CRYOGEN CONTROL FOR MIXING TEMPERATURE OF FOOD PRODUCTS

Abstract

A method for adjusting a viscosity of a food product for processing in a mixer includes measuring a weight and introductory temperature of a batch of the food product; determining a viscosity of the batch of the food product necessary for subsequent processing; determining a processing temperature of the batch necessary to arrive at the viscosity; and introducing an amount of cryogen into the batch based upon enthalpy of the batch for arriving at the processing temperature.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting a viscosity of a food product for processing in a mixer, comprising: measuring a weight and introductory temperature of a batch of the food product; determining a viscosity of the batch of the food product necessary for subsequent processing; determining a processing temperature of the batch necessary to arrive at the viscosity; and introducing an amount of cryogen into the batch based upon enthalpy of the batch for arriving at the processing temperature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring of the weight and the introductory temperature of the batch comprises using sensors for sensing the weight and the introductory temperature.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cryogen comprises liquid cryogen.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cryogen is selected from the group consisting of liquid nitrogen and liquid carbon dioxide.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the amount of the liquid nitrogen introduced into the batch is determined by the calculation comprising: $\frac{\left(T.Math..Math.2.Math..Math.\mathrm{enthalpy}-T.Math..Math.1.Math..Math.\mathrm{enthalpy}\right)}{\mathrm{Refrigeration}.Math..Math.\mathrm{Available},}=\mathrm{Cryogen}.Math..Math.\mathrm{Ratio}$ wherein, T2 is the enthalpy of the batch for removal from the mixer at a select temperature; T1 is the enthalpy of the batch at its temperature when first introduced into the mixer; and Refrigerator Available is the cooling capacity of the liquid nitrogen.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the food product comprises a protein food product.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the protein food product is selected from the group consisting of poultry protein, beef protein and seafood protein.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the following description of exemplary embodiments considered in connection with the accompanying drawing Figures, of which:

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a flow chart of the present method embodiment; and

[0030] FIG. 2 shows a table of the method embodiment for calculating an amount of cryogen to be added to the product to produce a desired viscosity for same.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] Before explaining the inventive embodiments in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, if any, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

[0032] In the following description, terms such as a horizontal, upright, vertical, above, below, beneath and the like, are to be used solely for the purpose of clarity illustrating the invention and should not be taken as words of limitation. The drawings are for the purpose of illustrating the invention and are not intended to be to scale.

[0033] As used herein, liquid cryogen for the present embodiments means liquid nitrogen, carbon dioxide and liquid carbon dioxide.

[0034] As used herein, enthalpy is a property of a thermodynamic system. For example, the enthalpy of chicken protein is different from the enthalpy of beef protein. The enthalpy of a particular system, such as chicken or beef protein, is equal to the system's internal energy plus the product of its pressure and volume, i.e. the sum of the internal energy of a body and the product of its volume multiplied by the pressure or, in other words, enthalpy is a measure of heat load in BTU/lb. Each food product has its own specific enthalpic property or characteristic.

[0035] The present method embodiments use a product's enthalpy, such as the enthalpy of a food product, for predictive cryogen injection to the food product in combination with product weight to determine an amount of cryogen that must be introduced into the food product in the mixer so that the proper viscosity of the food product is realized upon removal of the product from the mixer for subsequent processing.

[0036] With the present embodiments, an operator of the mixer need only enter an initial temperature and weight of the food product in the mixer, and a desired final temperature for the food product upon removal from the mixer. The present embodiments calculate an amount of cryogen that must be introduced into the mixer for that particular batch of food product to achieve same at a desired final temperature for subsequent processing in for example dies or molds.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 1 and a process embodiment of the present invention shown generally at 10, an operator of the mixer enters the batch weight 12 and incoming temperature 14 of the food product batch type being introduced into the mixer 16. Alternatively, such entries can be done automatically with no operator involvement. This data entry D by the operator can occur by same introducing the food batch into the mixer, whereupon the gross weight of the mixer is measured less the weight of the mixer to arrive at a net weight of only the batch; while the temperature of the batch is measured in the mixer as well. Alternatively, the batch weight 12 can be automatically relayed or communicated from a mixer load cell which calculates the weight of the food product by subtracting the total or gross weight of the mixer with the product therein from the specific weight of the mixer, to arrive at the weight of the batch food product. Such automatic processing with respect to the initial temperature of the product can occur as well, in that such temperatures can be provided from the hoppers or vessels from which the meat products are provided or by non-contact type temperature sensing devices, such as for example infra-red (IR) probes before the food product is introduced into the mixer 16. However, IR probes would not necessarily be used during injection of the cryogen because the injected cryogen will block or obstruct the sensing path from the meat product to the IR probe in the vessel. Prior to the cryogen injection, there is no concern about such obstruction of the sensing path.

