Abstract: Provided is a degassing apparatus having a fluid flow surface positioned within a tank and configured for decreasing the velocity of the fluid flowing through the tank; a cryogen fluid cooling system including the degassing apparatus positioned in fluid communication with a cryogen injector of the system; and a direct cryogen fluid cooling method including flowing fluid containing cryogen into a degassing apparatus for decreasing a velocity of and for removing cryogen gas from the flowing fluid.

Abstract: A reconfigurable freezer includes a housing having an internal space therein, and first and second openings each in communication with the internal space; an infeed assembly and an outfeed assembly, the infeed assembly constructed to be removably mounted to the housing at one of at the first and second openings for being in communication with the internal space, and the outfeed assembly constructed to be removably mounted to another of the first and second openings for being in communication with the internal space, wherein the infeed and outfeed assemblies are interchangeable at the first and second openings; a conveyor belt transiting the internal space from the infeed assembly to the outfeed assembly; and a drum disposed at the internal space for supporting movement of the conveyor belt about the drum between the infeed and outfeed assemblies.

Abstract: A method and system for simulation of deformation of a thin-shelled member are disclosed herein. The method includes: receiving at one or more computer systems, information identifying a computer-generated object. The computer-generated object can be a thin-shelled member. The method includes: receiving information identifying a discretization of the computer-generated object, which discretization can be a plurality of nodes; receiving information identifying a set of material properties for the computer-generated object; pre-filtering nodes from the discretization based on predicted collisions; generating a preconditioner via a preconditioning algorithm; and iteratively solving for nodes at a plurality of time points via a conjugate gradient method.

Abstract: A reconfigurable freezer includes a housing having an internal space therein, and first and second openings each in communication with said internal space; an infeed assembly and an outfeed assembly, the infeed assembly constructed to be removably mounted to the housing at one of at the first and second openings for being in communication with said internal space, and the outfeed assembly constructed to be removably mounted to another of the first and second openings for being in communication with said internal space, wherein the infeed and outfeed assemblies are interchangeable at the first and second openings; a conveyor belt transiting the internal space from the infeed assembly to the outfeed assembly; and a drum disposed at the internal space for supporting movement of the conveyor belt about the drum between the infeed and outfeed assemblies.

Abstract: A reconfigurable freezer includes a housing having an internal space therein, and first and second openings each in communication with said internal space; and an infeed assembly and an outfeed assembly, the infeed assembly constructed to be removably mounted to the housing at one of the first and second openings for being in communication with said internal space, and the outfeed assembly constructed to be removably mounted to another of the first and second openings for being in communication with said internal space, wherein the infeed and outfeed assemblies are interchangeable at the first and second openings.

Abstract: Provided is a degassing apparatus having a fluid flow surface positioned within a tank and configured for decreasing the velocity of the fluid flowing through the tank; a cryogen fluid cooling system including the degassing apparatus positioned in fluid communication with a cryogen injector of the system; and a direct cryogen fluid cooling method including flowing fluid containing cryogen into a degassing apparatus for decreasing a velocity of and for removing cryogen gas from the flowing fluid.

Abstract: A method and system for simulation of deformation of a thin-shelled member are disclosed herein. The method includes: receiving at one or more computer systems, information identifying a computer-generated object. The computer-generated object can be a thin-shelled member. The method includes: receiving information identifying a discretization of the computer-generated object, which discretization can be a plurality of nodes; receiving information identifying a set of material properties for the computer-generated object; pre-filtering nodes from the discretization based on predicted collisions; generating a preconditioner via a preconditioning algorithm; and iteratively solving for nodes at a plurality of time points via a conjugate gradient method.

Abstract: A freezer for a food product, includes a housing having an internal space with a processing atmosphere for reducing a temperature of the food product; and a pressure balance apparatus in communication with the processing atmosphere to restrict atmosphere external to the freezer from reaching the internal space, the pressure balance apparatus comprising at least one sensor exposed to the processing atmosphere for generating a first signal indicating an amount of oxygen (O2) sensed at the internal space, and a blower disposed to direct a pressurized flow of the processing atmosphere to the internal space responsive to the first signal. A related method is also provided.

