Pasteurizer Spray Flow Control for Process Adaptability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pasteurizers are limited in their ability to adapt to changes in operating states, such as fluctuations in product flow or machine malfunctions, as they can only adjust process parameters like transport speed and spray medium temperature, restricting optimal control and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The pasteurizer is configured to allow variable volumetric flow rates of the spray medium, enabling open-loop or closed-loop control, which allows for adjustments beyond traditional parameters, ensuring consistent heat transfer and energy efficiency across different operating conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the volumetric flow rate of the spray medium is kept constant or switched off in each treatment zone, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to changed operating states is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The spray medium flow rate is made dynamically adjustable in each treatment zone through independent control, allowing the system to adapt to varying operating conditions such as product flow fluctuations and machine malfunctions, while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure
Solution Approach 2:
The volumetric flow rate of the spray medium is changed as a controllable parameter in each treatment zone, enabling flexible adaptation to different operating states without requiring complex structural modifications to the pasteurizer
2Manufacturing precision
If the volumetric flow rate of the spray medium is increased to improve heat transfer, then the manufacturing precision of pasteurization is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different volumetric flow rates of the spray medium are applied in different treatment zones according to their specific pasteurization requirements, optimizing heat transfer efficiency while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption in zones where lower flow rates suffice
Solution Approach 2:
The volumetric flow rate parameter is optimized for each treatment zone to achieve the required pasteurization precision, balancing heat transfer effectiveness with energy consumption by adjusting the flow rate to the minimum necessary level for each zone
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 configuration allows for precise adaptation of the pasteurization process to varying conditions, reducing energy costs, maintaining product quality, and optimizing system efficiency by varying the volumetric flow rate of the spray medium, ensuring accurate heat transfer calculations and preventing over- or under-pasteurization.
Implementation Method 1
For the purpose of heat transfer, the products are sprayed from above with a temperature-controlled spray medium
Implementation Method 2
the heat transfer between a container (5) acted upon by a spray medium and the spray medium is dependent inter alia also on the volumetric flow rate of the spray medium
Data Source
AI summary
A method for pasteurizing a continuous product chain in a device having an inlet, heat-up, pasteurization, and cooling regions all divided into treatment zones, and a transporter for passing products through these regions includes heating up, pasteurizing, and cooling by heat transfer between the products and a spray medium with which the products are sprayed, for each of the treatment zones, adapting a temperature of the spray medium to cause a desired consequence to heat transfer in the treatment zone, and varying a pasteurization process by changing a volumetric flow rate of the spray medium in at least one treatment zone between a maximum value and a minimum value.