How to choose a smoke treatment unit for your roasting equipment

Abstract

The present invention relates to a smoke treatment unit (3) of a system (1) of a roaster (2) and a method for selecting an associated smoke treatment unit when said system is used in a room (10), said method comprising: receiving room data input; receiving roast usage data input to determine an amount of each contaminant produced by the roasting equipment during a period of time; calculating the concentration of each pollutant present in the room during said period for each system of the roaster and one smoke treatment unit; for each system and for each contaminant, comparing the calculated concentration of said contaminant present in the room during the period with the concentration of said contaminant permitted in accordance with local health and safety regulations; selecting a smoke treatment unit for the system from a list of smoke treatment units that provides a calculated concentration for each pollutant that is lower than the certified concentration.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for roasting coffee beans in a safe environment. [Background technology]

[0002] Roasting coffee beans is a well-known process. The main steps consist of heating the beans to the desired roast level and then cooling or quenching the heated beans to stop the roast. During heating, smoke is released. This smoke contains safe and desirable compounds, specifically the normal roasted coffee aroma, but also undesirable and less safe compounds such as diacetyl, pyridine, 2-furanmethanol, caffeine furfural, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, CO, CO2, NO2, SO2, ozone, and particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10).

[0003] When roasting is carried out in a manufacturing site producing significant quantities of roasted beans, all conditions are generally provided for trapping unsafe compounds.

[0004] However, recently there has been a trend towards small roasters for small batch roasting in stores, restaurants and coffee shops where customers can consume coffee brewed with freshly roasted beans. Roasters not only provide freshness and other benefits, but also deliver a pleasant roasted coffee aroma inside the store or coffee shop.

[0005] However, as mentioned above, harmful compounds are also released. If the roaster is used in a closed environment such as a shop, cafe or restaurant, depending on the size of the room, the ventilation of the room, the release of some compounds can be harmful. For people who work in that room for several hours, smelling the smoke of the roaster can lead to health problems. The strong smell of roasting can become distressing after a few hours.

[0006] As a result, in such environments, it is recommended to treat the smoke emissions generated by the roaster to avoid health problems for the people present inside the store. Existing solutions involve the use of filtering or catalytic converters to capture or destroy the harmful compounds in the smoke, or to exhaust the smoke outside by an outlet duct connected to the roaster.

[0007] In practice, it has been found that these currently existing solutions do not systematically guarantee zero emissions or at least a safe reduction of harmful compounds. In fact, in order to provide customers with a wide variety and original or customized roasted beans, roasters operated in stores, cafes or restaurants are sometimes used to roast a variety of different beans at different levels of roast. This wide variety results in a wide range of beans and roasting conditions. These different beans and these different roasting conditions release different types and levels of compounds, and existing solutions may not be configured to handle the smoke of some unusual roasts that release particularly high concentrations of harmful compounds.

[0008] In addition, in each store, the operator may roast different amounts of coffee beans per day. Small stores with a large production of roasted beans may quickly reach high levels of contaminants in the store and require very efficient treatment of the smoke from the roaster, which may not be required in larger cafes that roast fewer beans.

[0009] Finally, the size of the shop, cafe or restaurant, as well as the amount of ventilation in the room, can vary with a direct impact on the concentration of emitted pollutants in the public room.

[0010] A common solution would be to use powerful smoke treatment units configured to be able to treat occasional smoke with high levels of harmful compounds, but the equivalents would be expensive and often the size of the units would not fit into the small size roasting devices of shops, cafes or restaurants. Other disadvantages of powerful smoke treatment units are: - Systematic implementation of high temperatures in the case of catalytic converters, which are usually implemented at temperatures between 300 and 600 °C, as this implies an impact on the shop, cafe or restaurant environment, a risk of burns to the operators and an impact on other technical components of the roaster. - noise (especially related to the need for powerful ventilation), - High power consumption. With only a single phase (120V or 230V) the target temperatures mentioned above in the catalytic converter are barely reachable. -The volume that powerful smoke handling units occupy in the store (especially those involving the use of ducts connecting the roaster smoke outlet to the outside).

[0011] The object of the present invention is to provide a method for selecting a smoke treatment unit that is adapted to the safe operation of a coffee bean roasting apparatus in a particular room and that makes it possible to reduce the emission of gaseous compounds harmful to its use to a safe level.

[0012] Another object is to provide a method for predicting the safe operation of a given system of roasting equipment and smoke treatment units in different rooms. Summary of the Invention

[0013] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for selecting a smoke treatment unit of a system of at least one given coffee bean roasting apparatus and an associated smoke treatment unit configured to treat smoke emitted by said at least one roasting apparatus when said system is used in a room, comprising the steps of:

[0014] The smoke treatment unit is selected from a group of different smoke treatment units, the smoke treatment units differing in their performance for treating smoke pollutants, and the method comprises:

[0015] receiving a room data input indicating a country of a room and providing ventilation directly or indirectly to said room;

[0016] receiving roast usage data input indicative of intended use of at least one roasting apparatus during a predetermined period of time and determining an amount of each contaminant produced by said at least one roasting apparatus during said period of use;

[0017] For each system of at least one roasting apparatus and one of the plurality of smoke treatment units, a determined amount of each contaminant produced by the at least one roasting apparatus during said period of use; The ability of the smoke treatment unit to reduce the levels of the above pollutants; and From the ventilation provided, Calculating the concentration of each contaminant present in the room during the period;

[0018] for each system and for each contaminant, comparing the calculated concentration of said contaminant present in the room during the period with the concentration of said contaminant permitted in accordance with local health and safety regulations;

[0019] selecting at least one smoke treatment unit of the system in a list of smoke treatment units that provides a calculated concentration for each pollutant that is lower than the certified concentration.

