JP4932260B2 - Electric field processing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric field processing apparatus, and more particularly to an electric field processing apparatus that forms an electric field by applying an alternating voltage of the same polarity to a relative portion of an electrode, thereby subjecting an object to be processed in the electric field to an electric field.

  As an electric field processing apparatus for electric field processing of a predetermined object to be processed, a fryer 120 for frying fried food with oil is known as shown in FIG. 4 (see Patent Document 1). The fryer 120 is disposed in the oil tank 121 in which the oil L is accommodated, the heating pipe 122 that is disposed in the oil tank 121 and heats the oil L, and is disposed above the heating pipe 122, and the AC voltage is supplied from the voltage control device 123. Is provided with a current-carrying electrode 125 and a ground electrode 126 disposed relative to the current-carrying electrode 125. Here, when an AC voltage is applied to the energizing electrode 125 while the fried food F is in contact with the lower surface side of the earth electrode 126, an electric field is generated between the energizing electrode 125 and the earth electrode 126, and the oil fr A high voltage weak current is applied to the food F, and the oxidation of the oil F is suppressed, and the processing time of the food F is shortened.

  However, in the fryer 120, there is a certain limit to shortening the frying time, which is the greatest requirement from the processing site, and when the fried food F is in close contact with the energizing electrode 125, There is a problem that the progress of the skin formation is different between the upper and lower surfaces, and the fried food F cannot be processed evenly.

In order to solve the above problems, a flyer using a so-called synchronous electric field has been proposed (see Patent Document 2). The fryer includes an oil tank in which the oil is accommodated, a heating pipe that is disposed in the oil tank and heats the oil, and a pair of electrodes that are relatively disposed above the heating pipe. An alternating voltage is applied to these electrodes so as to have the same polarity with each other at the same timing.As a result, a positive electric field and a negative electric field are formed in the electric field processing space located between the electrodes, with the space at infinity as the ground potential. Are alternately generated, and the frying process is performed on the fried food located in the electric field processing space. According to such a fryer, it is possible to perform an electric field treatment at the molecular structure level of fried foods, thereby shortening the frying time and enabling uniform heating of fried foods. Get.
JP 2002-142997 A International Publication No. WO2004 / 110179 Pamphlet

  However, in the fryer of Patent Document 2, the arrangement conditions of the apparatus constituent members such as electrodes and heating pipes are not considered, and depending on the arrangement, the electric field formation in the electric field processing space is greatly impaired, The above-described intended performance of the flyer cannot be fully exhibited. This is because, as a result of intensive studies conducted by the present inventors, the apparatus constituent members that have a ground potential such as a casing outside the oil tank and a heating pipe are arranged in the vicinity of the electrode, and the electrode If the structure is such that many electric lines of force are directed to the device component of the ground potential from the ground potential, the number of electric lines of force in the electric field treatment space is greatly reduced, and the potential on the electrode surface side is significantly reduced. to cause.

  Also, when frying, the amount of oil in the oil tank will decrease over time, but replenishment or replacement of oil in the oil tank is generally performed at a fixed timing (every day or every few days). This is a typical use mode. Under such a mode of use, in the fryer, if replenishment or replacement of oil is not performed, due to a decrease in the oil level accompanying a decrease in the amount of oil over time, a part of the upper side of the electrode is It protrudes to the outside of the pumping oil, and air exists around the protruding portion. Here, since the oil has a relative permittivity that is twice or more that of air, the number of lines of electric force directed from the protruding portion toward the infinitely far space is twice or more compared to the case where the protruding portion is present in the oil pumping. It becomes. As a result, a sufficient electric field cannot be generated in the electric field processing space between the electrodes existing in the oil pumping, and the processing performance for the fly is lowered. That is, if an electric field is not formed in the electric field processing space, or if the electric field formation is non-uniform, a large amount of water components in the fried food F evaporate, and the temperature of the frying oil is lowered. Processing cannot be performed sufficiently. In order to solve such problems, it is necessary to replenish and replace the oil frequently, and this cannot meet the work request at the frying site.

  The present invention has been devised by paying attention to such a problem, and the purpose thereof is intended to ensure that an electric field obtained by applying an alternating voltage of the same polarity to the relative portion of the electrode is sufficiently secured. An object of the present invention is to provide an electric field processing apparatus capable of sufficiently exhibiting apparatus performance.

(1) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention alternately generates a positive electric field and a negative electric field in an electric field processing space between relative portions of electrodes to which alternating voltages having the same polarity are applied, In an electric field processing apparatus for performing predetermined processing on a dielectric object to be processed located in an electric field processing space,
An insulator is provided between the electrode and the device constituent member connected to the ground,
The electrode has a configuration in which the electrode is disposed at an insulating distance of at least 10 mm or more from the device constituent member.

