Compartmented Produce Ripening Chamber for Independent Air Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ripening chambers, especially those in transport containers, lack the ability to independently control ripening conditions for different types of produce or varying ripening rates, as they typically circulate air uniformly, which is not suitable for producing items with different ripening requirements.
Innovation Solution
The ripening chamber is divided into mutually isolated compartments along its length, each with independently controllable air conditioning and doping systems, allowing for different temperature, humidity, and ripening agent concentrations, enabling separate ripening of produce at varying rates within the same chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the chamber is divided into multiple isolated compartments with independent control systems, then the ability to ripen different produce at different rates is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ripening chamber is divided into multiple isolated compartments along its length, with each compartment having independent air conditioning and doping systems. This segmentation allows different produce to be ripened at different rates simultaneously within the same chamber, directly resolving the contradiction by enabling differentiated control while maintaining a single integrated structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Each compartment is equipped with locally independent air conditioning and doping systems that can be controlled separately. This allows different temperature, humidity, and ripening agent concentration conditions to be created in different locations within the chamber, enabling adaptability for different produce types without requiring entirely separate chambers.
2Manufacturing precision
If the air conditioning system is housed within the duct to force controlled air circulation, then the temperature control precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air blower and heat exchanger of the air conditioning system are integrated within the duct structure. This merging of functions allows the duct to serve both as an air distribution channel and as a housing for temperature control equipment, improving temperature control precision while minimizing the increase in device complexity through functional integration.
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 solution allows for the simultaneous ripening of different types of produce at different rates within the same chamber, optimizing the ripening process by enabling independent control of each compartment, even in a single-chamber transport container scenario.
Implementation Method 1
at least an air blower and a heat exchanger of the air conditioning system are housed within the duct to force air at a controlled temperature to circulate through the air flow channel
Implementation Method 2
at least an air blower and a heat exchanger of the air conditioning system are housed within the duct to force air at a controlled temperature to circulate through the air flow channel
Data Source
AI summary
A produce ripening chamber is described which comprises an air conditioning system for circulating air through the chamber and regulating the air temperature and a doping system for regulating the concentration of a ripening agent in the recirculated air. The chamber 10 has a floor 12, a ceiling 14 and side walls 16 extending between the floor 12 and the ceiling 14. At least one kerb 20 is arranged on the floor for spacing a pallet 24 resting on the floor 12 from a side wall 16 and a duct 18 arranged is at the ceiling end of the latter side wall 16 to seal against the side facing the latter side wall of an upper produce box supported by the pallet. In this way, an air flow channel 30, 32 is defined between the boxes 20 stacked on the pallet 24 and the side wall 16. An air blower 42 and a heat exchanger 40 of the air conditioning system are housed within the duct 18 to force air at a controlled temperature to circulate through the air flow channel 30, 32, through the produce boxes 20 supported by the pallet 24 and through a clearance volume 36 lying between the stack of boxes and the ceiling of the chamber. The ripening chamber is divided along its length into two or more mutually isolated ripening compartments by at least one partition that extends across the entire width of the chamber and the air conditioning systems and doping systems in the individual ripening compartments are controllable independently of one another..