Abstract: A method for freezing a food product in a cryogenic freezer includes sensing at least one physical characteristic of the food product in real time, providing a cryogenic substance to the food product for heat transfer at said food product, automatically self-adjusting the heat transfer at the food product responsive to the sensing the at least one physical characteristic, and continuously self-adjusting the heat transfer for bringing the food product to a select temperature. A related freezer apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing treatment by impingement to a continuous supply of food product includes a treatment zone at an ambient pressure, a fluid delivery zone at an elevated pressure, and a circulation assembly. Impingement plates containing apertures separate the zones. When treatment fluid is drawn through the impingement apertures, jets of treatment fluid are produced and impinge upon food product traveling through the treatment zone. The apparatus can employ a conveyor mechanism to accommodate food product from a continuous supply, as opposed to batches.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of cooling products includes a conveyor for transporting the products, through a refrigeration medium for cooling the products, agitation means disposed proximate to the conveyor for selective, intermittent contact with the conveyor to displace the conveyor from a plane of travel, thereby displacing the products on the conveyor during freezing to prevent the products from adhering to the conveyor or other of the products during freezing, at least one of the agitation means and the conveyor constructed and arranged to be positioned away from each other for the conveyor to move uninterrupted along the plane of travel.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for mixing a gas and a liquid to produce a gaseous vapor of the liquid that is substantially free of droplets. Gas, e.g., carbon dioxide, is divided into first and second streams. The first stream is combined in an atomization zone with the liquid, e.g., acetic acid, to form an atomized mixture of the gas and liquid. This atomized mixture is then contacted with the second gas stream in a mixing zone within a mixing/separation chamber in which the second gas stream vaporizes substantially all of the atomized liquid, and the resulting mixture of gas, vaporized liquid and residual droplets moves to the separation zone of the mixing/separation chamber. In the separation zone, the residual droplets gravitationally separate from the vaporized mixture, and the vaporized mixture free of a substantial amount of residual droplets is removed from the chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of microbiocidal gas generation includes generating a microbiocidal agent, such as lactic acid, without the need for a carrier gas. A liquid microbiocidal agent is introduced into a heat exchanger where it is heated to generate a gaseous miocrobiocidal agent without a carrier gas for use with food products, while eliminating the costs, additional equipment and additional steps associated with the use of a carrier gas in the generation of microbiocidal agents.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for surface crust freezing of a food product utilizes a refrigeration shell enclosing a freezing chamber, the freezing chamber having a cavity shaped to substantially accommodate the shape of the exterior surface of the food product; the cavity communicating with the refrigeration shell; a transport substrate to carry the food product into the freezing chamber; a cryogen supply; and a gas circulation device in the refrigeration shell in communication with the cryogen supply to introduce a cooling flow of gas containing cryogen into the cavity so as to contact the food product along its exterior surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for case hardening a work piece by inductive heating is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a ring of conductive material having an inner diameter, an outer diameter, and opposing planar sides. In one embodiment, dielectric material fixed to the planar sides of the ring prevents the electrical power passing through the conductive material from short circuiting. In another embodiment of the invention, a plurality of conductive teeth extend radially from at least one of the inner diameter and the outer diameter of the ring, wherein a valley having a vertex is formed between adjacent conductive teeth, and conductive material is removed from the ring proximal the vertex to prevent overheating gear teeth of the work piece being hardened.

Abstract: An apparatus for the chilling or freezing of items, particularly food items includes an entrance module, and exit module and may include one or more intermediate modules. The modules may be connected in order to provide an optimal solution in a food freezing or chilling process. Each module includes at least a portion of a belt for conveying items and a motor driven impeller for circulating a stream of cryogenic gas around the items. The velocity of the stream of cryogenic gas is increased through the use of one or more impingers creating impingement jets above and below the belt. The impinger may be a plate having a series of holes or it may be a series of channels. The configuration of the impinger effects the rate of heat transfer from the cryogen to the items. A sprayer for spraying liquid cryogen into the impingement jets to provide an immediate freezing of the surface of an item. Baffles between modules enable the user to control the flow of cryogen and the pressure differential between modules.