Paddle Motor Current Monitoring for Freeze-Up and Wear Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Horizontal cylinder dispensers for soft frozen desserts and crushed ice drinks face issues with paddle wear and freeze-up, leading to costly repairs and extended downtime due to high load conditions and inadequate mix volume, which conventional sensors fail to reliably detect.
Innovation Solution
Monitoring paddle motor current and power using a physics-based model to compare peak electrical current against a moving average, flagging wear conditions and detecting freeze-up by analyzing changes in harmonics, power factor, and variance, with alerts and shutdown options to prevent damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional sensors are used to detect paddle wear and freeze-up conditions, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision and reliability of detection are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical sensors with a physics-based electrical model that analyzes motor current characteristics. The system substitutes direct mechanical measurement with electrical parameter analysis (RMS current, peak current, harmonics, power factor), achieving more precise detection of paddle wear and freeze-up conditions without requiring complex mechanical sensor assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent monitors changes in electrical parameters (current RMS, peak current, harmonic content, power factor) to detect equipment conditions. By tracking parameter variations over time and comparing against threshold values, the system achieves precise detection of paddle wear and freeze-up without requiring complex physical sensors, thus improving measurement precision while managing device complexity.
2Loss of time
If no monitoring system is implemented, then the device complexity is minimized, but the loss of time due to undetected conditions leading to damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback-based monitoring system that continuously measures motor current parameters, compares them against threshold values, and provides real-time alerts when anomalies are detected. This feedback mechanism enables early detection of paddle wear and freeze-up conditions, allowing operators to take corrective action before equipment damage occurs, thereby reducing downtime while maintaining manageable system complexity through software-based monitoring.
3Reliability
If early detection of freeze-up and paddle wear is achieved, then the reliability of equipment operation is improved, but the device complexity increases due to advanced monitoring requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical sensing systems with an electrical parameter analysis approach. By monitoring motor current characteristics (RMS, peak, harmonics, power factor) and comparing against threshold values, the system achieves reliable early detection of equipment conditions. This substitution improves reliability while managing complexity by using software-based analysis rather than additional mechanical sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the existing motor as a sensing element, making it multi-functional. The motor serves both its primary function of driving the paddle and as a sensor for detecting equipment conditions through current analysis. This universal approach improves reliability by enabling early detection without adding separate monitoring devices, thus managing system complexity while enhancing equipment reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are exemplary embodiments for monitoring for and/or detecting freeze-up and/or paddle wear conditions within dispensers and mixers associated with soft frozen desserts (broadly, edibles or edible products) and crushed ice drinks (broadly, drinkables or potable products).