US20050120726A1 - Deep freezer and method of freezing products - Google Patents
Deep freezer and method of freezing products Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20050120726A1 US20050120726A1 US10/979,807 US97980704A US2005120726A1 US 20050120726 A1 US20050120726 A1 US 20050120726A1 US 97980704 A US97980704 A US 97980704A US 2005120726 A1 US2005120726 A1 US 2005120726A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- conveying belt
- products
- ventilator
- liquefied
- conveying
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D13/00—Stationary devices, e.g. cold-rooms
- F25D13/06—Stationary devices, e.g. cold-rooms with conveyors carrying articles to be cooled through the cooling space
- F25D13/067—Stationary devices, e.g. cold-rooms with conveyors carrying articles to be cooled through the cooling space with circulation of gaseous cooling fluid
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
- A23L3/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
- A23L3/36—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
- A23L3/361—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling the materials being transported through or in the apparatus, with or without shaping, e.g. in form of powder, granules, or flakes
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
- A23L3/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
- A23L3/36—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
- A23L3/37—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling with addition of or treatment with chemicals
- A23L3/375—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling with addition of or treatment with chemicals with direct contact between the food and the chemical, e.g. liquid nitrogen, at cryogenic temperature
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D13/00—Stationary devices, e.g. cold-rooms
- F25D13/06—Stationary devices, e.g. cold-rooms with conveyors carrying articles to be cooled through the cooling space
- F25D13/062—Stationary devices, e.g. cold-rooms with conveyors carrying articles to be cooled through the cooling space with refrigerated conveyors
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D3/00—Devices using other cold materials; Devices using cold-storage bodies
- F25D3/10—Devices using other cold materials; Devices using cold-storage bodies using liquefied gases, e.g. liquid air
- F25D3/11—Devices using other cold materials; Devices using cold-storage bodies using liquefied gases, e.g. liquid air with conveyors carrying articles to be cooled through the cooling space
Definitions
- the invention relates to a device for the cooling of products, having a conveying device which conveys the products through a cooling zone in which the products are exposed to an atmosphere which, by means of low-temperature gases, is brought to a temperature required for cooling the products.
- the invention also relates to a method of cooling the products.
- cooling describes the cooling to temperatures above the freezing point, for example, the cooling of heat-treated food products from +70° C. to +2° C.
- cooling comprises particularly also freezing and deep freezing.
- Deep freezing means that the food products are subjected to an atmosphere of a sufficiently low temperature for a sufficient period of time, so that, following the freezing process, a core temperature exists which is clearly below the freezing point of water; as a rule, below a temperature of ⁇ 18° C.
- This atmosphere or environment can be brought to the desired temperature, for example, by low-temperature gas (liquefied or gaseous) or by cooled air.
- the heat exchange essentially takes place by way of convective processes.
- liquefied gas it also takes place by way of heat conduction by direct contact of the cooling medium with the product to be cooled.
- the gas is therefore introduced into the cooling device in a liquefied state and is vaporized by a thermal transfer from the product to be cooled to the cooling medium.
- the then warmer and gaseous cooling medium is discharged from the cooling device.
- the discharge should normally not take place into environment of the facility because some of the suitable gases displace the air and thereby would endanger people in the surroundings of the facility.
- a removal of the gas has to be ensured from the working environment of such a cooling device.
- Devices for cooling are known as passage facilities, for example, as tunnel-type deep freezers and as cabinet-type deep freezers.
- immersion deep freezers are also customary for freezing products to be frozen.
- These immersion deep freezers have a bath of a cryogenic liquid through which a conveying belt travels which conveys the products to be frozen out of the bath.
- the products to be frozen are either dropped directly into the bath or are placed on a belt which conveys the products to be frozen into the bath.
- An immersion deep freezer of this type is described, for example, in Gastage , Messer Griesheim GmbH, Volume 29, June 1985 Edition, Page 10.
- problems may occur in the case of such immersion deep freezers when the density of the products to be frozen is such that the products to be frozen float on the surface.
- the products to be frozen cannot be conveyed through the bath during a predetermined period of time.
- problems also occur in the case of those products which tend to accumulate material. For example, fats or sugars may become glued to one another or to the conveying belt so that, also in this case, no defined dwell time of the products to be frozen can be observed in the bath, or a lumpy undefined product is created.
- tunnel-type deep freezers are known, in the case of which only the unloaded belt immerses into an immersion bath of low-temperature liquefied gas.
- this creates a non-homogeneous temperature distribution in the device.
