Heating Appliance Closed-Loop Control via Compound Reflection Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current microwave cooking technologies lack advanced automation for controlling heating processes based on electromagnetic radiation, limiting the precision and efficiency of cooking processes, especially in terms of detecting cooking status and progress without prior knowledge of the object's type or quantity.
Innovation Solution
A cooking appliance equipped with multiple radiation sources and sensor devices that use closed-loop control to monitor and adjust electromagnetic radiation characteristics, such as amplitude, phase, and frequency, based on compound reflection loss (CRL) to automate the cooking process, allowing for precise control of heating without explicit knowledge of the object's type or quantity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If microwave cooking technology is used for heating objects, then heating capability is provided, but automation for controlling heating processes based on electromagnetic radiation is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by detecting reflected electromagnetic radiation from the cavity and using this information to automatically adjust cooking parameters. The system measures the magnitude of reflected power and uses this feedback signal to control the heating process, enabling automated cooking without requiring explicit knowledge of object type or quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooking system performs self-monitoring and self-adjustment by automatically detecting cooking status through reflected radiation measurements and autonomously controlling the heating process based on detected parameters, eliminating the need for manual intervention or prior knowledge of the cooked object.
2Measurement precision
If reflected power magnitude is detected for controlling cooking process, then some automation is achieved, but precision and efficiency of cooking processes are still limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical or manual cooking control methods with electromagnetic radiation detection and automated control systems. By using sensor devices to detect reflected radiation and electronically controlling heating parameters, the system achieves precise measurement of cooking status and improved cooking efficiency without mechanical intervention.
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 precise and automated cooking by continuously monitoring and adjusting radiation characteristics to match the cooking status, ensuring optimal heating results across various food types and quantities, even when using different heating technologies.
Implementation Method 1
One example is related to dielectric heating, where an object, such as food, is placed in a cavity and irradiated with electromagnetic radiation in the radio frequency and/or microwave range.
Implementation Method 2
A sensor device may comprise one or more sensors for sensing radiation emitted from the radiation sources and reflected back to a radiation source.
Data Source
AI summary
The underlying invention is in particular directed to a heating appliance and a method for operating the heating appliance. According to an aspect related to the appliance comprises a cavity (4), at least one radiation sources (5), at least one control unit (6), and a sensor device (7); wherein the control unit (6) is adapted to control a heating process (501-508; 601-608, 701-712) for heating the one or more objects (2, 3) in a closed loop control, the closed loop control comprising control-ling (201) and operating the at least one radiation source (5) to generate and supply into the cavity (4) a high frequency radiation (9) according to at least one radiation characteristic associated with a forward power magnitude (FP); continuously and repeatedly during the heating process determining (202) a compound reflection loss (CRL); monitoring (203) the determined compound reflection loss (CRL); and based on the monitoring of the compound reflection loss (CRL), changing (204) the radiation characteristic of the at least one radiation source (5).