METHOD TO CHECK A COFFEE BEANS ROASTING SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention concerns a method to check a roasting system (10), said system comprising: a roasting apparatus (2), said apparatus producing smoke, and a smoke treating unit (3) configured to treat the flow of smoke produced by the roasting apparatus and comprising: at least one smoke filtering device (221, 222, 223), a dismountable smoke collecting device (21) at least one temperature sensor (24) configured to measure the temperature T of the flow of smoke inside the smoke treating unit (3), a smoke driver (23) configured to drive smoke from the roasting apparatus (2) through said smoke treating unit, wherein the method comprises the steps of: operating the roasting apparatus in order to produce hot gas, monitoring the temperature of the smoke, and observing at least one behaviour of the monitored temperature along time, comparing said at least one observed behaviour of the monitored temperature with a predetermined behaviour of temperature corresponding to the presence of the dismountable smoke collecting device (21) inside the smoke treating unit, if the at least one observed behaviour diverges from the corresponding predetermined behaviour, then displaying an alarm.

Claims

1. A method to check a roasting system, said system comprising: a roasting apparatus, said apparatus producing smoke during the heating of coffee beans, and a smoke treating unit configured to treat the flow of smoke produced by the roasting apparatus, said smoke treating unit comprising: at least one smoke filtering device, a dismountable smoke collecting device configured to collect smoke from the outlet of the roasting apparatus at least one temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature T of the flow of smoke inside the smoke treating unit, a smoke driver configured to drive smoke from the roasting apparatus through said smoke treating unit, wherein, during a roasting operation implemented in the roasting apparatus, the method comprises the steps of: operating the roasting apparatus in order to produce hot gas, monitoring the temperature of the smoke during the operation, and observing at least one behaviour of the monitored temperature along time, comparing said at least one observed behaviour of the monitored temperature with a predetermined behaviour of temperature corresponding to the presence of the dismountable smoke collecting device inside the smoke treating unit, and if the at least one observed behaviour diverges from the corresponding predetermined behaviour, then displaying an alarm.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the step of operating the roasting apparatus in order to produce hot gas is a coffee beans roasting operation, an operation of pre-warming of the roasting apparatus or an operation of checking after an operation of maintenance of the smoke treating unit.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the roasting operation implemented in the roasting apparatus is the first operation after a maintenance operation of the dismountable smoke collecting device.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is positioned downstream the collecting device according to the direction of the flow of smoke inside the smoke treating unit.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein: the observed behaviour of the monitored temperature is the temperature along time, and the temperature monitored at at least one time t0 is compared to a pre-determined temperature T0 associated to that time t0, and if the temperature T at time t0 is inferior to the pre-determined temperature T0 then the alarm is displayed.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein: the observed behaviour of the monitored temperature is the rate of rise $R=\frac{\mathrm{dT}}{\mathrm{dt}}$ of the monitored temperature, and the rate of rise R of the monitored temperature is calculated at at least one time t0 and compared to a pre-determined rate of rise R0 associated to that time t0, and if the calculated rate of rise R at time t0 is inferior to the pre-determined rate of rise R0 then the alarm is displayed.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein the time t0 for calculation of the rate of rise is set before the first crack of the beans happen.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein the dismountable smoke collecting device of the smoke treating unit comprises several dismountable sub-elements, these sub-elements forming the collecting device when assembled together.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises: several smoke treating units, each of said smoke treating units being configured to conduct and treat at least a part of the smoke through a dedicated path, and an inlet ducting device to guide smoke emitted by the roasting apparatus to at least one of the smoke treating units.

10. Method according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises: several roasting apparatuses, and the smoke treating unit is configured to be able to treat the flows of smoke produced by said roasting apparatuses, said smoke treating unit comprising several dismountable smoke collecting devices, each of dismountable smoke collecting device being configured to collect smoke from the outlet of one respective roasting apparatus.

