Tea Pressing with External Steam for Continuous Juice and Leaf Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing processes cannot produce black leaf tea and green tea juice with the taste of steamed green tea juice in a single process, requiring separate equipment and stopping production for cleaning, and result in different taste profiles for unfermented and fermented tea products.
Innovation Solution
A process involving pressing fresh whole tea leaves to produce tea juice and leaf residue while applying steam externally to deactivate enzymes, allowing for the production of steamed green tea juice and fermentable black leaf tea from the same source, eliminating the need for separate steaming and equipment cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate equipment is used for producing green tea juice and black leaf tea, then product quality can be maintained, but production efficiency decreases due to cleaning requirements and production stoppages
Solution Approach 1:
The press is designed to perform multiple functions: it can produce both green tea juice (with external steam application) and black leaf tea (without steam) using the same equipment. This eliminates the need for separate steaming equipment and cleaning procedures, allowing continuous production without compromising product quality
Solution Approach 2:
The steaming function is extracted from the pressing process by applying steam externally to the press rather than steaming the leaves inside the press. This allows the press to handle both green and black tea production without contamination, maintaining quality while improving efficiency
2Reliability
If steam is applied inside the press during leaf pressing, then enzyme deactivation is achieved, but the leaf residue cannot be processed into black leaf tea
Solution Approach 1:
The steaming and pressing functions are segmented into separate operations: steam is applied externally to the press during pressing to deactivate enzymes in the juice, while the leaf residue remains inside the press without direct steam contact, allowing it to be processed into black leaf tea afterward
Solution Approach 2:
The press acts as an intermediary barrier that allows steam to contact the juice externally for enzyme deactivation while preventing steam from directly contacting the leaf residue inside, enabling both green tea juice production and subsequent black leaf tea processing from the same residue
3Manufacturing precision
If a separate steaming step is added before pressing, then green tea juice with steamed taste is produced, but process complexity and equipment requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The steaming and pressing operations are merged into a single integrated process where steam is applied externally to the press during the pressing operation itself. This eliminates the need for separate steaming equipment and steps while producing green tea juice with the desired steamed taste
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
Enables continuous production of both green tea juice with a high theanine content and black leaf tea without contamination, achieving a taste similar to steamed green tea juice and maintaining microbial stability, with no need for additional equipment or stopping production for cleaning.
Implementation Method 1
applying steam to the outside of the press, so that the steam comes into contact with the juice as it leaves the press
Implementation Method 2
placing the tea leaves into a press, and pressing the leaves thereby to produce tea juice and leaf residue
Data Source
AI summary
A process for producing tea products is provided, the process comprising: providing fresh whole tea leaves; placing the tea leaves into a press, and pressing the leaves thereby producing tea juice and leaf residue, whilst applying steam to the outside of the press, so that the steam comes into contact with the juice as it leaves the press; collecting the juice; and processing the leaf residue to produce black tea. A green tea product obtainable by the process of the invention is also provided. The product contains greater than 3.0% theanine by weight of the total tea solids and has a weight ratio of theanine to total polyphenols of less than 1:6.