Dry Cooker pH Control for Pasta-Filata Cheese
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dry cookers lack the ability to measure and control the temperature of curd throughout the cooking and stretching process, leading to issues with food safety, product quality, flavor development, nutrient retention, and energy efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A dry cooker equipped with multiple heating units, including a flighted auger, heating jacket, and steam injector, along with PH and temperature sensors, allows for continuous monitoring and control of temperature and PH, enabling precise adjustment of heat loads to maintain optimal conditions during the cooking and stretching process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If temperature measurement is only performed at the output of the dry cooker, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision and process control quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature measurement function is segmented into multiple independent measurement points: inlet temperature sensor, outlet temperature sensor, and intermediate temperature sensor. Each sensor independently measures temperature at its specific location, enabling distributed temperature monitoring without requiring a single complex measurement system.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit receives temperature data from multiple sensors and uses feedback control to adjust the heating rate. The controller compares measured temperatures with target temperatures and dynamically modifies heating power to maintain precise temperature control throughout the cooking process.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple sensors and control systems are added to monitor temperature throughout the process, then the manufacturing precision improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs multiple functions: it processes data from multiple temperature sensors, calculates required heating adjustments, controls the heating element, and monitors overall process parameters. This multi-functional approach consolidates what could be separate complex systems into a single integrated controller.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the temperature measurements from various points to automatically self-regulate the heating process. The control unit independently determines when heating adjustment is needed and executes the correction without external intervention, making the system self-correcting and reducing the need for additional control mechanisms.
3Productivity
If the curd is cooked at wrong temperature, then the productivity is maintained, but the quality of product deteriorates due to too dry or too dense cheese
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-heats the curd to a target temperature before the actual cooking process begins. This preliminary temperature preparation ensures that when cooking starts, the curd is already at the optimal starting temperature, preventing quality issues that would arise from temperature fluctuations during the cooking process.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating process operates continuously with real-time temperature monitoring and continuous heating rate adjustment. The control unit maintains constant temperature control throughout the entire cooking process, ensuring the curd remains within the optimal temperature range for the full duration of cooking, thereby maintaining both quality and productivity.
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 solution provides a more accurate, consistent, and energy-efficient method for producing pasta-filata cheese by ensuring proper temperature and PH control, thereby improving food safety, quality, and reducing energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a flighted auger arranged in the chamber and configured to rotationally heat the pasta-filata cheese
Implementation Method 2
a heating jacket surrounding the chamber and configured to be in fluid connection with the heating media
Implementation Method 3
a heating jacket surrounding the chamber and configured to be in fluid connection with the heating media
Implementation Method 4
a steam injector arranged in connection with the chamber, configured to be in fluid connection with the heating media and configured to inject steam into the chamber
Implementation Method 5
a steam injector arranged in connection with the chamber, configured to be in fluid connection with the heating media and configured to inject steam into the chamber
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A dry cooker 100 for producing pasta-filata cheese is provided. The dry cooker 100 comprises at least two heating units 110, 120, 130. The heating unit 110, 120, 130 comprises a chamber 112, 122, 132 for conveying the pasta-filata cheese from an inlet 111, 121, 131 to an outlet 113, 123, 133, a flighted auger 116, 126, 136, a heating jacket 114, 124, 134 a steam injector 117, 127, 137 a PH sensor 115-3 arranged at the inlet 111, 121, 131 of the chamber 112, 122, 132 and configured to determine 230, 240, 250 a PH of the pasta-filata cheese, and a control unit 140 configured to control 260 a first heat load S11, S21, S31, HL of the heating media W1, W2, W3, S based on the determined PH of the pasta-filata cheese at the inlet 111, 121, 131.