[0020] In this method, the roaster and the smoke treatment unit form a system for roasting coffee beans and treating the smoke generated during the roasting operation, the system being configured to be located within the room.

[0021] The system typically includes one roaster and one smoke processing unit, as developed below. Furthermore, in some configurations the system may include multiple roasters and one smoke processing unit configured to process smoke generated by all said roasters. In that case the method may be applied in a similar manner as developed below, taking into account roast usage data inputs indicating the intended usage of all said roasters.

[0022] For a given roasting equipment and a given room, the method is implemented to allow the selection of a smoke treatment unit, thus ensuring that a coffee shop owner who decides to use a particular coffee bean roasting equipment in his shop can select a smoke treatment unit associated with said roasting equipment and use the roasting equipment according to his habits, allowing the treatment of the smoke generated by the roaster to be sufficient for compliance with health and safety regulations regarding pollutant levels in the public areas and working environment of his shop.

[0023] Any type of roaster can be used, in which the coffee beans are heated and preferably mixed to ensure homogenous heating throughout the beans.

[0024] The heat source may be a burner (meaning combustion) powered by natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or even wood, or it may be an electrical resistor, a ceramic heater, a halogen source, an infrared source, or a microwave source.

[0025] Preferably, the heating source is electrically powered, so that the air pollutants produced during roasting are pollutants produced from the heating of the coffee beans themselves, and not from the combustion of gas, as occurs when the heating source is a gas burner using natural gas, propane, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or even wood.

[0026] The mixing of the beans can be obtained mechanically, using a fluidized bed of hot air, or an impeller or a rotating drum.

[0027] Preferably, the roasting apparatus is a hot air fluidized bed chamber. In such a chamber, heated air is forced through a screen or perforated plate beneath the coffee beans with sufficient force to lift the beans. Heat is transferred to the beans as they tumble and flow through the fluidized bed.

[0028] Alternatively, the roasting apparatus may be a drum chamber in which the coffee beans are tumbled in a heated environment. The drum chamber may consist of a drum rotating along a horizontal axis, or the drum chamber may be equipped with stirring blades for tumbling the coffee beans in a heated environment, typically hot air.

[0029] The associated smoke treatment unit treats the smoke produced by the roasting apparatus, and the method makes it possible to select said unit from a group of different smoke treatment units differing by their capacity to treat the pollutants of the smoke, in particular by their yield in reducing the level of compounds present in the smoke.

[0030] It is fairly understood by a smoke processing unit configured to process smoke generated by a roasting apparatus.

[0031] Afterburners or catalytic afterburners that allow for thermal oxidation of pollutants, or NO x an active treatment unit that destroys contaminants inside the device, such as a catalytic device that provides selective catalytic reduction with an ammonia slip catalyst to filter

[0032] Desulfurization of gases using dry or wet techniques to capture SO2 Active devices to retain pollutants, such as wet scrubbers to retain VOCs and particulate matter, or electrostatic precipitators to retain particulate matter after ionization with high voltage, or

[0033] A passive treatment unit that retains contaminants inside the device, such as a mechanical filter (metal sieve or paper filter), activated carbon filter, or cyclone; or

[0034] A unit that diverts contaminants away from the room (such as a duct leading outside the room);

[0035] Or it may comprise a combination of the above units.

[0036] By the yield of a smoke treatment unit in reducing the level of one particular compound present in smoke, one understands the percentage reduction of said compound present in smoke after treatment by that smoke treatment unit.

[0037] The afterburner thermally oxidizes all types of gases and particulate matter, especially pollutants such as CO and CO2, at very high temperatures, typically above 700°C, and converts them into CO x , NO x , S.O. x and other oxides.

[0038] Catalytic afterburners include a ceramic or metal substrate coated with a catalytic impregnant that contains nanoparticles of copper oxide, nanoparticles of iron oxide, and a precious metal, typically one or more metals of the platinum group (platinum, palladium, rhodium). Operation of a catalytic afterburner requires lower temperatures than an afterburner, typically between 300°C and 500°C. Advantageously, but not necessarily, before the fumes are sent to the catalytic converter, the fumes are preheated, typically by a heat exchanger fed by the fumes exiting the catalytic converter.

[0039] The filters can typically retain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hydrocarbons and particulate matter (PM). The smoke treatment unit can include several filters depending on their capacity to retain certain pollutants. The filters configured to capture VOCs and hydrocarbons are preferably activated carbon filters or charcoal filters. The filters configured to capture particulate matter are preferably high efficiency particulate accumulator (HEPA) filters, metal filters (e.g., ultra-fine steel wool media filters), or paper filters. An electrostatic precipitator can be used to capture PM.