  (2) Here, the insulation distance may be set to 20 mm or more.

  (3) Further, it is also possible to employ a configuration in which an insulation adjusting means for adjusting the insulation state of the electrode is provided according to the state of the fluid existing around the electrode.

(4) Here, the insulation adjusting means includes an auxiliary insulator movable along the inner side of the electrode,
The auxiliary insulator may be configured to be disposed so as to face the protruding portion when the electrode protrudes outside the fluid.

  (5) Further, the insulation adjusting means may be configured to move the electrode so that the electrode exists in the fluid.

In the claims and the specification, an “insulator” is an object having a density of 0.8 (g / m ³ ) or more and a relative dielectric constant of 1 to 10, preferably 2.5 or less. Means.

  Further, the “insulation distance” means a distance in the insulator disposed between the electrode and the object, and a distance when the frequency of the AC power source applied to the electrode is several tens kHz to several hundred kHz, or This means the distance when converted to that frequency band.

  Further, “inside the electrode” means the side where the relative portion of the electrode exists, and “outside the electrode” means the opposite side.

  According to the configurations of (1) and (2), as a result of experiments by the present inventors, even if there is a device constituent member connected to the ground, it is possible to suppress the electric lines of force from the electrode to the device constituent member as much as possible. It was found that electric lines of force formed in the electric field processing space can be sufficiently secured. As a result, according to the present invention, the electric field obtained in the electric field processing space can be sufficiently secured, and the intended apparatus performance can be sufficiently exhibited.

  By configuring as in the above (3), (4), (5), for example, when the electric field processing device is a flyer, a part of the electrode is part of the air outside the oil pumping due to a decrease in the oil pumping over time. Even if it protrudes, it can be adjusted to an insulating state similar to the case where the protruding portion exists during oil pumping. In this way, even if the amount of oil is slightly reduced, it is possible to perform frying without degrading the processing performance, thereby eliminating the need for frequent replenishment of oil during the frying process. Therefore, it can fully meet the demands of the fly processing site. Moreover, since the electric field formation in the electric field processing space is stabilized and made uniform, the electric field can suppress the temperature drop of the frying oil due to the evaporation of the water component in the fried food F. In the past, the temperature of the oil pumping was set to be higher in anticipation of such a temperature drop. This can be done and energy saving of the fryer can be promoted. In addition, even when applied to other electric field treatment devices such as steamers, the insulation state of the electrode can be kept almost constant according to the state of the fluid (vapor) around the electrode, and the fluid state Regardless, it is possible to obtain a state of an electric field sufficient for processing in the electric field processing space.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional front view of a fryer as an electric field processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. In this figure, a fryer 10 has an oil tank 11 in which an upper portion is opened and oil L is accommodated therein, a pair of insulators 12 and 12 disposed in the oil tank 11, and the insulators 12 and 12. A pair of flat electrodes 13, 13 arranged, a heating pipe 14 arranged below these electrodes 13, 13 for heating the oil L, and a voltage supply device 15 for applying an alternating voltage to the electrodes 13, 13, It is configured with.

  The oil tank 11 includes a peripheral wall 17 whose inner surface is insulated and a bottom wall 18 connected to a lower end side of the peripheral wall 17 so that the fried food F can be taken in and out at an upper open portion.

  The insulators 12 and 12 are formed of an insulating material having heat resistance, and are fixed along the inner surface of the peripheral wall 17. Any insulating material may be used as long as it has heat resistance. For example, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), tetrafluoroethylene / hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP), tetrafluoroethylene / perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer. A perfluoro fluororesin including a polymer (PFA) and a cross-linked product thereof, or a resin coated with glass or ceramic can be employed. In particular, it is preferable to use the modified PTFE disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2001-335643, 2002-30166, and 2002-256080. Since this modified PTFE is tough and difficult to tear, the surface of the insulator 12 is less likely to be damaged by cooking utensils or the like during frying, thereby preventing poor insulation due to the damage and the associated electric shock. Can do.

  The electrodes 13 and 13 are relatively disposed at the inner part of the insulator 12 and at the inner part of the insulator 12 so as to have the same height. The electrodes 13 and 13 have the same polarity and the same phase from the voltage supply device 15 at the same timing. An alternating voltage is applied. Thus, an electric field processing space 20 is formed between the relative surfaces (relative portions) on the inner side of the electrodes 13 and 13 in which the fried food F as the object to be processed is fried by electric field processing. Further, the electrodes 13 and 13 are arranged at an insulating distance of at least 10 mm or more, preferably 20 mm or more, with respect to device constituent members connected to the ground (not shown) such as the oil tank 11 and the heating pipe 14. The electrodes 13 and 13 are preferably processed to have rounded edges, which can reduce discharge in the event of an insulation failure. A predetermined insulating film may be attached to the surfaces of the electrodes 13 and 13.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the voltage supply device 15 includes an AC power supply 25 that generates an AC voltage having a commercial frequency, and a transformer 26 connected to the AC power supply 25. The transformer 26 includes a primary side circuit 27 to which an AC voltage from the AC power supply 25 is applied, and a secondary side circuit 29 that generates a voltage different from the voltage of the primary side circuit 27. This secondary circuit applies an AC voltage to the electrodes 13 and 13 through the resistor 28 so as to have the same polarity at the same time.

