Cryogenic freezer
First Claim
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1. A cryogenic freezer comprising:
- (a) at least one elongated, thermally insulated tunnel section having a product inlet and a product outlet spaced apart by at least 15 feet;
(b) horizontally disposed divider baffle means extending substantially throughout said tunnel section between said inlet and said outlet for dividing said tunnel into a pair of elongated upper plenum chambers and a pair of elongated lower product contact chambers;
(c) a single blower mounted in substantially the mid-portion of said tunnel, said blower having discharge passage means connected to said plenum chambers and inlet passage means connected to said product contact chambers;
(d) a porous conveyor belt having at least the upper reach thereof extending through said product contact chambers, means supporting said upper reach so as to form refrigerant flow paths extending above and below said reach within said product contact chambers;
(e) flow reversing passage means connecting said plenum chambers to said product contact chambers adjacent the inlet and outlet portions of said tunnel section for passing refrigerant from said plenum chambers to and through said product contact chambers and back to said blower inlet passage means to form two high velocity refrigerant recirculation paths; and
(f) cryogenic refrigerant injection means for directly injecting a cryogenic refrigerant in the liquid or gas/solid phase into at least one of said recirculation paths.
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Abstract
A cryogenic freezer of the elongated, tunnel-type is disclosed in which a centrally located blower recirculates injected cryogenic refrigerant at extremely high velocities through a pair of minimum size product contact chambers. In one preferred embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the product contact chamber is variable so as to maintain minimum sizes for products of different height.
41 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A cryogenic freezer comprising:
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(a) at least one elongated, thermally insulated tunnel section having a product inlet and a product outlet spaced apart by at least 15 feet; (b) horizontally disposed divider baffle means extending substantially throughout said tunnel section between said inlet and said outlet for dividing said tunnel into a pair of elongated upper plenum chambers and a pair of elongated lower product contact chambers; (c) a single blower mounted in substantially the mid-portion of said tunnel, said blower having discharge passage means connected to said plenum chambers and inlet passage means connected to said product contact chambers; (d) a porous conveyor belt having at least the upper reach thereof extending through said product contact chambers, means supporting said upper reach so as to form refrigerant flow paths extending above and below said reach within said product contact chambers; (e) flow reversing passage means connecting said plenum chambers to said product contact chambers adjacent the inlet and outlet portions of said tunnel section for passing refrigerant from said plenum chambers to and through said product contact chambers and back to said blower inlet passage means to form two high velocity refrigerant recirculation paths; and (f) cryogenic refrigerant injection means for directly injecting a cryogenic refrigerant in the liquid or gas/solid phase into at least one of said recirculation paths. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification