Precise Humidity for Bread Dough Storage
Overview: Relative humidity is very important for all stages of baking. In the storage room, ingredients must be kept at precise humidity levels and temperatures to maintain their quality and avoid degradation. Corrigan Corporation was asked to provide a solution to maintain desired humidity levels within a bread dough storage room and was able to accomplish this using VaporDry technology.
The Challenge: A national bakery chain contacted Corrigan Corporation in need of equipment that will effectively keep the relative humidity at exactly 60% inside of their bread dough storage room. If not kept at the correct percentage, ingredients can oxidize, increase in water weight, and become at risk of mold growth. As a result, the bakery was in search of an effective, dry fog solution.
The Approach: Using patented nozzle technology and accurately controlled air and water pressures, Corrigan Corporation can produce dry fog particles that rapidly evaporate before saturating or condensing on any surface. A temperature and humidity sensor inside of the room is paired with a programmable controller to maintain the desired relative humidity set point.
The Solution & Results: From the sensor data, a VaporDry diffuser box, along with 35 PSI air and 5 PSI water pressure, allow for droplet sizes as small as 2 microns and consistently well below 10 microns. Effectively reaching and maintaining the set point of 60% RH, with a water vapor small enough to not wet the product. The bakery was able to preserve the quality of its bread dough, while avoiding shrink due to degradation.
Concrete Cure Room Humidity & Ozone
Overview: When curing concrete samples, moist rooms are required to meet ASTM C511 standards of 23 (+/- 2 degrees) Celsius and a minimum relative humidity of 95%. Corrigan Corporation was asked to provide a solution to impede mold growth within the moist room, as an alternative to the existing attempt to cleanse the room with bleach. Corrigan Corporation was able to accomplish this using TriOBreeze technology.
The Challenge: A Chicago Metro Area concrete testing lab, using Corrigan Corporation’s VaporPlus humidity equipment, reached out with a problem in need of a solution. High humidity and moisture levels within a concrete curing room are often met with unwanted mold found on the walls and corners of the space. As a result, additional labor-hours were required to remove the mold growth, using bleach or similar chemical solutions. Unsatisfied with using chemicals and the burden of scrubbing walls, the lab was in search of a natural and turnkey solution.
The Approach: Using existing activated oxygen (O3) technology, Corrigan Corporation is able to provide a safe and effective alternative to chemical solutions. The process involves drawing air through the reaction chamber and supplying that air with an electrical discharge, turning some of the oxygen molecules into oxygen atoms. The oxygen atoms quickly react with oxygen molecules to form activated oxygen (O3). The new O3 atoms effectively destroy the protective outside layers and replication capacities of molds, then convert back down to regular oxygen – leaving no toxic residuals.
The Solution & Results: TriOBreeze technology was added to the existing VaporPlus humidity, producing activated oxygen fog during overnight hours. Using an automatic timer, the ozone generator is typically programmed for 2:00 AM, allowing time to downgrade back to oxygen – a turnkey and natural solution. As a gas, the broad-spectrum antimicrobial can reach crevices that cannot be reached by hand and effectively kill bacteria, yeasts, molds, and viruses. The lab was able to reduce labor-hours, avoid concerns of personnel breathing in chemical fumes, and prevent mold growth within the moist room.
Meat Processing Case Study
With a dry, non-condensing fog, droplets are so small they bounce off surfaces and very quickly raise the %RH of the chill room.
The problem: Costly shrink was occurring during the 24 hour primary chilling process, where fresh carcasses are spaced in a room designed to slowly reduce the core temperature. Corrigan was asked to maintain carcass weight while eliminating the moisture that had previously collected on walls and dripped from the cooler ceiling.
High relative humidity levels are needed to help with carcass weight loss and ensure quality chilling time.
The solution: A dry fog with droplets that are so small they bounce off surfaces and are quickly absorbed in the atmosphere raising relative humidity to the 90% RH set-point.
