US 12,442,688 B2
Method for in-line measurement of the temperature of products travelling on a conveyor in a food processing operation
Didier Pathier, Les Loges-en-Josas (FR)
Assigned to L'Air Liquide, Société ANonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude, Paris (FR)
Appl. No. 17/793,903
Filed by L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude, Paris (FR)
PCT Filed Jan. 4, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/050014
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 19, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/148245, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 29, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2000512 (FR), filed on Jan. 20, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0048626 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. G01J 5/00 (2022.01); A23B 2/80 (2025.01); A23B 2/88 (2025.01); F25D 3/11 (2006.01); G01B 15/02 (2006.01); G01J 5/02 (2022.01); G01K 13/06 (2006.01)
CPC G01J 5/0022 (2013.01) [A23B 2/803 (2025.01); A23B 2/88 (2025.01); F25D 3/11 (2013.01); G01B 15/02 (2013.01); A23V 2002/00 (2013.01); F25D 2700/06 (2013.01); F25D 2700/16 (2013.01); G01J 5/026 (2013.01); G01J 5/0275 (2013.01); G01K 13/06 (2013.01); G01K 2203/00 (2013.01)] 2 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for determining a temperature of products transported on a conveyor belt of a cryogenic tunnel, comprising the steps of:
(a) carrying out a continuous measurement of a surface temperature of products moving along the conveyor belt opposite a temperature measurement system, the temperature measurement system being a pyrometer and being fixed in space in a position close to, above, or to the side of, the conveyor;
(b) measuring a thickness of one of the products, whose temperature was measured during said step (a), with a distance measurement system, the distance measurement system being a laser or an ultrasound system; and
(c) using a computer to continuously calculate a sliding average of a presence of the products on the conveyor belt, wherein:
when the measured thickness is outside the range of thickness for a predetermined period of time, a value 0 is considered in the calculation of the sliding average;
when the measured thickness is within the range of thickness for a predetermined period of time, a value 1 is considered in the calculation of the sliding average; and
a lower limit for the sliding average is defined for the sliding average, and when an actual sliding average is lower than a defined lower limit for the sliding average, the temperature measured by the temperature measurement system is not recorded and the computer then records and stores, in memory, the last product temperature value measured by the temperature measurement system.