Device and method for analyzing starch-containing product

• US 6,250,147 B1
• Filed: 03/08/1999
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Larena AG
• Original Assignee: Larena AG
• Inventors: Perten, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Politzer, Jay L.
• Application Number:
  US09/254,480
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 731/69, 73/542.5, 73/542.6, 73/543.1, 73/542.4, 73/543.6, 73/542.3, 73/541.4, 73/544.1, 521/84.1, 426/619, 426/457, 426/578, 426/549
• US Class Current: 73/169
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 11/16 by measuring damping effect upon oscillatory body
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/10 Starch-containing substances, e.g. dough

Abstract

A suspension of a starch-containing product in heated during agitation, whereby the viscosity is registered as a function of the temperature. A curve over the relationship between viscosity an temperature is treated as a property profile for the sample and is compared with another known curve in order to determine the heating properties for the sample. A device for this analysis has an agitator (7), the drive means (10, 11) of which has a power sensor (12) for sensing the power which the agitator is subjected to during the agitating, whereby a measure of the viscosity is obtained. A temperature sensor (13) senses the temperature of the sample.

Claims

1. Method of analyzing a sample of a starch-containing product, comprising the steps of:

mixing a sample with fluid to form a suspension;

heating and agitating the sample;

registering the suspension viscosity as a function of a predetermined parameter and presenting as a curve;

considering the obtained viscosity variation curve as a property profile for the sample;

comparing at least a section of this property profile to a corresponding section of at least one corresponding, predetermined property profile for a reference sample similarly obtained; and

on the basis of this comparison, determining properties of the sample.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the temperature in the suspension is used as a predetermined parameter.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that heating takes place through a container with the sample being placed in water with a chosen temperature, preferably boiling water.

4. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the slope of the curve at least at one predetermined point before the peak of the curve representing the maximum viscosity, is used as a measure of the thickening properties of the sample.

5. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the slope of the curve at least at one predetermined point after the peak of the curve representing the maximum viscosity, is used as a measure of the thinning properties of the sample.

6. Method according to any of claim 1, characterized in that time is used as a predetermined parameter.

7. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that agitating takes place by an agitator moving up and down essentially in the vertical direction, and that the same agitator is also released for determining a falling number value of the sample.

8. Device for analysis of a sample of a starch-containing product, comprising:

heating device intended for a sample container,

an agitator intended for placement in the sample container; and

a drive means belonging to the agitator and which is arranged to bring the agitator into movement up and down in the vertical direction,

the drive means being provided with a power sensor for sensing the power which the agitator is subjected to during its movement in the sample in the sample container,

means for, as a function of a predetermined parameter, registering this power as a measure of viscosity of the sample, and

a holder, which is arranged to be able to release the agitator during the use of the device for a falling number determination.

9. Device according to claim 8, further comprising a sensor (13) for sensing the temperature of the sample.

10. Device according to claim 9, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor (13) which is arranged in the agitator (7).

11. Device according to claim 8, wherein the power sensor (12) comprises a strain gauge.

12. A method of analyzing a sample containing starch, the method comprising the steps of:

heating the sample;

moving an agitator up and down in a vertical direction within the sample;

determining the viscosity of the sample by measuring the power to which the agitator is subjected during the up and down movement; and

releasing the agitator to determine a falling member.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising the further step of developing a viscosity vs. temperature viscosity variation curve as a property profile for the sample.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising the further step of comparing the developed sample viscosity variation curve to a reference curve to determine heating properties of the sample.