[0040] Most of the smoke treatment units include a smoke driver, such as a fan, to move the smoke from the outlet of the roaster to the smoke treatment unit.

[0041] Some smoke treatment units may include a condenser to reduce the temperature of the treated smoke before it is delivered into the room.

[0042] Preferably, the smoke treatment unit is included in the list of afterburners, catalytic afterburners, filters capable of retaining volatile organic compounds, hydrocarbons and / or particulate matter, electrostatic precipitators, ducts connected to the outside of the room, and combinations thereof.

[0043] These smoke treatment units can be installed especially in public rooms such as cafes, shops or restaurants, because they are easy to operate and maintain even by non-professional operators.

[0044] The method includes receiving a room data input indicating a country for the room and providing, directly or indirectly, an airflow rate for the room.

[0045] Depending on the country of the room it can be known what health and safety regulations the use of the roaster must comply with in public areas. This process of receiving the room data input may also indicate the maximum number of people that may be present in the room, indeed some health and safety regulations in public areas and in the working environment are related to this information.

[0046] In general, the method includes accessing the health and safety regulations regarding the levels of pollutants emitted in public rooms per country or geographical region, and the permitted concentrations of certain pollutants. These regulations can be stored in the memory of the device on which the method is performed, or on a remote server accessible by said device. These regulations can form an accessible database.

[0047] Ventilation rate corresponds to the volume of air refreshed from a room per hour, usually measured in m 3 It is expressed in hr / h and is used to estimate the air exchange, and therefore the natural removal of pollutants, from a room over time.

[0048] Air exchange depends on the type of room and building with the particular insulation, and the type of ventilation installed inside. The ventilation can be configured to push air out and pull it in, and passive inlets and / or outlets such as windows, doors, grille openings can be present in various dimensions.

[0049] Typically, public rooms can provide ventilation directly, since it typically includes ventilation such as a fan that refreshes the air in the room, and the ventilation volume corresponds to the ventilation volume of that ventilation. Optionally, this ventilation volume can be regulated by other factors, such as the presence of passive inlets and / or outlets.

[0050] Alternatively, the air change rate can be calculated from received data such as the volume of the room and, if known, the Air Change Per Hour (ACPH) of said room. Air Change Per Hour is the number of times a complete air volume in a room is exchanged during one hour. This reflects the total air refreshment in the room per hour. The Air Change Per Hour (ACPH) of a room is equal to the Air Change Per Hour divided by the volume of the room. Thus, the method can include receiving room data input indicative of at least the volume of a room and the Air Change Per Hour of the room to determine the Air Change Per Hour (ACPH) of said room.

[0051] In this step of providing room data input, at least some of the data may be provided automatically by a location estimation device (GPS), a volume measurement device (such as a laser device to measure room dimensions) and / or anemometry device (to measure airflow), which may be wirelessly connected to the device implementing the method and directly communicate certain measurements.

[0052] The method includes receiving roast usage data input indicative of intended use of the roasting apparatus during a predetermined time period and determining an amount of each contaminant produced by the roasting apparatus during the time period.

[0053] During each roasting operation, pollutants are generated and delivered via the smoke. These pollutants include CO, CO2, diacetyl, formaldehyde, methanol, NO, NO2, pyridine, SO2, 2-furanmethanol, and PM 10 , P.M. 2.5 Particularly important gaseous compounds include CO2, particulate matter such as benzene, ...

[0054] The amount of these contaminants produced in each roasting operation depends on several factors, and at least on the following: - the amount of coffee beans to be roasted, -The nature of the coffee beans being roasted. For example, roasting Robusta coffee beans will produce different contaminants than roasting Arabica beans. - The level of roasting applied to coffee beans. Light roasts produce fewer pollutants than dark roasts.

[0055] The type of roaster used for roasting. The nature of the heat source directly influences the compounds released. For example, drum roasters release more contaminants than air fluidized bed roasters.

[0056] Depending on the coffee shop owner's commercial habits, the number of roasting operations per day, the time of day when the roasting operations occur, may affect the concentration of contaminants in the room throughout the day or during peak operating periods.

[0057] Preferably, the roast usage data indicative of the intended use of the roasting equipment comprises at least: - the amount of coffee beans roasted per day, as well as -The interval between roasting operations, as well as Optionally, the weight of roasted beans per roasting operation and / or the roast level of the coffee beans at the end of the roasting operation and / or the type of coffee beans roasted in the roasting apparatus.

[0058] The input regarding the interval between roast operations may be clearly indicated or selectable within a limited list of inputs, such as continuous, over 8 hours, every 15 minutes, every half hour, etc.

[0059] In some embodiments, some usage input data can be automatically set to worst case scenarios, such as continuous roasting operations, dark roast level, maximum allowable amount of coffee beans in the roasting chamber per roasting operation.

[0060] The period during which the intended use occurs usually corresponds to the opening hours of the coffee establishment and / or to the specifications of the regulations, for example around 8 hours. Finally, it can be adapted according to the type of public room (restaurant, coffee establishment, bar, etc.) or to comply with certain specifications of the regulations, for example compliance with pollutant levels for 15 minutes.

[0061] Roast usage data can tell us how much contaminants are produced during a roasting operation.

