Honeycomb Forced Convection Heating for Extraction Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current honey harvesting methods are inefficient for viscous or crystallized honey, as they require lengthy extraction times and can cause equipment imbalance, leading to frame and extractor damage, with attempts to convert solid honey to liquid proving unsuccessful.
Innovation Solution
A method involving forced convection heating of honeycomb using heated air, typically between 90°F and 130°F, to reduce viscosity and convert crystallized honey back to liquid form, allowing for efficient extraction without removing frames from supers, using a vessel or hot air tunnel for heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional heating methods (oven heating) are used to melt crystallized honey, then the honey can be converted back to liquid form, but the heating is uneven and time-consuming, reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system divides the heating process into multiple zones with different temperature levels. The oven contains multiple heating zones that can be independently controlled, allowing different sections of honeycomb to receive appropriate heating intensity. This segmentation enables uniform heating throughout the honeycomb while maintaining high productivity, resolving the contradiction between reliable honey conversion and heating efficiency.
2Productivity
If higher temperatures are used to heat honeycomb, then extraction time is reduced, but honey quality deteriorates and equipment damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts heating parameters including temperature, humidity, and air circulation rates based on real-time monitoring of honeycomb state. By optimizing these parameters within safe ranges rather than using consistently high temperatures, the system achieves fast extraction while maintaining honey quality and preventing equipment damage, thus resolving the contradiction between extraction speed and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The oven incorporates sensors that continuously monitor temperature, humidity, and honeycomb state, feeding this information back to the control system. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adjust heating intensity in real-time, preventing overheating that would damage honey quality or equipment while maintaining efficient extraction rates, thereby resolving the contradiction between productivity and reliability.
3Ease of manufacture
If frames are removed from supers for heating, then heating can be applied directly to honeycomb, but the process complexity increases and time is lost in frame handling
Solution Approach 1:
The oven is designed to accommodate entire supers with frames intact, making the heating system universal enough to handle different honeycomb configurations without requiring frame removal. This multi-functionality allows direct heating of honeycomb through the frame structure, simplifying the overall process by eliminating the frame removal and reinstallation steps while maintaining effective heating capability.
4Productivity
If forced convection heating is used, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The forced convection system operates periodically rather than continuously, with the fan cycling on and off based on real-time temperature monitoring. This periodic operation maintains efficient heat transfer when needed while significantly reducing overall energy consumption compared to continuous fan operation, thus resolving the contradiction between heating efficiency and energy use.
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 method significantly reduces extraction time for viscous honey and enables the recovery of crystallized honey as liquid, preventing equipment damage and increasing honey yield, while maintaining honey quality and extending fan and equipment lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
flowing heated air through the vessel by forced convection, the heated air in contact with the honeycomb in the vessel. Heat transfers from the flowing heated air in contact with the honeycomb to the honeycomb, thereby increasing the temperature of the honeycomb.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method and related apparatus for increasing the extraction efficiency of honey from honeycomb. Capped honeycomb is placed in a vessel and heated air is flowed past the honeycomb and in contact with the honeycomb. Heat is transferred from the flowing air to the honeycomb by forced convection. The honeycomb is removed from the vessel after the honeycomb reaches a desired end temperature. The heated honeycomb is then removed from the vessel, uncapped, and honey is extracted from the uncapped honeycomb. Heating the honeycomb by forced convection heats the capped honeycomb quickly to reduce the viscosity of the honey in the honeycomb for faster extraction, and enables recovery of honey from honeycombs having crystallized honey.