Liquid Nitrogen Dosing With Self-Cleaning Beaters for Ice Crystal Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice cream manufacturing processes struggle to consistently produce high-quality frozen mixtures with desirable characteristics, such as small ice crystals and even ingredient distribution, due to limitations in rapid cooling and mixing techniques.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing interlocking helical beaters and a controlled liquid nitrogen dosing system to rapidly cool and mix ice cream ingredients, ensuring reproducible doses of liquid nitrogen and efficient mixing that prevents ice crystal formation, achieving small ice crystals and high-quality texture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If liquid nitrogen is added to rapidly cool ingredients, then freezing speed is improved, but dosing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-measures a quantity of liquid nitrogen before the mixing process and stores it in a reservoir. This preliminary dosing action allows the rapid cooling to proceed with precise, pre-determined amounts of liquid nitrogen, resolving the contradiction between freezing speed and dosing precision by preparing the exact dosage in advance.
Solution Approach 2:
A reservoir acts as an intermediary component between the liquid nitrogen source and the mixing chamber. The reservoir receives pre-measured liquid nitrogen and delivers it controllably to the ingredients during mixing, enabling both rapid cooling and precise dosing by mediating the transfer process.
2Productivity
If beaters are positioned close together for efficient mixing, then mixing effectiveness is improved, but ice crystal formation increases due to frozen material buildup
Solution Approach 1:
The interlocking beaters are designed to be self-cleaning, where the rotation and interlocking action automatically removes frozen material buildup from the beater surfaces. This self-service mechanism prevents ice crystal formation while maintaining the close positioning needed for effective mixing, resolving the contradiction between mixing effectiveness and ice crystal prevention.
3Temperature
If liquid nitrogen dosing is increased to achieve desired freezing, then freezing effectiveness is improved, but product consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors that monitor the freezing process and provide feedback to the control system. Based on this feedback, the liquid nitrogen dosing is automatically adjusted to maintain optimal freezing effectiveness while ensuring consistent product composition, resolving the contradiction between freezing effectiveness and product consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts dosing parameters based on real-time process conditions. By changing the dosing rate, temperature, and other parameters in response to measured conditions, the system achieves effective freezing while maintaining consistent product quality throughout the process.
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 system effectively produces high-quality frozen products by ensuring even mixing and freezing, resulting in exceptionally small ice crystals and consistent texture, addressing the limitations of traditional ice cream manufacturing processes.
Implementation Method 1
Rapid cooling produces desirable characteristics in ice cream
Implementation Method 2
freezing the mixture
Implementation Method 3
agitating the ingredients while they are chilled
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods of producing a frozen food product include dosing ingredients with a liquefied gas while mixing the ingredients using self-cleaning interlocking beaters. The beaters are optionally also disposed to clean a container in which the ingredients are frozen. The rate and amount of cooling is controlled by measuring the quantity of liquid nitrogen, measuring viscosity of the frozen food product, measuring temperature, and/or the like.