[0062] In general, the method includes accessing the amount of each contaminant produced by a given roasting apparatus during operation of roasting a particular amount of a particular type of coffee beans to a particular roast level.

[0063] These quantities may be stored in the memory of the device in which the method is performed or on a remote server accessible by said device. These quantities may form an accessible database.

[0064] These amounts are usually defined by experimentation, by performing different roasting scenarios in a given roasting apparatus and measuring the amount of each contaminant in the smoke produced.

[0065] Based on the roast usage data and the accessible quantities, the quantity produced in each roast operation according to the indicated intended usage can be calculated.

[0066] Based on the intended use for a given period of time, the amount of each contaminant produced by the roasting apparatus during that period of time is determined.

[0067] Preferably, CO, CO2, diacetyl, formaldehyde, PM 10 , P.M. 2.5The amount of at least one contaminant generated by the roasting equipment during its intended use for roasting is determined, the amount being included in the following list: methanol, NO, NO2, pyridine, SO2, 2-furanmethanol. Preferably, the amount of each of some of the above contaminants is determined according to the hygiene regulations to be observed.

[0068] In general, the method includes the step of accessing, for each smoke treatment unit, the performance of said smoke treatment unit in reducing the level of each pollutant.

[0069] These capabilities may be stored in the memory of the device in which the method is performed or on a remote server accessible by said device. These capabilities may form an accessible database.

[0070] Typically, these performances are defined by prior experiments consisting in treating different pollutants with the smoke treatment unit and measuring the amount of each pollutant after treatment. Optionally, they can be defined according to the specifications of the smoke treatment unit provided by the manufacturer.

[0071] In a further step, for each system one of the roaster and the smoke processing unit, the method typically includes determining from the determined amounts of each pollutant produced by the roaster during the period of time, an amount of each pollutant delivered by said system during the period of time.

[0072] For each smoke processing unit and each pollutant, the reduction yield is applied to the determined amount of said pollutant produced by the roaster during a period of time. As a result, the amount of said pollutant delivered by the entire system during a period of time is determined. This amount is delivered to the room, which provides a maximum concentration of said pollutant in the room, based on the volume of the room. However, due to the presence of normal ventilation, which removes some air and pollutants from the room, the actual concentration is lower than this maximum concentration.

[0073] Thus, in the final step of determining the concentration of each contaminant present in the room during the time period, the method typically includes calculating the concentration of each contaminant present in the room during the time period from the ventilation rate and the above determined amounts of each contaminant delivered by the system during the time period.

[0074] This process takes into account ventilation rates by applying the rate at which pollutant concentrations decrease over time.

[0075] The process of determining the concentration of each contaminant present in the room during a period of time can be performed with different levels of accuracy. In a basic mode, all contaminants generated during one roasting operation can be considered to be generated at a certain time of the roasting operation (e.g., the time between crack 1 and crack 2) and released into the room at the same time.

[0076] In a more specific mode, the dynamics of the release of different pollutants during the duration of one roasting run can be taken into account.

[0077] The step of determining the concentration of each contaminant present in the room over a period of time also takes into account the accumulation of contaminants for successive roasting operations: new emission contaminants are added to the amount of emission contaminants of the previous roasting operation that have not yet been exhausted by the ventilation of the room.

[0078] The method includes the step of comparing, for each system and for each contaminant, the calculated concentration of said contaminant present in the room during a period of time with an accessible concentration of said contaminant permitted in accordance with local health and safety regulations.

[0079] Typically, to carry out this step, the method involves accessing health and safety regulations in different countries or geographical regions regarding contaminant levels emitted in public rooms.

[0080] Finally, the method includes selecting a smoke treatment unit of the system within the list of smoke treatment units that provides a calculated concentration for each pollutant that is lower than the certified concentration.

[0081] When selecting between different smoke handling units, the final selection may be based on additional criteria such as cost of purchase and installation, cost of use, volume or density of the units which directly impacts the location of the roasting equipment within the store, noise and / or heat generated during use, cleaning needs, footprint, number of roasting equipment to be installed in the store, and store setup (fully closed in winter, open to the street in summer).

[0082] In one preferred embodiment, the method may include displaying a representation diagram for each pollutant and for each smoke treatment unit selected by the user. - the calculated concentrations of the above pollutants present in the room during the intended use of the roasting equipment, and - The concentration limits of the above pollutants approved in accordance with local health and safety regulations.

[0083] The method can be implemented on a computer, a mobile device such as a smartphone or a tablet app, or even directly in the control system of the roasting machine.

[0084] In a second aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, processor or control unit, cause the computer, processor or control unit to carry out the method set out above.

[0085] In one embodiment, the computer program may be executed by a processing unit of a mobile device.

[0086] In a third aspect, there is provided a computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, processor or control unit, cause the computer, processor or control unit to perform the method set out above.

