Steam Injector Cooling Surfaces to Prevent Food Product Deposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Direct steam injection systems for heat treating foodstuffs face issues with rapid deposition of product constituents on injector surfaces, leading to plugging and reduced productivity, particularly for products like raw meat and egg proteins.
Innovation Solution
Cooling certain surfaces within the injector using temperature moderating materials (TMOD) and cooling structures, such as coolant circulating chambers, to reduce or eliminate product deposition, allowing for longer operation times and treatment of previously unsuitable products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If direct steam injection is used to heat treat foodstuffs, then heating efficiency is improved, but rapid deposition of product constituents on injector surfaces occurs leading to plugging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies temperature moderating materials (TMOD) with specific thermal properties (specific heat capacity ≥750 J/kg·K, thermal conductivity ≥10 W/m·K) to the injector surfaces. This changes the thermal parameters of the injector surfaces, allowing them to absorb excess heat and maintain temperatures below the deposition threshold while still enabling effective steam injection heating of the foodstuff.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite material structures where TMOD materials are integrated with the injector body or applied as coatings. This composite construction combines the steam injection functionality with the temperature moderating properties of the TMOD material, preventing deposition while maintaining heating efficiency.
2Speed
If direct steam injection is used to heat treat foodstuffs, then heating speed is improved, but deposition of product constituents leads to system shutdowns
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the thermal parameters of the injector surfaces through TMOD materials, the system maintains high heating speed via direct steam injection while the moderated surface temperatures prevent constituent deposition, ensuring continuous reliable operation without shutdowns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of steam heat (which causes deposition) into a beneficial temperature moderation effect. The TMOD materials absorb the excess thermal energy that would otherwise cause deposition, transforming the potential harm into a protective mechanism that enables continuous operation.
3Power
If narrow flow passages are used in steam injectors, then heating efficiency is improved, but passages become completely plugged in a very short period
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thermal parameter (temperature) of the passage surfaces using TMOD materials. This temperature moderation prevents the rapid deposition that would plug narrow passages, extending their operational life while maintaining the high heating efficiency provided by the narrow flow geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The TMOD materials are pre-installed on the passage surfaces before operation begins. This preliminary temperature moderation action prevents deposition from occurring in the first place, rather than addressing plugging after it happens, thereby maintaining passage openness throughout extended operation.
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
The use of TMOD materials and cooling structures effectively prevents undue deposition, enabling the heat treatment of products like raw meat and egg proteins without frequent shutdowns, thereby increasing system efficiency and productivity.
Implementation Method 1
The second flow surface is in substantial thermal communication with a cooling structure... cooling certain surfaces within the injector using temperature moderating materials (TMOD) and cooling structures, such as coolant circulating chambers
Implementation Method 2
direct heat treatment systems bring the foodstuff into direct contact with a suitable heating medium such as steam
Implementation Method 3
cooling structures, such as coolant circulating chambers
Data Source
AI summary
A heating medium injector includes an injector structure defining a heating medium flow path and a product flow path. The heating medium flow path extends to a contact location along an axis of the injector, while the product flow path also extends to the contact location along the injector axis. The contact location comprises a location at which the heating medium flow path and product flow path merge within the injector. In a region along the injector axis, the product flow path is defined between a first flow surface and a second flow surface. The first flow surface comprises a surface of a boundary wall separating the heating medium flow path from the product flow path and the second flow surface comprises a surface of an opposing second boundary wall. The second flow surface is in substantial thermal communication with a second flow surface cooling structure.