摘要 |
A method and apparatus for assisting the cooling or heating of product, such as beverages, in a container can include agitating the contents of the container to create movement and to generate eddy currents in the contents. The method and apparatus can help to reduce the temperature gradients in the contents and to increase the heat transfer rate of the contents while simultaneously cooling or heating the contents and simultaneously transporting the containers. The containers can be cooled or heated using a cooling or heating media, in a cooling or heating tunnel, or in a reservoir. Agitating the contents of the container can be accomplished with a vibration generator, which can be selected from a pulsating fluid, a shaker, a motor rotating an unbalanced mass, a tactile transducer, an acoustic device, and a subwoofer. The vibration generator can be a pulsating fluid that is also a cooling or heating media. |