Food Processing Weight-Loss Control for Doneness and Fat Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Convection-based food processing appliances, such as air fryers and convection ovens, are cumbersome for inexperienced users to operate, particularly in achieving a desired doneness level for fat-containing foods like meat, fish, and poultry, often resulting in over-cooked products that are dry and tough due to excessive fat and water content reduction.
Innovation Solution
A food processing apparatus equipped with a weight sensor and a control device that monitors weight loss to estimate initial fat content and fat loss during cooking, allowing for automatic or semi-automatic operation by determining cooking time, temperature, and doneness level, ensuring a tasty and well-cooked product.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If convection-based food processing is used to reduce fat content, then health benefits are improved, but cooking control becomes difficult and food quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors weight loss during cooking and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust cooking parameters. The control device receives weight information, computes weight loss rate, and determines fat content estimates to automatically control the heating procedure, creating a closed-loop control system that resolves the difficulty of manual cooking control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual cooking judgment and control with automated electronic control based on weight sensor data. The control device automatically determines cooking time, temperature, and doneness level by processing weight loss information, substituting the mechanical/manual control process with an automated sensing and control system.
2Manufacturing precision
If extended cooking time is used to achieve desired doneness, then cooking quality improves, but fat and water content reduction becomes excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors weight loss in real-time and uses this feedback to determine when the desired doneness level is achieved. By computing the weight loss rate and comparing it against target values, the system automatically stops cooking at the optimal point, preventing excessive fat and water loss while ensuring proper doneness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the food's own weight loss characteristics during cooking to automatically control the cooking process. The weight sensor detects changes in the food's weight, and the control device uses this information to self-regulate the cooking parameters, making the cooking process self-adjusting without external intervention.
3Device complexity
If manual operation is used to control cooking parameters, then device complexity is reduced, but cooking consistency and quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically controls cooking parameters based on real-time weight sensor data without requiring manual intervention. The control device independently monitors weight loss, computes fat content estimates, and adjusts cooking parameters, making the system self-regulating while maintaining high cooking quality consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual cooking control with automated electronic control based on weight sensor feedback. The control device automatically determines and adjusts cooking time, temperature, and other parameters, substituting manual operation with an intelligent control system that ensures consistent cooking quality.
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
Simplifies the operation of food processing appliances, ensuring consistent cooking quality by correlating weight loss with fat content changes, thereby controlling the heating procedure to achieve a desired doneness level without over-cooking, resulting in more flavorful and tender food products.
Implementation Method 1
a weight sensor (44) arranged to monitor the weight of the processed food substance
Implementation Method 2
a flow of hot air is then circulated around the food preparation chamber to heat the food
Implementation Method 3
Conventional ovens, which do not have fans, rely primarily on radiation from the oven walls
Implementation Method 4
the fans in convection ovens allow more heat to be transferred via convective heat transfer
Implementation Method 5
During the heating process, steam is generated from water contained in the food
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a control device for a food processing apparatus, and to a food processing apparatus, the apparatus comprising a food processing compartment (3) for a food substance, a heating unit (15) arranged to apply a heating procedure to the food substance, a weight sensor (44) arranged to monitor the weight of the processed food substance, and a control device (40) that is arranged to obtain weight information for the food substance, compute a derivative signal that is indicative of a weight loss rate of the food substance, compute a characteristic value of the derivative signal, and in an initial stage of the heating procedure, based on the characteristic value, determine an estimate for an initial fat content of the food substance, for the ongoing heating procedure, and/or an estimate for a resulting fat content change for the food substance. The present disclosure further relates to a method of operating a food processing apparatus.