Noodle Drying Retainer Aperture and Airflow Inversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Non-fried instant noodles tend to stick together during drying, making them difficult to loosen and rehydrate, with existing methods failing to provide sufficient drying efficiency and loosening effect due to air flow direction and retainer design.
Innovation Solution
A retainer with a bottom surface having an aperture ratio of 0 to 30% is used, and a high-speed air flow is blown downward from above, causing the noodles to leap and agitate, preventing sticking and ensuring uniform drying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If non-fried noodles are dried using conventional hot-air drying method, then drying is achieved, but noodle strings stick together and become hard to loosen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional air flow direction by blowing air upward from below the retainer instead of downward from above. This inversion causes the air to rise through the noodle mass, creating upward buoyant forces that prevent noodle strings from settling and sticking together, while still achieving effective drying.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses pneumatic principles by introducing air flow through the retainer bottom surface to generate upward buoyancy forces on the noodle strings. The air flow creates a lifting effect that prevents noodle strings from contacting each other and sticking, while maintaining drying efficiency through the upward movement of air through the noodle mass.
2Reliability
If air is blown upward from below the retainer to prevent sticking, then loosening is improved, but drying efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the spatial dimension of air flow by directing air upward through the retainer bottom surface rather than downward from above. This dimensional change allows the air to penetrate through the noodle mass from below, creating effective drying while simultaneously generating upward buoyant forces that prevent sticking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes parameters including the aperture ratio of the retainer bottom surface (0-30%) and air flow speed (50-100 m/s) to achieve the optimal balance between drying efficiency and sticking prevention. By carefully controlling these parameters, the system achieves both effective drying and sufficient loosening.
3Productivity
If retainer has large aperture ratio for air flow, then drying is improved, but air force is weakened upon collision with bottom surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the aperture ratio parameter of the retainer bottom surface to be within 0-30%. This parameter optimization allows sufficient air flow for drying while maintaining enough air flow force to generate effective buoyancy and prevent noodle string sticking, resolving the contradiction between drying efficiency and force maintenance.
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 method and device effectively prevent noodle string sticking, achieve efficient drying, and enhance rehydration by creating a bulky, easily loosened noodle mass with improved texture and cooking experience.
Implementation Method 1
blowing a high-speed air flow from above the retainer
Implementation Method 2
the air flow shows a reflecting behavior, and thus the noodle strings can be dried while loosened in a state of leaping or being lifted
Implementation Method 3
the retainer having one or more small holes in a bottom surface thereof so as to give a ratio of the total area of the small holes to the area of the bottom surface of the retainer of 30% or less
Implementation Method 4
a high-speed air flow is blown downward from above, causing the noodles to leap and agitate, preventing sticking and ensuring uniform drying
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for drying non-fried noodles for obtaining non-fried noodles that are easily loosened without sticking of noodle strings and excellent in restorability. The present invention includes, as a step of drying non-fried noodles, a step of putting gelatinized noodle strings into a retainer, the retainer having one or more small holes in a bottom surface thereof so as to give a ratio of the total area of the small holes to the area of the bottom surface of the retainer of 30% or less, or having no small hole in the bottom surface, that is, the retainer having an aperture ratio of 0 to 30%, and blowing a high-speed air flow, preferably having a wind speed of 50 m/s or higher, from above the retainer toward the noodle strings in the retainer.