CA2042686A1 - Device to freeze free-flowing and pourable substances - Google Patents

Device to freeze free-flowing and pourable substances

Info

Publication number
CA2042686A1
CA2042686A1 CA002042686A CA2042686A CA2042686A1 CA 2042686 A1 CA2042686 A1 CA 2042686A1 CA 002042686 A CA002042686 A CA 002042686A CA 2042686 A CA2042686 A CA 2042686A CA 2042686 A1 CA2042686 A1 CA 2042686A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
substances
hollow cylinder
bath
frozen
flowing
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
CA002042686A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Gunther Weyermanns
Uwe Gorlich
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.)
Individual
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
Publication of CA2042686A1 publication Critical patent/CA2042686A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25DREFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D3/00Devices using other cold materials; Devices using cold-storage bodies
    • F25D3/10Devices using other cold materials; Devices using cold-storage bodies using liquefied gases, e.g. liquid air
    • F25D3/11Devices 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
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23LFOODS, 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
    • A23L3/00Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
    • A23L3/36Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
    • A23L3/361Freezing; 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

Abstract

DEVICE TO FREEZE FREE-FLOWING AND POURABLE SUBSTANCES
Abstract of the Disclosure A device to freeze free-flowing and pourable substances in a bath consists of a bath for a low-boiling liquified gas located inside an insulated housing having openings for the introduction of the substances to be frozen and the gas as well as for the removal of the frozen substances. The bath is located in a rotatable hollow cylinder having a rotational axis tilted with respect to the horizontal plane. The inner wall of the cylinder has a ribbon screw above whose lowest point there is a feed mechanism for the substances to be frozen.

Description

~2~8~
Backqround of Invention The invention relates to a device to free~e free-flowing and pourable substances. As a rule, free-flowing and pourable substances are frozen in that the substances, for example, in the form of drops or grains, are placed directly into a bath consisting of a low-boiling liquified gas, usually nitrogen, and then frozen in this bath. Conveyor belts are used to transport the substances through such immersion baths and to remove the frozen materials from the immersion baths. Such a device is disclosed in West German patent no. 37 ll 169. These devices are well-suited for continuous production on an industrial scale. However, the immersion bath with the appertaining conveyor belt takes up a great deal of space. For this reason, these units are operated as stationary installations. Consequently, cleaning and sterilizing these units involve complicated procedures. As a consequence, such units are not well-suited in the field of science and research on the contrary, small units are preferred in development and research laboratories.

Summary of Invention The invention is based on the task of creating a device which can be used for freezing free-flowing and pourable substances by means of direct contact with a low-boiling liquefied gas and which is compact and mobile and can be completely sterilized without overly complicated procedures.
Thus, instead of the stretched-out immersion bath with the ~ 0 ~ 8 6 appertaining conveyor belt, the device according to the invention has a rotatable hollow cylinder which does not contain any other mechanically moved parts. The transportation through the liquified gas bath is done by means of a ribbon screw installed on the inner wall of the hollow cylinder. The dwell time of the substances to be frozen in the bath consisting of low-boiling liquefied gas is determined for the most part by the rotational speed of the hollow cylinder. Thus, the dwell time can be pre-specified. This makes it possible to freeze the substances in a controlled man~er.
Whereas the commonly employed immersion baths with conveyor belts cannot be built below a certain minimum size due to design-related reasons, the device according to the invention can have a very small and compact design. It can be easily transported and set up in different areas. The entire device can be kept 50 small that it ~can be sterilized in a commercially available autoclave, together with the insulated housing which surrounds the hollow cylinder.
Since, aside from the rotatable hollow cylinder, there are no other mechanically moved parts, the device is virtually wear-free and not very prone to malfunctions. For this reason, it is very well-suited for use in science and research. It can be operated continuously or it also easily allows batchwise operation, as is commonly found in research facilities.

