Permeable Mould Body with Variable Porosity for Uniform Food Ejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rotary cylindrical mould drums for food products face challenges in achieving uniform ejection of products due to non-uniform fluid flow resistance along the length of the mould drum, leading to inefficiencies in ejection fluid usage and potential product damage.
Innovation Solution
The mould drum incorporates a permeable mould body with fine openings and a configuration of ejection fluid inlets and channels that create distinct fluid flow resistances along the drum, ensuring a more uniform fluid flow and efficient ejection of food products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a rotary cylindrical mould drum with multiple lanes of cavities is used, then productivity is improved by moulding multiple products simultaneously, but non-uniform fluid flow resistance along the drum length causes non-uniform ejection leading to product damage and increased ejection fluid consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the porosity of the permeable mould body along the longitudinal direction of the drum. Different sections of the mould body have different porosity values, creating locally adapted fluid flow resistance that compensates for the non-uniform geometry of multiple lanes. This ensures uniform ejection conditions across all cavities despite their different positions along the drum length.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by modifying the porosity parameter of the permeable mould body material along the drum's longitudinal axis. The porosity varies continuously or in steps to compensate for the increasing distance from the ejection fluid inlet to cavities in different lanes, maintaining uniform fluid flow and pressure distribution during product ejection.
2Ease of operation
If ejection fluid is supplied to all cavities simultaneously through a common inlet, then ease of operation is improved, but fluid flow resistance varies along the drum length causing non-uniform ejection and increased fluid consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The permeable mould body incorporates local quality variations in porosity along its length, allowing different sections to offer different fluid flow resistance. This compensates for the varying path lengths from the common ejection fluid inlet to cavities in different lanes, ensuring uniform ejection with optimized fluid consumption.
3Productivity
If the drum length is increased to accommodate more cavities, then productivity is improved, but fluid flow resistance becomes more non-uniform along the length leading to greater ejection inconsistency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses parameter changes by varying the porosity of the permeable mould body along the longitudinal direction. This allows the drum length to be extended while maintaining uniform ejection conditions, as the porosity gradient compensates for the increased non-uniformity in fluid flow paths to distant cavities.
Solution Approach 2:
By implementing local porosity variations in the permeable mould body, the patent enables extended drum lengths with maintained ejection uniformity. Each section of the mould body has optimized porosity matching its distance from the ejection fluid inlet, ensuring consistent ejection across all cavities regardless of drum length.
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 design enhances the uniformity of product ejection, reduces the consumption of ejection fluid, and minimizes product damage during the ejection process, particularly for larger food products like hamburgers and chicken fillets.
Implementation Method 1
a first fluid flow resistance P1 for a flow of pressurized ejection fluid entered via the ejection fluid inlet, which is different from a second fluid flow resistance P2 for a flow of pressurized ejection fluid
Implementation Method 2
a permeable volume comprising fine openings opening out at the one or more mould cavities
Data Source
AI summary
A moveable mould member is configured for use in an installation for moulding food products from a pumpable foodstuff mass. The mould member has a permeable mould body with an outer surface forming at least part of the outer mould member surface, which outer surface of the permeable mould body is fluid tight; mould cavities and a permeable volume defining fine openings opening out at the mould cavities, such that each mould cavity of the permeable mould body is delimited at least in part by a permeable volume. In addition, the mould drum has, for each group of mould cavities from which food products are to be ejected simultaneously, an ejection fluid inlet allowing the entry of pressurized fluid, and one or more channels extending from the associated ejection fluid inlet to the one or more permeable volumes of the group of mould cavities.