[0087] In a fourth aspect, there is provided a method for verifying safe operation of a particular system of a given coffee bean roasting apparatus and a given associated smoke treatment unit adapted to treat smoke emitted by said roasting apparatus in different rooms and according to different intended uses, said method comprising the steps of:

[0088] receiving a room data input indicating a country of a room and ventilation of said room;

[0089] receiving roast usage data input indicating intended use of a given roasting apparatus during a given period of time and determining an amount of each contaminant produced by the roasting apparatus during said period of use;

[0090] For a particular given system of roasting equipment and a given smoke treatment unit, the determined amount of each contaminant produced by the roasting equipment during said period of use; The ability of the smoke treatment unit to reduce the levels of the above pollutants; and From the ventilation rate, Calculating the concentration of each contaminant present in the room during the period;

[0091] for each contaminant, comparing the calculated concentration of said contaminant present in the room during the period with the concentration of said contaminant permitted in accordance with local health and safety regulations;

[0092] and for each contaminant, if the calculated concentration is less than the authorized concentration, verifying safe operation of the particular system in the room.

[0093] This method allows to verify the safe operation of a specific system of a given roasting equipment with a given smoke treatment unit, if this specific system is intended to be used in a new room by a new operator. This method applies in particular when running a specific shop, cafe or restaurant and selling a specific system to a customer who has personal habits regarding the roasting operation. In order to verify the safety of the operation of the specific system by the customer, this method is carried out taking into account the parameters of the room (ventilation rate, local regulations to be observed) and the roasting habits of the operator.

[0094] If safe operation is confirmed, the system may be operated for its intended use in that room, otherwise a proposal to use a separate smoke processing unit for the system may be proposed.

[0095] In particular, if safe operation of a particular system is not confirmed, the method according to the first aspect may be implemented to select a smoke treatment unit for a given coffee bean roasting apparatus, said smoke treatment unit being selected from a group of smoke treatment units different from the given associated smoke treatment unit of the particular system.

[0096] In a fourth aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, processor or control unit, cause the computer, processor or control unit to perform the above method for ensuring safe operation of a particular system.

[0097] In one embodiment, the computer program may be executed by a processing unit of a mobile device.

[0098] In a fifth aspect, there is provided a computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, processor or control unit, cause the computer, processor or control unit to perform the above method for ensuring safe operation of a particular system.

[0099] In this application, "smoke" means gases and particulate matter produced during roasting of coffee beans.

[0100] In this application, "pollutant" means gaseous compounds or particulate matter that are deemed by health regulations to be potentially harmful to health.

[0101] The above aspects of the invention may be combined in any suitable combination. Moreover, various features herein may be combined with one or more of the above aspects to provide combinations other than those specifically shown and described. Further objects and advantageous features of the invention will become apparent from the claims, detailed description, and accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0102] The features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood in connection with the following figures. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a system of roasters and smoke treatment units operating in a room and the applicability of different types of smoke treatment units to the system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the different steps of the method for selecting a smoke treatment unit according to the invention; [Figure 3A] FIG. 10 illustrates example inputs and outputs that may be displayed during the performance of the method. [Figure 3B] FIG. 10 illustrates example inputs and outputs that may be displayed during the performance of the method. [Figure 4A] FIG. 1 provides curves of the concentration of one pollutant in a room during intended use of a roasting apparatus with different types of smoke treatment units. [Figure 4B] FIG. 1 provides curves of the concentration of one pollutant in a room during intended use of a roasting apparatus with different types of smoke treatment units. [Figure 4C] FIG. 1 provides curves of the concentration of one pollutant in a room during intended use of a roasting apparatus with different types of smoke treatment units. [Diagram 5] 2 is a block diagram showing the different steps of the method for verifying the safe use of the system according to the invention; FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a system of several roasters and one smoke processing unit operating in a room. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0103] Figure 1 shows a room 10 in which a roasting operation is carried out in a system 3 comprising a roasting apparatus 2 and a smoke treatment unit 3. The apparatus 2 and the unit 3 cooperate with each other such that smoke 24 produced by the roaster is captured and treated by the smoke treatment unit.

[0104] The room 10 is provided with a ventilation section 101 arranged to refresh air from the room.

[0105] The smoke treatment unit 3 can be of different nature. As shown in FIG. 1, this unit 3 can be: - afterburner 34, where smoke 24 is captured and the compounds are decomposed by heating at high temperatures; a duct 35 configured to direct the smoke 24 to the ventilation section 101 of the room or to another outlet, - a smoke treatment unit 36, which is composed of three different sub-smoke treatment units 31, 32, 33 depending on the smoke flow, e.g. a PM filter, an electrostatic precipitator and an activated carbon filter. This unit 36 ​​also includes a smoke driver 4, e.g. a suction fan, in order to circulate the smoke flow from the PM filter to the activated carbon filter.

[0106] Some treatment units not shown may be mesh filters, paper filters, activated carbon filters, etc.

[0107] These different smoke treatment units 34, 35, 36 differ by their capacity to treat the pollutants of the smoke 24, and in particular by their ability to reduce the levels of all potentially dangerous pollutants within the smoke 24. The smoke treatment units also differ by their size and cost. Typically, the cost of a smoke treatment unit 3 is directly related to its capacity to treat the smoke.

[0108] The afterburner 34 is very efficient at converting any pollutants present in the smoke 24, but has the disadvantage that it is expansive and generates a large amount of heat.

[0109] The ducts 35 are very efficient in sucking all the pollutants out of the room, but they impact the room space and require powerful smoke drivers, regular cleaning of the pipes and fans, and replacement of the fans. Due to the congestion caused by the pipes, the roaster cannot be placed anywhere in the store.