  In the voltage supply device 15, the output voltage is adjusted to a high voltage of 100 V or higher, preferably in the range of 500 V to 10000 V. The output current is determined and adjusted according to the size of the electrode 13 and the manner of electric field processing. As a result, a high voltage weak current is supplied from the secondary side circuit 29 to the electrodes 13 and 13. The voltage supply device 15 may be any circuit configuration that can apply an AC voltage to the electrodes 13 and 13 so as to have the same polarity at the same time, and is not limited to the circuit configuration described above. As a result, a potential of several hundred volts to several thousand volts is generated on the inner surfaces of the electrodes 13 and 13.

  Next, the operation of the fryer 10 will be described.

  The oil L is heated to a predetermined oil temperature by the heating pipe 14 and the fried food F is fried. At this time, the voltage supply device 15 is activated, and the electrodes 13 and 13 have the same polarity. An alternating high-voltage weak current is supplied, and in the electric field processing space 20, a positive electric field and a negative electric field are alternately formed with the space at infinity as the ground. Here, the fried food F is an electrode because it is a conductive substance, and among the charges in the fried food F, the charge that is different from the electric field formed in the electric field treatment space 20 is the oil F. It is induced to the interface side, and polarization is performed inside the fried food F, and its polarity is reversed according to the change in the polarity of the electric field. This phenomenon increases the heat transfer rate from the oil L to the fried food F, thereby shortening the frying process time. In addition, this reduces the oil absorption rate of the fried food F and changes the color of the material. Can be suppressed.

  At this time, since the electrodes 13 and 13 are arranged with the above-described insulation distance with respect to the apparatus constituent members connected to the ground, such as the oil tank 11, the heating pipe 14, and a housing (not shown), the electric field processing space 20 It is possible to suppress the escape of the electric lines of force toward the device constituent member, and to prevent the surface potential of the electrodes 13 and 13 from being lowered. As a result, the electric field formation in the electric field processing space 20 is stably maintained in a high state, and the intended performance of the flyer by the so-called synchronous electric field method can be sufficiently exhibited.

  Here, an insulator such as an insulating plate or an insulating block formed of the above-described insulating material may be further disposed between the apparatus constituent member connected to the ground such as the heating pipe 14 and the electrodes 13 and 13.

  Further, the shape of the insulator 12 is not particularly limited as long as the electrodes 13 and 13 are arranged at an insulation distance of at least 10 mm or more, preferably 20 mm or more with respect to the device constituent member connected to the ground. For example, if the device constituent member exists in a predetermined direction with respect to the electrode 13, the shape of the insulator 12 does not have a uniform thickness, such as partially thickening the insulator 12 in the direction. Is also possible.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for the same or equivalent components as in the first embodiment, and the description is omitted or simplified.
[Second Embodiment]
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the insulation of the electrodes 13, 13 depends on the state of the pumped oil L that is the fluid existing around the electrodes 13, 13, that is, the position of the oil level (liquid level). It is characterized by further comprising an insulation adjusting means 31 for adjusting the state.

  The insulation adjusting means 31 is connected to the auxiliary insulator 33 disposed inside each of the electrodes 13 and 13, and extends to the outside of the electrode 13 across the insulator 12 (right side in FIG. 3). ), A substantially L-shaped holder 34 extending in the side view, a float 35 having a specific gravity that is connected to the holder 34 outside the electrode 13 and can float on the oil surface, and the peripheral wall 17. And a slider 36 that is movably supported. The insulation adjusting means 31 moves the float 35 up and down as the oil level moves up and down, so that the auxiliary insulator 33 moves up and down through the holder 34 with respect to the fixedly arranged insulator 12 and electrode 13. Is set. That is, when the oil level drops due to the decrease in the oil pumping L and the electrode 13 protrudes above the oil level (hereinafter simply referred to as the “protruding portion”), the insulation adjusting means 31 protrudes. The auxiliary insulator 33 is arranged inside the portion.

  The auxiliary insulator 33 is made of the insulating material described above, and can be disposed relative to the protruding portion in accordance with the lowering of the oil level due to the decrease in the oil pumping L, and the protruding portion is in the pumping oil L. The size and the material are such that the electrode 13 can be in the same insulating state as when the electrode 13 is present.

