Non-explosive shockwave generator system and method for hydrodynamic pressure processing of food products

Abstract

A non-explosive shockwave generator system for hydrodynamic pressure processing of food products, the generator including a volume of fluid about a food product, a piston in a cylinder arranged to strike the volume, and a subsystem for driving the piston to impact the volume of fluid to create a shockwave which travels through the food product.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages will occur to those skilled in the art from the following description of a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic three-dimensional view of one embodiment of the non-explosive shockwave generator system for hydrodynamic pressure processing of a food product of this invention;

FIGS. 2A-2B are schematic side-views showing an example of the piston shown in FIG. 1 striking a volume of fluid to create a shockwave in the fluid that interacts with the food product;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side-view of one example of the subsystem for driving the piston shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic side-view of another example of the subsystem used to drive the piston shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a schematic side-view of yet another example of the subsystem for driving the piston shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a three-dimensional view of another embodiment of the non-explosive shockwave generator system for hydrodynamic pressure processing of a food product of this invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic three-dimensional view of the non-explosive shockwave generator system for hydrodynamic pressure processing of a food product shown in FIG. 1 employed with a linear pocket feeder;

FIGS. 8A-8C are schematic side-views showing an example of a concave shaped piston that may be employed with the shockwave generator system and method of this invention to strike a volume of fluid and create a complex shockwave;

FIGS. 9A-9C are schematic side-views showing an example of a convex shaped piston that may be employed with the shockwave generator system and method of this invention to strike that is used to impact a volume of fluid and create a complex shaped wave form; and

FIGS. 10A-10C are schematic side-views showing an example of a sloped shaped piston that may be employed with the shockwave generator system and method of this invention to strike a volume of fluid and create a complex shockwave.

Claims

1. A non-explosive shockwave generator system for hydrodynamic pressure processing of food products, the generator comprising: a volume of fluid about a food product;a piston in a cylinder arranged to strike the volume; anda subsystem for driving the piston to impact the volume of fluid to create a shockwave which travels through the food product.

2. The shockwave generator system of claim 1 in which the volume of fluid includes a portion within the cylinder.

3. The shockwave generator system of claim 1 in which the cylinder includes a volume of gas proximate the volume of fluid.

4. The shockwave generator system of claim 3 in which the cylinder includes vents for allowing said volume of gas to escape from the cylinder when the piston is driven to impact the volume of fluid.

5. The shockwave generator system of claim 1 in which the piston impacts the volume of fluid to generate a planar shockwave.

6. The shockwave generator system of claim 1 in which the food product is chosen from the group consisting of beef, poultry, pork and lamb.

7. The shockwave generator system of claim 1 in which the subsystem drives the piston at a velocity in the range of about 50 to 150 m/s.

8. The shockwave generator system of claim 1 in which the piston generates an incident shock pressure on the volume of fluid that has a pressure in the range of about 700 bar to 2000 bar.

9. The shockwave generator system of claim 8 in which the piston generates an incident shock pressure having a pressure of about 1500 bar.

10. The shockwave generator system of claim 1 in which the piston has a mass in the range of about 2 pounds to about 12 pounds.

11. The shockwave generator system of claim 1 in which the driving subsystem includes a source of a pressurized gas delivered to the cylinder to drive the piston to impact the fluid.

12. The shockwave generator system of claim 1 in which the driving subsystem includes an electric linear motor.

13. The shockwave generator system of claim 1 in which the driving subsystem includes a combustion generating device.

14. The shockwave generator system of claim 1 in which the driving subsystem includes springs in communication with the piston.

15. The shockwave generator system of claim 1 in which the driving subsystem includes a hydraulic device.

16. The shockwave generator system of claim 1 in which the piston is concave shaped for generating a complex shockwave.

17. The shockwave generator system of claim 1 in which the piston is convex shaped for generating a complex wave form.

18. The shockwave generator system of claim 1 in which the piston includes an angled head for generating a complex shockwave.

19. The shockwave generator system of claim 1 in which the volume of fluid includes a linear pocket feeder which continuously presents the food product to be processed.