11. Method according to claim 10, wherein the method comprises the additional steps of: obtaining information relative the number of operated roasters, obtaining the predetermined behaviour of temperature corresponding to the presence of all the dismountable smoke collecting devices between said obtained number of operated roasters and the smoke treating unit, and comparing the observed behaviour of the monitored temperature with the obtained predetermined behaviour of temperature corresponding to the presence of all the dismountable smoke collecting devices.

12. A system for roasting coffee beans, said system comprising: a roasting apparatus, and a smoke treating unit configured to treat the smoke produced by the roasting apparatus, said smoke treating unit comprising: a dismountable smoke collecting device configured to collect smoke from the outlet of the roasting apparatus a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature T of the flow of smoke inside the smoke treating unit, a smoke driver configured to drive smoke from the roasting apparatus through said smoke treating unit, a control system operable to perform a method of operating the roasting apparatus in order to produce hot gas, monitoring the temperature of the smoke during the operation, and observing at least one behaviour of the monitored temperature along time, comparing said at least one observed behaviour of the monitored temperature with a predetermined behaviour of temperature corresponding to the presence of the dismountable smoke collecting device inside the smoke treating unit, and if the at least one observed behaviour diverges from the corresponding predetermined behaviour, then displaying an alarm.

13-15. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0147] Specific embodiments of the invention are now described further, by way of example, with reference to the following drawings in which:

[0148] FIGS. 1 and 2 are views of a system according to the present invention illustrating the path of the smoke through the system,

[0149] FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a control system of the system according to FIG. 1,

[0150] FIG. 4 illustrates the evolution of the rate of rise of temperature with the collecting device present or not,

[0151] FIG. 5 illustrates a system of one roasting apparatuses and several smoke treating units according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0152] System for Roasting

[0153] FIG. 1 shows an illustrative view of a system of a roasting apparatus 1 and a smoke treating unit 2. Functionally, the roasting apparatus is operable to roast coffee beans and the smoke treating unit is operable to treat the smoke generated during roasting by the roasting apparatus.

[0154] Roasting Apparatus

[0155] The roasting apparatus 1 is operable to receive and roast coffee beans inside a roasting chamber 12.

[0156] Preferably, the roasting apparatus 1 comprises a roasting chamber 12 in which a flow of hot air is introduced to agitate and heat the beans. The hot air flow is usually produced by an air flow driver and a heater. These devices are positioned below the roasting chamber and introduce the flow of hot air through the bottom of the chamber. In the illustrated figure, the bottom of the chamber is configured to enable air to pass through, specifically it can be a perforated plate on which the beans can lie and through which air can flow upwardly.

[0157] The air flow driver is operable to generate a flow of air upwardly in direction of the bottom of the vessel. The generated flow is configured to heat the beans and to agitate and lift the beans. As a result, the beans are homogenously heated. Specifically, the air flow driver can be a fan powered by a motor. Air inlets can be provided inside the base of the housing in order to feed air inside the housing, the air flow driver blowing this air in direction of the chamber 12.

[0158] The heater is operable to heat the flow of air generated by the air flow driver. Preferably, the heater is an electrical resistance positioned between the fan and the perforated plate with the result that the flow of air is heated before it enters the chamber 12 to heat and to lift the beans. The heater and/or the fan are operable to apply a roasting profile to the beans, this roasting profile being defined as a curve of temperature against time.

[0159] Preferably, the roasting apparatus comprises a user interface 13 enabling: [0160] the input of information about the roasting, in particular the quantity of beans introduced inside the roasting chamber and the desired level of roasting, and the output of information about the roasting operation (status, temperature, time) and [0161] preferably about the output of information about the smoke treating unit 2 in particular about the cleaning of the electrostatic precipitator 222.

[0162] The roasting of the beans generates a smoke that is driven to the top opening 121 of the roasting chamber due to the flow of air generated by the air flow driver and as illustrated by arrow S1 in FIG. 1.

