Steam Cooker Layout With Separate Generator for Fast Batch Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial cooking appliances face challenges in quickly and gently heating food, especially when dealing with rapid batch changes and small quantities, as existing steam cooking methods are overwhelmed and suffer from performance drops due to steam being drawn off from the appliance's heating register.
Innovation Solution
A cooking appliance design that allows direct injection of steam from a separate steam generator into the cooking chamber, independent of the appliance's heating, enabling quick and gentle cooking without heating the appliance or heating coil, with a compact steam generator for rapid operational readiness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If steam is drawn off from the appliance's heating register for cooking, then steam cooking can be performed, but the heat output and cooking performance drop significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the steam generation function from the heating function by introducing a独立的 steam generator that connects to the cooking chamber via a steam line, allowing steam to be supplied independently without affecting the heating register's performance
Solution Approach 2:
A separate steam generator acts as an intermediary device that produces steam independently and delivers it to the cooking chamber through a dedicated steam line, preventing the conflict between steam extraction and heating performance
2Reliability
If the cooking appliance and heating coil are heated up for steam cooking, then cooking can proceed, but the heating time becomes excessively long
Solution Approach 1:
The steam generator is pre-heated and ready to produce steam independently before cooking begins, eliminating the need to heat up the entire cooking appliance and heating coil, thus reducing heating time to just 2-3 minutes
Solution Approach 2:
The steam generation function is extracted from the main cooking appliance system and placed in a separate, compact steam generator, allowing steam production without heating the entire appliance volume
3Quantity of substance
If a large steam generator is used to provide sufficient steam, then steam demand is met, but the device becomes too large and operationally slow
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses parameter changes by controlling steam pressure (1-4 bar) and temperature to optimize steam generation efficiency, allowing a compact generator to produce sufficient steam for various cooking demands
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 significantly reduces heating time, allows for efficient regeneration and blanching of food, and enables economical steaming of small quantities, achieving a 50-70% reduction in cooking time while maintaining gentle heat transfer.
Implementation Method 1
direct injection of steam into the cooking chamber... achieve a steaming and regeneration function without the cooking appliance itself having to be heated up
Implementation Method 2
maintaining gentle heat transfer
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A cooking method involves an appliance in which the lower part of the cooking space (2) is formed by a feed volume (42) and a cooked material volume (32), in which an insert (1,11) for the transition between the feed volume and the cooked material volume is provided by entrance elements (22) with which a conducted gas is passed to the cooking material (9). A dry saturated steam is generated especially up to a maximum of 20K above the saturated steam curve in the steam generated space. An independent claim is included for a slow cooking device with a cooking space and a steam generating space.