[0110] A combination PM filter, electrostatic precipitator, and activated carbon filter is inexpensive, but does not treat some dangerous pollutants such as CO or CO2.

[0111] Depending on the type of roaster used in the room and its intended use, the types and levels of contaminants produced by the roaster can range to very different values.

[0112] Some combinations of roasters and uses will only release low levels of some contaminants.

[0113] Some combinations of roasters and uses may release high levels of only some pollutants.

[0114] Some combinations of roasters and uses can release moderate levels of many contaminants, including some of the most dangerous.

[0115] These different combinations may require the use of different smoke treatment units, taking into account the smoke treatment unit's capacity to treat the pollutants and its cost of sale and use. For example, treating smoke containing only diacetyl and formaldehyde as pollutants with an afterburner may not be useful.

[0116] The method of the present invention allows the selection of a smoke treatment unit adapted to the roasting unit and its intended use.

[0117] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the different steps of the method implemented to select a smoke treatment unit of the system, based on the room specifics and the intended use of the roasting equipment.

[0118] In step 200, data is obtained regarding the intended use of a roasting equipment during a predetermined time period. The method applies to a particular given roasting equipment, however, alternatively, the method may be applied to a range of given roasting equipment, in which case the method includes obtaining data regarding the type or model of roasting equipment used.

[0119] Intended use relates to the operator's habits in terms of roasting during business hours, which is usually for a period of 8 consecutive hours. For this reason, and because many hygiene regulations are defined in 8 hours, by default the predefined period of intended use can be set to 8 hours. Intended use usually includes the following information: - the amount of coffee beans roasted per day, and - the number of roasting operations during a given period or the interval between roasting operations. This information can be provided by proposing a list of scenarios such as continuous, over 8 hours, every 15 minutes, every half hour, Optionally, the amount of beans to be roasted per roasting operation. By default, this amount is set to the maximum amount that can be accommodated in the roasting chamber of the roasting apparatus. Optionally, the roast level of the coffee beans at the end of the roasting operation. By default, this level is set to dark roast, since roasting to that level produces more contaminants compared to other types.

[0120] Optionally, the type of coffee beans roasted in the roasting apparatus.

[0121] In step 201, room data is obtained providing at least the country in which the room is located, as well as the ventilation rate or ACPH and the volume of the room. Steps 200 and 201 may be performed simultaneously or successively. Preferably, they are requested simultaneously from an operator.

[0122] In step 210, the method provides access to the emission levels of each contaminant produced during one operation of the device for a defined roast. Such information is usually established by experimentation with the roasting device under different conditions of use, in particular with different levels of roast, different types of beans and different amounts of beans in the roasting chamber. By default, the emission levels of each contaminant are established with the maximum amount of beans in the chamber and roasting up to the dark roast level. These emission levels of each contaminant according to the roasting conditions can be part of a database accessible during the implementation of the method. This step is based on experimental data established during roasting operation of the roasting device under different conditions, these conditions covering all normal roasting uses, in particular the following conditions: - Use of different types of coffee beans (Arabica, Robusta, blends), - using different amounts of beans for each roasting run (depending on the capacity of the roasting chamber); -Roasting the beans at different levels (light, medium, dark), -The frequency of the roasting operation, such as "continuous", "every 15 minutes", "every half hour" or "over an 8 hour shift".

[0123] In step 220, based on the obtained roast usage data and the accessible emission levels of each contaminant, the amount of each contaminant produced by the roasting apparatus as a function of intended usage during a given period of time is calculated.

[0124] In one simplest mode, the accessible emission level of each contaminant can relate to the roasting of one average weight of beans, and the calculated amount of each contaminant produced by the roasting apparatus based on the intended use, particularly the amount of beans per roast, can be calculated by extrapolation from the accessible emission level of each contaminant for that average weight by applying a percentage increase or decrease in weight to the accessible amount of the contaminant.

[0125] In step 230, the method provides access to the yield of reduction of each pollutant by each smoke treatment unit in a given list of smoke treatment units that can be connected to the roasting apparatus. Such information is usually established by experiments on the smoke treatment units with different pollutants, preferably by a certified laboratory. The measurements can be made directly by VOC or PM sensors, or indirectly by the accumulation of pollutants on a particular substrate during the complete roasting operation.

[0126] These reduction yields of pollutants by the smoke treatment unit may be part of a database that is accessible during the performance of the method.

[0127] In step 240, for each smoke processing unit in the predetermined list of smoke processing units: - the amount of each contaminant produced by the roasting equipment during a given period of time; and - the yield of reduction of each of the above pollutants by each smoke treatment unit; and - based on the room ventilation rate or ACPH provided in step 201, The concentration of each pollutant present in a room during a given period of time is calculated for each smoke processing unit.

[0128] This calculation consists in calculating the total amount of each pollutant, either gaseous or particulate, emitted into the room during each roasting operation, calculating the portion of the pollutant captured by the smoke treatment unit and the portion of the pollutant removed from the room based on the number of air changes per hour, and reproducing the calculation for every new roasting operation, together with a given period of time.

