Open Source Freeze Dryer Product Architecture

What to produce? Powdered Whole Fruit? Freeze dried juice. Which fruits are needed?

Freeze dried fruit vs powder?

Blue Alpine Large model, with capacity to receive 10 fresh kilos and output 1 kilo of freeze dried. The goal on first validation is the cost of processing 1 kilogram or liter of freeze dried fruit product. Connected to grid and with PV System Integration. The goal is to reduce the cost at 0.01 USD per KW used in the process of freeze drying.

After achieving the cost of Kw. Received feedback on what the current ingredient market wants, The next validation is Product development. And then Choosing the equipment to scale to serve customer needs.

[[ https://bluealpinefreezedryers.com/collections/freeze-dryers/products/rev-3-large-freeze-dryer?_pos=4&_fid=6f59314cb&_ss=c&variant=54296442700067%7COff the shelf Freeze dryer Information:]]

Freeze-Dried Product Forms (Reference)

Freeze-dried products can be classified by physical geometry, particle structure, and functional intent. The freeze dryer itself produces a porous solid; the final form depends on pre-processing (cutting, molding, formulation) and post-processing (breaking, milling, agglomeration, coating).

This classification is useful for design decisions, energy modeling, and target use cases.

1. Whole and Intact Forms

Macro-structure preserved

Whole units Entire fruits, vegetables, herbs, or biological materials dried intact. Uses: premium foods, snacks, visual identity products.

Sliced forms Rings, discs, slabs, or cross-sections. Advantages: faster drying, uniform sublimation, predictable rehydration.

Cubed / diced forms Regular geometry (typically 5–20 mm). Uses: soups, ready meals, space food.

2. Fragmented Solid Forms

Broken but not milled

Chunks Irregular large pieces resulting from manual or mechanical breaking.

Flakes / shards Thin fractured sheets formed naturally in tray freeze-drying.

Crumbles / grits Small fragments between flakes and granules.

3. Powder and Particle Forms

Particle size controlled after drying

Standard milled powder Coarsely ground freeze-dried solids (≈200–800 µm).

Micronized / fine powder Finely milled material with high surface area (≈20–200 µm).

Granules Larger particles (≈0.5–2 mm) with improved flowability.

Agglomerated powder Fine powders re-formed into porous clusters for instant wetting.

4. Engineered Geometry Forms

Shape defined intentionally

Pellets / beads Spherical or near-spherical units with excellent flow characteristics.

Cylinders / plugs Molded to specific dimensions, common in vials.

Wafers Thin, fragile discs optimized for fast dissolution.

5. Monolithic Forms

Freeze-dried as a single body

Blocks / bricks Large porous monoliths dried as one piece.

Porous solids from pastes or slurries Formulated mixtures freeze-dried into rigid structures.

6. Sheet and Film Forms

Very thin geometries

Sheets Large, thin layers dried on trays and later cut or milled.

Films Ultra-thin freeze-dried layers, sometimes flexible.

7. Composite and Formulated Forms

Freeze-drying combined with formulation

Carrier-based forms Actives embedded in sugars, proteins, or polymers.

Encapsulated forms Freeze-dried cores later coated for protection or controlled release.

Layered structures Multiple compositions freeze-dried together in a single body.

8. Functional Classification (Use-Driven)

Independent of geometry

Instant-rehydration forms Optimized porosity for rapid wetting.

Controlled or slow-rehydration forms Higher density or coated structures.

Direct-eat crunchy forms Texture prioritized over rehydration.

9. Non-Food and Technical Forms

Lyophilized biologicals Microorganisms, enzymes, vaccines, starter cultures.

Freeze-dried foams Extremely porous structures for research or biomedical use.

Design Relevance for Open-Source Freeze Dryers

Geometry strongly affects drying time and energy per kg

Porosity determines rehydration speed

Most commercial “forms” are achieved by post-processing

Tray freeze dryers naturally produce sheets, flakes, and blocks

Molds and vials enable plugs, wafers, and pellets

The same freeze dryer can serve multiple markets by changing form