Powdered Fermented Paste Freeze-Drying Process
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional fermented paste products face challenges such as deteriorated taste quality, caking, and increased distribution costs due to long drying times and high-temperature processing, which hinder global distribution and consumer convenience.
Innovation Solution
A method involving pretreatment, freezing, freeze-drying, grinding, and heat-drying of fermented pastes to produce a powdered form that maintains taste quality and prevents caking, comprising sterilization, spreading, pre-freezing, freeze-drying, grinding to a specific mesh size, and heat-drying with a binder to achieve a low water content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional drying methods (hot-air drying, vacuum drying, spray drying) are used on fermented paste, then the paste can be dried, but the drying time is long (24-72 hours) and taste quality deteriorates due to high-temperature carbonization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies freeze-drying which utilizes phase transition of water from solid to vapor (sublimation) to remove moisture from fermented paste at low temperatures, avoiding carbonization and preserving taste quality while reducing drying time to 12-48 hours
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from high-temperature drying (causing carbonization) to low-temperature freeze-drying (preserving taste), and optimizes pressure parameters during the drying process to achieve efficient moisture removal without quality deterioration
2Quantity of substance
If fermented paste is dried using conventional methods, then moisture is removed, but caking occurs during distribution
Solution Approach 1:
Freeze-drying creates a porous structure through sublimation that prevents caking by maintaining particle separation and reducing water content to below 5%, ensuring stability during distribution
Solution Approach 2:
The freeze-drying process creates a porous structure in the dried fermented paste particles, which improves flowability and prevents caking during storage and distribution by reducing particle adhesion
3Manufacturing precision
If fermented paste is frozen before drying, then the structure is preserved, but additional processing time is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines freezing and drying into a single freeze-drying process where phase transition is used to both preserve structure through freezing and remove moisture through sublimation, achieving structure preservation without significant additional time loss
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 significantly reduces drying time, preserves taste quality, prevents caking, and enhances distribution stability, allowing for efficient production of high-quality powdered fermented pastes with improved solubility and shelf-life.
Implementation Method 1
freezing the pretreated fermented paste
Implementation Method 2
freeze-drying the frozen fermented paste
Implementation Method 3
freeze-drying the frozen fermented paste
Implementation Method 4
heat-drying the powdered fermented paste
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for manufacturing a powdered fermented paste, including the steps of: pretreating a fermented paste; freezing the pretreated fermented paste; freeze-drying the frozen fermented paste; grinding the freeze-dried fermented paste; and heat-drying the ground fermented paste.