Inline Spectral Sensor for Beverage Filling Dosing Precision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current beverage filling systems face challenges in continuous inline monitoring of product quality, particularly during the flexible filling process, where malfunctions such as incorrect dosing, flavor carry-over, and leakage can occur, making it difficult to identify and address issues in real-time, leading to potential product quality problems and increased resource costs for manual laboratory testing.
Innovation Solution
A device equipped with a spectral sensor integrated in the filling member, capable of performing inline and online monitoring using a spectroscopic measuring principle, which determines properties like Brix content, CO2 content, density, and mixing ratios directly in the filling member, allowing for immediate detection of incorrect dosing and leakage, and enabling individual container quality control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If flexible filling valve with late blending is used, then product flexibility and dosing precision are improved, but continuous inline product monitoring becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The spectral sensor performs preliminary measurement of the filling product properties (Brix content, CO2 content, density, mixing ratio) in the product chamber before the product is filled into the container. This allows detection of dosing errors and mixing issues while the product is still accessible for measurement, resolving the contradiction between flexible late blending and continuous monitoring capability.
2Measurement precision
If manual laboratory testing is used for quality control, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity and time efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual laboratory testing with an automated spectral sensor system that performs inline quality control measurements directly in the filling process. The spectral sensor measures Brix content, CO2 content, density, and mixing ratio automatically, eliminating the need for manual sampling and laboratory analysis, thus improving both productivity and maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The filling system performs self-monitoring of product quality through the integrated spectral sensor that continuously measures product properties during the filling process. The system detects dosing errors, mixing ratios, and product composition automatically, making the process self-regulating and eliminating dependency on external laboratory testing.
3Reliability
If spectral sensor measurement is performed in product chamber, then continuous monitoring capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spectral sensor is designed to measure multiple product properties simultaneously (Brix content, CO2 content, density, mixing ratio) using a single device integrated in the product chamber. This multi-functional capability provides continuous monitoring of various product parameters without requiring multiple separate sensors or complex measurement systems, thus improving reliability while controlling device complexity.
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 solution enables continuous, real-time quality control of each container, reducing the need for extensive laboratory testing and ensuring product quality by identifying and addressing issues promptly, thereby improving the efficiency and reliability of the filling process.
Implementation Method 1
a measuring portion (30) with at least one spectral sensor (31, 32) which is configured to determine one or more properties of the filling product on the basis of a spectroscopic measuring principle
Data Source
AI summary
Device for filling a container with a filling product, for example in a beverage filling system, and method for monitoring a filling process, wherein the device comprises: at least one filling member with a product chamber for receiving the filling product and introducing the filling product via an outlet into the container to be filled; and a measuring portion with a least one spectral sensor which is configured to determine one or more properties of the filling product on the basis of a spectroscopic measuring principle.