US20150027140A1 - System to Improve Icing Problems in Blast Freezer Tunnels - Google Patents

System to Improve Icing Problems in Blast Freezer Tunnels Download PDF

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Publication number
US20150027140A1
US20150027140A1 US14/349,908 US201214349908A US2015027140A1 US 20150027140 A1 US20150027140 A1 US 20150027140A1 US 201214349908 A US201214349908 A US 201214349908A US 2015027140 A1 US2015027140 A1 US 2015027140A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
orifices
plate
traversing
tunnel
conveyor
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
Application number
US14/349,908
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English (en)
Inventor
Thierry Dubreuil
Didier Pathier
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
LAir Liquide SA pour lEtude et lExploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Assigned to L'AIR LIQUIDE, SOCIETE ANONYME POUR L'ETUDE ET L'EXPLOITATION DES PROCEDES GEORGES CLAUDE reassignment L'AIR LIQUIDE, SOCIETE ANONYME POUR L'ETUDE ET L'EXPLOITATION DES PROCEDES GEORGES CLAUDE ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: DUBREUIL, THIERRY, PATHIER, DIDIER
Publication of US20150027140A1 publication Critical patent/US20150027140A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • 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
    • 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
    • F25D31/00—Other cooling or freezing apparatus
    • 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
    • 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
    • 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
    • F25D25/00—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled
    • F25D25/04—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled by 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
    • F25D13/00—Stationary devices, e.g. cold-rooms
    • 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
    • F25D29/00—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
    • 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
    • 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 present invention concerns the field of methods for chilling food products in apparatus of the tunnel type, using direct or indirect injections of a cryogenic fluid such as liquid nitrogen.
  • tunnels comprise:
  • the ventilation power is often difficult to control especially after several hours of production, when the characteristics of the ventilation system have been modified by contamination thereof (frost or other deposit).
  • the air flow and the ventilation velocities are very high, and asymmetry in the distribution of the cold gas is observed, which causes entries of air on one side of the equipment and exits of air on the other side.
  • frost results mainly from infiltrations of outside air.
  • These infiltrations of air from the production room into the freezer tunnel are of course accompanied by an entry of water vapour (moisture from the air) that will be deposited in the form of frost inside the machine.
  • water vapour moisture from the air
  • this poor control of the equilibrium of gases causes not only an overconsumption of refrigeration and an additional production cost but also accelerated contamination of the system for ventilating the plates producing the blast jets and possibly the exchangers installed, which causes self-amplification of the phenomenon.
  • one (or more) buffer areas are positioned, immediately downstream of the loading area in one case and immediately upstream of the tunnel exit in the second case, buffer zones that are not ventilated, through enlargements of the external shell of the tunnel (from 50 cm to 1.5 m for each zone at the entry and exit of the freezer), thus creating on each side a dead space that dampens the gas velocities, which naturally reduces the entries of air and exits of cold gases.
  • this system has a major drawback, which is increasing the overall size of the machine, which runs counter to the effect sought initially by the adoption of the blast jets.
  • the present invention sets out to propose a novel solution for preventing the clogging by formation of frost at the orifices forming the blast jets, without the use of a mechanical vibration or heating, through a system for distributing a blow gas (for example air) that is well designed and sized.
  • a blow gas for example air
  • the invention proposes a device for cooling food products by blast jets comprising a tunnel that comprises:
  • the device comprising a network of channels for distributing a blow gas above the top plate and/or below the bottom plate, provided with through orifices, all or some of the channels being provided with injection orifices or injection tubes, the positioning of which in the network directs blow gas towards the through orifices in the plate or plates, in order to simultaneously clear all or some of these through orifices.
  • the blowing is thus effected on the side where the frost accumulates: this is because in practice, in such a blast tunnel, the frost accumulates above the top plate and below the bottom plate (the one situated under the conveyor as projecting cold gas upwards in order to impact on the bottom face of the products), that is to say the blowing thus takes place on the side of the arrival of the cold gases in the system (rather than on the side where the blast jets emerge).
  • the plate or plates provided with through orifices are advantageously made from food-quality stainless steel. These plates are removable so as to facilitate cleaning thereof after operation.
  • the through orifices in the plate may also be of varied forms and in particular in the form of cylinders, circles, slots, optionally beveled (individual ones distributed along the plates or several slots distributed over the length of the plate, each slot occupying almost all the width of the plate), or cones with beveled or rounded edges.
  • the fluid-blowing means is a centrifugal fan driven by a motor.
  • the tunnel may use pairs of plates, a top plate and a bottom plate, situated in parallel on either side of the conveyor, at least one, and preferably both, being provided with through orifices.
  • the invention also concerns a method for cooling food products by blast jets in a tunnel, a tunnel that comprises:
  • the method being characterised in that, throughout all or some of the operating periods of the tunnel and/or during all or some of the stoppage periods of the tunnel, an operation is carried out of clearing all or some of said through orifices, in the following manner:
  • FIG. 1 in the various views (a), b), c) etc.) thereof illustrates, by means of schematic partial representations, an embodiment of the invention where:
  • the consumption of compressed air may be optimised by spacing the injections apart as far as possible while preserving satisfactory thermal efficiency of the machine between the injections.
  • the orifices are aligned and the injection of compressed air is arranged so that it impacts a line of several orifices.
  • a single service tube is installed disposed on one side of the plate, but obviously it is clearly possible to envisage, depending in particular on the size of the impacting plate, to use several service tubes, one on each side of the plate, and blowing then takes place in the two opposite directions.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates by means of a partial schematic representation a variant embodiment of the service tube of FIG. 1 , supplying each V of the impacting plate.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Nutrition Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
  • Freezing, Cooling And Drying Of Foods (AREA)
US14/349,908 2011-10-05 2012-09-04 System to Improve Icing Problems in Blast Freezer Tunnels Abandoned US20150027140A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR1158990 2011-10-05
FR1158990A FR2980956B1 (fr) 2011-10-05 2011-10-05 Systeme ameliorant les problemes de givrage dans les tunnels de surgelation par impaction
PCT/FR2012/051976 WO2013050680A1 (fr) 2011-10-05 2012-09-04 Systeme ameliorant les problemes de givrage dans les tunnels de surgelation par impaction