- this object is achieved according to certain preferred embodiments of the invention, in that the conveying belt ( 10 ) leads partially through an immersion bath ( 2 ) consisting of liquefied low-temperature gas, and in that at least one ventilator ( 6 ) is mounted below the conveying belt ( 10 ) such that it causes the temperature distribution in the cooling zone to be more uniform, and injection devices ( 1 , 3 , 4 ) for liquefied low-temperature gas are provided, the injection devices ( 3 ) being arranged in the proximity of the placing of the product (P) onto the conveying belt ( 10 ) below the part of the conveying belt ( 10 ) loaded with the product, with a spraying direction aimed onto the conveying belt ( 10 ).
- the ventilator further operates to (i) to refrigerate the conveying belt (steel band) which absorbs heat from the product while traveling through the freezing zone, and (ii) to precool the conveying belt on its return to the immersion bath in order to minimize the temperature difference of the immersion bath resulting in energy savings and avoidance of the Leiden frost effect.
- injection devices ( 3 ) are arranged such below the part of the conveying belt ( 10 ) loaded with the product (P) that the liquefied low-temperature gas is in a heat-conducting contact with the underside of the conveying belt ( 10 ).
- At least one ventilator ( 6 ) is constructed as an axial-flow ventilator, according to certain preferred embodiments of the invention.
- At least one ventilator ( 6 ) has an axis situated in a plane parallel to the conveying belt ( 10 ).
- At least one ventilator ( 6 ) advantageously has an axis which is oriented essentially perpendicularly to the conveying direction of the products on the conveying belt ( 10 ).
- the orientation of the ventilator ( 6 ) permits the temperature in the cooling zone to be more uniform and allows an improved utilization of the gaseous cold gas.
- the conveying belt ( 10 ) is essentially made of special steel.
- the above-mentioned object is achieved in that, by the immersion into low-temperature liquefied gas and by the injection of low-temperature gases into the device and by the cold atmosphere circulated by at least one ventilator ( 6 , 8 ), the conveying belt is brought to a temperature by which the products are cooled.
- low-temperature liquefied gas is sprayed from below onto the conveying belt ( 10 ) and arrives on the underside of the conveying belt ( 10 ), so that a heat-conducting contact is established between the low-temperature liquefied gas and the underside of the conveying belt ( 10 ).
- a hinge plate belt with lateral chains is provided as the conveying system according to certain preferred embodiments of the invention.
- This conveying system is distinguished by a homogeneous surface.
- the hinge plate belt is advantageously equipped with additional webs which increase the surface for the heat transfer from below.
- the single drawing figure schematically illustrates a freezing tunnel with the arrangement of the injection devices and the ventilators according to preferred embodiments of the invention.
- the injection of the low-temperature liquefied gas takes place by way of a special-steel vat 2 , controlled by a solenoid valve or a ball valve for cooling the conveying belt 10 .
- a solenoid valve or a ball valve for cooling the conveying belt 10 .
- the injection is only switched off during the operation of the freezing tunnel when the LIN collecting vat becomes too full.
- the LIN collecting vat 2 is used for precooling the belt 10 and collecting the nitrogen of the actual belt cooling. When the freezing tunnel is opened, this vat 2 folds away downward. For cleaning purposes, a heater can advantageously be installed for evaporating the nitrogen.
- the vat 2 is equipped with a level monitoring device.
- the bottom belt injection 3 for the conveying belt 10 is used for the first aftercooling after the product has been placed on the belt. Possibly dripping-down nitrogen will drip into the LIN collecting vat 2 .
- the control takes place by way of a control valve.
- the resulting temperature is measured by means of a temperature measuring device 7 .
- the top belt injection 4 is used for the surface-type heat removal from the product.
- the control also takes place by way of a control valve.
- the resulting temperature is measured by means of the temperature measuring device 5 , for example, by means of a Pt-100 thermoelement 5 over the belt 10 , which determines the temperature of the atmosphere above the conveying belt 10 .
- the ventilators 6 which below the belt 10 , provide an increased heat transfer onto the belt, are used for the effective utilization of the cold nitrogen gas.
- the PT-100 thermoelement 7 is used for measuring the atmospheric temperature below the belt 10 (in the case of the ventilators 6 ) is used for apportioning the injection quantity of the injection 3 .
- the ventilators 8 which, above the belt 10 , provide an increased heat transfer onto the product, permit an effective utilization of the cold nitrogen gas.
- An exhaust air system sucks off the expanding cold nitrogen and mixes it with the ambient air.
