JP2007155172A - Nitrogen gas-filled ice, and nitrogen gas-filled ice making device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide ice capable of reducing oxidization, and its manufacturing device and method. <P>SOLUTION: A nitrogen gas is dissolved in water, and the water reduced in dissolved oxygen is frozen. This nitrogen gas-filled ice making device is composed of a nitrogen gas extractor extracting nitrogen gas in the atmospheric air, a nitrogen gas dissolving apparatus for mixing the nitrogen gas extracted from the nitrogen gas extractor with the water, and an ice making machine for freezing the nitrogen gas-dissolved water produced by the nitrogen gas dissolving apparatus. This nitrogen gas-filled ice making method is composed of a nitrogen gas extracting step for extracting a nitrogen gas, a nitrogen gas dissolving step for mixing the nitrogen gas extracted in the nitrogen gas extracting step, with the water, and an ice making step for freezing the nitrogen gas-dissolved water produced in the nitrogen gas dissolving step. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is used to suppress the generation of various germs that may occur during the preservation and transportation of fresh food such as seafood, fruits and vegetables, and livestock meat, to suppress oxidation, and to maintain freshness, nitrogen gas sealed in ice with nitrogen gas dissolved The present invention relates to ice, a manufacturing apparatus thereof, and a manufacturing method.

  Traditionally, maintaining freshness of fresh foods sterilizes tap water, groundwater and seawater from production, manufactures cold water and ice or ozone-injected ice (Patent Document 1), and rinses, processes, transports and stores products. It is used for etc.

  In addition, cold water may be cooled to near zero degrees Celsius in order to maintain freshness, and cold water stuffing and ice stuffing methods are often used to maintain freshness of fresh foods in order to reduce the growth of germs. However, the amount of gas such as oxygen that dissolves in water increases with decreasing temperatures. Therefore, cold water and ice have a problem that there is a large amount of dissolved oxygen as a medium for oxidation. The following table shows the relationship between temperature and atmospheric oxygen solubility. Temperature is in degrees Celsius and atmospheric oxygen solubility is expressed in DO or milligrams per liter.

  Moreover, although ice containing ozone has a bactericidal effect, it also has a problem of causing oxidation.

Patent Document 1 discloses an ozone ice manufacturing apparatus. Patent Document 2 discloses a storage using nitrogen gas. Patent Document 3 discloses a nitrogen production apparatus that obtains nitrogen from the atmosphere. Patent Document 4 discloses fresh food storage ice containing hypochlorous acid. Patent Document 5 discloses a nitrogen gas circulation deoxygenation device. Non-Patent Document 1 points out that there is a case in which decay from the inside proceeds when fresh ozone is used. Non-Patent Document 2 mentions the application of nitrogen gas replacement packaging to seafood. Non-Patent Document 3 mentions that as soon as the dissolved oxygen decreases, it dies as a problem of transporting live fish.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-105568 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-224563 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-200245 Republication No. 00-8156 JP 2000-176436 A Ota Shizuyuki, Nakayama Masao "Food Cleaning and Foreign Object Removal" Jinshokan June 1993 Distribution System Research Center Co., Ltd. “Seafood Freshness Maintenance Manual” Quarterly issue of Fresh Food System Volume 31 Volume 3 Volume 395 Issued on June 10, 2002 Ota Shizuyuki "Freshness preservation of fishery products, revised edition" Tsukuba Publishing Co., Ltd.

  The problem to be solved is to solve the problem that conventional cold water and ice have a large amount of dissolved oxygen and accelerate the oxidation and deterioration of fresh products by containing ozone. That is, the objective of this invention is providing the ice which suppresses oxidation, its manufacturing apparatus, and a manufacturing method.

  The present invention has been completed with the idea of reversing the idea that, in the past, there has been a common sense that oxygen must be supplied when trying to preserve fresh fish or the like in an aquarium. In other words, giving up maintaining the life of the individual, the oxygen solubility in the aquarium is lowered for the purpose of preventing oxidation and spoilage in order to maintain the freshness of the fish meat and the built-in structure. Therefore, it was considered appropriate to use ice frozen from water in which nitrogen was dissolved.

