Dynamic Food Sterilization Controller for Variable Product Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current food processing systems face challenges in ensuring uniform heat transfer and processing consistency due to product and container variability, leading to potential under-processing or over-processing, which affects product safety and quality.
Innovation Solution
A pro-active process controller that monitors and measures physical and chemical properties of individual food products and containers in real-time, adjusting processing conditions to optimize heating, holding, and cooling times, and identifies potentially under- or over-processed products to prevent excessive reprocessing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If fixed processing conditions are used for all products, then processing simplicity is maintained, but product quality consistency deteriorates due to variability in product composition and physical properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic processing conditions that automatically adjust based on real-time measurement of product properties. The system transitions from static fixed conditions to dynamic adaptive conditions, where processing parameters such as heating time, temperature, and pressure are continuously modified according to measured product characteristics including composition, density, and thermal conductivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes processing parameters based on measured product properties. By measuring physical and chemical properties of each product unit and comparing them against reference values, the system calculates and applies appropriate parameter adjustments to heating, holding, and cooling stages to achieve consistent processing outcomes despite product variability.
2Reliability
If processing conditions are optimized for the cold spot, then safety is ensured, but energy efficiency deteriorates due to over-processing of other product regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different processing conditions to different regions or units of product based on their specific characteristics. By measuring properties of individual product units and identifying their specific cold spots, the system tailors processing conditions locally rather than applying uniform over-processing to all products, thereby maintaining safety while reducing energy waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control by measuring product properties before and during processing, comparing measurements against reference values, and adjusting processing conditions accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that processing is sufficient for safety-critical regions while avoiding excessive processing in other areas, optimizing energy efficiency.
3Reliability
If processing time is extended to ensure complete sterilization, then product safety is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to reduced throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurement of product properties before processing begins. By measuring composition, density, and thermal properties of each product unit in advance and calculating the specific processing requirements, the system determines the minimum necessary processing time for each unit, avoiding both under-processing and unnecessary extended processing that would reduce throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of processing time based on real-time product measurements. Rather than using fixed extended processing times for all products, the system continuously adapts processing duration to match the specific safety requirements of each product unit, maintaining high safety standards while maximizing productivity through optimized processing durations.
4Manufacturing precision
If intensive processing is applied to all products, then quality consistency is improved, but product quality itself deteriorates due to over-processing
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes processing parameters dynamically based on measured product properties and their deviation from reference values. By calculating the specific processing requirements for each product unit based on its composition, density, and thermal properties, the system applies precise parameter adjustments that maintain quality consistency without causing over-processing degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control where product measurements are continuously compared against reference values and processing conditions are adjusted accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that processing is intensive enough to achieve quality consistency but not so intensive as to cause over-processing damage, maintaining product quality while ensuring uniformity.
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 ensures consistent and efficient processing, reducing waste, improving product quality, and enhancing safety by accommodating product and container variations, thereby optimizing processing conditions and throughput.
Implementation Method 1
the rate at which thermal energy is transferred through the foodstuff and between the individual components comprising the foodstuff
Implementation Method 2
Aseptic processing heats essentially fluid food and drink products to a suitable pasteurization temperature
Implementation Method 3
defining the heating, holding and cooling times of a foodstuff in an essentially fluid or fluid/gaseous medium
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Apparatus and Method for an intelligent, optimizing, pro-active process controller for use in all types of product processing systems are disclosed. The disclosed controller and its associated apparatus uniquely develop and dynamically optimize their process control capabilities through measuring, monitoring and analyzing product and product container attributes and performance while quantifying variability and can thus pro-actively track, trace and control overall processing performance down to an individual unit of production thereby optimizing product processing times, increasing capacity, improving product quality and reducing variability while enhancing treatment flexibility and food treatment safety in all types of food and drink processing systems, with particular reference to continuous food and drink processing systems.