System and method for temperature control in a temperature processing machine for food product containers
First Claim
1. A control system for controlling a machine for the temperature processing of containers for food products, the machine including a movement element for moving the containers to be processed on a movement path along which at least one temperature-processing zone is defined, where the temperature of the containers is to be brought to a desired value, the temperature-processing zone being divided into a number of sub-zones each having a respective injection assembly for injecting processing fluid on the containers and a respective adjusting assembly for setting the temperature of the injected processing fluid;
- a presence sensor located at the input of said movement path and configured to detect the presence of containers at input to said machine;
the control system, comprising;
a control unit operatively coupled to the adjusting assemblies of the sub-zones in order to regulate the temperature of the processing fluid, wherein the control unit is operatively coupled to the presence sensor and is configured to;
locate the position of containers along said movement path based on presence information provided by said presence sensor;
wherein said control unit is configured to;
perform a prediction of an output temperature of the containers located on said movement path based on a current operating condition of the machine,a past thermal trend for said containers and the located position of the containers along said movement path; and
control said adjusting assemblies based on the predicted output temperature, wherein the output temperature of the containers located on said movement path comprises a temperature the containers would reach at output from said temperature-processing zone.
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Abstract
A control system for controlling a machine for the temperature processing of containers for food products, having a movement element for moving containers to be processed on a movement path along which at least one temperature-processing zone is defined, the temperature-processing zone being divided into sub-zones each having a respective injection assembly for injecting processing fluid on the containers and a respective adjusting assembly for setting the temperature of the injected processing fluid. The control system is provided with a control unit coupled to the adjusting assemblies of the sub-zones for regulating the temperature of the processing fluid by performing a prediction of the output temperature of the containers located on the movement path based on a current operating condition of the machine and a past thermal trend for the containers, and controlling the adjusting assemblies based on the predicted output temperature.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A control system for controlling a machine for the temperature processing of containers for food products, the machine including a movement element for moving the containers to be processed on a movement path along which at least one temperature-processing zone is defined, where the temperature of the containers is to be brought to a desired value, the temperature-processing zone being divided into a number of sub-zones each having a respective injection assembly for injecting processing fluid on the containers and a respective adjusting assembly for setting the temperature of the injected processing fluid;
- a presence sensor located at the input of said movement path and configured to detect the presence of containers at input to said machine;
the control system, comprising;a control unit operatively coupled to the adjusting assemblies of the sub-zones in order to regulate the temperature of the processing fluid, wherein the control unit is operatively coupled to the presence sensor and is configured to;
locate the position of containers along said movement path based on presence information provided by said presence sensor;wherein said control unit is configured to;
perform a prediction of an output temperature of the containers located on said movement path based on a current operating condition of the machine,a past thermal trend for said containers and the located position of the containers along said movement path; and
control said adjusting assemblies based on the predicted output temperature, wherein the output temperature of the containers located on said movement path comprises a temperature the containers would reach at output from said temperature-processing zone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
- a presence sensor located at the input of said movement path and configured to detect the presence of containers at input to said machine;
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11. A control method for controlling a machine for the temperature processing of containers for food products, the machine including a movement element for moving containers to be processed on a movement path along which at least one temperature-processing zone is defined, where the temperature of the containers is brought to a desired value, the temperature-processing zone being divided into a number of sub-zones each having a respective injection assembly for injecting processing fluid on the containers and a respective adjusting assembly for setting the temperature of the processing fluid;
- the control method, comprising;
sensing the presence of containers at the input of said movement path; regulating the temperature of the processing fluid, wherein the step of regulating comprises; locating the presence of the containers along said movement path based on said step of sensing; performing a prediction of an output temperature of the containers located on said movement path based on a current operating condition of the machine, a past thermal trend of said products and the located position of the containers along said movement path; and controlling said adjusting assemblies based on the predicted output temperature, wherein the output temperature of the containers located on said movement path comprises a temperature the containers would reach at output from said temperature-processing zone. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- the control method, comprising;
Specification