[0129] For example, this calculation is based on the concentration of diacetyl (μg / m) in a room during an 8-hour period when a roaster is operated continuously to roast 5 kg of Robusta beans to a dark roast level in a batch of 100 g of beans in a room with an air change rate of 1.00 air changes per hour. 3 4A-4C, which provide a plot of the concentration of diacetyl in the absence of a smoke treatment unit. FIG. 4A shows the concentration of diacetyl in a room with a system including a Type 36 smoke treatment unit, and FIG. 4C shows the concentration of diacetyl in a room with a system including a Type 35 smoke treatment unit.

[0130] In step 250, for each smoke treatment unit, the calculated concentration of each pollutant is compared to the concentration permitted according to local health and safety regulations. These regulations are obtained based on the national input obtained in step 201. In step 211, access to these regulations can be performed.

[0131] If the calculated concentration of at least one contaminant is greater than the respective certified concentration for at least a portion of the predetermined time period, the method indicates in step 261 that the respective smoke treatment unit is not in compliance.

[0132] If the calculated concentrations of all pollutants are less than their respective certified concentrations for the entire predetermined period of time, the method indicates in step 260 that the respective smoke treatment units are in compliance.

[0133] In Figures 4A-C, the approved concentration of diacetyl in the Netherlands is 75 μg / m 3 This is illustrated by the limit value L of . It can be seen as follows:

[0134] In Figure 4A, without any smoke treatment unit, the concentration of diacetyl is always above the limit value L from the first roasting run to the last roasting run. The ventilation in the room is not sufficient to exhaust the smoke generated by the roasting equipment. The use of a smoke treatment unit is necessary.

[0135] In Figure 4B, using a Type 36 smoke treatment unit, the concentration of diacetyl was always approximately 25 μg / m, below the limit L. 3 This smoke treatment unit is suitable for this room, this roaster, and this intended use in this country.

[0136] In Figure 4C, with a Type 3 smoke treatment unit, all the smoke from the roaster is directed outside the room, so the concentration of diacetyl produced by the roaster and delivered into the room is always zero. This smoke treatment unit is compliant.

[0137] Figures 3A and 3B show examples of displays that can be presented on a mobile device or computer to implement the method according to the invention. In figure 3A the display provides fields to be filled in by the user. The method is applied by allowing the user to provide data inputs relating to the room 10, in particular: - The country of the room, allowing control of compliance with health and safety regulations for that room. - Floor area and ceiling weight to calculate the volume of a room, - The amount of ventilation in the room, - The maximum number of people in the room (as this information may be necessary in terms of health and safety regulations).

[0138] The user is also asked to provide information regarding the intended use of the roasting device 2, in particular: -The amount of coffee roasted per day (here 10 kg), - The roasting scenario, which is the frequency of the roasting operation. This can be specified from a pre-defined list of selectable scenarios, such as "continuous", "every 15 minutes", "every half hour", "over an 8 hour shift", etc. the desired roast level of the coffee beans, being dark, medium or light roast; - The type of bean that can be specified from a pre-defined list of selectable beans, such as Robusta, Arabica, blends, etc. - Amount of beans per roast run (here 250g).

[0139] Based on the input about the room, the number of air changes per hour can be calculated, in this case 1.

[0140] Based on information regarding the intended use of the roasting apparatus 2, the method accesses a contaminant level database that provides the amount of each contaminant produced by the roasting apparatus during operation of roasting a particular quantity of a particular type of coffee beans to a particular roast level.

[0141] FIG. 3B shows a display of inputs made by a user and the corresponding results from the perspective of a matched smoke processing unit.

[0142] A specific room (in the Netherlands, 100 m of floor space) 2 , height 2m, ventilation volume 200m 3 / h, and a maximum number of people in the room of 20), 10 kg of Robusta beans with 250 g per batch, continuously roasted at dark roast level, as a result only smoke treatment units 35 and 34 are suitable.

[0143] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the different steps of a method for verifying the safe operation of a particular system of a given roasting equipment and a given smoke treatment unit in different rooms and according to different intended uses.

[0144] Similar steps to the block diagram of FIG. 2 exist with the following exceptions.

[0145] Steps 230, 240 and 250 are performed only for a given smoke treatment unit;

[0146] - Steps 620 and 621 may or may not verify the safe operation of a particular system.

[0147] Figure 6 shows a situation where several roasting appliances 2 are operated in the same room 10. The outlets of these three appliances are preferably connected to a common smoke treatment unit 36. Based on the above method, a safe use of this system 1 in a room 10 equipped with a ventilation section 101 can be confirmed. If a safe use is not confirmed, an alternative smoke treatment unit can be proposed, like the units 34 or 35 described in Figure 1.

[0148] This method allows the selection of an appropriate smoke treatment unit to suit the room and the roasting habits of the operator.

[0149] An advantage of this approach is that it allows for the selection of a smoke treatment unit that does not require purchase and use costs or complex implementation within the room that are disproportionate to the room and desired use.

[0150] While the invention has been described with reference to the above illustrated embodiments, it will be understood that the invention as claimed is in no way limited to those illustrated embodiments.

[0151] Variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. Furthermore, where known equivalents exist to specific features, such equivalents are incorporated as if specifically referred to herein.

