Beverage Process Analysis for Quality Parameter Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complex beverage manufacturing process, particularly beer brewing, is challenging to optimize due to numerous influencing factors, making trial-and-error methods inefficient for improving process control parameters.
Innovation Solution
An electronic process analysis method determines the relationship between process parameters and ingredient parameters to improve product quality by using data from process data acquisition systems, identifying relevant parameters, and adjusting them for better component values in subsequent batches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If trial and error method is used to improve process control parameters, then process optimization may be achieved, but the method is inefficient and not feasible due to the large number of influencing factors
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring process parameters and product quality characteristics, then using this information to automatically adjust process control parameters. The electronic process control system receives data from sensors and analyzers, compares actual results with target values, and makes real-time adjustments to optimize the brewing process without trial-and-error
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual trial-and-error mechanical adjustment with an automated electronic control system that uses computer algorithms to analyze process data and determine optimal parameters. The system substitutes human intuition and manual experimentation with automated data processing and computational optimization
2Reliability
If all process parameters are monitored and analyzed, then comprehensive quality control is achieved, but the system complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the complex brewing process into distinct stages (mashing, boiling, fermentation, etc.) and monitors specific key parameters at each stage rather than all parameters continuously. This segmentation allows comprehensive quality control while reducing system complexity by focusing measurements on critical control points
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and focuses on the most critical process parameters and quality characteristics that have the greatest impact on final product quality. Rather than monitoring all possible parameters, the system identifies and monitors only the essential ones, simplifying the control system while maintaining effective quality control
Data Source
AI summary
Quality of a natural product, like beer, bread, wine and the like, is determined by many parameters. Process parameters that may be changed or not, external parameters and parameters of ingredients. With complex processes and many process steps, it is very difficult to relate parameters to quality—if possible at all. Data on process control, values of product and process related parameters and values that may be interpreted as indicative of quality, substances found in the product—either final or intermediate—and quantities thereof, other parameters or combinations thereof. Between values obtained for the parameters, relations may be determined that may be used for process optimisation. This may be executed for one or more process steps and for one or more parameters in the process and one or more quality parameters.