Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
  • A23B7/00—Preservation of fruit or vegetables; Chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables
  • A23B7/14—Preserving or ripening with chemicals not covered by group A23B7/08 or A23B7/10
  • A23B7/144—Preserving or ripening with chemicals not covered by group A23B7/08 or A23B7/10 in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
  • A23B2/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general
  • A23B2/70—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general by treatment with chemicals
  • A23B2/704—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general by treatment with chemicals in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
  • A23B2/708—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general by treatment with chemicals in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor in a controlled atmosphere, e.g. partial vacuum, comprising only CO2, N2, O2 or H2O
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
  • A23B7/00—Preservation of fruit or vegetables; Chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables
  • A23B7/04—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
  • A23B7/00—Preservation of fruit or vegetables; Chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables
  • A23B7/14—Preserving or ripening with chemicals not covered by group A23B7/08 or A23B7/10
  • A23B7/144—Preserving or ripening with chemicals not covered by group A23B7/08 or A23B7/10 in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
  • A23B7/148—Preserving or ripening with chemicals not covered by group A23B7/08 or A23B7/10 in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor in a controlled atmosphere, e.g. partial vacuum, comprising only CO2, N2, O2 or H2O

Definitions

• This invention is directed to a ripening/storage room having reversible air flow capability for ripening and/or storing a product such as fruit and/or vegetables.
• the ripening/storage room may be operably connected to a cooling/heat source for achieving a predetermined temperature within the ripening/storage room.
• Fan(s) may be used to circulate air within an Air Moving Unit, or "AMU”.
• a loading space of the ripening/storage room receives the load.
• Operational openings (such as vent holes, windows, ducts and/or air ducts) direct the circulating air through the ripening/storage room.
• the circulating air may follow a continuous path through the AMU, operational openings and the loading space of the ripening/storage room.
• a reversible heat exchanger or reversible air fan system and/or a pair of air reversing components may be positioned in the continuous path to enable reversal of the direction of the continuous path of the air flow.
• FIG. 1 depicts a diagonal cross view of an empty two tier ripening/storage unit.
• FIG 2 depicts a diagonal view of a fully loaded two tier ripening/storage unit.
• FIG 3a depicts a diagonal view of the AMU (2) adjacent to the ripening/storage room (1) with rotatable air cooler (3) wherein air flow is in the normal direction.
• FIG 3b depicts an AMU (2) with the rotatable air cooler (3) wherein air flow is in the normal direction.
• FIG 3c depicts rotation of the air cooler (3) in the ripening/storage room (1) with a rotatable air cooler (3) from the normal to reverse position and vice versa.
• FIG 3d depicts a diagonal view of the ripening/storage room (1) with rotatable air cooler (3) after rotation from the normal to the reverse air flow mode.
• FIG 3e depicts a side view of an AMU (2) with the rotatable air cooler
• FIG 4a depicts a cross-section of the AMU (2) with the rotatable air fans (23) with normal air flow.
• FIG 4b depicts a cross-section of the AMU (2) with the rotatable air fans (23) during rotation.
• FIG 4c depicts a cross-section of the AMU (2) with the rotatable air fans (23) with reverse air flow.
• FIG 5a depicts a diagonal view of the ripening/storage room (1) with the AMU (2) located on the roof.
• FIG 5b depicts a diagonal view of the ripening/storage room (1) with the AMU (2) located behind the loading space of the ripening/storage room (1).
• FIG 6a depicts a cross-section view of the AMU (2) with air fans (23) located before the heat exchanger (24).
• FIG 6b depicts a cross-section view of the AMU (2) with air fans located behind the heat exchanger (24).
• FIG 6c depicts a cross-section of the vertical AMU (2) located behind the operational space of the ripening/storage room (1) with air fans (23) located before or behind the heat exchanger (24).
• FIG 7a depicts a front view of the ripening/storage unit wherein a principle of an air flow through the load (4) in a "normal" air direction is shown.
• FIG 7b depicts a front view of the ripening/storage unit wherein a working principle of the air flow through the load (4) in a "reverse" air direction is shown.
• FIG 8a depicts a diagonal view of one embodiment of the AMU (2) wherein a principle of the air flow inside the AMU (2) in a "normal" air direction is shown.
• FIG 8b depicts a diagonal view of one embodiment of the AMU (2) wherein a principle of the air flow inside the AMU (2) in a "reverse" air direction is shown.
• FIG 9 depicts a front cross view of one embodiment of the air reversing component of a ripening/storage unit comprising four swing dampers (25, 26).