[0152] As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," and similar terms should not be construed in an exclusive or exhaustive sense. In other words, they are intended to mean "including, but not limited to." [Explanation of symbols]

[0153] 1 System 2. Roasting equipment 21 Container 22 Heater 23 Air Driver 24 Roaster Smoke 3, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 Smoke treatment unit 10 rooms 101 Ventilation Devices

Claims

1. A method for selecting a smoke treatment unit (3) of a system (1) of at least one given coffee bean roasting apparatus (2), comprising the steps of: The smoke treatment unit is selected from a group of different smoke treatment units, the smoke treatment units differing in their performance for treating pollutants in the smoke, the method comprising: receiving a room data input indicating a country of a room and providing ventilation directly or indirectly to said room; receiving roast usage data input indicative of intended use of said at least one roasting apparatus during a predetermined period of time and determining an amount of each contaminant produced by said at least one roasting apparatus during said period of use; For each system of the at least one roasting apparatus and one of the plurality of smoke processing units, the determined amount of each contaminant produced by the at least one roasting apparatus during the period of use; the ability of the smoke treatment unit to reduce the levels of the pollutants; and From the ventilation provided, calculating the concentration (calculated concentration) of each contaminant present in the room during the period; for each system and for each contaminant, comparing the calculated concentration of the contaminant present in the room during the period with a concentration of the contaminant permitted in accordance with local health and safety regulations; selecting at least one smoke treatment unit of said system in a list of smoke treatment units that provides a calculated concentration for each pollutant that is lower than said authorized concentration; A method comprising:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the smoke treatment unit is included in the following list: afterburner, catalytic afterburner, filter capable of retaining volatile organic compounds, hydrocarbons and / or particulate matter, electrostatic precipitator, duct connected to the outside of the room, and combinations thereof.

3. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the method includes receiving room data input indicative of at least a volume of the room and the air changes of the room to determine an air changes per hour (ACPH) of the room.

4. The roasting usage data input indicative of the intended use of the at least one roasting apparatus comprises at least: The amount of coffee beans roasted per day The interval between roasting operations, Optionally, a weight of roasted beans per roasting operation and / or a roast level of said coffee beans at the end of said roasting operation and / or a type of coffee beans roasted in said at least one roasting apparatus; The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising:

5. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the method comprises accessing the amount of each contaminant produced by the at least one roasting apparatus during an operation of roasting a specific amount of a specific type of coffee beans to a specific roast level.

6. CO, CO ２ , diacetyl, formaldehyde, PM １０ , P.M. ２．５ , methanol, NO, NO ２ , pyridine, SO ２ 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amount of at least one pollutant included in the following list is determined: ozone and 2-furanmethanol.

7. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the method comprises the step of accessing, for each smoke treatment unit, the performance of the reduction of the level of each pollutant by the smoke treatment unit.

8. 8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the method comprises determining, for the roasting apparatus and each system of one of the plurality of smoke processing units, from the determined amounts of each pollutant produced by the roasting apparatus during the period, an amount of each pollutant delivered by the system during the period.

9. 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating the concentration of each contaminant present in the room during the period from the ventilation rate and the determined amount of each contaminant delivered by the system during the period.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said method comprises the step of accessing health and safety regulations in different countries or geographical areas regarding pollutant levels emitted in public rooms.

11. The method comprises: for each pollutant and for each smoke treatment unit selected by a user: the calculated concentrations of the contaminants present in the room during the intended use of the roasting appliance; and the concentration limits of said pollutants approved in accordance with local health and safety regulations; The method of any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising displaying a diagram presenting:

12. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, processor or control unit (30), cause said computer, processor or control unit to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, processor or control unit, cause the computer, processor or control unit to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 11.

14. A method for verifying the safe operation of a particular system (1) of a given coffee bean roasting apparatus (2) and a given associated smoke treatment unit adapted to treat smoke emitted by said roasting apparatus in different rooms (10) and for different intended uses, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a room data input indicating the country of the room and the ventilation of the room; receiving roast usage data input indicating intended use of said given roasting apparatus during a given period of time to determine an amount of each contaminant produced by said roasting apparatus during said period of use; For this particular system of said given roasting equipment and said given smoke treatment unit: the determined amount of each contaminant produced by the roasting apparatus during the period of use; the ability of the smoke treatment unit to reduce the levels of the pollutants; and From the ventilation rate, calculating the concentration (calculated concentration) of each contaminant present in the room during the period; for each contaminant, comparing the calculated concentration of the contaminant present in the room during the period with the concentration of the contaminant permitted in accordance with local health and safety regulations; for each contaminant, if the calculated concentration is less than the authorized concentration, verifying the safe operation of the particular system in the room; A method comprising:

15. 15. The method according to claim 14, comprising implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, selecting a smoke processing unit (3) for the given coffee bean roasting apparatus (2) if the safe operation of the particular system is not confirmed, said smoke processing unit being selected from a group of smoke processing units different from the given associated smoke processing unit of the particular system.

16. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, processor or control unit, cause said computer, processor or control unit to carry out the method according to claim 14 or 15.

17. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, processor or control unit, cause the computer, processor or control unit to perform the method of claim 14 or 15.

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