[0163] Generally a chaff collector is in flow communication with the top opening 121 of the chamber to receive chaffs that have progressively separated from the beans during roasting and due to their light density are blown off to the chaff collector.

[0164] The rest of the smoke is evacuated through the smoke outlet 11 at the top of the roasting apparatus.

[0165] Smoke Treating Unit

[0166] The smoke treating unit 2 is operable to receive and treat the smoke S1 emitted at the smoke outlet 11 of the roasting apparatus.

[0167] First, the smoke treating unit 2 comprises a smoke collecting device 21 adapted to collect the smoke. This smoke collecting device 21 or collecting device forms an internal void space or duct guiding the smoke (dotted lines S1, S2, S3) from the outlet 11 of the roasting apparatus in direction of the filtering devices of the smoke filtering sub-unit 22.

[0168] In the particularly illustrated embodiment, the smoke filtering sub-unit 22 can comprise: [0169] a device 223 adapted for filtering large particulate matter like PM10, for example a metallic mesh and an associated diffuser, generally a metallic grid positioned in front (that is upstream) of the mesh. [0170] an electrostatic precipitator 222 adapted for filtering small particulate matter, [0171] an active carbon filter 221 adapted to remove VOCs from the smoke.

[0172] Preferably, the device for removing particulate matter are positioned upstream the active carbon filter. This upstream position guarantees that particulate matter do not foul the active carbon filter.

[0173] Physically, the electrostatic precipitator is positioned below the active carbon filter to avoid that particulates fall from the electrostatic precipitator on the active carbon filter when the electrostatic precipitator is switched off.

[0174] The smoke filtering sub-unit 22 comprises a smoke driver 23, generally a fan, for sucking the contaminated smoke from the inlet 211 of the collecting device through the smoke filtering sub-unit 22, where it is treated, to the outlet 25 of the smoke filtering sub-unit 22, where it is dispensed in ambient atmosphere safely.

[0175] The smoke filtering sub-unit 22 comprises a temperature sensor 24 positioned just upstream the active carbon filter and configured to measure the temperature of the smoke.

[0176] FIG. 2A illustrates more precisely the different sub-parts 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216 of collecting device of FIG. 1. When they are assembled, all these sub-parts design the path of the smoke from the outlet 11 of the chamber of the roasting apparatus to the filtering devices 221, 222, 223 of the smoke treating unit. These parts can be dismantled for cleaning and maintenance.

[0177] The collecting device comprises different sub parts with different designs and functions, including: [0178] an air inlet device 211. This device enables the connection with the chamber outlet 11 and is provided with lateral openings for the introduction of air and its mixing with smoke of the roaster. [0179] two elbow ducts 212, 214 and straight duct 213, [0180] a connecting element 215 with a final duct 216 (dotted lines). This final duct is hidden behind a side panel of the smoke treating unit which made him non visible once the panel is in place. Further to the disassembling of the collecting device and then re-assembling, some parts may be missing such as the smallest connecting elements 211, 215 or the hidden ones like the final duct 216.

[0181] FIG. 2B illustrates an alternative embodiment of the roasting system of FIGS. 1 and 2A, where the roasting apparatus is placed on a counter and the smoke treating unit below said counter. In this configuration, the small connecting device 215 is also hidden below the counter and the operator can forget to re-assemble this part of the collecting device.

[0182] Control System of the System of the Roasting Apparatus and the Smoke Treating Unit

[0183] With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the control system 3 will now be considered: the control system 3 is operable to control the smoke filtering unit 2.

[0184] Depending on the level of integration of the roasting apparatus 1 and the smoke filtering unit 2, the control system can be shared between the processing units of these two apparatuses: [0185] if the smoke treating unit 2 is part of the roasting apparatus 1, usually the processing unit of the roasting apparatus is the master and the processing unit of the filter is the slave. [0186] if the roasting apparatus 1 and the smoke treating unit 2 form two different apparatuses, each of them with its own processing unit, then these processing units can be configured to communicate to implement the method.