• FIG 10 depicts a front cross view of one embodiment of the air reversing component of a ripening/storage unit comprising two swing dampers (27).
• FIG 11 depicts a view of one embodiment of the air reversing component of a ripening/storage unit comprising three butterfly revolving dampers (30, 31).
• FIG 12 depicts a front cross view of one embodiment of the air reversing component of a ripening/storage unit comprising louvre (multiflap) dampers (33, 34).
• FIG 13 depicts a front cross view of one embodiment of the air reversing component of a ripening/storage unit comprising slide dampers (36).
• FIG 14a depicts one embodiment of the air reversing component of a ripening/storage unit comprising swing vertical dampers (flaps) (38, 39) installed inside the AMU (2), wherein air flow is in a "normal" direction.
• FIG 14b depicts one embodiment of the air reversing component of a ripening/storage unit with the swing vertical dampers (flaps) (38, 39) installed inside the AMU (2), wherein the air flow is in a "reverse" direction.
• FIG 15a depicts one embodiment of the ripening/storage unit with the
• AMU (2) connected to a ripening/storage room (1) via the air duct system, wherein the air flow in a "normal" direction.
• FIG 15b depicts one embodiment of the air reversing component of a ripening/storage unit with the AMU (2) connected to ripening/storage room (1) via an air duct system, wherein the air flow is in a "reverse" direction.
• FIG 15c depicts a side view of the AMU (2) connected with the ripening/storage room (1) via an air duct system.
• Air Movement Unit refers to a unit primarily responsible for achieving and/or maintaining the temperature of air distributed to the ripening/storage room.
• air it is meant any fluid that circulates inside the ripening/store room during controlled atmosphere storage.
• circulation it is meant blowing (or drawing) of air through the system, including, for example, a load (4) stacked inside a ripening/storage room through air intakes/air outlets and then guiding it through a part of the ripening/storage room comprising machinery.
• Controlled Atmosphere means air maintained at a particular predetermined atmosphere.
• a control atmosphere used for "green transport” may comprise N 2 at about 88.0 %, O 2 at about 6.0 %, and CO 2 at about 6.0 %.
• "Normal Air” generally comprises N 2 at about 78%, O 2 at about 21% and CO 2 at about 0.035%.
• the AMU (1) may comprise an air cooler (3) that may comprise a heat exchanger (24), air fans (23), air shutters, and auxiliary equipment.
• the AMU (1) may be built in the form of a closed housing connected to a loading/operational space of the ripening/storage room (1) through a system of operational openings in the form of vent holes, doors, windows, a system of air ducts, or the like.
• the AMU (2) may be installed on the roof of the ripening/storage room (1), or at the rear end of it behind the loading space. According to the invention, air may be cooled (or heated) and guided across a load (4).
• Load (4) may comprise product, such as fruit and/or vegetables, or the like. Product may be placed in boxes and loaded on the pallets in essentially the horizontal direction to form the load (4). Air may then be circulated through the load (4).
• FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of the disclosed storage/ripening unit.
• the storage/ripening unit may comprise a ripening/storage room (1) where goods may be loaded in; an Air Movement Unit, or "AMU" (2), here located on the roof of the ripening/storage room (1) where the active parts of the system may be located; an air cooler (3); and other optional technical installations.
• AMU (2) may be connected with the ripening/storage room (1) via one or more operational openings.
• FIG. 2 depicts a diagonal view of one embodiment of the storage/ripening unit.
• the ripening/storage room (1) may include a floor (12), a rear wall (11), a ceiling (10), two side walls (9), and a front wall (14).
• the front wall (14) may be provided with a door (13) which can be opened to enable access to a load (4) in the ripening/storage room (1).
• the walls, door, and ceiling may be insulated and/or may comprise sandwich panels or similar material and, together with the floor (12) and the AMU (2), may form a substantially air-tight housing for treating a load (4) that may comprise product during storage or ripening as will be discussed below.
• the AMU (2) is responsible for achieving and/or maintaining the temperature of air distributed to the ripening/storage room (1), and may be located on the roof (10) of the ripening/storage room (1).
• the ripening/storage room (1) and AMU (2) together constitute a storage/ripening unit wherein both elements may be operably connected to each other via operational openings (7, 8), which may comprise suction or blowing operational openings (41, 42, 43, 44).
• a high performance air cooler (3) comprising a heat exchanger (24) and air fans (23) and air shutters (5, 6) may be the main components of the AMU (2).
• Product for example, fruits and/or vegetables
• pallets/boxes collectively, the "load” (4)
• the load (4)
• pallets stacked tightly to each other may form a wall-like construction such that operational air pushed by fans may be forced to flow through the load (4).
