Thermal process control
First Claim
1. A method for measuring the internal temperature of discrete, thermally treated workpieces, comprising:
- (a) selecting workpieces for temperature measurement from an output stream of workpieces exiting from a thermal processing system;
(b) removing selected workpieces from the output stream;
(c) after removal of selected workpieces from the output stream, dimensionally characterizing the removed selected workpieces; and
(d) after dimensionally characterizing the removed selected workpieces, measuring the temperature of the selected workpieces at one or more locations expected to give a representative temperature of the workpieces based on the results of the dimensionally characterizing the selected workpieces.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A thermal processing and control system (10) includes a thermal processing station (12) for receiving food products (14) being carried on a conveyor system (16). A first scanning station (18) is located upstream from a similar processing station (12) for scanning the food products being carried by the conveyor (16). A second scanning station (20) is located downstream of the thermal processing station (12). A diverter conveyor (24) diverts selected food products (14) from the conveyor (16) to a transverse conveyor (26) which is capable of positioning the diverted food product onto a temperature measurement station (28), whereat the temperature of the food product is measured, either manually or automatically.
-
Citations
34 Claims
-
1. A method for measuring the internal temperature of discrete, thermally treated workpieces, comprising:
-
(a) selecting workpieces for temperature measurement from an output stream of workpieces exiting from a thermal processing system; (b) removing selected workpieces from the output stream; (c) after removal of selected workpieces from the output stream, dimensionally characterizing the removed selected workpieces; and (d) after dimensionally characterizing the removed selected workpieces, measuring the temperature of the selected workpieces at one or more locations expected to give a representative temperature of the workpieces based on the results of the dimensionally characterizing the selected workpieces. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method for controlling a thermal processing system for food products in a thermal processing station, comprising:
-
(a) monitoring a stream of food products approaching a thermal processing station to determine the physical attributes and/or condition, as well as the total mass flow rate of the food products approaching the thermal processing station, and making this data available for use by a control subsystem of the thermal processing system; (b) monitoring process parameters of the thermal processing system; (c) measuring the temperatures of the food products exiting the thermal processing station, and making such temperature information available for use by the control subsystem; and (d) modeling the thermal processing system by considering one or more of the following dynamics; (i) the manner in which changes in the mass flow rate of the food products entering the thermal processing station results in changes to the temperature of the heat transfer fluid utilized to thermally process the food products; (ii) the manner in which changes in the geometry of the food products entering the thermal processing station causes changes to the rate of temperature change in the food products in the thermal processing station; and (iii) changes in the temperature of the food products exiting the thermal processing station relative to changes in the operating conditions of the thermal processing system or changes in the mass flow rate or the physical attributes of the food products entering the thermal processing station; and (e) if the modeling results indicate that the future temperature of the food products exiting the thermal processing station is beyond a desired temperature range, the control subsystem adjusting the thermal processing system process parameters or recommending that adjustments be made to the process parameters of the thermal processing system. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A method for thermally processing a stream of food products at a thermal processing station under process parameters, comprising:
-
(a) selecting food products for temperature measurement from the food product stream; (b) after selecting the food products for temperature measurement, physically characterizing the selected food products; (c) after physically characterizing the selected food product for temperature measurement, measuring the temperature of the selected food products at one or more locations within the selected food products expected to give representative temperature of the food product; and (d) analyzing the temperature measurement results to determine if any changes are needed in the process parameters of the thermal processing station, and if said analysis indicates that changes are needed in the process parameters of the thermal processing station, transmitting control signals to change the applicable process parameters. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A method for optimizing the process parameters of a thermal processing station used to process workpieces, comprising:
-
(a) scanning the workpieces that exit the thermal processing station; (b) physically modeling the scanned workpieces based on the data resulting from the scanning of the workpieces; (c) selecting the workpieces for temperature measurement based on the modeling of the workpieces; (d) removing the selected workpieces to a temperature measurement station; (e) measuring the temperature of the selected workpieces at the temperature measurement station; and (f) analyzing the temperature measurement results to determine if changes should be made to the process parameters of the thermal processing station. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
-
Specification