- the immersion bath vat 2 is filled using drip/ooze injection nozzle 1 , whereby the liquid nitrogen drips down onto the inside of the belt 10 and then spills into the bath vat 2 .
- the bath vat 2 level of liquid nitrogen is preferably monitored by means of a leveling control arrangement, including a bath level detector operable to give a signal to a control device which controls the drip injection nozzle 1 .
- normal flap or center body spray injection nozzles may be used in place of the drip injection nozzles 1 .
- This arrangement would lead to a direct spraying upon the band with a very high heat transfer.
- the immersion bath vat 2 does not normally get filled up, but only serves as a collection pan.
- the various functions can be separately controlled and dependence on the desired operating freezing products as desired.
- the freezer generally operates following the parallel flow principle.
- the immersion bath operation will automatically be stopped as the tunnel is opened so as to avoid deposits during the cleaning process.
- an electrical heating means is provided in the immersion bath so as to allow for vaporization of the liquid nitrogen.
- the illustrated preferred embodiment of the invention is a cooling device which mainly cools the belt 10 on which the product travels through the freezing zone.
- a cooling device which mainly cools the belt 10 on which the product travels through the freezing zone.
- the deep freezer according to preferred embodiments of the invention is preferably used as a preliminary deep freezer for the initial hardening of the underside or of the entire surface of the product.
- a deep freezer according to preferred embodiments of the invention is also suitable to be used as a stand-alone unit in which the product is frozen through in one step, so that also the core temperature of the product is cooled to below zero degrees centigrade.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Nutrition Science (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Food Science & Technology (AREA)
- Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE10351246.2 | 2003-11-03 | ||
DE10351246A DE10351246A1 (de) | 2003-11-03 | 2003-11-03 | Froster und Verfahren zum Gefrieren von Produkten |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20050120726A1 true US20050120726A1 (en) | 2005-06-09 |
Family
ID=34399658
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/979,807 Abandoned US20050120726A1 (en) | 2003-11-03 | 2004-11-03 | Deep freezer and method of freezing products |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20050120726A1 (fr) |
EP (1) | EP1528340B1 (fr) |
AT (1) | ATE527508T1 (fr) |
DE (1) | DE10351246A1 (fr) |
Cited By (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20090183642A1 (en) * | 2007-12-22 | 2009-07-23 | Sollich Kg | Tempering Channel for Confectioneries and Method of Operating It |
WO2009151191A1 (fr) * | 2008-06-11 | 2009-12-17 | Topgreen Tech Co., Ltd. | Procédé de surgélation en tunnel multi-niveaux et réfrigérant associé |
US20110120150A1 (en) * | 2009-11-23 | 2011-05-26 | Braithwaite David C | Recirculating Liquid Nitrogen Immersion Bath and Method for Freezing A Product Therein |
JP2015200461A (ja) * | 2014-04-08 | 2015-11-12 | 東芝キヤリア株式会社 | 低温荷物仕分け作業台 |
US9933197B2 (en) | 2013-12-31 | 2018-04-03 | Air Liquide Canada, Inc. | Vertical counter-flow immersion freezer |
US20180103661A1 (en) * | 2016-10-17 | 2018-04-19 | Michael D. Newman | Apparatus and method for freezer gas control |
CN115014027A (zh) * | 2022-05-26 | 2022-09-06 | 黑龙江浩荣科技发展有限公司 | 一种水稻种子温汤消毒冷却装置 |
WO2023010786A1 (fr) * | 2021-07-31 | 2023-02-09 | 广东海洋大学 | Procédé de congélation rapide à économie d'énergie de trachinotus ovatus |
GB2623685A (en) * | 2021-07-31 | 2024-04-24 | Univ Guangdong Ocean | Energy-saving quick-freezing method for Trachinotus ovatus |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE102008008827A1 (de) * | 2008-02-12 | 2009-08-27 | Hupfer Metallwerke Gmbh & Co. Kg | Vorrichtung zur Verteilung gekühlter Speisen, insbesondere für Großküchen |