• the ripening/storage room in accordance with this invention, may be built in a variety of sizes depending on the capacity desired.
• the ripening/storage room (1) shown in the drawing (FIGS. 1 and 2) is a two tier construction sized to "house” four rows of palletized product, each containing pallets.
• FIG 3a depicts a diagonal cross-section of the AMU (2) wherein a direction change of the operational air may be made via rotation of the air cooler (3) of about 180 degrees.
• the source of the air intake may be from the operational space of the ripening/storage room (1) into the AMU (2) through suction operational openings (7) that may be located in center of the AMU (2), wherein the air then passes the air cooler (3) and leaves the AMU (2) through blowing operational openings (8) that may be located on both sides of the AMU (2).
• Fig. 3d depicts a cross-section view of one embodiment of the AMU
• the air may pass the air cooler (3) in one direction only, such that the operational pattern of the design is symmetrical in both flow directions.
• a heat exchanger (24) may be fixed to the ripening/storage room (1) and air fans (23) may be erected on a rotatable frame that may turn periodically at an angle of about 180° to reverse direction of the air flow. The direction of the air through air fans may stay the same.
• the reversible system with rotatable air fans frame shown in the figures may create some asymmetry of cooling/heating during operation in the normal vs. reverse direction. This may be compensated for by intelligent process management.
• FIG. 5a depicts a diagonal view of the storage/ripening unit wherein the AMU (2) is located on the roof (10) of the ripening/storage room (1).
• FIG. 5b depicts a diagonal view of one embodiment of the storage/ripening unit wherein the AMU (2) may be located behind the rear wall (11) of the ripening/storage room (1).
• FIG. 6a depicts a cross-section view of one embodiment of the storage/ripening unit wherein the AMU (2) may be located on the roof (10) of the ripening/storage room (1) and the air fans (23) of the air cooler (3) may be located before the heat exchanger (24).
• FIG. 6b depicts a cross-section view of one embodiment of the storage/ripening unit wherein the AMU (2) may be located on the roof (10) of the ripening/storage room (1) and the air fans (23) of the air cooler (3) may be located behind the heat exchanger (24).
• FIG. 6c depicts a cross-section view of one embodiment of the storage/ripening unit wherein the AMU (2) may be located behind the operational space of the ripening/storage room (1).
• the air fans (23) of the air cooler (3) may be located in front of the heat exchanger (24).
• the air fans (23) of the air cooler (3) may be located behind the heat exchanger
• FIG. 7a depicts a front cross view of the storage/ripening unit showing therein the principle of air flow in a "normal" direction.
• the air direction wherein air passes pallets flowing in a direction from walls of the ripening/storage room (1) to the center of the ripening/storage room is called the "normal” direction.
• the opposite direction is called the "reverse” direction.
• the normal direction of the air is a direction where the air passes the load (4) in a direction from the room wall (9) to the room center (19).
• FIG. 7b depicts a front view of the storage/ripening unit showing therein the principle of air flow in a "reverse" direction.
• the air (17a, 17b) passes the load (4) in a direction from the room center (19) to the room wall (9).
• FIG. 8a depicts a diagonal view of the AMU (2) showing the principle of air flow in the "normal" direction.
• the arrows show the air sucked from the operational space of the ripening/storage room (1) through the suction operational opening (7a) located in the room center (19).
• the air sucked by the air fans (23) passes (cross) the air cooler (3) and then leaves the AMU (2) through the two blowing operational openings (8a) located on the sides of the room roof (10) to the operational space of the ripening/storage room (1).
• FIG. 8b depicts a diagonal view of the AMU (2) showing the principle of air flow in the "reverse" direction.
• the arrows show air sucked from the operational space of the ripening/storage room (1) through the two suction operational openings (7a) located on both sides in the suction part of the AMU (2).
• the air sucked by the air fans (23) of the air cooler (3) passes (cross) the air cooler (3) and then leaves the AMU (2) through the blowing operational opening (8b) located in center of the room roof (10) to the operational space of the ripening/storage room (1).
• FIG. 9 depicts a front cross view of the storage/ripening unit comprising four swing dampers/flaps (25, 26).
• the upper drawing shows a situation where the center operational openings (7a, 8b) are closed by a pair of dampers (26) and both side dampers/air windows (25, 7a, 8a) are opened.
• the air can flow through open side dampers (25) from the operational space of the ripening/storage room (1) to the AMU (2), as well as from the AMU back to the space of the ripening/storage room (1).
