Microwave Aging Device with Temperature Gradient Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional food aging methods require a long time and are prone to bacterial decay, leading to increased trimming and reduced yield rates due to prolonged low-temperature storage.
Innovation Solution
A microwave aging device and method that utilizes microwave irradiation to create a temperature gradient within the food, maintaining an inner temperature higher than the surface temperature, thereby accelerating the aging process while suppressing bacterial proliferation through simultaneous heating and cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If aging is carried out at low temperature to suppress bacterial proliferation, then bacterial growth is suppressed, but the aging period becomes excessively long
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies different temperature conditions to different parts of the food: the surface is maintained at low temperature (0-10°C) to suppress bacterial growth, while the interior is heated to higher temperature (20-50°C) to accelerate aging. This spatial temperature differentiation resolves the contradiction between bacterial suppression and aging speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The microwave irradiation is applied periodically or intermittently during the aging process, rather than continuously. This periodic heating allows the interior temperature to rise for aging while the cooling system maintains surface temperature low for bacterial suppression, achieving both goals through time-based control.
2Manufacturing precision
If aging period is extended to achieve proper aging, then aging quality is improved, but decay due to bacteria increases and yield rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By maintaining low temperature at the surface where bacteria proliferate while heating the interior where aging occurs, the invention prevents surface decay and bacterial contamination. This allows shorter aging periods while maintaining high aging quality and minimizing yield loss from trimming.
3Productivity
If aging is carried out at high temperature to accelerate the process, then aging speed is improved, but bacterial proliferation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a temperature gradient within the food, with the interior maintained at higher temperature (20-50°C) to accelerate aging reactions and the surface maintained at low temperature (0-10°C) to inhibit bacterial growth. This spatial differentiation allows high aging speed without bacterial proliferation.
Solution Approach 2:
The microwave irradiation system acts as an intermediary that selectively heats the interior of the food without significantly raising surface temperature. The cooling system serves as another intermediary that removes heat from the surface. Together, these intermediaries enable the temperature gradient that resolves the contradiction between aging speed and bacterial suppression.
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 significantly shortens the aging period, enhances umami content, and reduces bacterial growth on the surface, resulting in improved yield and quality of aged food products.
Implementation Method 1
a high-frequency wave aging unit, preferably a microwave aging unit, having an aging chamber configured to store food, an irradiation port through which high-frequency wave irradiation, preferably microwave irradiation, is performed into the aging chamber
Implementation Method 2
Through heating an inside of the food by microwave irradiation
Implementation Method 3
a blower fan configured to blow air into the aging chamber... through cooling an outside of the food by blowing cold air
Implementation Method 4
making an inner temperature of the food higher than a surface temperature of the food to age the food
Data Source
AI summary
Problem: To provide a microwave aging device that can shorten the time required for ageing food and can improve a yield rate.Solution: There is provided a microwave aging device including: a microwave aging unit 30, having an aging chamber configured to store food, an irradiation port through which microwave irradiation is performed into the aging chamber, and a blower fan configured to blow air into the aging chamber; a cooling unit 10 having a cooling chamber that is cooled by a cooler; a microwave oscillating unit 20 connected to the irradiation port; and a controller 40, where the aging chamber is arranged in the cooling chamber. There is also provided a microwave aging method using the device.