Table 2 shows data of experiments conducted by the inventor from 10:00 am to 15:30 on November 12, 2005. The weather on the day was clear and the temperature at 10am was 11 degrees Celsius. A tank of 300 liters was prepared, and after 300 liters of tap water was injected, it remained stationary for 30 hours until the start of the experiment. Nitrogen gas in a cylinder was 3.5 cubic meters. Of the 5 hours from 10:30 to 15:30, adjust the injection pressure of nitrogen gas into the water for 1 hour from 11:00 to 12:00, continuously from 12:00 to 15:30 with 0.2 Pascal Continued to infuse. A commercially available product called an oxygen dissolved concentration meter (or dissolved oxygen meter, DO sensor) was used for the amount of dissolved oxygen in water. As can be seen from this experiment, the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water is clearly reduced by injecting nitrogen gas into the water.
Based on this finding, the inventor of the present invention invented the nitrogen gas-sealed ice according to the present invention. That is, the invention according to claim 1 is nitrogen gas-filled ice formed by freezing water in which nitrogen gas is dissolved in water and the amount of dissolved oxygen is reduced.

The invention according to claim 2 includes a nitrogen gas extractor for extracting nitrogen gas in the atmosphere, a nitrogen gas dissolver for mixing nitrogen gas extracted from the nitrogen gas extractor with water, and the nitrogen gas dissolver. A nitrogen gas-sealed ice production apparatus comprising an ice maker that freezes generated nitrogen gas-dissolved water in which nitrogen gas is dissolved.

The invention according to claim 3 includes a nitrogen gas extraction step for extracting nitrogen gas in the atmosphere, a nitrogen gas dissolution step for mixing the nitrogen gas extracted in the nitrogen gas extraction step with water, and the nitrogen gas dissolution step. And an ice making step for freezing the nitrogen gas-dissolved water in which the nitrogen gas is dissolved.

  If the nitrogen gas-sealed ice of the present invention is used, not only the water temperature in the water tank is lowered, but also the effect of lowering the oxygen solubility in two ways can be expected. One is that if the nitrogen gas-filled ice is removed, the oxygen-dissolved water becomes low, and the other is that the nitrogen gas-filled ice floats on the water so that it covers the surface of the water in the tank and Is to prevent the oxygen from dissolving in the water in the aquarium. Furthermore, according to the nitrogen gas sealed ice manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method according to the present invention, it is possible to take nitrogen in the atmosphere and dissolve it in water to manufacture nitrogen gas sealed ice.

  In the experiment described in Table 2 above, a nitrogen gas cylinder was used, but it is more desirable to extract and use nitrogen in the atmosphere. A nitrogen production apparatus for obtaining nitrogen from the atmosphere as shown in Patent Document 3 is known. As a commercially available product, a deaeration device provided by Katayama Chemical Co., Ltd. in Higashiyodogawa-ku, Osaka can be used. Nitrogen gas-filled ice is produced by sucking water from a water tank at a constant flow rate, injecting nitrogen gas along the way, sending it to an ice making machine through an oxygen dissolved concentration meter, and making ice.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the first embodiment. Air 101 in FIG. 1 indicates air in the atmosphere. The nitrogen gas extractor 102 can use the deaeration device provided by Katayama Chemical Co., Ltd. described above. The water in the water tank 103 can be in various cases such as seawater, tap water, and well water (hereinafter, the same applies to water). Water in the water tank 103 is pumped up at a constant flow rate by a pump (not shown) and flows toward the ice making machine 106. On the way, nitrogen gas extracted by the nitrogen gas extractor 102 is injected into running water by a nitrogen gas dissolver 104 at a predetermined pressure by a compressor or the like, passed through an oxygen dissolved concentration meter 105, and then an ice making machine 106. To. And it becomes ice, and the nitrogen gas enclosure ice 107 is manufactured.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the second embodiment. The air 201 and the nitrogen gas extractor 202 in FIG. 2 are the same as those in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the nitrogen gas extracted by the nitrogen gas extractor 202 is expelled and injected into the water in the water tank 203 at a predetermined pressure. If necessary, a compressor may be provided between the nitrogen gas extractor 202 and the water tank 203 to increase the pressure for the explosion. In this way, the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water tank is reduced, and the oxygen dissolved concentration meter 205 is sent to the ice making machine 206 to produce the nitrogen gas-filled ice 207. .

