L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme a Directoire Et Conseil De Surveillance Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude

L'air Liquide, Soci&#xe9;t&#xe9; Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Proc&#xe9;d&#xe9;s Georges Claude

Robert Ian Taylor

Didier Pathier

Beny Bruggeman

Franck Cousin

Etienne Charve

Jochen Weidlich

Johannes Beuse

Alain Cloarec

Cemal Oztas

Kirsten Möller

Friedhelm Meyer

The invention relates to a method for anaesthetizing animals before slaughter, by the anesthetic action of gases or gas mixtures, operated in 'batch' mode, in which the live animals, preferably put together in one or more cages, are placed in a lock chamber for treatment where the animals are brought into contact with anesthetic gas, following a cycle comprising several steps characterized by different contents of anesthetic gas, characterized in that at least one of the steps is carried out using gas recovered from the lock chamber and stored in at least one capacity (, No., No.etc.) for temporary storage having a variable volume.

Methods for animal anesthesia employing recycling of the gases

The device according to the invention for the cooling of articles, comprising at least one channel which can be connected to a first coolant source such that a first stream of a first coolant can flow through the channel, the articles to be cooled being introducible into the stream, is distinguished in that at least one cross-sectional stabilizer for stabilizing the cross section of the at least one channel is formed. The device according to the invention advantageously allows the defined cooling of articles, in particular the freezing of drops of a liquid or pasty material, in particular of liquid or pasty foods. In particular, a deformation, such as warping, of the channels on account of pronounced temperature gradients and/or temperature transients is effectively reduced. Thus, even after cooling-down operations, uniform cooling conditions can be ensured.

Device for the cooling of articles and its use

The invention concerns a process respectively an apparatus for filling a container with articles such as food, in particular meat, and a process respectively an apparatus for cooling articles and is characterised by repeating the following steps: (A) a first portion of the articles is conveyed with a conveying means, in particular a conveyor belt, having a conveyor outlet and is discharged into a container at a lower conveying speed such that a first portion accumulates in the container at the first location closer to the conveyor outlet; and (B) thereafter, a second portion of the articles is conveyed by the conveying means and is discharged into a container at a higher conveying speed, such that the second portion accumulates in the container at the second location further away from the conveyor outlet; as well as a process respectively an apparatus for cooling articles using said process and said apparatus for filling; as well as the articles processed by said processes respectively said apparatus. The control of the conveying speed allows for reducing the number of necessary surfaces of machinery with which the articles come into contact. The invention effects that the articles may be handled more easily in a clean way without the expense of non-uniform filling of the container. The process and the apparatus is particularly suited for homogenously and efficiently cooling articles using carbon dioxide particles.

Process and apparatus for filling a container with food articles

Methods and apparatus for freezing a product. The product is frozen in a treatment container which contains a vibrating support. The vibrating support is capable of receiving a film of a cryogenic liquid. A heated temperature probe, located just before the outlet of the treatment container, measures the temperature at that location. The supply system for the cryogenic liquid has a proportional valve. A data acquisition and processing unit receives the temperature information and controls the opening of the proportional valve.

Method and apparatus for the crust-freezing/cooling/deep-freezing treatment of products

A method is provided for cooling a powder in a tunnel with a vibrating support with at least two independently controllable cryogenic liquid inflows into the tunnel. It includes the following steps. A thermal mass of powder entering the tunnel is determined. The arrival of the powder at the tunnel inlet is detected. The thermal mass measurement previously obtained is synchronized with the detection of the arrival of the powder at the tunnel inlet, according to a known or predefined response time of the means for controlling the said cryogenic liquid inflows into the tunnel. The synchronization data is transmitted to a data acquisition and processing unit, which is able to retroact, if necessary, on the basis of this data, on all or part of the parameters governing the operation of the tunnel. The method is especially applicable to the cooling or deep-freezing treatments of food products or chemicals.

Method for the cryogenic cooling of powders using an early control strategy

A method and a device for cooling a mass of meat-, tissue-, vegetable- and/or fruit-containing substance in a container, in particular a mixer, blender or mill, using liquefied nitrogen (N) which is supplied in the lower region of the container at a constant working pressure via at least one nozzle. During the cooling process and/or in stoppage times, the nitrogen is briefly supplied to the nozzle or, via the latter, into the container by means of at least one pressure pulse that is increased in relation to the working pressure. The pulsed supply of pressurized nitrogen blows blocked and/or iced-up nozzles free again and thus ensures a more reliable operation of cooling a mass of a substance. This method and device are suitable, in particular, for use in foodstuff technology.

Method and device for cooling a mass of a substance

The invention is a method for operating a cryogenic tunnel through which products to be chilled or deep-frozen pass. This tunnel is equipped with means for injecting a cryogenic fluid and means for extracting the cold gases in the tunnel. The method includes obtaining an entry or an exit gas temperature from a gas temperature probe outside the tunnel in proximity to the tunnel entrance or exit. The method also includes obtaining an ambient temperature from an ambient temperature probe located outside the tunnel. The method also includes determining a first delta which is the difference between the ambient temperature and the gas temperature. And the method includes controlling the extraction rate of the extraction means by feedback as a function of the the temperature difference between the first delta and a set point, in order to restore the value of the first delta to the setpoint value if necessary.

Operational method for a cryogenic tunnel (1)

Cryogenic tunnel for chilling products, especially food products, comprising a horizontal conveyor belt ( ) for products and means for blowing a cold gas thereover and for limiting the escape of cold gas from the tunnel and/or the admission of external gas into the tunnel. The tunnel comprises at least one fan ( ) placed above the conveyor belt, the blades of which extend transversely with respect to the belt over virtually the entire width thereof.

Cryogenic tunnel for chilling products, especially food products

A intended in particular for equipping a tunnel for refrigeration of products such as food products, wherein this tunnel has a gaseous current flowing through it. The fan includes at least one pair of funnels ( ) fixed onto one face of a support ( ) mounted so that it can rotate about a vertical axis (XX) and connected to a device for driving rotation. The funnels have their entrance apertures ( ) arranged radially so as to allow the gaseous current to penetrate into them and to emerge from them at an accelerated speed via their exit aperture (S). One or several fans &lsqb;according to the invention&rsqb; can be arranged at appropriate places in the tunnel, their rotation speed being chosen so that the exit gas currents from the funnels ensure a high degree of heat transport while reducing the risk of undesirable movement of products passing by on a conveyor placed below the fans.

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Wavre, Belgium

Robert Ian Taylor