The Drawings Figure 1 is a schematic illustration showing the basic principle of the invention; and Figure 2 shows an assembly drawing of an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description The same reference numbers were used for th2 same parts in the following description ~or the embodiments according to Figures 1 and 2. The device shown in Figure 1 consists of an insulated housing 1 which, according to the invention, contains a rotatable hollow cylinder 2. The rotational axis 3 of the hollow cylinder 2 is tilted with respect to the horizontal plane, and it is driven by a motor 4 located outside of the insulated housing 1. There is a ribbon screw 5 attached to the inner wall of the hollow cylinder 2.
A ring 6 forms the bottom of the hollow cylinder 2. A bath 7 consisting of liquefied nitrogen is maintained in the hollow ~cylinder 2. The depth of the bath 7 is determined by the tilted position of the hollow cylinder 2 and by the opening of the ring 6.
The liquid to be frozen is fed via th~ line 8, which can also be a vacuum-insulated pipe. The feed mechanism 9 for the substances to be frozen is located directly above the lowest point of the bath 7.
The liquid nitrogen is fed via a line 10, while the evaporated nitrogen flows out via an opening 11 in the insulated housing 1.
Particularly in the case of small devices, the opening 11 can be dispensed with, provided that there are sufficient alternative escape routes, for example, in the area of the inlet of line 8 into the housing 1~
The substances to be frozen, for instance, drops of liquid, which come out of the feed m~chanism 9 and enter the bath 7, are deep-frozen in the bath 7. The dwell time in the bath 7 is determined for the most part by the rotational speed of the hollow cylinder 2. As a consequence, it is easily possible to freezP the substances in a controlled manner for a pre-specified freezing time. The ribbon screw 5 can have boreholes which allow the liquid nitrogen to flow through the ribbon screw 5. Conveyed by the ribbon screw 5, the substances to be frozen gradually emerge from the hollow cylinder 2 and are collected in the form of frozen pellets 12 in a box 13. Once the box 13 is full or a batch has been frozen, it is removed from the insulated housing 1 by means of the handle 14 and further processed.
Figure 2 shows a device according to the invention which is used in actual practice. Analogously to the embodiment in accordance with Figure 1, it consists of the insulated housing 1, which is made up of segments, the rotatable hollow cylinder 2 having a tilted rotational axis 3 and ribbon screw 5 as well as the box 13 with the handle 14. The opening 15 serves to feed the substances to be frozen by means of a vacuum-insulated pipe (not shown here3 having a feed mechanism, while the connection 16 serves to feed the liquid nitrogen by means of a pipe (likewisa not shown here.
The essential difference to the embodiment according to Figure 1 lies in the design of the bath 7 consisting of liquid nitrogen.
For this purpose, there is a tray 17 which is held by supports 128 and which surrounds the lower part o~ the rotatable hollow cylinder ~12~: ~
2. The tray 17 holds the bath 7 consisting of liquid nitrogen. In the wall of the hollow cylinder 2, there are boreholes 13, through which the liquid nitrogen can penetrate the inside of the hollow cylinder 2. This embodiment entails the special advantage that it is possible to easily keep the level of liquid constant in the hollow cylinder 2 by keeping the level of liquid in the tray 7 constant. Well known and proven devices (not shown in the drawing) can be employed for this purpose. For this reason, the bottom 20 of the hollow cylinder 2 is closed, since, unlike in the embodiment according to Figure 1, it does not serve to control the level of the bath liquid.
Naturally, the device according to the invention is not restricted to the use of liquid nitrogen as the refrigèrant. ThUS, for instance, liquified gases which have a substantially lower boiling point can also be used as the refrigerant. This is particularly advantageous in the case of research and development laboratories. Conversely, the device according to the invention can also be employed without any refrigerant in special cases.
Instead of the refrigerant, a chemical solution serves as the bath such as, for example, calcium chloridP, which i5 used to cross-link alginates, or else a solvent in which cross-linking takes place photochemically.
With devices to freeze free-flowing and pourable substances by means of direct contact with a low-boiling liquified gas, it is often the case that the substances are carried on a conveyor belt through a bath consisting of the liquified gas. Although these 2 ~ s~ ~

devices are well-suited for continuous production on an industrial scale, they take up a great deal of space. For scientific operations, for instance, preference is given to small devices which are easy to sterilize. Such a device consists of an insulated housing 1 containing a rotatable hollow cylinder 2, whose rotational axis 3 is tilted with respect to the horizontal plane and on whose inner wall there is a ribbon screw 5. The bath 7 consisting of a low-boiling, liquefied gas such as, for example, nitrogen, is located in the hollow cylinder. The feed mechanism 9 for the substances to be frozen is located abo~e the lowest point of the bath.