[0187] FIG. 3 illustrates the control system of the smoke filtering unit 2 of FIG. 1.

[0188] The control system 3 typically comprises at a second level of smoke filtering unit 2: a processing unit 30, a power supply 33, a memory unit 31.

[0189] The processing unit 30 is configured to output feedback to the user interface 13 of the roasting apparatus in particular to display an alarm related to the detection of the absence of the smoke collecting device. In an alternative configuration, the some treating unit 2 can comprise its own user interface to display this information, for example lighting buttons that can be lighted according to the presence or not of the smoke collecting device.

[0190] The processing unit 30 may also display information to the user interface 13 about: [0191] re-installing instructions, [0192] reset of the alarm status.

[0193] The hardware of the user interface may comprise any suitable device(s), for example, the hardware comprises one or more of the following: buttons, such as a joystick button, knob or press button, joystick, LEDs, graphic or character LDCs, graphical screen with touch sensing and/or screen edge buttons. The user interface 20 can be formed as one unit or a plurality of discrete units.

[0194] A part of the user interface can also be on a mobile app when the apparatus is provided with a communication interface as described below. In that case at least a part of input and output can be transmitted to the mobile device through the communication interface 32.

[0195] The processing unit 30 generally comprises memory, input and output system components arranged as an integrated circuit, typically as a microprocessor or a microcontroller. The processing unit 30 may comprise other suitable integrated circuits, such as: an ASIC, a programmable logic device such as a PAL, CPLD, FPGA, PSoC, a system on a chip (SoC), an analogue integrated circuit, such as a controller. For such devices, where appropriate, the aforementioned program code can be considered programmed logic or to additionally comprise programmed logic. The processing unit 30 may also comprise one or more of the aforementioned integrated circuits. An example of the later is several integrated circuits arranged in communication with each other in a modular fashion e.g.: a slave integrated circuit to control the smoke treating unit 2 in communication with a master integrated circuit to control the roasting apparatus 10, a slave integrated circuit to control the user interface 13 in communication with a master integrated circuit to control the roasting apparatus 10.

[0196] The power supply 33 is operable to supply electrical energy to the said controlled components and the processing unit 30. The power 33 may comprise various means, such as a battery or a unit to receive and condition a main electrical supply.

[0197] The processing unit 30 generally comprises a memory unit 31 for storage of instructions as program code and optionally data. To this end the memory unit typically comprises: a non-volatile memory e.g. EPROM, EEPROM or Flash for the storage of program code and operating parameters as instructions, volatile memory (RAM) for temporary data storage. The memory unit may comprise separate and/or integrated (e.g. on a die of the semiconductor) memory. For programmable logic devices the instructions can be stored as programmed logic. The instructions stored on the memory unit 31 can be idealised as comprising a program to determine the presence of the active carbon filter in the smoke treating unit of the system and in particular the cleaning status requirement.

[0198] The processing unit 30 is configured to output the value of the temperature T measured by the temperature sensor 24.

[0199] The control system 3 is operable: [0200] to operate the roasting apparatus in order to produce hot gas, [0201] to monitor the temperature of the smoke during said operation, and [0202] to observe at least one behaviour of the monitored temperature along time, [0203] to compare said at least one observed behaviour of the monitored temperature with a predetermined behaviour of temperature corresponding to the presence of the dismountable smoke collecting device inside the smoke treating unit, [0204] to displaying an alarm if the at least one observed behaviour diverges from the corresponding predetermined behaviour.

[0205] Preferably, the control system 3 is operable: [0206] to calculate the rate of rise

[00002]$R=\frac{\mathrm{dT}}{\mathrm{dt}}$

of the monitored temperature at at least one time t.sub.0, and [0207] to compare said rate to a pre-determined rate of rise R.sub.0 associated to that time t.sub.0, and [0208] if the calculated rate of rise R at time t.sub.0 is inferior to the pre-determined rate of rise R.sub.0 then [0209] to display and alarm.

