Food preservation system

• US 10,244,780 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2016
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yuan Ze University
• Original Assignee: Yuan Ze University
• Inventors: Jung, Guo-Bin, Yeh, Chia-Chen, Yu, Jyun-Wei, Ma, Chia-Ching, Hsieh, Chung-Wei, Lin, Cheng-Lung, Liao, Kuan-Fu, Hu, Jing-Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Laflame, Jr., Michael A
• Application Number:
  US15/259,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20170360070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/152 in a controlled atmosphere comprising other gases in addition to CO2, N2, O2 or H2O ; Elimination of such other gases
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/153 in the form of liquids or solids
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/3409 in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/34095 Details of apparatus for generating or regenerating gases
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/3445 in a controlled atmosphere comprising other gases in addition to CO2, N2, O2 or H2O
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/36 Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis

Abstract

A food preservation system is provided. The system includes a storage cabinet for storing foods, an electrolytic gas generator, a gas sensor and a control unit. The electrolytic gas generator is in fluid communication with the storage cabinet to output a first gas and a second gas to preserve the foods. The gas sensor is arranged in the storage cabinet to detect the concentration of the gases in the storage cabinet for obtaining gas concentration information which includes a first gas concentration and a second gas concentration. The control unit is electrically connected to the electrolytic gas generator and the gas sensor. According to the received gas concentration information, the control unit adjusts the applied voltage of the electrolytic gas generator to control the gas species generated by the electrolytic gas generator and the first and second gas concentrations in the storage cabinet.

Claims

1. A food preservation system, comprising:

a storage cabinet for storing foods;

an electrolytic gas generator in fluid communication with the storage cabinet, wherein the electrolytic gas generator outputs a first gas and a second gas to the storage cabinet for preserving the foods;

a gas detector disposed in the storage cabinet for detecting a gas in the storage cabinet and obtaining a gas concentration information, wherein the gas concentration information comprises a first gas concentration and a second gas concentration; and

a control unit electrically connected to the electrolytic gas generator and the gas detector, wherein the control unit adjusts a voltage value of the electrolytic gas generator according to the gas concentration information, and the control unit controls the type of gases generated by the electrolytic gas generator by adjusting the voltage value, and adjusts the concentrations of the first gas and the second gas in the storage cabinet.

2. The food preservation system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first gas storing unit and a second gas storing unit, wherein the first gas storing unit and the second gas storing unit are communicated to the electrolytic gas generator for storing the first gas and the second gas provided by the electrolytic gas generator.

3. The food preservation system according to claim 2, wherein an inner portion of the storage cabinet is divided into a gas preserving area and a liquid preserving area separated from the gas preserving area, the first gas storing unit and the second gas storing unit are in fluid communication with the gas preserving area through a gas output unit, and the first gas storing unit and the second gas storing unit are in fluid communication with the liquid preserving area through a liquid output unit.

4. The food preservation system according to claim 3, wherein the gas output unit comprises a first guiding tube in fluid communication with the first gas storing unit and a second guiding tube in fluid communication with the second gas storing unit, the first gas and the second gas are output to the gas preserving area through the first guiding tube and the second guiding tube respectively.

5. The food preservation system according to claim 4, wherein the gas output unit further comprises:

a confluence tube in fluid communication with the first guiding tube, the second guiding tube and the gas preserving area, wherein the first gas and the second gas are mixed through the confluence tube to form a mixed gas output to the gas preserving area;

a first flow splitting control valve disposed at the junction of the confluence tube and the first guiding tube, wherein the control unit is electrically connected to the first flow splitting control valve for controlling the amount of the first gas entering the confluence tube; and

a second flow splitting control valve disposed at the junction of the confluence tube and the second guiding tube, wherein the control unit is electrically connected to the second flow splitting control valve for controlling the amount of the second gas entering the confluence tube.

6. The food preservation system according to claim 5, wherein the gas output unit further comprises:

a first flow splitting tube in fluid communication with the first guiding tube and the confluence tube; and

a second flow splitting tube in fluid communication with the confluence tube and the second guiding tube;

wherein the first gas, the second gas and the mixed gas are input into the gas preserving area through the first flow splitting tube and the second flow splitting tube respectively.

7. The food preservation system according to claim 5, wherein the gas preserving area is divided into a gas sterilization chamber in fluid communication with the first guiding tube, a gas preserving chamber in fluid communication to the confluence tube and a gas anti-oxidation chamber in fluid communication with the second guiding tube, the gas sterilization chamber, the gas preserving chamber and the gas anti-oxidation chamber are separated from each other, the first gas flows into the gas sterilization chamber through the first guiding tube, the mixed gas flows into the gas preserving chamber through the confluence tube, and the second gas flows into the gas anti-oxidation through the second guiding tube.

