Freezing a liquid
AssigneeThe BOC Group, Inc.
InventorsPeter H. Gibson, Robert I. Taylor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a method of freezing a liquid such as cream, a continuous, pulsating stream of liquid is dispensed from nozzles onto a stream of liquified gas flowing along downwardly inclined channels provided by a trough. The liquid forms itself into discrete spheroidal bodies, a substantial number of which have a larger cross-sectional area than that defined by the outlet of each nozzle from which they are dispensed. The bodies are carried by the liquified gas along the channels and at least their peripheries are frozen by the time the bodies reach the downstream end of the channels. Freezing may be completed by gas cooling. The bodies are then separated from the liquified gas.
Claims20
A process for freezing a liquid to form generally spherical, discrete frozen bodies of the liquid comprising the steps of:
- discharging a pulsating and substantially continuous flow of the liquid through at least one orifice;
- flowing a stream of liquefied gas having a boiling point below -30.degree. C. along a channel;
- contacting said discharged liquid flow with said stream of liquefied gas in said channel for a time period sufficient to freeze at least the peripheries of said bodies which then flow with said stream of liquefied gas along said channel;
- controlling the rate at which said liquid is discharged from said orifice such that a substantial portion of said discrete frozen bodies exhibit a cross-sectional area greater than the diameter of said orifice;
- and
- collecting said discrete, frozen bodies.
Apparatus for freezing a liquid to form generally spherical, discrete, frozen bodies of the liquid comprising fluid containing channel means sloping generally downwardly;
- orifice means for discharging said liquid into said channel means;
- means for supplying a pulsating and substantially continuous flow of said liquid to said orifice means for discharge into said channel means;
- means for introducing a stream of liquefied gas having a boiling point of -30.degree. C. or less into the upper end of said channel means such that upon contact between said stream and said liquid flow, discrete, frozen bodies of said liquid having at least the peripheries thereof frozen are formed in said channel means;
- means for separating said discrete, frozen bodies from said stream of liquefied gas and means for collecting said discrete, frozen bodies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.