EP2241202B1 (fr) | 2009-04-15 | 2013-02-27 | Messer Group GmbH | Dispositif et procédé de refroidissement ou de gel de produits allongés |
Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4783972A (en) * | 1987-10-29 | 1988-11-15 | Liquid Carbonic Corporation | N2 tunnel freezer |
US4912943A (en) * | 1988-12-14 | 1990-04-03 | Liquid Air Corporation | Method and apparatus for enhancing production capacity and flexibility of a multi-tier refrigeration tunnel |
US5444985A (en) * | 1994-05-13 | 1995-08-29 | Liquid Carbonic Corporation | Cryogenic tunnel freezer |
US5460015A (en) * | 1994-04-28 | 1995-10-24 | Liquid Carbonic Corporation | Freezer with imperforate conveyor belt |
US5467612A (en) * | 1994-04-29 | 1995-11-21 | Liquid Carbonic Corporation | Freezing system for fragible food products |
US5478584A (en) * | 1995-02-15 | 1995-12-26 | Tyson Holding Company | Freezing system |
US6009719A (en) * | 1998-05-06 | 2000-01-04 | York International Corporation | System for thermal treating of food products |
-
2003
- 2003-11-03 DE DE10351246A patent/DE10351246A1/de not_active Withdrawn
-
2004
- 2004-10-29 AT AT04025708T patent/ATE527508T1/de active
- 2004-10-29 EP EP04025708A patent/EP1528340B1/fr not_active Not-in-force
- 2004-11-03 US US10/979,807 patent/US20050120726A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4783972A (en) * | 1987-10-29 | 1988-11-15 | Liquid Carbonic Corporation | N2 tunnel freezer |
US4912943A (en) * | 1988-12-14 | 1990-04-03 | Liquid Air Corporation | Method and apparatus for enhancing production capacity and flexibility of a multi-tier refrigeration tunnel |
US5460015A (en) * | 1994-04-28 | 1995-10-24 | Liquid Carbonic Corporation | Freezer with imperforate conveyor belt |
US5467612A (en) * | 1994-04-29 | 1995-11-21 | Liquid Carbonic Corporation | Freezing system for fragible food products |
US5444985A (en) * | 1994-05-13 | 1995-08-29 | Liquid Carbonic Corporation | Cryogenic tunnel freezer |
US5478584A (en) * | 1995-02-15 | 1995-12-26 | Tyson Holding Company | Freezing system |
US6009719A (en) * | 1998-05-06 | 2000-01-04 | York International Corporation | System for thermal treating of food products |
Cited By (12)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20090183642A1 (en) * | 2007-12-22 | 2009-07-23 | Sollich Kg | Tempering Channel for Confectioneries and Method of Operating It |
US8056470B2 (en) * | 2007-12-22 | 2011-11-15 | Sollich Kg | Tempering channel for confectioneries |
WO2009151191A1 (fr) * | 2008-06-11 | 2009-12-17 | Topgreen Tech Co., Ltd. | Procédé de surgélation en tunnel multi-niveaux et réfrigérant associé |
KR100942034B1 (ko) * | 2008-06-11 | 2010-02-11 | 주식회사 탑그린테크 | 식품류의 급속동결을 위한 다층구조의 터널식 동결방법 및그에 사용되는 냉매 |
US20110120150A1 (en) * | 2009-11-23 | 2011-05-26 | Braithwaite David C | Recirculating Liquid Nitrogen Immersion Bath and Method for Freezing A Product Therein |
US9151532B2 (en) | 2009-11-23 | 2015-10-06 | Air Liquide Industrial U.S. Lp | Recirculating liquid nitrogen immersion bath and method for freezing a product therein |
US9933197B2 (en) | 2013-12-31 | 2018-04-03 | Air Liquide Canada, Inc. | Vertical counter-flow immersion freezer |
JP2015200461A (ja) * | 2014-04-08 | 2015-11-12 | 東芝キヤリア株式会社 | 低温荷物仕分け作業台 |
US20180103661A1 (en) * | 2016-10-17 | 2018-04-19 | Michael D. Newman | Apparatus and method for freezer gas control |
WO2023010786A1 (fr) * | 2021-07-31 | 2023-02-09 | 广东海洋大学 | Procédé de congélation rapide à économie d'énergie de trachinotus ovatus |
GB2623685A (en) * | 2021-07-31 | 2024-04-24 | Univ Guangdong Ocean | Energy-saving quick-freezing method for Trachinotus ovatus |
CN115014027A (zh) * | 2022-05-26 | 2022-09-06 | 黑龙江浩荣科技发展有限公司 | 一种水稻种子温汤消毒冷却装置 |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
ATE527508T1 (de) | 2011-10-15 |
EP1528340A1 (fr) | 2005-05-04 |
DE10351246A1 (de) | 2005-06-02 |
EP1528340B1 (fr) | 2011-10-05 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: LINDE AG, GERMANY Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:KAMM, VOLKER;REEL/FRAME:016254/0427 Effective date: 20041101 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO PAY ISSUE FEE |