Coffee Roaster Calibration via Intermediary Chamber and Pressure Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coffee bean roasting apparatuses struggle to consistently reproduce roasting profiles across different machines, leading to variations in coffee color and aroma due to differences in temperature measurement and air flow dynamics, especially when temperature sensors cannot be accurately placed inside the roasting chamber.
Innovation Solution
A coffee beans roasting system that includes a dedicated roasting chamber, a heating device, and a control system with a first temperature probe outside the chamber to regulate air temperature and a second temperature probe that can be temporarily introduced inside to measure the chamber temperature, along with a means to simulate the presence of coffee beans by creating a pressure loss in the air flow, allowing for accurate calibration and consistent roasting profiles without the need for sensors inside the chamber during operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a temperature sensor is introduced inside the roasting chamber to measure temperature inside the bed of coffee beans, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a calibration chamber as an intermediary component that temporarily replaces the roasting chamber during calibration operations. This calibration chamber contains a temperature sensor that can be permanently installed without exposing the main roasting chamber to sensor contamination. The sensor measures temperature in the calibration chamber, which is then used to calibrate the roasting process parameters, indirectly achieving accurate temperature measurement for the actual roasting operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into two distinct operational modes: normal roasting operation using the roasting chamber with external temperature monitoring, and calibration operation using a separate calibration chamber with internal temperature sensing. This segmentation allows the temperature sensor to be isolated from the contaminating environment of actual coffee roasting, maintaining measurement precision without requiring complex protection mechanisms in the primary roasting chamber.
2Ease of operation
If a temperature sensor is positioned away from direct contact with beans to protect it from dirtiness, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The calibration chamber serves as an intermediary environment where temperature measurement can be performed with high precision without the sensor being exposed to bean contamination. The temperature data collected in this controlled calibration environment is then used to establish calibration parameters that compensate for the actual roasting chamber conditions, achieving both accurate measurement and easy operation.
3Ease of operation
If the roasting chamber is made removable for bean introduction and emptying, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to repeated sensor disconnection
Solution Approach 1:
The calibration chamber with its permanently installed temperature sensor serves as an intermediary solution that eliminates the need for sensor disconnection during chamber removal. The sensor remains permanently mounted in the calibration chamber, which is only present during calibration operations, not during normal roasting when the actual roasting chamber is in use. This separates the sensor installation from the removable chamber mechanism, maintaining both ease of operation and sensor reliability.
4Device complexity
If temperature is regulated outside the chamber using a fixed sensor, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calibration by measuring temperature in the calibration chamber under controlled conditions that simulate actual roasting. The temperature differential between the calibration chamber measurements and the externally measured air temperature is calculated and stored as calibration parameters. During actual roasting operations, these pre-determined calibration parameters are applied to convert external air temperature measurements into accurate estimates of the actual chamber temperature, achieving high measurement precision with simple device complexity.
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
Enables consistent reproduction of roasting profiles across different roasting apparatuses, ensuring uniform coffee quality by accurately measuring and simulating the temperature felt by the beans, thereby addressing the inconsistency issues in temperature measurement and air flow dynamics.
Implementation Method 1
a heating device to heat air supplied to the chamber
Implementation Method 2
a temperature probe to regulate the temperature supplied by the heating device
Implementation Method 3
The roasting of coffee beans consists in introducing coffee beans in a roasting chamber and applying heating to said beans
Data Source
Figure 1~2A
Figure 2B~3A
Figure 3B~3C
AI summary
The invention concerns a coffee beans roasting system comprising : - a coffee beans roasting apparatus (10), said apparatus comprising :. a chamber (1),. a heating device (2),. at least one first temperature probe (5) to regulate the temperature of air supplied by the heating device, said first temperature probe being positioned outside the chamber,. a control system (80) configured to control the heating device and configured to reproduce roasting curves each of said roasting curves providing a set of points (T@ti; ti) based on the temperature Treg regulated by the at least one first temperature probe, and - at least one second temperature probe (3) configured to be introduced temporary inside the roasting apparatus to measure the temperature inside the roasting chamber, and - means configured to create a pressure loss of the flow of hot air while the chamber is void of coffee beans in order to simulate the presence of coffee beans inside the chamber during a roasting operation.