Coffee Roaster Purge Cooling for Smokeless Bean Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coffee bean roasting systems generate smoke during the cooling process, which recirculates and is not fully incinerated, posing safety concerns and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
The system integrates the bean cooling step with an air purge, where the purge gate is opened to block recirculation, increasing heat in the incineration tube, and fresh air is vented to cool the beans directly in the roaster, flushing out smoke and particulates via the incineration tube for virtually complete incineration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If beans are cooled in an external cooler with ambient air, then cooling efficiency is improved, but smoke is released into ambient air
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the bean cooling function with the smoke incineration function by integrating the cooling process within the existing roasting chamber and smoke management system. Beans are cooled using air that circulates through the incineration tube, merging two previously separate functions into one integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful smoke byproduct into a beneficial cooling medium. The smoke-filled air that would normally be discarded is instead used as the cooling air source, and the smoke is simultaneously incinerated, turning a harmful factor into a useful resource for bean cooling.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If purge gate is opened to flush smoke from system, then smoke removal is improved, but recirculation of heated air is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically controls the purge gate timing to open it only during specific phases of the roasting cycle when smoke accumulation is highest. This dynamic operation allows the system to maximize smoke removal when needed while maintaining heat recirculation efficiency during other phases, optimizing both objectives at different times.
Solution Approach 2:
The purge gate operates periodically rather than continuously, opening at strategically determined intervals to flush smoke from the system. This periodic action maintains smoke removal effectiveness while minimizing the time that heat recirculation is disrupted, balancing both requirements.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If burner is turned up to increase heat in incineration tube, then smoke incineration is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-heating the incineration tube and maintaining baseline burner operation during the roasting process. When the purge gate opens and smoke needs to be incinerated, the tube is already hot and ready, requiring only a temporary increase in burner power rather than sustained high energy consumption throughout the entire cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The incineration tube maintains continuous heating operation at a baseline level throughout the roasting process, ensuring it is always ready to incinerate smoke efficiently. This continuous useful action eliminates the need for repeated heating cycles and reduces total energy consumption compared to intermittent high-power operation.
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
This approach achieves virtually smokeless operation by simultaneously purging the roasting chamber of smoke and performing preliminary cooling of the beans, ensuring minimal smoke generation when beans are transferred to an external cooler.
Implementation Method 1
the burner is turned up to a higher value. This creates considerably higher heat in the incineration tube... the system achieves virtually complete incineration of the smoke from the beans
Implementation Method 2
In the cyclone separator, the chaff from the coffee beans was separated by centrifugal force, and settled down to a particle collection bin or hopper
Implementation Method 3
Fresh air is vented in through the purge gate opening and cools the beans down significantly, directly in the roasting chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A coffee bean roasting machine of the type having a cyclone separator heating chamber and a coffee bean roasting chamber in a recirculating process stream driven by a recirculation fan is operated to air cool the roasted coffee beans in the roasting chamber, to a temperature beneath which the beans give off smoke, while at the same time incinerating smoke removed from the roasting chamber. A purge gate in ducting between the cyclone separator and the roasting chamber is opened to allow the flow of ambient air into and through the roasting chamber while blocking flow out of the cyclone separator, so that ambient air is directed through the roasting chamber. The smoke and any airborne particulate material from the roasting chamber are carried into the heating chamber and through the incineration tube, where they are incinerated. Preferably the system and process are operated automatically by a computer and programming.