Inline Polymer Injector for Uniform Liquid Cooling Without Icing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing apparatus for mixing and chilling liquid food products do not achieve uniform rapid cooling necessary for commercial production, and suffer from 'knocking' or 'hammering' due to icing in piping, which reduces efficiency and increases bacteria growth.
Innovation Solution
An inline mixing injector apparatus using a polymer housing with passageways and delivery channels for a chilling medium, mounted in a processing line, which introduces chilling streams at different locations to facilitate uniform cooling and prevent icing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional heat exchangers are used for cooling liquid food products, then cooling function is provided, but uniform rapid cooling is not achieved and bacteria growth increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling process is segmented into multiple delivery channels that introduce chilling medium at different locations along the passageway. This segmentation allows simultaneous cooling at multiple points, achieving uniform rapid cooling throughout the liquid product while preventing localized overheating that could promote bacteria growth.
Solution Approach 2:
Different locations of the passageway receive chilling medium through dedicated delivery channels, creating local cooling zones. This local quality approach ensures that each section of the liquid product is cooled appropriately according to its specific thermal conditions, achieving overall uniform cooling and effective bacteria growth control.
2Temperature
If conventional piping systems are used for cooling, then cooling function is provided, but 'knocking' or 'hammering' occurs due to icing in piping
Solution Approach 1:
A polymer member serves as an intermediary between the chilling medium and the liquid food product. This polymer intermediary prevents direct contact between the chilling medium and metal piping, eliminating the thermal bridge that causes icing and subsequent knocking or hammering in conventional metal piping systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a composite structure with a polymer member containing delivery channels, combining the thermal efficiency of direct cooling with the advantages of polymer materials that prevent icing. This composite approach maintains effective cooling function while eliminating the harmful knocking effect associated with conventional metal piping.
3Strength
If metal materials are used in cooling apparatus, then structural strength is provided, but icing/freezing conditions cause knocking and reduce efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The material parameter is changed from metal to polymer for the components in direct contact with the chilling medium. This parameter change eliminates the thermal conductivity issue that causes icing in metal systems while maintaining sufficient structural strength through the polymer member design, thereby improving cooling efficiency and eliminating knocking.
4Temperature
If conventional mixing and chilling systems are used, then cooling is provided, but production quotas are not met due to slow cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple delivery channels that operate simultaneously, allowing parallel cooling of different portions of the liquid product. This segmentation dramatically increases the overall cooling rate, enabling the system to meet production quotas while maintaining product quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery channels are positioned to introduce chilling medium at optimal locations along the passageway before the liquid product completes its flow path. This preliminary action ensures that cooling occurs at the most effective points, maximizing the cooling rate and enabling faster throughput to meet production requirements.
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 enables rapid and uniform cooling of liquid food products, reducing temperature in a single pass, minimizing temperature pockets, and eliminating 'knocking' issues, thus enhancing production efficiency and product quality while reducing bacteria growth.
Implementation Method 1
providing into the passageway a plurality of streams of a chilling medium at different locations of the passageway
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for reducing the temperature of a liquid product in a processing line includes a polymer member having a passageway formed therein for receiving a liquid product in the passageway; an inlet and an outlet each in fluid communication with a corresponding opposed end of the passageway; a plurality of delivery channels formed in the polymer member, each one of the plurality of delivery channels having an opening in fluid communication with a different location of the passageway and constructed to provide a chilling medium into the passageway; and a support member for the polymer member, the support member constructed to mount the polymer member in the processing line. A related method is also provided.