Infusion System Steam Inlet Design for Liquid Food Heating
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In infusion systems for heating liquid food products, there is a challenge in centrally guiding and bundling the product jet to prevent deposition and burning on container walls, especially when dealing with fibrous or lumpy components, and ensuring adaptable operation for varying conditions such as throughput and heating temperature.
Innovation Solution
The system employs two spatially and fluidly separated steam inlets to control heat input, with a central steam jet and an annular steam stream surrounding the product jet, ensuring the product remains centrally focused and avoiding wall contact through controlled heat distribution and flow dynamics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single steam inlet is used for heating the food product, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability for controlling heat input and jet bundling is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The steam inlet is divided into two spatially and fluidly separated steam inlets (first steam inlet and second steam inlet), allowing independent control of steam flow for heating and jet bundling functions. This segmentation enables adaptable heat input control while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The two steam inlets serve multiple functions: the first steam inlet provides heating steam, while the second steam inlet provides bundling steam. This multi-functionality approach allows a single system to handle both heating and jet control, improving adaptability without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the product jet is not centrally guided and bundled, then the device complexity is reduced, but deposition and burning on container walls occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The second steam inlet acts as an intermediary that introduces bundling steam to envelop and centralize the product jet. This intermediary steam stream prevents the product jet from contacting container walls, eliminating deposition and burning without requiring complex mechanical guidance systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution uses pneumatic control through steam injection to guide and bundle the product jet centrally. By introducing controlled steam flows from the second inlet, the system achieves jet centralization through fluid dynamics rather than mechanical means, reducing device complexity while preventing wall contact.
3Productivity
If direct heating with steam is used, then heating efficiency is improved, but the risk of deposition and burning on walls increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different steam functions at different locations: the first steam inlet provides heating steam in the upper area for efficient heat transfer, while the second steam inlet provides bundling steam to centralize the jet and prevent wall contact. This local differentiation maintains heating efficiency while eliminating deposition risks.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the steam injection into two separate inlets with distinct functions (heating and bundling), the system achieves both efficient direct heating and prevention of wall contact. The segmented approach allows the product jet to be heated efficiently by steam while simultaneously being protected from wall deposition through centralized guidance.
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 effectively prevents deposition and burning, maintains product quality, and allows for adaptable operation by controlling heat input and jet bundling, ensuring efficient and gentle heating of liquid food products.
Implementation Method 1
Due to the direct heat exchange between the steam and the liquid food product, the latter is heated immediately, quickly and efficiently
Implementation Method 2
The steam is injected directly into the food product at a higher pressure for the purpose of heating
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1a
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to an infusion system (1) for a food product (P), in particular a dairy product such as milk, cream, or yogurt, and to the use of an infusion system of said type, and to a method for directly heating a liquid food product in an infusion system by means of a steam heating medium. The aim of the invention is to achieve central guiding and bundling of the stream of food product generated in the infusion chamber in an infusion system of the generic type, to reduce the risk of deposits and scalding of food product on the walls of the infusion tank and the tendency to precipitate solid components of the food product to be heated, such as fibers or pieces, and to ensure easy adaptability to different food products and desired operating conditions, such as flow rate, heating duration, maximum heating temperature, and the like. The aim is achieved according to the invention in that the steam inlet is designed in the form of two steam inlets (3.7.1, 3.7.2) separated from each other spatially and fluidically, that the first steam inlet (3.7.1) is connected for passing fluid to a second channel (3.3d), and the second channel (3.3d) opens into the infusion chamber (2a, 2b, 2c) in center of the upper area (2b), that the product inlet (3.6, 3.6a, 3.6b) is connected for passing fluid to a first channel (3.9) encompassing the second channel (3.3d) in a ring shape and also opens into the infusion chamber (2a, 2b, 2c) in the upper area (2b) and from above, and that the second steam inlet (3.7.2, 3.7.2a, 3.7.2b) is connected for passing fluid to a plurality of inlet openings (2n.1, 2n.2) disposed in a ring shape and radially encompassing the first channel (3.9) on the exterior and also opening into the infusion chamber (2a, 2b, 2c) in the upper area (2b) and from above.