Modular produce drying tunnel and methods of use
OwnerLorin Reed, Jim Moshierinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A modular produce drying tunnel system comprising a loading module, at least one drying module, an end module, and a conveyor. The drying module may comprise at least one gullwing style access door which houses an independent heating element and a blower and which opens upwardly to provide broad access to the interior of the tunnel. The system may be customizable for different types and volumes of produce, comprising a plurality of drying modules, each having at least one access door, and each access door having an independent heating element and blower.
Claims20
A method of drying produce, comprising:
- a. loading at least one piece of produce in a loading module at a proximal end of a modular tunnel;
- b. using a conveyor to advance said at least one piece of produce through at least one module having at least one access door that can be opened to allow access to an interior of said at least one module, wherein said at least one access door comprises a heat transfer chamber;
- c. passing a liquid through a coil in said at least one module to change a temperature in said at least one module;
- d. an end module operable to discharge said produce;
- e. at least one conveyor passing through said modules;
- and
- f. an electronic controller operable to continuously monitor and adjust individual environmental conditions of each of said modules independently.
A method for drying produce utilizing a modular tunnel, comprising:
- a. loading produce into a loading module of said modular tunnel, said loading module comprising a first barrier for substantially blocking a first air flow while allowing said produce to pass into said modular tunnel;
- b. advancing said produce through a plurality of drying modules by conveyor, wherein each drying module includes an access door having a temperature control element and a blower;
- and
- c. drying the produce passing through the interior of said modular tunnel by applying air at adjustable temperatures and adjustable air flow to said produce, wherein said temperature is adjusted by changing a flow rate of a fluid through closed conduit located in said modular tunnel.
A method of passing an item through a modular tunnel system, comprising:
- a. temperature treating said item while passing said item through a plurality of tunnel modules using a conveyor, each of said plurality of tunnel modules having an independent temperature control coil, and an independent temperature sensor, wherein each temperature control coil is independently controllable;
- and
- b. modulating a temperature in each of said tunnel modules independently by passing a fluid at a pre-determined temperature through said temperature coil in each of said tunnel modules, wherein each of said tunnel modules is operable to function as either a heating module or a cooling module, and said function is dynamically adjustable based on real-time environmental conditions detected within the module,
- wherein each of said tunnel modules comprises a heat transfer chamber positioned within an access door of the module, said heat transfer chamber housing said temperature control coil and a blower for directing conditioned air into the interior of the tunnel module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.