Eco-Friendly Cooling for Fresh Shellfish Quality

Introduction

Imagine a cooling solution tailored specifically for the seafood industry—one that preserves freshness while using sustainable, energy-efficient technology. This hybrid mobile shellfish cooling system is designed to meet the unique needs of the aquaculture and seafood processing sectors. It combines mobility and sustainability, offering an innovative approach to maintain shellfish at optimal temperatures from harvest to market.

With a blend of advanced cooling technologies, this system ensures that shellfish remain fresh, safe, and ready for consumption. It achieves rapid cooling without compromising quality, retaining the delicate flavors and textures that consumers expect. Furthermore, this system is designed with environmental responsibility in mind, utilizing energy-efficient mechanisms that reduce the carbon footprint associated with traditional cooling processes.

The hybrid design also provides mobility, allowing for cooling on the go—a crucial feature for shellfish transport. Whether used on fishing vessels, at processing facilities, or during distribution, this cooling system is adaptable and easy to integrate, supporting quality control throughout the supply chain.

Licensing this technology offers your company a competitive edge in delivering high-quality, sustainable seafood. It’s an investment in eco-friendly innovation that supports the aquaculture industry’s commitment to quality, freshness, and environmental stewardship.

A hybrid shellfish cooling system employs DC and AC cooling units using both solar power and AC electrical supply as energy sources. As temperature control and uniform temperature distribution in the cooling system are critical factors in reducing vibrio growth on raw oysters and reducing energy consumption, the system is equipped with a divider that optimizes airflow through the cooling system interior cabinet to achieve uniform temperature distribution in six individual internal compartments. Tests indicated that an average of 130 min. cooling was required to reach the suggested oyster temperatures of 7.2° C. and meet the cooling time requirement (i.e., 10 h or less). Airflow is further optimized via fan location and airflow direction, whereby configuration of a circulation fan on a lower part of the 12-volt DC section with an air supply from the 12-volt DC section to the 110-volt AC section achieves relatively uniform temperature distribution.

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile hybrid shellfish cooling system, comprising:

a steel frame;
a cooling chamber on an interior of said steel frame, the cooling chamber having a plurality of horizontal shelves and a centrally positioned divider wall separating the cooling chamber into a first cooling portion and a second cooling portion;
a 12-volt DC power unit supplying power to a DC cooling system, wherein the DC cooling system directly provides cooling only to said first cooling portion; and
a 110-volt AC power unit supplying power to an AC cooling system, wherein the AC cooling system directly provides cooling only to said second cooling portion;
and wherein said DC cooling system and said AC cooling system are operable to provide airflow from the first cooling portion to the second cooling portion.
2. The mobile hybrid shellfish cooling system of claim 1, further comprising a solar panel in electrical communication with said DC cooling system.
3. The mobile hybrid shellfish cooling system of claim 1, said DC cooling system further comprising a variable speed compressor/condenser and an evaporator unit.
4. The mobile hybrid shellfish cooling system of claim 1, said DC cooling system further comprising a cooling plate.
5. The mobile hybrid shellfish cooling system of claim 1, said AC cooling system further comprising a condensing unit and an evaporator unit.
6. The mobile hybrid shellfish cooling system of claim 1, further comprising a stainless steel cover mounted to a top of the frame.
7. The mobile hybrid shellfish cooling system of claim 1, further comprising exterior walls mounted to the frame, said exterior walls comprising unfaced polystyrene foam board insulation and double bubble insulation reflective roll insulation.
8. The mobile hybrid shellfish cooling system of claim 7, wherein said exterior walls are configured to have an R-value of at least 16.
9. The mobile hybrid shellfish cooling system of claim 1, wherein said centrally positioned divider wall has multiple horizontal rows of openings defined therein and extending therethrough.
10. The mobile hybrid shellfish cooling system of claim 9, said centrally positioned divider wall further having a first vent extending through the divider wall above the horizontal rows of openings and a second vent extending through the divider wall below the horizontal rows of openings.
11. The mobile hybrid shellfish cooling system of claim 9, wherein one or more top horizontal rows of openings are aligned with a compartment defined above a top one of the horizontal shelves, wherein each opening of said one or more top horizontal rows of openings has a first diameter.
12. The mobile hybrid shellfish cooling system of claim 11, wherein one or more middle horizontal rows of openings are aligned with a compartment defined above a middle one of the horizontal shelves, wherein each opening of said one or more middle horizontal rows of openings has a second diameter that is larger than said first diameter.
13. The mobile hybrid shellfish cooling system of claim 12, wherein one or more bottom horizontal rows of openings are aligned with a compartment defined above a bottom one of the horizontal shelves, wherein each opening of said one or more bottom horizontal rows of openings has a third diameter that is larger than said second diameter.
14. The mobile hybrid shellfish cooling system of claim 1, further comprising an overhead awning extending over said frame and said cooling chamber and a solar panel integrated in said overhead awning.
15. The mobile hybrid shellfish cooling system of claim 14, wherein said overhead awning is retractable.

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Title

Hybrid mobile shellfish cooling system

Inventor(s)

Seong W. Lee, Xuejun Qian, Yulai Yang

Assignee(s)

Morgan State University

Patent #

11867457

Patent Date

January 9, 2024

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