8. The food preservation system according claim 7, further comprises:

a plurality of gas detectors electrically connected to the control unit, the plurality of gas detectors is disposed in the gas sterilization chamber, the gas preserving chamber and the gas anti-oxidation chamber respectively, wherein the control unit controls the ratio of the first gas and the second gas input into the gas sterilization chamber, the gas preserving chamber and the gas anti-oxidation chamber through the first flow splitting control valve and the second flow splitting control valve according to the gas concentration information received by the plurality of gas detectors.

9. The food preservation system according to claim 3, wherein the second gas is hydrogen gas, when the voltage value is smaller than 1.5V, the first gas is oxygen gas, and when the voltage value is larger than 1.5V, the first gas comprises oxygen gas and ozone.

10. The food preservation system according to claim 9, wherein the liquid output unit comprises:

a first water-gas mixing device in fluid communication between the first gas storing unit and the liquid preserving area, wherein the first water-gas mixing device receives the first gas and the first water-gas mixing device outputs an oxygen-rich water or water rich in oxygen and ozone to the liquid preserving area through a first supply tube;

a second water-gas mixing device in fluid communication between the second gas storing unit and the liquid preserving area, wherein the second water-gas mixing device receives the second gas, and the second water-gas mixing device outputs a hydrogen-rich water to the liquid preserving area through a second supply tube; and

a mixing tank in fluid communication with the first gas storing unit, the second gas storing unit and the liquid preserving area, wherein the mixing tank receives the first gas and the second gas, and the mixing tank outputs a mixing solution to the liquid preserving area through a third supply tube.

11. The food preservation system according to claim 10, wherein the liquid preserving area is divided to a liquid sterilization chamber in fluid communication with the first supply tube, a liquid anti-oxidation chamber in fluid communication with the second supply tube, and a liquid preserving chamber in fluid communication with the third supply tube, the liquid sterilization chamber, the liquid anti-oxidation chamber and the liquid preserving chamber are separated from each other, the oxygen-rich water or water rich in oxygen and ozone passes through the first supply tube to flow into the liquid sterilization chamber, the hydrogen-rich water passes through the second supply tube to flow into the liquid anti-oxidation chamber, and the mixed solution passes through the third supply tube to flow into the liquid preserving chamber.

12. The food preservation system according to claim 11, wherein the liquid output unit further comprises:

a first manifold disposed between the first gas storing unit, the first water-gas mixing device and the mixing tank for communicating the first gas storing unit, the first water-gas mixing device and the mixing tank to each other;

a third flow splitting control valve disposed at the first manifold for controlling the amount of the first gas entering the first water-gas mixing device and the mixing tank;

a second manifold disposed between the second gas storing unit, the second water-gas mixing device and the mixing tank for communicating the second gas storing unit, the second water-gas mixing device and the mixing tank to each other; and

a fourth flow splitting control valve disposed at the second manifold for controlling the amount of the second gas entering the second water-gas mixing device and the mixing tank.

13. The food preservation system according to claim 12, further comprising a plurality of liquid detectors electrically connected to the control unit, the plurality of liquid detectors is disposed in the liquid sterilization chamber, the liquid preserving chamber and the liquid anti-oxidation chamber, wherein the control unit controls the ratio of the first gas and the second gas entering the first water-gas mixing device, the second water-gas mixing device and the mixing tank through the third flow splitting control valve and the fourth flow splitting control valve according to a concentration detecting information received by the plurality of liquid detectors.

14. The food preservation system according to claim 10, wherein the liquid output unit further comprises a connecting pipeline connecting the first supply tube, the second supply tube and the third supply tube to each other, wherein the oxygen-rich water, water rich in oxygen and ozone, the hydrogen-rich water or the mixed solution passes through the connecting pipeline for entering the liquid preserving area respectively.

15. The food preservation system according to claim 1, wherein the electrolytic gas generator is a proton exchange electrolytic gas generator and the proton exchange electrolytic gas generator comprises:

a water electrolyzing component comprising an electrolyzer and a membrane electrode set disposed in the electrolyzer, wherein the membrane electrode set comprises an anode, a cathode and a proton exchange membrane located between the anode and the cathode; and

an adjustable power supply electrically connected to the anode and the cathode for constituting an electric circuit, wherein the control unit is electrically connected to the adjustable power supply for adjusting the voltage value provided by the adjustable power supply.

16. The food preservation according to claim 15, wherein the anode comprises an additive and a composition, wherein the additive is selected from a group consisting of iridium, iridium black, iridium oxide, ruthenium, ruthenium oxide, platinum, platinum-iridium, palladium, iridium-ruthenium oxide, iridium-ruthenium-tantalum oxide, tin-antimony-nickel alloy, lead dioxide, glassy carbon, boron doped diamond, platinum-tantalum oxide and the combination thereof, and the composition comprises perfluorinated sulfonic acid resin, polytetrafluoroethylene, sulfuric acid, carbon nanotubes and graphene.