pH Control Device with Calibration for Food Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food processing and conservation systems fail to maintain pH levels within safety limits, leading to potential food safety issues, as they lack effective calibration and control mechanisms for physical parameters to adjust acidity levels.
Innovation Solution
A device with integrated pH measurement calibration and software management that continuously monitors and adjusts physical parameters such as temperature, humidity, and air flow to maintain pH within predetermined safety ranges, using a master unit with PLCs and pH probes calibrated through known solutions, and automatically reports deviations to authorities if safety limits are breached.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If pH measurement is performed without calibration, then measurement operation can proceed, but measurement precision deteriorates and reliability of pH values decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calibration of the pH meter before measurement operations using buffer solutions with known pH values. This preliminary action ensures that the measurement device is properly calibrated and will provide accurate readings during subsequent food processing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors pH values and compares them against reference values from calibration. The feedback mechanism allows the system to detect deviations and trigger recalibration when necessary, maintaining measurement precision throughout operation.
2Reliability
If pH is maintained within limits through chemical addition, then pH control is achieved, but food composition is altered and safety may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of changing food composition through chemical addition, the system changes physical parameters such as temperature, humidity, and air circulation to control pH. This approach maintains food safety and composition integrity while achieving the desired pH control for food preservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces chemical correction methods with physical control mechanisms. By using temperature control, humidity control, and air circulation to influence pH, the system avoids introducing chemicals that could alter food composition or compromise safety.
3Reliability
If physical parameters are controlled to maintain pH, then food safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is designed to manage multiple physical parameters (temperature, humidity, air circulation) that all influence pH. This multi-functional approach allows a single integrated system to control various aspects of the food processing environment, achieving comprehensive pH control without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines pH measurement, calibration, and physical parameter control into a single integrated control unit. By merging these functions, the system achieves comprehensive food safety control while minimizing the complexity that would result from separate independent systems.
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
Ensures food safety by maintaining pH within safe limits, preventing degradation and automatically reporting unsafe conditions, thereby ensuring the quality and safety of food products throughout processing and conservation.
Implementation Method 1
the acidity of the food is checked by measuring pH
Implementation Method 2
the instrument for measuring pH is calibrated before and/or during the phase of conservation and/or transformation
Implementation Method 3
the pH value of the food is maintained within predetermined limits through the management of the physical parameters
Implementation Method 4
the pH value of the food is maintained within predetermined limits through the management of the physical parameters
Data Source
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AI summary
Device and method for controlling, analyzing and managing phases of conservation and/or processing of food in a mobile or fixed closed space comprising a user interface with elements for data entry (1), a master control unit with memory and software (2), a management means system of the physical parameters of the food and/or of the space in which said food itself (6) is inserted, integrated means for controlling and measuring the pH, means for controlling physical parameters of food and/or of the space in which said food (6) is inserted, characterized by the fact that the master unit has a software program which has in memory of one or more foods to be conserved or transformed, and for each food the succession of variations of the Physical parameters for each phase of conserving and/or processing, which has for each phase a safety interval of pH where said software manages for each value of the pH measured outside the safety interval of each phase a management program of physical parameters of food and/or the space in which said food (6) is inserted to bring the pH value within the safety interval of pH, that said integrated means for controlling and measuring the pH is provided with a calibration system of the means for controlling and measuring the pH (10).