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20150027140A1 true US20150027140A1 (en) 2015-01-29

Family

ID=46889352

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US14/349,908 Abandoned US20150027140A1 (en) 2011-10-05 2012-09-04 System to Improve Icing Problems in Blast Freezer Tunnels

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US20150027140A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP2763556A1 (fr)
CN (1) CN103841841A (fr)
AU (1) AU2012320311A1 (fr)
BR (1) BR112014007701A2 (fr)
FR (1) FR2980956B1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2013050680A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20180106525A1 (en) * 2016-10-17 2018-04-19 Michael D. Newman Snow and ice removal for impinger

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN110817069A (zh) * 2019-11-28 2020-02-21 湖南德凌物流配送有限公司 智能冻存架

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3345828A (en) * 1965-06-11 1967-10-10 Air Prod & Chem Parallel flow cryogenic freezer
US3403527A (en) * 1967-06-01 1968-10-01 Air Prod & Chem Transverse-parallel flow cryogenic freezer
US3892104A (en) * 1973-09-20 1975-07-01 David J Klee Cryogenic freezer with variable speed gas control system
US4528819A (en) * 1984-05-08 1985-07-16 Air Products And Chemicals, Inc. Exhaust control for cryogenic freezer
US4627244A (en) * 1984-04-13 1986-12-09 Willhoft Edward Max Adolf Cryogenic cooling

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5605049A (en) * 1991-09-13 1997-02-25 Air Products And Chemicals, Inc. Exhaust system for a cryogenic freezer
US6155060A (en) * 1999-11-05 2000-12-05 Munters Corporation Condensation and frost control system
FR2837563B1 (fr) * 2002-03-21 2004-10-22 Air Liquide Procede et dispositif de conduite d'un tunnel cryogenique, tunnel cryogenique associe
EP1543276B1 (fr) * 2002-08-20 2014-12-24 Linde, Inc. Tunnel de congélateur à écoulement amélioré
FR2851426B1 (fr) 2003-02-21 2006-05-26 C I M S Dispositif de refroidissement de produits alimentaires, integrant des moyens de formation d'un flux d'air froid lamellaire
CN1244789C (zh) * 2003-03-18 2006-03-08 储维 一种风冷制冷机的风换热器的除霜方法
US7197883B2 (en) * 2005-05-06 2007-04-03 Praxair Technology, Inc. Cooling or heating with multi-pass fluid flow
FR2953689B1 (fr) * 2009-12-16 2012-02-17 Cemmi Construction Etude De Materiel Maintenance Ind Surgelateur de croutage d'un produit alimentaire

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3345828A (en) * 1965-06-11 1967-10-10 Air Prod & Chem Parallel flow cryogenic freezer
US3403527A (en) * 1967-06-01 1968-10-01 Air Prod & Chem Transverse-parallel flow cryogenic freezer
US3892104A (en) * 1973-09-20 1975-07-01 David J Klee Cryogenic freezer with variable speed gas control system
US4627244A (en) * 1984-04-13 1986-12-09 Willhoft Edward Max Adolf Cryogenic cooling
US4528819A (en) * 1984-05-08 1985-07-16 Air Products And Chemicals, Inc. Exhaust control for cryogenic freezer

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20180106525A1 (en) * 2016-10-17 2018-04-19 Michael D. Newman Snow and ice removal for impinger
US10739056B2 (en) * 2016-10-17 2020-08-11 Messer Industries Usa, Inc. Snow and ice removal for impinger

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2013050680A1 (fr) 2013-04-11
FR2980956B1 (fr) 2014-01-10
AU2012320311A1 (en) 2014-03-06
CN103841841A (zh) 2014-06-04
EP2763556A1 (fr) 2014-08-13
BR112014007701A2 (pt) 2017-04-18
FR2980956A1 (fr) 2013-04-12

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: L'AIR LIQUIDE, SOCIETE ANONYME POUR L'ETUDE ET L'E

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:DUBREUIL, THIERRY;PATHIER, DIDIER;REEL/FRAME:032607/0186

Effective date: 20140109

STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION