. This nesting ensures hot water jets are contained within the chamber while the frothing vessel remains accessible.
Solution Approach 2:
The mixing chamber is designed with walls that contain the hot water jet flow, acting as a flexible barrier that directs the flow downward and prevents escape into the environment. The chamber structure provides this containment while allowing the frothing vessel to remain open-topped for easy foam access.
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
Enables continuous and efficient dissolution and foaming of instant powders, ensuring consistent beverage or foam quality by coordinating powder and water flow rates, and allows for easy switching between frothing and plain dissolving modes.
Implementation Method 1
hot water is injected in a high-energy state from the nozzle into the largely closed foaming chamber, with a jet of hot water, which can carry air entrained from an air gap, hitting the continuously metered instant powder together
Implementation Method 2
a jet of hot water, which can carry air entrained from an air gap, hitting the continuously metered instant powder together
Implementation Method 3
hot water is injected in a high-energy state from the nozzle into the largely closed foaming chamber... promoting thorough mixing and foaming
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
An arrangement for dissolving instant powder, especially powdered milk, in hot water, and for creating a foam, comprises a flow inducing member which creates a circular flow of hot water. A foam chamber (6) has a nozzle (10) which is tangential to the inner wall and which is connected to a hot water pressure line. The chamber has a powder inlet opening (9) into which a funnel is located, and an outlet opening (8).