Food Sterilization Apparatus with Segmented Steam Chambers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional food sterilization apparatuses with elongate cylinder steam chambers face challenges in achieving uniform temperature distribution, particularly for foods positioned away from the steam supply port, leading to uneven heating and sterilization.
Innovation Solution
A food sterilization method and apparatus that utilizes a heat-sterilizing chamber with a sealing mechanism involving movable sealing covers and steam discharging parts to create a sealed environment, allowing for the efficient distribution of heating steam throughout the chamber, including the use of a vacuum to enhance heat transfer and the placement of steam discharging parts at strategic locations to manage steam pressure and condensation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If an elongate cylinder steam chamber is used to receive foods arranged in a row, then the chamber can accommodate multiple foods, but heating steam is not sufficiently supplied to positions at a distance from the steam supply port, resulting in non-uniform heating
Solution Approach 1:
The steam chamber is divided into multiple sealing chambers by partition walls, with each chamber containing a food item. Each chamber has its own steam supply path from the steam supply port, ensuring that steam reaches all food items uniformly regardless of their position in the elongate chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
Each sealing chamber is equipped with localized steam supply capabilities through the partition walls, allowing steam to be delivered directly to each food item's vicinity. This ensures that local temperature conditions are optimized for uniform heating across all foods.
2Quantity of substance
If a large oven is used to sterilize multiple foods, then the sterilization capacity is increased, but the temperature distribution becomes non-uniform
Solution Approach 1:
The large oven capacity is achieved by segmenting the steam chamber into multiple smaller sealing chambers using partition walls. Each chamber acts as an independent sterilization zone with direct steam access, ensuring uniform sterilization while maintaining high throughput capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of relying on steam diffusion through a large single chamber, the invention uses partition walls to create a multi-dimensional array of smaller chambers. This transforms the steam distribution problem from a long-distance diffusion challenge into a series of short-distance localized deliveries.
3Temperature
If the steam chamber is made small to improve temperature uniformity, then heating becomes more uniform, but the capacity to receive multiple foods is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The solution segments the steam chamber into multiple small sealing chambers, each capable of holding one food item. This maintains the temperature uniformity benefits of small chambers while achieving the capacity of a large chamber by arranging multiple small chambers in series along the elongate structure.
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 approach enables uniform heat sterilization of foods within the elongate can-shaped chamber, reduces maintenance needs, and enhances operational efficiency by allowing continuous operation without frequent stops, while also simplifying the sealing mechanism and automating the introduction and removal of food containers.
Implementation Method 1
reducing a pressure in the inside of the heat-sterilizing chamber
Implementation Method 2
heat-sterilizing the food introduced into the inside of the heat-sterilizing chamber by the steam supplied from the steam supplying part
Implementation Method 3
close contacting the sealing cover and the heat-sterilizing chamber by absorption force of the air to seal the inside of the heat-sterilizing chamber
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a food sterilization method capable of heat-sterilizing foods uniformly by heating steam irrespectively with a shape of an apparatus. The food sterilization method includes introducing the food into the inside of the heat-sterilizing chamber through the opening of the opening and closing part; discharging the air in the inside of the heat-sterilizing chamber through the air discharging part, close contacting the sealing cover and the heat-sterilizing chamber by absorption force of the air to seal the inside of the heat-sterilizing chamber, and then reducing a pressure in the inside of the heat-sterilizing chamber; closing the air discharging part, supplying the steam from the steam supplying part to the inside of the heat-sterilizing chamber to close contact the sealing cover and the opening of the opening and closing part by a pressure of the steam and thereby seal the opening and closing part and the inside of the heat-sterilizing chamber, and then heat-sterilizing the food introduced into the inside of the heat-sterilizing chamber by the steam supplied from the steam supplying part and at the same time, discharging some of the steam in the inside of the heat-sterilizing chamber through the steam discharging part during the heat-sterilization; closing the steam supplying part, and discharging the steam in the inside of the heat-sterilizing chamber through the steam discharging part; and taking the food out of the heat-sterilizing chamber through the opening of the opening and closing part.