Internal Cooling Duct for Freezer Storage Bags to Reduce Freezing Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing freezing technologies for bulk liquids in flexible bags or rigid containers are inefficient due to limited cooling capacity, high thermal resistance, and non-uniform freezing, leading to prolonged freezing times and potential product homogeneity issues.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a cooling duct within the freezer storage bag, which circulates a coolant or cold gas to enhance heat transfer and maintain uniform freezing, with spacers to ensure optimal positioning and prevent rotation of the ducts, allowing for faster and more efficient freezing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If packaged liquids are placed on cooled shelves in cabinet freezers, then the products are protected from damage by contact with cold media, but the freezing time becomes excessively long due to high thermal resistance through multiple packaging layers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary cooling system consisting of a cooling plate positioned between the shelf and the packaged liquid. This cooling plate acts as a thermal mediator that directly contacts the packaging container bottom, creating a low thermal resistance pathway for heat extraction while maintaining product protection. The cooling plate is connected to a refrigeration system that provides intensive cooling through this intermediary interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes a liquid coolant circulating through channels in the cooling plate to achieve efficient heat transfer. The hydraulic system allows controlled flow of cooling medium through the plate, enabling rapid and uniform heat extraction from the packaged liquid without direct contact with cold air or cold surfaces that could cause damage.
2Reliability
If packaged liquids are placed on cooled shelves, then products are protected from damage, but heat transfer efficiency is reduced due to multiple protective layers
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling plate serves as a thermal intermediary that bypasses the high thermal resistance of multiple packaging layers. By establishing direct thermal contact with the container bottom through the plate, heat can be extracted efficiently without requiring heat to pass through all the protective packaging layers, thus maintaining product protection while improving heat transfer power.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is segmented into distinct functional zones: the cooling plate contacts the container bottom for efficient heat extraction, while the surrounding cold air environment provides secondary cooling and product protection. This segmentation allows optimized heat transfer at the contact interface while maintaining protective conditions elsewhere.
3Device complexity
If natural convection is used for heat transfer inside the package, then the system is simple, but freezing uniformity is poor due to ineffective heat transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces natural convection (a passive thermal mechanism) with an active mechanical cooling system consisting of a refrigeration unit and cooling plate. This substitution provides controlled, high-rate heat transfer that ensures uniform freezing throughout the packaged liquid, overcoming the limitations of natural convection while maintaining acceptable system simplicity.
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 freezing time and improves the homogeneity of frozen products by minimizing the distance heat needs to travel through the packaging, enhancing the overall efficiency and uniformity of the freezing process.
Implementation Method 1
feeding a coolant to a cooling duct present in the freezer storage bag... circulating the gaseous coolant through the cooling duct thereby imparting freezing to the liquid
Implementation Method 2
feeding a liquid coolant to a heat exchanger thereby forming a gaseous coolant
Implementation Method 3
feeding a liquid coolant to a heat exchanger thereby forming a gaseous coolant
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for freezing the contents of a freezer storage bag are disclosed. A cooling duct is mounted with or without spacers inside of a freezer storage bag that contains a liquid that can be frozen. A liquid coolant is first fed to a heat exchanger thereby forming a gaseous coolant. The gaseous coolant is fed to a manifold and from the manifold to at least one cooling duct present in the freezer storage bag. The gaseous coolant is circulated through the cooling duct thereby imparting freezing to the liquid in the freezer storage bag.