METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC CONTROLLING OF COFFEE FRYING PROCESS Russian patent published in 2003 - IPC

FIELD: food-processing industry. SUBSTANCE: method involves measuring consumption of raw coffee, flow rate and temperature of heat carrier at frying chamber inlet end and moistening water flow rate; frying coffee with overheated steam; discharging used overheated steam into condenser; measuring flow rate of non-condensed gases at condenser outlet end; measuring temperature and moisture content of raw coffee and aerodynamic flow of coffee bean layer on gas distributing grid; determining coffee loss current value on the basis of flow rate of non-condensed gases and correcting control mode by current value of final moisture content of fried coffee in strictly determined sequence; increasing flow rate of overheated steam until aerodynamic flow of coffee bean layer reaches maximal value, for example 750 Pa, in case current value of final moisture content of fried coffee is increased as compared to predetermined value; increasing overheated steam temperature until coffee loss value reaches maximal value, for example 19%; reducing moistening water flow rate to minimal value, for example 22•10^-6m³/s; reducing raw coffee consumption. In case current value of final moisture content of fried coffee is decreased as compared to predetermined value, flow rate of overheated steam is decreased until aerodynamic flow of coffee beans layer reaches minimal value, for example 240 Pa, with following decreasing temperature of overheated steam until coffee loss reaches minimal value, for example 10%, with following increasing moistening water flow rate until it reaches minimal value, for example 33•10^-6m³/s, and increasing consumption of raw coffee. EFFECT: improved quality of ready product, provision for maintaining precise technical characteristics and reduced dusting. 1 dwg