The result: The VaporDry™ warehouse humidity system reduced the carcass shrink from 3.0% to 1.5%. That’s a savings of $40.50 per hide on a 900 pound beef carcass valued at $3.00 per pound. The system paid for itself in two weeks! And no moisture collected on the ceilings or walls.
Precise Humidity For Hot Yoga
Overview: Hot yoga is a dynamic form of yoga that is performed in studios that are very warm and humid. Among the various types of yoga, the popular Bikram Yoga system calls for precise temperature and humidity. Corrigan Corporation was asked to provide a solution to maintain slightly modified conditions within a studio and was able to accomplish this using our patented VaporDry technology.
The Challenge: A New Jersey yoga studio, teaching a form of yoga based on the Bikram system, contacted Corrigan Corporation in need of equipment that will successfully keep their 1100 square foot, 106 degrees Fahrenheit studio at 60% relative humidity. With a changing class schedule, the studio also needed the flexibility to set the system on time for specific days and times, based on the week.
The Approach: Corrigan was able to calculate the proper humidification load by using the room dimensions, temperature, and desired relative humidity. It was determined that one diffuser box, paired with correct air and water pressures, would be needed to effectively humidify the space. A simple, easy-to-use touchscreen controller was programmed to allow the end user to input ON and OFF humidification timing cycles to accommodate the yoga studio’s varying weekly class schedules.
The Solution & Results: Corrigan placed a temperature and humidity sensor inside of the studio which fed data to the programmable controller, activating the system as needed, until the desired set point of 60% relative humidity was reached.
Precise Humidity For Cannabis
Overview: Indoor cannabis growing requires precise humidity at every stage of plant life. Inside of the grow room, relative humidity must be kept within certain ranges. Insufficient humidity can stunt the growth of the plants and excessive humidity can cause mold issues, resulting in wasted crop if not handled correctly. Corrigan Corporation was asked to provide a solution to maintain desired humidity levels within a grow room and was able to accomplish this using our patented VaporDry technology.
The Challenge: A West Coast based cannabis cultivator approached Corrigan Corporation in need of equipment that will successfully keep the relative humidity at exactly 60% inside of their vegetative grow room. With other equipment inside of the room, any condensation build up would create an issue. As a result, the customer was in search of an effective, dry fog solution.
The Approach: Corrigan was able to calculate the proper humidification load by using the room dimensions, temperature, and desired relative humidity. It was determined that four diffuser boxes, paired with accurately controlled air and water pressures, would be needed to effectively humidify the space.
The Solution & Results: By placing a temperature and humidity sensor inside of the room, Corrigan was able to feed data to a programmable controller, activating the system as needed, until the desired set point of 60% relative humidity was reached. While on, the diffuser boxes produced dry fog particles that rapidly evaporated before saturating or condensing on any equipment within the room.
Open Seafood Case Issues and Solution
One VaporPlus™ nozzle fogs the entire display.
The design of open seafood cases is appealing to the shopper. Sleek, minimalistic and definitely open.
Trying to keep seafood presentable and fresh has always been a challenge. The drying effects of refrigeration on seafood is well known. Open seafood cases which readily allow water to evaporate into the drier surrounding air, have only compounded this difficult issue.
Fortunately, Corrigan Corporation has an open case solution that promotes longer shelf-life, reduces shrink and can even eliminate the need for ice.
Our nozzle design emits a controlled micron-sized water vapor resulting in a gently rolling fog. We strategically place the nozzle above the open case allowing the fog to cascade downward onto the seafood display area. Lastly, we control the system inlet air and water pressures as well as the on/off time to maintain the required relative humidity to maximize your seafood shelf-life.
The result is an esthetically pleasing open seafood case with a fog cover providing an overall fresher display.
Our customers’ report: it’s a real show stopper. Shoppers see the cloud from the other end of the store and are instantly attracted to the display.
White Papers
Effect of Relative Humidity on the Ripening Behaviour and Quality of Ethylene Treated Banana Fruit
Saeed Ahmad, Zia Ahmad Chatha, Muhammad Akram Nasir, Abdul Aziz and Malik Mohson