• the lower sketch depicts a situation wherein both side dampers (25) are closed (thereby blocking air flow) and the damper pair in the center (26) is open. In such a situation, the air can flow from the space of the ripening/storage room (1) to the AMU (2) or in the opposite direction.
• FlG. 10 depicts a cross front view of the storage/ripening unit comprising two swing dampers/shutters (27) that can turn around their pivots by about 180 degrees.
• the dampers close the center operational openings (7a, 8b), and at the same time both side operational openings (7b, 8a) are open.
• the air can flow through the opened side openings/windows from the space of the ripening/storage room (1) to the AMU (2) space or in an opposite direction.
• the lower sketch depicts dampers in a position wherein the side operational openings/windows (7b, 8a) are closed and the center operational openings (7a, 8b) are open.
• the air has free flow through the center operational openings (7 a, 8b) in the open position while at the same time, the side operational openings (7b, 8a) are closed and the flow of the air through the side operational openings (7b, 8a) is blocked.
• FlG. 11 depicts a front cross view of the apparatus comprising revolver
• FlG. 12 depicts a front cross view of the storage/ripening unit comprising louver dampers (multi-flap dampers) (33, 34).
• the upper sketch shows a situation where both operational openings (7b, 8a) on the side are open and the air can flow freely from the ripening/storage room (1) space into AMU (2) as well as from the AMU (2) to the ripening/storage room (1) space.
• the opening in the center may be closed so that air flow through is blocked.
• the lower sketch depicts the opposite situation wherein the center operational opening may be open while both side operational openings may be closed.
• FIG. 13 depicts a cross view of the storage/ripening unit comprising slide shutters (36).
• the upper sketch shows a situation where both shutters (36) are in an outer end position and both operational openings (7b, 8a) on the sides may be closed; at the same time the operational openings in the center (7a, 8b) may be fully open.
• the air can flow in the center from the ripening/storage room (1) space to the AMU (2) or from the AMU (2) to the ripening/storage room (1) space.
• the lower sketch shows the opposite situation where the slide shutters (36) may be closed in the center so that the center operational openings (7a, 8b) may be closed; at the same time, both side operational openings (7b, 8a) may be open such that air may flow though in both directions.
• FIG. 14a depicts a top view of the AMU (2) comprising vertical swing shutters (38, 39).
• the top sketch shows a situation where both shutters (38) in front of the air cooler (3) close the outer suction operational openings (7b); at the same time, the center suction operational opening (7a) may be open.
• the shutters (39) behind the air cooler (3) are closed in center, so that center blowing operational opening (8b) may be closed and the both blowing openings/windows (8a) on the sides are open.
• the operation air is sucked from the ripening/storage room (1) through the center operational opening (7a) passing the air cooler (3), and then leaves the AMU (2) through openings/windows (8a) on the sides.
• FIG. 14b depicts a top view of the AMU (2) comprising vertical swing shutters (38, 39).
• the top sketch shows a situation where the shutters (38) located before the air cooler (3) close the center suction operational opening (7a); at the same time, the side suction operational openings (7b) may be open.
• the shutters (39) located behind the air cooler (3) close the center blowing operational opening (8b) and both side blowing operational openings (8a) may be closed.
• the operation air is sucked from the ripening/storage room (1) through the side operational openings (7b) past the air cooler (3) and then leaves the AMU (2) through center operational opening (8b).
• This direction is a "reverse" air direction where the air passes the load stacked in the ripening/storage room in a direction from room center (19) to the room walls.
• FIG. 15a, 15b and 15c depict cross-section views of the AMU (2) built as a separate unit on the roof of a ripening room. Connection with ripening room is made through a system of air ducts.
• the inside of the AMU (2) may be similar to that described above and shown in FIGS. 15 and 16. The difference between this construction and constructions described before is that in this aspect, the AMU may be a separately air tight box without direct connection (operational openings) to the ripening/storage room (1).
• the AMU (2) may lay on the roof of the ripening/storage room (1) and have a sole connection through said air duct system.
• Air Management Unit AMU
• Load e.g., banana pallets
• Air flow (reverse direction)

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Storage Of Harvested Produce (AREA)
• Cold Air Circulating Systems And Constructional Details In Refrigerators (AREA)
• Storage Of Fruits Or Vegetables (AREA)
• Packging For Living Organisms, Food Or Medicinal Products That Are Sensitive To Environmental Conditiond (AREA)

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• 2010
  • 2010-03-12 WO PCT/US2010/027140 patent/WO2010105156A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2010-03-12 EP EP10716138A patent/EP2405763A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2010-03-12 US US12/723,051 patent/US20110034118A1/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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