Impingement Oven Distribution Ducts for Uniform Product Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing impingement ovens face challenges in achieving uniform distribution of the cooking medium across the conveyor belt, leading to non-uniform heat transfer and temperature deviations in food products, particularly for wider conveyor belts, which affects the throughput and quality of cooked products.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates distribution ducts that reduce in cross-sectional area and are in fluid flow communication with supply chambers, featuring adjustable-position diverters to control the proportion of thermal processing medium entering upper and lower ducts, ensuring uniform distribution of the thermal processing medium across the conveyor belt.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If distribution ducts are used to circulate thermal processing medium, then the medium can be distributed across the conveyor belt, but non-uniform distribution occurs leading to temperature deviations in food products
Solution Approach 1:
The distribution ducts are designed with varying cross-sectional areas along their length, creating different flow resistance characteristics at different locations. This local variation in duct geometry ensures that the thermal processing medium is distributed more uniformly across the conveyor belt width, addressing the non-uniform flow distribution problem.
Solution Approach 2:
Adjustable-position diverters are incorporated into the distribution ducts, allowing dynamic control of the thermal processing medium flow allocation between upper and lower ducts. This dynamic adjustment capability enables optimization of flow distribution to achieve uniform temperature across different product positions.
2Productivity
If the conveyor belt width is increased to achieve higher food product throughput, then productivity improves, but non-uniform distribution of cooking medium becomes more acute
Solution Approach 1:
The distribution system is segmented into multiple independent distribution ducts that can be individually configured. Each duct serves a specific zone across the conveyor width, allowing the system to handle wider conveyors while maintaining uniform distribution through localized flow control in each segment.
Solution Approach 2:
Distribution ducts are designed with location-specific cross-sectional areas tailored to the required flow distribution pattern for wider conveyors. This local optimization of duct geometry ensures that even across expanded conveyor widths, the thermal processing medium is distributed uniformly to maintain temperature consistency.
3Loss of energy
If non-uniform distribution of cooking gas flows occurs, then irregular flow patterns are produced at oven interfaces, but this adversely influences heat transfer to work pieces
Solution Approach 1:
The cross-sectional area parameter of the distribution ducts is systematically varied along their length to optimize flow distribution. By changing this geometric parameter, the system achieves uniform flow patterns at oven interfaces, maximizing heat transfer efficiency to work pieces and minimizing energy losses from irregular flow patterns.
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 solution achieves a more uniform distribution of the thermal processing medium, resulting in consistent product temperatures and increased throughput by minimizing temperature deviations and improving heat transfer efficiency across the conveyor belt.
Implementation Method 1
distribution ducts extending laterally from the two supply chambers to direct the thermal processing medium toward the conveyor. The distribution ducts are configured to reduce in cross-sectional area in the direction laterally of the conveyor and away from the supply chambers
Implementation Method 2
A heated gaseous cooking medium is applied to (impinged upon) the food products or other work products at relatively high velocity... The cooking medium is heated and circulated through the oven at high velocity to perform the cooking operations
Implementation Method 3
The sheets of cooking gas flow from the finger ducts downwardly onto the food product or other product, as well as upwardly through the porous conveyor belt to the underside of the food product or other product
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
An impingement oven (40) includes an upper housing structure (46) forming the exterior of the upper half of the impingement oven and a lower housing structure (48) to mate with the upper housing structure. An interior impingement housing (62) is positioned interior to the upper and lower housing structures (46) and (48). A conveyor (60) extends through the interior impingement housing (62). The inside surfaces of the upper and lower housing structures (46) and (48) cooperate with the interior impingement housing (62) to define upright supply chambers (80a) and (80b) on opposite sides of the impingement oven to direct cooking medium downwardly upon the work products being carried by the conveyor and also upwardly through the porous belt of the conveyor, thereby to thermally process the work products being carried on the conveyor. The uniform flow distribution at the impingement oven provides a more effective containment of the steam in the steam chamber and of the impingement medium in the impingement oven. This can result in more uniform work piece temperatures across the conveyor belt width.