Domestic Rotary Food Processing With Ultrasonic Enzyme Inactivation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Domestic food processing appliances like blenders and juicers often destroy a significant portion of vitamin C during processing due to the activation of ascorbate oxidase, which is exacerbated by temperature increases, leading to the degradation of vitamin C in freshly made juices.
Innovation Solution
A domestic food processing apparatus that includes a vessel, a rotary processing element, a motor, a heating system, a temperature sensor, and an ultrasonic vibration arrangement, where the controller maintains a temperature between 50.0 to 75.0 degrees Celsius to deactivate ascorbate oxidase while minimizing vitamin C destruction, using a combination of resistive heating and ultrasonic vibration to create turbulent effects that mechanically inactivate the enzyme.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high speed rotation is used to process food, then processing efficiency is improved, but temperature increases which activates ascorbate oxidase and destroys vitamin C
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by heating the food before processing to deactivate ascorbate oxidase in advance. The controller heats the food to a temperature between 40-65°C before the rotary processing element operates, ensuring the enzyme is already inactivated when processing begins, thus preventing vitamin C degradation during high-speed processing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter during processing by maintaining it within a specific range (40-65°C) through controlled heating. This parameter change deactivates ascorbate oxidase while preserving vitamin C, allowing high-speed processing without the usual vitamin C loss
2Loss of substance
If heating is applied to deactivate ascorbate oxidase, then vitamin C preservation is improved, but excessive heating destroys vitamin C
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback control by using a temperature sensor to continuously monitor the food temperature during processing and adjusting the heating power accordingly. The controller receives temperature feedback and maintains the temperature within the safe range of 40-65°C, preventing both insufficient enzyme deactivation and excessive vitamin C degradation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent precisely controls the temperature parameter within a narrow range (40-65°C) to achieve enzyme deactivation while preserving vitamin C. This controlled parameter change ensures the heating is sufficient to inactivate ascorbate oxidase but not excessive enough to destroy vitamin C
3Use of energy by moving object
If room temperature processing is used, then energy consumption is reduced, but ascorbate oxidase remains active and degrades vitamin C
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from room temperature to a controlled range of 40-65°C during processing. This moderate heating is sufficient to inactivate ascorbate oxidase and preserve vitamin C while consuming relatively little energy, especially when using ultrasonic heating which is energy-efficient for small volumes
4Loss of substance
If ultrasonic vibration is applied to inactivate enzyme, then vitamin C preservation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the ultrasonic vibration function with the existing rotary processing element. The ultrasonic transducer is integrated into the processing element or vessel, combining mechanical processing and enzyme inactivation functions in a single integrated component, thus minimizing additional complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The rotary processing element serves multiple functions: mechanical food processing and ultrasonic enzyme inactivation. By making the processing element multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate dedicated components for ultrasonic treatment, thereby reducing overall device complexity
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 approach effectively retains a higher level of vitamin C in processed foods by balancing temperature and mechanical disruption to inactivate ascorbate oxidase, preventing vitamin C degradation without overheating, thus preserving nutritional value and maintaining flavor.
Implementation Method 1
a heating system; a temperature sensor; wherein the controller is adapted to control the heating system to provide a food temperature in the range 50.0 to 75.0 degrees Celsius during or immediately after processing
Implementation Method 2
an ultrasonic vibration arrangement for vibrating the food; using a combination of resistive heating and ultrasonic vibration to create turbulent effects that mechanically inactivate the enzyme
Implementation Method 3
a rotary processing element mounted in the vessel; a motor for driving the rotary processing element
Data Source
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AI summary
A domestic food processing apparatus is for rotary food processing, in which a food temperature is controlled to be in the range 50.0 to 75.0 degrees Celsius during or immediately after processing. Food such as fruit or vegetables may be processed, for example blended or juiced. The heating process is used to deactivate ascorbate oxidase so that it does not break down vitamin C after the fruit or vegetables have been blended or juiced. The temperature is high enough to provide deactivation of the ascorbate oxidase but not so high as to destroy the vitamin C by overheating. An ultrasound system (28, 30) is used to generate heat and also turbulence thus giving a combined stirring and heating effect, and the stirring effect partially destroys ascorbate oxidase activity through mechanical processes in addition to the temperature dependent effects.