Food Processing Chamber with Pulsating Steam-Water Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current blanching and cooking processes for food products, particularly vegetables, result in heterogeneous appearance and texture, loss of product weight, and reduced quality due to uncontrolled heat transfer and leaching of nutrients, leading to increased manufacturing costs and selling prices.
Innovation Solution
A process and installation that use a mixture of water vapor and hot liquid water in the form of microdroplets for direct contact with food products, forced through a layer using a pulsating flow to ensure uniform heat transfer and retention of quality, with an enclosure that maintains pressure and temperature for optimal treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If vegetables are blanched or cooked using traditional heated water bath methods, then heat treatment is achieved, but heterogeneous appearance and texture result
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies different heat transfer mechanisms to different regions of the vegetable layer. Steam injection provides intensive heating to the upper surface, while hot water circulation through the conveyor belt provides controlled heating to the lower surface, ensuring uniform heat treatment throughout the layer thickness and eliminating heterogeneous appearance and texture.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor belt acts as an intermediary heat transfer medium, circulating hot water through its structure to transfer heat uniformly to the vegetables from the bottom surface. This intermediary mechanism ensures consistent heat distribution across the entire layer, solving the uniformity problem.
2Temperature
If vegetables remain in cooking water for prolonged periods, then cooking is achieved, but significant weight loss occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously circulates hot water through the conveyor belt and injects steam throughout the cooking process, maintaining continuous and efficient heat transfer. This eliminates the need for prolonged immersion times, reducing weight loss while ensuring complete cooking treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes phase transition of water from liquid to vapor through steam injection, providing intensive heat transfer that accelerates cooking. This phase change mechanism reduces the required treatment time significantly compared to traditional liquid water immersion, thereby minimizing weight loss.
3Temperature
If superheated water is used as heat transfer fluid under pressure, then cooking is achieved, but significant leaching of products and dissolution of vitamins occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies steam injection locally to the upper surface of the vegetable layer, providing intensive heat treatment without forcing water through the entire layer. This localized approach prevents excessive water penetration and subsequent leaching of products and vitamins, while still achieving complete cooking through the combination of steam and hot water circulation.
4Temperature
If pulsed steam is used through a layer of vegetables, then blanching is achieved, but uncontrolled blanching occurs depending on location and layer thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor belt with integrated hot water circulation acts as an intermediary that distributes heat uniformly throughout the vegetable layer. This intermediary system ensures that blanching is controlled and uniform across the entire layer, regardless of position or thickness variations, by providing consistent heat transfer from the bottom surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts heat transfer by combining steam injection at the upper surface with hot water circulation through the conveyor belt. This dynamic dual-mechanism allows precise control over heat distribution, ensuring uniform blanching throughout the layer while adapting to variations in layer thickness and position.
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
Achieves uniform blanching or cooking over the entire layer of food products, optimizing heat transfer, retaining color, flavor, and nutritional quality, while reducing product loss and manufacturing costs through controlled heat exchange and hygienic, easy-to-clean design.
Implementation Method 1
means for subjecting said products to an elevated temperature for a given time and a given pressure
Implementation Method 2
a heat transfer fluid consisting of a mixture of water vapor and hot liquid water in the form of microdroplets
Implementation Method 3
means for forcing said fluid through said layer of said food products
Implementation Method 4
The water used in the heat treatment zone is recycled
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a process for treating, in particular blanching and/or cooking, food products (1) placed in bulk in a layer (2) on a conveyor (3) inside a processing chamber (4), in which said food products (1) are continuously transported and at least heated for a given time and under a given pressure. According to the present invention, said food products (1), placed in bulk in a layer (2) with a height of up to 250 mm and a density of between 700 and 800 kg/m³, are heated for a time of between 30 seconds and 15 minutes by direct contact with a heat transfer fluid (5) consisting of a mixture of steam (16) and hot liquid water (15, 17), the mixture being forced through said layer (2) of said food products (1), in order to produce a homogeneous treatment of said products in the layer (2).The present invention further relates to a processing installation (6), particularly for blanching and/or cooking, of food products (1) placed in bulk in a layer on a conveyor (3), designed for implementing the process according to the present invention. The installation according to the present invention comprises an enclosure (4) including means for controlling the pressure inside said enclosure (4), means (7) for continuously transporting said food products (1) inside said enclosure (4), and means for subjecting said products (1) to a high temperature for a given time and at a given pressure. The installation further comprises means (8) for creating a heat transfer fluid (5) consisting of a mixture of steam and hot liquid water, and means for forcing said fluid (5) through said layer (2) of said food products (1).