Variable Speed Pasteurizer Transport Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pasteurizers face challenges in maintaining operational reliability during production interruptions, leading to risks of inadequate pasteurization or over-pasteurization, as they require machine stops and increased energy consumption to adjust to changing operational states.
Innovation Solution
A pasteurizer with a continuously controllable transport speed and adjustable treatment temperatures, allowing dynamic adjustments based on the system's operational state, ensuring consistent pasteurization conditions by increasing or decreasing temperature and zone count in response to transport speed changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the transport element is switched off or inlet is stopped to address production faults, then product quality is protected from over-pasteurization, but productivity decreases and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the transport speed of the transport element continuously variable rather than fixed. The control device dynamically adjusts the transport speed based on the operational state of upstream and downstream machines, allowing the pasteurizer to adapt to production interruptions without stopping. This resolves the contradiction by enabling continuous operation at optimized speeds that maintain pasteurization quality while preserving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of transport speed from a constant value to a continuously variable parameter controlled by a control device. By adjusting the transport speed parameter in response to system conditions, the pasteurizer maintains adequate pasteurization (preventing over-pasteurization) while avoiding production stops, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and productivity.
2Productivity
If the transport speed is increased to maintain productivity during interruptions, then productivity is maintained, but the risk of over-pasteurization increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control where a control device monitors the operational state of the pasteurizer and adjacent machines, then adjusts the transport speed accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that transport speed is optimized in real-time to maintain pasteurization quality while maximizing productivity, resolving the contradiction between these two parameters.
3Ease of operation
If the transport element operates at constant speed, then operation is simple, but the dwell time of containers cannot be adjusted to match system operational state
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by implementing an automatic control device that autonomously adjusts the transport speed based on monitored system conditions. This eliminates the need for manual intervention while providing adaptive dwell time control, resolving the contradiction between operational simplicity and adaptability.
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 continuous operation without stops, maintaining pasteurization quality and reducing energy consumption by dynamically adjusting dwell time and treatment temperatures according to system performance, thereby preventing over-pasteurization and ensuring adequate pasteurization.
Implementation Method 1
the containers are subjected to a warmed or heated liquid treatment medium, such as water
Implementation Method 2
the containers are subjected to a warmed or heated liquid treatment medium
Data Source
AI summary
A container-processing apparatus includes a pasteurizer with plural zones, and a transport element. The zones, which follow one another in a transport direction, include a preheating set, a cooling set, and pasteurizing set. The transport element moves containers through the sets, where they are subjected to a treatment medium at different treatment temperatures. Treatment temperatures in zones in the preheating set rise in steps from zone to zone. In the pasteurizing set, treatment temperature is maintained at or above pasteurizing temperature. In the cooling set, treatment temperatures decrease in steps zone to zone. The transport element transports containers in the pasteurizer at a changeable transport speed that is subject to continuous control.