Fluidized Bed Freezer With Heated Inlet Trough to Prevent Food Sticking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigeration and freezer devices face challenges with food materials sticking to cold surfaces, particularly in continuously running freezers, leading to clogging and decreased freezing efficiency, as seen in prior solutions that require complex designs, high costs, or noisy vibrations.
Innovation Solution
A refrigeration or freezer device with a heated perforated trough bottom and asymmetric vibration movement to prevent foodstuff from sticking, utilizing electrical heating cables and fan devices to maintain a semi-fluidized state and facilitate efficient product transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hot air is introduced into an internal duct in the food weir to prevent sticking, then food material sticking is reduced, but the device complexity increases and the conveyor still requires frequent cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is extracted from the complex food weir arrangement and applied directly to the trough bottom surface. Electrical heating cables are embedded in the trough bottom, simplifying the overall structure by eliminating the need for internal ducts in the food weir while directly addressing the sticking problem at its source.
Solution Approach 2:
Electrical heating cables serve as an intermediary element embedded in the trough bottom to transfer thermal energy to the trough surface. This intermediary mechanism provides efficient and uniform heating without requiring complex air duct systems or food weir modifications.
2Reliability
If vibration is applied to the cold perforated bed surfaces to prevent sticking, then food material sticking is reduced, but the cost impact increases and unpleasant noise and vibrations are created
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical vibration system is replaced with an electrical heating system. Instead of using vibrators that create noise and require mechanical complexity, electrical heating cables are used to prevent sticking through thermal means, eliminating the harmful noise and vibration effects while maintaining the anti-sticking function.
3Reliability
If vibration is applied to prevent sticking, then food material sticking is reduced, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Complex mechanical vibration systems with multiple moving parts are replaced by simple electrical heating cable installations. The heating cables can be easily embedded in the trough bottom during manufacturing, significantly simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing costs compared to installing and maintaining vibration mechanisms.
4Reliability
If the trough bottom is heated to prevent sticking, then food material sticking is prevented, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Heating is applied locally only to the trough bottom surface where food material sticking occurs, rather than heating the entire freezer environment. The electrical heating cables are embedded specifically in the trough bottom, providing targeted thermal energy only where needed to prevent sticking, thereby minimizing overall energy consumption.
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 solution effectively prevents food material from sticking to the trough surfaces, reducing clogging and maintenance needs, while maintaining efficient freezing performance and being cost-effective and easy to manufacture.
Implementation Method 1
The inlet trough part (2b) is provided with electrical heating cables (8)
Implementation Method 2
fan devices (4) and refrigerator or freezing aggregates (5)... The transportation of the product is performed preferably by achieving a semi-fluidized refrigerator or freezer, i.e. the fan devices (4) blowing air from the refrigerating or freezing elements through the perforated troughs
Implementation Method 3
refrigerator or freezing aggregates (5)... blowing air from the refrigerating or freezing elements through the perforated troughs
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
Refrigerator or freezer device at a refrigerator or freezer (1) having, a house (3), fan devices (4), refrigeration or freezing aggregates (5), a perforated trough bottom assembly (2), an inlet (6) and an outlet (7) wherein that said perforated trough bottom assembly (2) comprises a first perforated trough bottom part (2b) and a second perforated trough bottom part (2a), in that said first part as well as said second part are subjected to the action of the fan devices (4) as well as the refrigeration or freezing aggregates (5) and in that said first part of said perforated trough bottom assembly (2b) next to the inlet is heated so that the food materials are prevented from being stuck to said perforated trough bottom assembly (2).