Vacuum-Controlled Mixing to Limit Foam and Entrapped Air
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mixing processes often result in excessive foam generation and air entrapment, leading to issues such as prolonged cycle times, handling difficulties, and structural problems in finished products, particularly in the manufacture of products for human ingestion, where chemical defoamers are unsuitable or not allowed.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a mixing apparatus with a sub-atmospheric environment and a sensor-controlled evacuation arrangement to adjust gas pressure based on foam presence, effectively reducing foam generation and air entrapment by selectively drawing out air during the mixing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If higher agitator or blade speed is used to improve mixing, then mixing quality is improved, but foam generation and air entrapment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes air and foam from the mixing chamber during the mixing process using a vacuum evacuation system. The evacuation arrangement continuously draws out entrained air and excessive foam, separating the harmful elements from the mixing operation, allowing high-speed mixing to continue without accumulating harmful foam and air.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs foam level sensors to detect foam height in the mixing chamber and provides feedback to the control system. The controller adjusts evacuation pump operation and mixing parameters based on real-time foam level measurements, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains optimal mixing while preventing excessive foam accumulation.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If chemical defoamers are added to reduce foam generation, then foam control is improved, but product safety and recipe compliance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical defoaming methods with a mechanical/physical solution - using vacuum evacuation to remove foam and air physically from the mixing chamber. This mechanical approach (evacuation pumps, sensors, and control systems) substitutes for chemical additives, achieving foam control without compromising product safety or recipe integrity.
3Ease of operation
If extensive clean-up is performed to handle excessive foam, then handling difficulties are resolved, but productivity and time efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous foam removal during the mixing process through the evacuation arrangement, which operates throughout mixing to continuously draw out foam and air. This continuous action prevents foam accumulation that would require stopping production for clean-up, maintaining uninterrupted productivity while ensuring easy handling of the final product.
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 limits foam generation and reduces the amount of entrapped air in the mixture, improving handling and productivity while being suitable for products intended for human ingestion without the need for chemical defoamers.
Implementation Method 1
operating, during the mixing procedure, an evacuation arrangement to establish a gas pressure that is sub-atmospheric in the mixing chamber to draw out at least part of said amount of air from the mixture
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
Figure 3
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
A control arrangement is configured to perform a method of operating a mixing apparatus (10) to produce a mixture. In the method, a set of ingredients containing air is supplied to a mixing chamber (11A) of the mixing apparatus, and a mixing device (12) in the mixing chamber is operated, during a mixing procedure, to produce the mixture from the set of ingredients. During the mixing procedure, an evacuation arrangement (20B) is operated to establish a sub-atmospheric gas pressure in the mixing chamber to draw out at least part of the air from the mixture. During the mixing procedure, foam generation in the mixing chamber is controlled by adjusting the sub-atmospheric gas pressure in the mixing chamber based on a sensor signal (S1) that indicates if foam is present at one or more levels in the mixing chamber.