Intermeshing Curved Vat Blades for Turbulent Food Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional food processing vat agitation systems with flat-panel agitators experience reduced efficiency due to centrifugal flow forcing contents radially away from shafts, leading to sliding rather than cutting or stirring, and rotational imbalances causing wear on bearings and supporting structures.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of blade assemblies with curved baskets and knives on two horizontal shafts, where each blade assembly faces different directions along its length and intermeshes with corresponding blades on the opposing shaft, creating a turbulent flow and improving rotational balance by extending in opposing directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If flat-panel agitators are used, then the structure is simple, but the cutting and stirring efficiency decreases due to centrifugal flow forcing contents radially away
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by replacing flat-panel agitators with curved blade assemblies. The blades are configured with curved surfaces that follow the rotational path, allowing them to cut through the centrifugal flow rather than having contents slide along flat surfaces. This curvature enables the blades to effectively process vat contents even when moving in the same direction as the material flow.
2Device complexity
If agitators extend from a single side of the shaft, then the structure is simple, but rotational imbalances occur causing wear on bearings and supporting structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses asymmetric blade configuration where blades extend from both sides of the shaft in opposing directions. This asymmetric arrangement about the shaft center creates rotational balance, counteracting centrifugal forces and reducing vibration and wear on supporting structures while maintaining effective cutting and stirring action throughout the vat.
3Device complexity
If two shafts rotate in alternating sequence through common swept volume, then the structure is simple, but the vat contents experience reduced cutting efficiency when moving in the same direction as agitators
Solution Approach 1:
The curved blade design allows both shafts to rotate through the same swept volume simultaneously or in alternating sequence without compromising cutting efficiency. The curvature of the blades enables them to cut through the vat contents effectively regardless of the relative timing of shaft rotation, eliminating the need for alternating rotation sequences.
4Device complexity
If flat-panel agitators are used, then the structure is simple, but the vat contents slide outwardly along the agitators reducing cutting or stirring efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The curved blade surfaces are designed to intercept and cut through the centrifugal flow of vat contents rather than allowing the material to slide along flat panel surfaces. The curvature creates effective cutting edges that engage the material, converting the centrifugal flow from a harmful sliding effect into a beneficial cutting action.
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 configuration enhances cutting and stirring efficiency by ensuring contents move in varying directions within the vat, reducing sliding and improving rotational balance, thus extending the lifespan of supporting structures.
Implementation Method 1
Blade assemblies of the two shafts simultaneously move through the common volume, working the contents from both sides of the vat. This may enhance stirring or cutting of the contents by imparting a turbulent flow of the contents in the common volume which may ensure that the contents and blade assemblies are moving at least somewhat in different directions.
Implementation Method 2
with typical flat-panel agitators, when the agitator and vat contents move in the same direction, e.g., circumferentially around a shaft that supports the flat-panel agitator, the vat contents move with a centrifugally directed flow component which forces the contents radially away from the shafts.
Data Source
AI summary
A food processing vat is provided with blade assemblies that extend from opposing sides of a rotating shaft. The blade assemblies may be curved or otherwise face different directions at different locations along their respective lengths. The vat may have a pair of rotating shafts and the rotation of the shafts may be timed so that the blade assemblies of the shafts simultaneously travel through a common swept volume. The blade assemblies may be positioned on the shafts so that they intermesh through each other while simultaneously moving through the common volume.