Claims (4)

1. In a device to freeze free-flowing and pourable substanc-es in a bath consisting of a low-boiling liquefied gas, in which the bath is located inside an insulated housing which has openings which serve to introduce the substances to be frozen and the low-boiling liquified gas as well as to remove the frozen substances, the improvement being in that said bath is located inside a rotatable hollow cylinder, said cylinder having a rotational axis tilted with respect to the horizontal plane and on whose inner wall there is ribbon screw and above whose lowest point there is feed mechanism for the substances to be frozen.
2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the bottom of said hollow cylinder, which is at a lower position, is designed as a ring whose inner diameter determines the level of liquid.
3. Device according to Claim 1, characterized by a tray which surrounds the lowest part of said hollow cylinder and which serves to hold the low-boiling liquified gas, which is connected to the inside of said hollow cylinder via boreholes in the wall of said hollow cylinder.
4. Device according to Claim 3, characterized by a means to keep the level of liquid in said tray constant.
CA002042686A 1990-05-31 1991-05-15 Device to freeze free-flowing and pourable substances Abandoned CA2042686A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DEP4017565.0 1990-05-31
DE4017565A DE4017565A1 (en) 1990-05-31 1990-05-31 DEVICE FOR FREEZING SUBSTANCES AND FLOWABLE SUBSTANCES

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2042686A1 true CA2042686A1 (en) 1991-12-01

Family

ID=6407564

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002042686A Abandoned CA2042686A1 (en) 1990-05-31 1991-05-15 Device to freeze free-flowing and pourable substances

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US5186019A (en)
EP (1) EP0459195B1 (en)
JP (1) JPH04227450A (en)
AT (1) ATE141681T1 (en)
CA (1) CA2042686A1 (en)
DE (2) DE4017565A1 (en)
ZA (1) ZA914139B (en)

Families Citing this family (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2314147B (en) * 1996-06-10 1999-08-11 Boc Group Plc Cooling apparatus
DE19731052A1 (en) * 1996-07-20 1998-04-30 Boegl Max Bauunternehmung Gmbh Making supercooled water ice for mixing cold concrete to prevent poor bonding and fissuring
GB2371615B (en) * 2001-01-25 2005-03-02 Susan Lind A system for freezing foods
EP2548447B1 (en) * 2003-04-11 2017-09-27 Cargill, Incorporated Pellet systems for preparing beverages
US20100062134A1 (en) * 2004-02-26 2010-03-11 David Hart Melvin Alcohol based frozen dessert product
US7687094B2 (en) * 2004-02-26 2010-03-30 Frozen North Trading, Inc. Frozen dessert product
US20080264091A1 (en) * 2007-04-25 2008-10-30 Dc Norris Co. (Engineering) Limited Tumble chiller
US9339051B2 (en) 2010-08-10 2016-05-17 Gelato Fresco, Inc. Alcohol containing frozen dessert product
US9392808B2 (en) 2012-06-15 2016-07-19 Gelato Fresco, Inc. Process and composition for making an alcohol-containing frozen comestible

Family Cites Families (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1383418A (en) * 1921-07-05 A corpora
FR1125338A (en) * 1955-05-27 1956-10-29 Process for the production of chemical scales and apparatus for applying said process
US2995016A (en) * 1958-02-06 1961-08-08 Beattie Ian Robert Separation or partial separation of components of a liquid medium
US3395549A (en) * 1966-11-16 1968-08-06 Marine Constr & Design Co Process and apparatus for quick freezing of food bodies
US3754559A (en) * 1972-01-31 1973-08-28 Macleod Co Drum type washer for metal borings and the like
DE2245320C3 (en) * 1972-09-15 1979-08-09 Gerhard Dipl.-Ing. 6242 Kronberg Steinbach Method and device for freeze-concentrating solutions
US3992899A (en) * 1974-05-31 1976-11-23 Messer Griesheim Gmbh Device for cooling bulk material by low-boiling liquefied gas
IT1039861B (en) * 1975-07-15 1979-12-10 Snam Progetti PROCESS OF EXTRACTION OF MYCOTOXINS FROM VEGETABLE FLOURS MARCO CANELLA AND GIANCARLO SODINI
JPS5229459A (en) * 1975-08-30 1977-03-05 Ogura Chiyatsuku Kk Portable bender
GB2131142B (en) * 1982-10-29 1986-03-05 Air Prod Ltd Food freezing tunnels
US4528819A (en) * 1984-05-08 1985-07-16 Air Products And Chemicals, Inc. Exhaust control for cryogenic freezer
GB2225846A (en) * 1988-12-09 1990-06-13 Air Prod & Chem Tunnel freezer
US4875344A (en) * 1989-01-17 1989-10-24 Lyco Manufacturing, Inc. Chiller

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPH04227450A (en) 1992-08-17
DE4017565A1 (en) 1991-12-05
DE59108096D1 (en) 1996-09-26
ZA914139B (en) 1992-02-26
US5186019A (en) 1993-02-16
EP0459195A2 (en) 1991-12-04
ATE141681T1 (en) 1996-09-15
EP0459195B1 (en) 1996-08-21
EP0459195A3 (en) 1992-06-03

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
FZDE Discontinued