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the third embodiment. Air 301 and 302 in FIG. 3 are the same as those in the first and second embodiments. Water in the water tank 303 is pumped up at a constant flow rate by a pump (not shown) and flows toward the ice making machine 306. In the middle, nitrogen gas extracted by the nitrogen gas extractor 302 is injected into running water by a nitrogen gas dissolver 304 at a predetermined pressure by a compressor or the like, passed through an oxygen dissolved concentration meter 305, and then an ice making machine 306. To. And it becomes ice and nitrogen gas sealed ice is manufactured. The feature of the present embodiment is that the nitrogen gas injection ice thus manufactured is returned to the water tank 303. As the temperature of the water in the water tank 303 cooled by the nitrogen gas injection ice decreases, the amount of gas that can be dissolved increases for both oxygen and nitrogen. Therefore, it is meaningful to circulate again and dissolve nitrogen gas to produce nitrogen-filled ice and return it to the water tank. Further, the nitrogen-injected ice covers the surface of the water in the water tank 303, so that it is also possible to prevent oxygen in the air from being dissolved in the water.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the fourth embodiment. The air 401 and the nitrogen gas extractor 402 in FIG. 4 are the same as those in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the nitrogen gas extracted by the nitrogen gas extractor 402 is blown and injected into the water in the water tank 403 at a predetermined pressure. If necessary, a compressor may be provided between the nitrogen gas extractor 402 and the water tank 403 to increase the pressure for the explosion. In this way, the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water tank is reduced, and the oxygen dissolved concentration meter 405 is sent to the ice making machine 406 to produce nitrogen gas-filled ice 407. The feature of this embodiment is that the nitrogen gas injection ice produced in this way is returned to the water tank 403. As the temperature of the water in the water tank 403 cooled by the nitrogen gas injection ice decreases, the amount of gas that can be dissolved increases for both oxygen and nitrogen. Therefore, it is meaningful to circulate again and dissolve nitrogen gas to produce nitrogen-filled ice and return it to the water tank. Furthermore, the nitrogen-injected ice covers the surface of the water in the water tank 403, so that it is also possible to prevent oxygen in the air from dissolving in the water.

    The nitrogen gas extractor uses a machine that extracts nitrogen from air in the atmosphere, but is a device that requires a power source. In that respect, by using a nitrogen gas cylinder, it is possible to supply an unnecessary nitrogen gas.

  In each of the above four embodiments, an oxygen dissolved concentration meter is provided. However, it is also possible to return the ice produced without sufficiently reducing the oxygen solubility to the water tank and reuse it. This is because it is possible to further reduce the oxygen solubility by circulation. Further, in the ice making machines 106, 206, 306, and 406, it is possible not only to produce completely solid ice, but also to produce sherbet-like ice and return it to the water tank. This is because it helps reduce water temperature and oxygen solubility.

  The water tank in the above four embodiments can be used as it is as a water tank used to store fresh fish caught by a fishing boat or the like.

  It is possible to provide ice that is suitable for storing the produced food in an aquarium and particularly suitable for storage of seafood. In particular, it is suitable for use in an aquarium for storing fresh fish caught on a fishing boat. Marine fish are said to die as soon as the oxygen uptake capacity is much weaker than freshwater fish and the amount of dissolved oxygen decreases. Sanma and mackerel are still alive when they are put into the aquarium at the time of production, and it is better to maintain the freshness of the structures and internal organs by putting them in ice water with less oxygen dissolved than killing them for a long time.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a fourth embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

101, 201, 301, 401 Air 102, 202, 302, 402 Nitrogen gas extractor 103, 203, 303, 403 Water tank 104, 304 Nitrogen gas dissolver 105, 205, 305, 405 Oxygen dissolved concentration meter 106, 206, 306, 406 Ice maker 107, 207 Nitrogen-filled ice

Claims (3)

  Nitrogen gas-filled ice made by freezing water with dissolved oxygen and reducing the amount of dissolved oxygen. A nitrogen gas extractor for extracting nitrogen gas in the atmosphere;
A nitrogen gas dissolver that mixes nitrogen gas extracted from the nitrogen gas extractor with water;
A nitrogen gas-sealed ice production apparatus comprising: an ice maker that freezes nitrogen gas-dissolved water in which the nitrogen gas dissolved in the nitrogen gas dissolver is dissolved. A nitrogen gas extraction step for extracting nitrogen gas in the atmosphere;
A nitrogen gas dissolving step of mixing the nitrogen gas extracted in the nitrogen gas extraction step with water;
An ice making step for freezing nitrogen gas-dissolved water in which the nitrogen gas produced in the nitrogen gas dissolving step is frozen.

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