Mobile Refractance Window Dryer for On-Site Harvest Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
The degradation of plant materials after harvesting requires immediate refrigeration, increasing storage and transportation costs and complexities due to the need for constant cooling.
Innovation Solution
A mobile refractance window dryer system comprising two portable platforms, one with a refractance window dryer and the other with utility equipment, providing hot water and air supply systems to dry products at or near the harvest location, eliminating the need for immediate refrigeration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If immediate refrigeration is used to prevent product degradation, then product quality is preserved, but storage and transportation costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary drying action at the harvest location before transportation and storage. By removing moisture content from the plant material immediately after harvest, the product enters a stable state that prevents degradation without requiring subsequent refrigeration, thus eliminating ongoing energy consumption while preserving quality
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the harmful element (excess moisture) from the plant material through the refractance window drying process. By removing the water that causes microbial growth and degradation, the system eliminates the need for refrigeration while maintaining product quality
2Reliability
If constant refrigeration is implemented during storage and transportation, then product degradation is prevented, but logistics complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drying system performs the critical preservation action at the source (harvest location) before the product enters the logistics chain. This preliminary stabilization simplifies subsequent storage and transportation by eliminating the need for complex refrigerated logistics infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The refractance window dryer is designed to be self-contained and portable, requiring no external utility connections. It generates its own heat and operates independently, making the system easy to deploy and operate without complex logistics support
3Reliability
If refractance window drying is performed at harvest location, then nutritional properties are preserved and shelf life is extended, but equipment portability is required
Solution Approach 1:
The drying system is divided into separate functional modules (heat generation, drying chamber, material handling) that can be independently configured and transported. This modular segmentation enables the equipment to be deployed in various configurations and locations while maintaining drying effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates movable and adjustable components including portable frames, adjustable drying parameters, and flexible material feed mechanisms. This dynamic design allows the equipment to adapt to different harvest locations and product types while preserving nutritional properties
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 preserves nutritional properties, extends shelf life, reduces transportation and storage costs by drying products, and makes them lighter and easier to transport.
Implementation Method 1
a water supply system disposed on the at least one platform and configured to provide hot water to the refractance window dryer
Implementation Method 2
an air supply system disposed on the at least one platform and configured to provide hot air to the refractance window dryer
Implementation Method 3
drying the product immediately or shortly after harvest using the methods and apparatus described herein can preserve most or all of the nutritional properties of the harvested material
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for drying harvested products using a mobile drying system are disclosed. According to some embodiments, a refractance window dryer is implemented on a mobile platform that includes two mobile units (e.g., trailers or transportable skid mounted assemblies) that may be transported to a remote location (e.g., at a harvest location). A first mobile unit may include a refractance window dryer module, and a second mobile unit may include utility equipment that supports operation of the refractance window dryer module.