[0210] FIG. 4 illustrates the rates of rise of the temperature measured by the sensor 24 during the first roasting operation implemented after a maintenance operation of the collecting device 21 of the roasting apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2A. The beginning of the roasting operation starts at t=0.

[0211] In curve A, temperature was measured with the collecting device 21 correctly re-installed inside the smoke treating unit whereas, in curve B, temperature was measured while the sub-part 221 of the collecting device 21 was missing.

[0212] At t.sub.0=5 minutes, the curve A presents a rate of rise of 0.040 C./sec and it can be observed that, as soon as the roasting operation starts, the temperature rises at the temperature sensor 24 positioned inside the smoke treating unit.

[0213] On the contrary, at to =5 minutes, in curve B, the rate of rise remains null.

[0214] Accordingly, by setting a pre-determined rate of rise R.sub.0 at 0.020 C./sec, the absence of a part of the collecting device can be detected by measuring the rate of rise of temperature inside the smoke treating unit and if the rate of rise is similar to Curve b, an alarm requiring the check of the collecting device is raised.

[0215] This threshold is pre-determined through experimentations and, as mentioned above, this pre-determined threshold can be stored in the memory 31 of the control system.

[0216] Update of this threshold can be applied if the configuration of the collecting device 21 changes in the roasting system, for example, this threshold would be different with the collecting device 21 of the roasting apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2B.

[0217] The setup linked to the configuration can be changed either through a manual input through the user interface (either of the system or of a mobile device) or through a remote server and the communication interface 32.

[0218] FIG. 5 illustrates a system comprising several smoke treating units 3. Such a configuration can be adapted to the treatment of an important volume of smoke, for example due to continuous roasting operations. The smoke outlet of the roasting apparatuses is connected to several connecting devices 21 configured to guide smoke to at least one of the smoke treating units 3. Smoke can be sent to one of the three smoke treating units while the others are on maintenance or cleaned. In each smoke treating unit, the corresponding temperature sensors 24 enables the detection of the missing corresponding collecting device at the inlet of the smoke treating units 3 in a similar manner as in FIG. 1.

Enable

[0219] One advantage of the method is that it can be implemented with a temperature sensor that is not specifically dedicated to the implementation of that method. Temperature sensors positioned inside the smoke treating unit for other process controls can be used additionally to provide information about the presence of an essential part of the smoke treating unit after a maintenance operation. An error in re-installation of the collecting device can be detected with existing temperature sensors rather than adding sensors specifically dedicated to the detection of the presence of a part of the collecting device such as a sensor establishing contact with said device (such as a switch contact), an optical sensor, a sensor able to read the field of a magnetic element of the device, an RFID device able to read an RFID tag of the device.

[0220] Although the invention has been described with reference to the above illustrated embodiments, it will be appreciated that the invention as claimed is not limited in any way by these illustrated embodiments.

[0221] Variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. Furthermore, where known equivalents exist to specific features, such equivalents are incorporated as if specifically referred in this specification.

[0222] As used in this specification, the words comprises, comprising, and similar words, are not to be interpreted in an exclusive or exhaustive sense. In other words, they are intended to mean including, but not limited to.

LIST OF REFERENCES IN THE DRAWINGS

[0223] roasting apparatus 1 [0224] smoke outlet 11 [0225] roasting chamber 12 [0226] top outlet 121 [0227] user interface 13 [0228] smoke treating unit 2 [0229] smoke collecting device 21 [0230] sub-parts 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216 [0231] smoke filtering sub-unit 22 [0232] active carbon filter 221 [0233] electrostatic precipitator 222 [0234] PM filter 223 [0235] smoke driver 23 [0236] outlet 25 [0237] temperature sensor 24 [0238] control system 3 [0239] processing unit 30 [0240] memory unit 31 [0241] power supply 33 [0242] system 10