[0038] Another embodiment calls for the weight 12 and temperature 14 of the batch being measured and communicated to the operator before the batch is introduced into the mixer. In either situation, the operator need only enter the weight and temperature of the incoming batch; and then enter the final desired temperature 18 of the batch for removal from the mixer. If more than one type of food product will be processed, then the type of product must also be entered into the controller. Otherwise, a single recipe for the particular food product batch can be programmed into the controller without subsequent changing of the recipe. The final desired temperature 18 of the batch corresponds to a specific viscosity of the batch needed for subsequent processing in, for example, dies and molds.

[0039] The initial temperature of the food product can also be loaded into the system by the operator or alternatively, uploaded automatically by heat sensors.

[0040] The inputs 12,14,18 enable the system to calculate an amount of cryogen 20 to be introduced into the batch in the mixer in order to reduce the temperature of the product batch to bring about the required viscosity of the batch upon removal 22 from the mixer for subsequent processing 24. The product batch will therefore have the proper viscosity and consistency to be effectively and efficiently molded 26 or run through a die 28, for example.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows examples of calculations that the present method embodiments use without the mixer operator having to estimate or determine how much cryogen to introduce into a particular batch of food product. Referring to the columns in FIG. 2:

Temperature-is the incoming temperature of the food product, such as for example a protein food product.
Enthalphy Delta-is specific to the type of food product, such as but not limited to a protein food product.
Tank Pressure-is that of the cryogen, such as for example LIN, in a storage tank or vessel for use with the method embodiments.
Refrigeration Available-the amount of cooling capacity of the LIN being used.
Different cryogens have different cooling capacities.
#LIN/#Product Ratio-is the Enthalpy or the refrigeration available.

Example

[0042] Referring to FIG. 2, in order to determine an amount of the cryogen ratio with, for example liquid nitrogen (LIN), the following calculation is used:

(T2 enthalpyT1 enthalpy)=Cryogen Ratio Refrigeration Available

Wherein,

[0043] T2 is the enthalpy of the batch for removal from the mixer at the select temperature as described below, and T1 is the enthalpy of the batch at its temperature when first introduced into the mixer. Refrigeration Available is the cooling capacity of LIN, for this Example.

[0044] Accordingly, for this Example, an initial batch of a food product to be subsequently processed is at a batch weight of 3,000 lbs. (the batch). The batch is introduced at a temperature of 40 F. (T1) into a mixer. The batch will have to be reduced to a select temperature of 29 F. (T2) for discharge from the mixer. This select temperature T2 for the batch is necessary so that the batch will have a desired viscosity for subsequent processing during, for example forming, molding or injecting through a die, or possibly straight to packaging. In order to determine the Ratio and an amount of LIN to be introduced into the batch to bring about the select temperature, and still referring to FIG. 2, the difference or Delta (btu/lb.) of the batch enthalpy is:

Cryogen Ratio=(45.594.22)114=41.37114=0.363 #/#

To calculate an amount of the LIN to be introduced into the batch to reduce the temperature to 29 F., the above ratio is multiplied by the batch weight (3,000 lbs.).

Therefore,

[0045] LIN needed=0.3633,000 lbs.=1,089 lbs. of LIN needed to be introduced into the batch in the mixer to that the batch can be removed from the mixer at a temperature of 29 F. and have the necessary viscosity for the type of subsequent processing desired.

[0046] The present embodiments provide for: accuracy of the cryogen required; accuracy of a final desired product temperature; uniform repetition of processing variables for a particular food product; eliminating operator calculation error in the process of determining amount of cryogen to be added to a particular batch of food product; reducing overall cryogen consumption by eliminating operator excessively chilling the food product; and establishing a historical record of batch types, select temperatures and cryogen usage.

[0047] It will be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary, and that a person skilled in the art may make variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention described and as provided in the appended claims. It should be understood that the embodiments described above are not only in the alternative, but can be combined.