  According to such a 2nd Example, even when the oil level of the said lifting L falls by the reduction | decrease of the lifting L during frying, and the part of the electrode 13 which does not exist in the said lifting L appears, an electrode The number of lines of electric force escaping from the air 13 into the air can be suppressed, and an insulating state similar to that when the entire portion of the electrode 13 exists in the oil pumping L can be obtained. Thereby, the fall of the apparatus performance accompanying the reduction | decrease of the oil pumping L can be prevented, the frequent replenishment of the oil pumping L for maintaining an apparatus performance becomes unnecessary, and the effect that the usability of an apparatus can be improved significantly. Get.

  In addition, the said insulation adjustment means 31 is not limited to the structure of the said 2nd Example, As long as the insulation state of the electrode 13 can be adjusted according to the position of the oil level of the oil lifting L, various structures are possible. Can be adopted. For example, a liquid level detection sensor that detects the height of the oil level is provided in the configuration of the second embodiment, and the auxiliary insulator 33 is moved up and down as described above in accordance with the detection value of the sensor. May be. Further, the float of the second embodiment is attached to the insulator 12, and the insulator 12 is raised or lowered, or the insulator 12 is raised or lowered according to the detection value of the liquid level detection sensor, Regardless of the decrease in the amount of L, the electrode 13 may always be positioned in the oil pumping L.

  In addition to the fryer 10 illustrated and described in each of the above embodiments, the present invention is applied as various electric field processing apparatuses that perform water treatment, food storage, food processing, foreign matter removal, sterilization, and the like. For example, it can be used for storage, storage, refrigerator, freezer, thawing, hot storage, steamer, cooker, heating device, water treatment device, sterilization device, and the like. In particular, when the present invention is applied to a refrigerator or the like, is the condensation-prevented nichrome wire disposed in the cabinet, disposed from the electrode 13 with the insulation distance separated from the viewpoint of ensuring safety? It is good to remove. Here, according to the present invention, moisture in the refrigerator or freezer is modified by the electric field that is formed and is difficult to freeze, so the above-described device for preventing condensation including the nichrome wire is unnecessary. It can also be. In addition, by stabilizing and averaging the electric field formation, there is almost no transfer of heat at the freezing point or freezing point of water due to the non-freezing of water accompanying the refinement of water clusters. There is an advantage that the power consumption required for cooling can be reduced.

  Furthermore, the electrode 13 is not limited to the shape, number, and arrangement described in each of the above embodiments, and may be arranged so that there is a relative portion to which an alternating voltage of the same polarity is applied. Two or more plate-like or curved plate-like electrodes 13 may be provided and arranged in various directions, or at least one electrode 13 configured in a closed loop shape such as a cylindrical shape or a rectangular tube shape may be arranged. Also good.

  In addition, from the viewpoint of ensuring safety to prevent the electric shock of the worker, the object located in the vicinity of the electric field treatment device is subjected to insulation treatment, so that it is in an electrically floating state without being ground potential. It is preferable to have the same potential as the operator.

  In addition, the configuration of each part of the apparatus in the present invention is not limited to the illustrated configuration example, and various modifications are possible as long as substantially the same operation is achieved.

1 is a schematic sectional front view of a fryer according to a first embodiment. The schematic circuit diagram of a voltage supply apparatus. The schematic cross-sectional front view of the fryer which concerns on 2nd Example. The schematic cross-sectional front view of the fryer which concerns on a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

10 Flyer (electric field processing equipment)
11 Oil tank (device component)
12 Insulator 13 Electrode 14 Heating pipe (device component)
20 Electric field treatment space 31 Insulation adjustment means 33 Auxiliary insulator L Pumping oil (fluid)
F fried food (object to be treated)

Claims (4)

In the electric field processing space between the relative portions of the electrodes to which alternating voltages of the same polarity are applied, a positive electric field and a negative electric field are alternately generated, and the dielectric is located in the electric field processing space together with heated oil In the electric field processing device that performs frying for the fried food of
Depending on the position of the oil surface of the oil pumping existing around the electrode and the insulator disposed at an insulation distance of at least 10 mm or more from the device component between the device component connected to the ground and the electrode An electric field processing apparatus comprising: an insulation adjusting means for adjusting the insulation state to be the same as when all the electrodes are present in the oil pumping .   The electric field processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the insulation distance is set to 20 mm or more. The insulation adjusting means includes an auxiliary insulator movable along the inside of the electrode,
3. The electric field processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary insulator is disposed so as to face the protruding portion when the electrode protrudes outside the pumped oil . 4. 3. The electric field processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the insulation adjusting means moves the electrode so that the electrode is always present in the oil pumping regardless of a decrease in the amount of the oil pumping .

Images