20. The shockwave generator system of claim 19 in which the linear pocket feeder includes a conduit in fluid communication with the cylinder and a plurality of pistons connected by rods travelling in the conduit.

21. The shockwave generator system of claim 20 in which the conduit includes fluid lines for filling a volume of fluid between two adjacent pistons of the plurality of pistons to form a plurality of filling stations to provide the volume of fluid about the food product.

22. The shockwave generator system of claim 21 in which the conduit includes fluid lines for draining the volume of fluid about the food product and between adjacent pistons to form a plurality of draining stations.

23. A non-explosive shockwave generator system for hydrodynamic pressure processing of food products, the generator comprising: a volume of fluid about a food product;a piston in a cylinder arranged to strike the volume; anda subsystem for driving the piston to impact the volume of fluid to create a planar shockwave which travels through the food product.

24. A non-explosive shockwave generator system for hydrodynamic pressure processing of food products, the generator comprising: a volume of fluid about a food product;a striking element arranged to strike the volume; anda subsystem for driving the striking element to impact the volume of fluid to create a shockwave which travels through the food product.

25. A non-explosive shockwave generator system for hydrodynamic pressure processing of food products, the generator comprising: a volume of fluid about a food product;a piston in a cylinder arranged to strike the volume;a subsystem for driving the piston to impact the volume of fluid to create a shockwave which travels through the food product; anda linear pocket feeder which continuously presents the food product to be processed.

26. The shockwave generator system of claim 25 in which the pocket feeder includes a conduit in fluid communication with the cylinder and a plurality of pistons connected by rods travelling in the conduit.

27. The shockwave generator system of claim 26 in which the conduit includes fluid lines for filling a volume of fluid between two adjacent pistons of the plurality of pistons to form a plurality of filling stations to provide the volume of fluid about the food product.

28. The shockwave generator system of claim 26 in which the conduit includes fluid lines for draining the volume of fluid about the food product and between adjacent pistons to form a plurality of draining stations.

29. A non-explosive method for generating a shockwave for hydrodynamic processing of food products, the method comprising: delivering a food product to a volume of fluid; andimpacting the volume of fluid to create a shockwave which travels through the food product.

30. The method of claim 29 in which the impacting including driving a piston in a cylinder arranged to strike the volume of fluid.

31. The method of claim 30 in which the volume of fluid includes a portion within the cylinder.

32. The method of claim 30 in which the cylinder includes a volume of gas proximate the volume of fluid.

33. The method of claim 29 in which the food product is chosen from the group consisting of beef, poultry, pork and lamb.

34. The method of claim 30 in which pressurized gas drives the piston to impact the fluid.

35. The method of claim 30 in which an electric linear motor drives the piston.

36. The method of claim 30 in which combustion is used to drive the piston.

37. The method of claim 30 in which at least one spring drives the piston.

38. The method of claim 30 in which the piston is driven hydraulically.

39. A non-explosive method for generating a shockwave for hydrodynamic processing of food products, the method comprising: delivering a food product to a volume of fluid; andapplying a non-explosive force to the volume of fluid to create a shockwave that travels through the food product.

40. A non-explosive method for generating a shockwave for hydrodynamic processing of food products, the method comprising: delivering a food product to a volume of fluid; andtenderizing and destroying microbial organisms in the food product by applying a non-explosive force to the volume of fluid to create a shockwave that travels through the food product.

41. A non-explosive method for generating a shockwave for hydrodynamic processing of food products, the method comprising: sequentially delivering a food product to a volume of fluid using a linear pocket feeder; anddriving a piston in a cylinder arranged to strike to volume to impact the volume of fluid to create a shockwave which travels through the food product.

42. The method of claim 41 in which the pocket feeder includes a conduit in fluid communication with the cylinder and a plurality of pistons connected by rods travelling in the conduit.

43. A non-explosive method for generating a shockwave for hydrodynamic processing of food products, the method comprising: sequentially delivering a food product to a volume of fluid using a linear pocket feeder; andapplying a non-explosive force to the volume of fluid to create a shockwave that travels through the food product.