Design and Development of an Energy-Efficient Suki Sauce Stirrer: A Novel Concept Study

¹ Faculty of Industrial Technology and Management, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (Prachinburi Campus), 25230 Prachinburi, Thailand
² KMUTNB Techno Park Prachinburi, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (Prachinburi Campus), 25230 Prachinburi, Thailand
³ Thermal Energy and Distillation Engineering Research Unit (in the process and equipment designed) Faculty of Industry and Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Sakonnakhon Campus
⁴ Birmingham Centre for Energy Storage and School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom

^* Corresponding author: thanya.p@itm.kmutnb.ac.th

Abstract

This study presents the design and evaluation of an energy-efficient sukiyaki sauce stirrer incorporating thermosyphon technology to reduce both heating time and fuel consumption. The conventional method requires continuous stirring for 180 minutes to reach the target temperature of 85˚C, consuming approximately 3.5 kg of LPG. To address this inefficiency, a novel thermosyphon system was developed and integrated into the stirrer pot. The apparatus comprises twelve AISI 304 stainless steel thermosyphon tubes (25.4 mm OD, 54.5 cm length) mounted on a custom-built structure. Water was used as the working fluid, filled to 50% of the evaporator volume to facilitate effective heat transfer via phase change. Experimental testing, using a mixture of water and granulated sugar to simulate sukiyaki sauce, demonstrated that the target temperature was achieved in 80 minutes, reducing heating time by over 50% and saving 0.84 kg of LPG. The findings confirm that thermosyphon-assisted heat transfer, combined with active stirring, significantly enhances thermal efficiency and shortens the processing time. Notably, microbial testing conducted in accordance with the Ministry of Public Health’s standards revealed no contamination during production. This approach offers a promising, energy-conserving solution for food preparation processes, particularly in small scale or individually operated cooking applications.