Cloud Spectral Monitoring for In-Situ Frying Oil Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for monitoring frying oil quality in the food service industry are time-consuming, laborious, and unsuitable for daily operations, lacking efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly solutions for in-situ characterization that correlate with food quality and safety.
Innovation Solution
A communication system comprising a cloud server, first server, and second server, which uses optical spectrometry to acquire spectral information from frying oil, generates a calibration model, and provides treatment data for oil management, enabling efficient and safe oil characterization and quality assessment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If standard laboratory methods are used for frying oil characterization, then measurement precision is improved, but time consumption and operational complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical/chemical laboratory analysis systems with optical measurement systems. Specifically, it uses optical sensors and spectrophotometric methods to measure oil quality parameters, substituting the need for time-consuming chemical tests and laboratory equipment with rapid optical detection that provides real-time or near-real-time results without requiring complex sample preparation or skilled laboratory staff.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from chemical composition analysis to optical property measurement. By monitoring changes in optical properties (absorbance, reflectance, transmittance) of the frying oil, the system能够快速 detect oil degradation without performing time-consuming chemical analyses, thus maintaining measurement precision while dramatically reducing testing time.
2Measurement precision
If chemical test methods are used for frying oil monitoring, then measurement precision is improved, but safety hazards increase due to handling hot oil
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an optical intermediary (light) to measure oil quality without direct contact with hot oil. The optical sensor measures optical properties of the oil through a non-contact or minimal-contact method, using light as the intermediary carrier to transfer information about oil quality without requiring the operator to handle hot oil, thus eliminating safety hazards while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical sampling and chemical testing procedures with optical measurement systems. Instead of physically taking oil samples and performing chemical tests that require handling hot oil, the system uses optical sensors to measure oil quality parameters remotely or through minimal contact, substituting the hazardous mechanical/chemical process with a safe optical detection method.
3Ease of operation
If visual inspection methods are used for oil quality assessment, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to subjectivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes color changes in the frying oil as an objective indicator of degradation. By measuring optical properties such as absorbance, reflectance, or transmittance at specific wavelengths, the system quantifies color changes that occur during oil degradation. This provides an objective, numerical measurement rather than subjective visual assessment, thereby improving measurement precision while maintaining ease of operation through automated optical detection.
4Productivity
If dielectric measurement instruments are used for oil monitoring, then productivity is improved, but device complexity and operational difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex dielectric measurement instruments with simpler optical measurement systems. Instead of using dielectric sensors that require calibration, heating to specific temperatures, and filtering procedures, the system employs optical sensors and spectrophotometric methods that are inherently simpler, require no special preparation, and provide direct measurements of oil quality parameters, thus maintaining productivity while reducing device complexity and operational difficulty.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system allows for real-time, in-situ monitoring of frying oil quality, providing treatment data that ensures high-quality food production while being environmentally friendly and suitable for daily operations, addressing the limitations of existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
uses optical spectrometry to acquire spectral information from frying oil
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a communication system (140), to a monitoring system (110) for in-situ monitoring of at least one substance (112), wherein the monitoring system (110) comprises the communication system (140), as well as to related methods (310, 312). The monitoring system (110) can, via the communication system (140), be used for monitoring the at least one substance (112) and to provide treatment data for treating the at least one substance (112). Herein, the communication system (140) comprises a cloud server (144), a first server (146), at least one second server (148, 148'), and at least one third server (150, 150'); wherein the first server (146) further has a first communication interface (156) configured to provide reference spectral information referring to at least one reference sample and reference analytical data to the cloud server (144); wherein each second server (148, 148') has a second communication interface (158, 158') configured to provide spectral information related to at least one substance (112) to the cloud server (144); wherein the cloud server (144) is configured to * generate a calibration model by using the reference spectral information referring to the at least one reference sample and the reference analytical data provided by the first server (146), wherein the calibration model comprises at least one parameter; * apply the calibration model to the spectral information related to the at least one substance (112) provided by the second server (148, 148'), whereby at least one value for the at least one parameter is extracted; * provide the at least one value for the at least one parameter to the first server (146) via the first communication interface (156); wherein the first server (146) is further configured to determine treatment data by using the at least one value for the at least one parameter provided by the cloud server (144), wherein the treatment data comprise at least one piece of data which is related to a proposed treatment of the at least one substance (112); wherein the first server (146) further has at least one third communication interface (160, 160'), wherein each third communication interface (160, 160') is configured to provide the treatment