Retort agitation system and method

A method of processing food products in a retort using a thermal process having at least one of a come-up phase for increasing a temperature of a food product, a cook/hold phase for substantially maintaining a temperature of a food product, and a cool phase for decreasing a temperature of a food product, the method of processing products in a retort comprising:

• arranging products in at least one product carrier for movement along at least a portion of a length of the retort;
• executing, by a computing device, a first non-sinusoidal agitation profile of the at least one product carrier for at least one of the come-up, cook/hold, and cool phases of the thermal process and a second non-sinusoidal agitation profile for at least one of the other come-up, cook/hold, and cool phases of the thermal process that is different in at least one of stroke length, pause duration between strokes, frequency, and acceleration of strokes than the first non-sinusoidal agitation profile, wherein a stroke is a movement of the at least one product carrier along at least a portion of the length of the retort;
• and
• controlling, with a controller, a variable input linear drive mechanism configured to apply force linearly along the length of the retort to a reciprocating drive member extending linearly along a length of the retort and having a reciprocating drive axis in substantial coaxial alignment with a longitudinal axis of the retort and interfacing with the at least one product carrier to vary at least one of pause time between first and second directions along the length of the retort for more than an interruption in movement that occurs when the reciprocating drive member reverses direction, speed, stroke length, frequency, acceleration, and deceleration of the reciprocating drive member to execute the first and second non-sinusoidal agitation profiles of the at least one product carrier.

A method of processing products in a retort having a length, comprising:

• arranging products in at least one product carrier for movement along at least a portion of the length of the retort;
• activating a variable input linear drive mechanism to apply force linearly along the length of the retort to a reciprocating drive member extending linearly along a length of the retort and having a reciprocating drive axis in substantial coaxial alignment with a longitudinal axis of the retort, the reciprocating drive member interfacing with the at least one product carrier, the variable input linear drive mechanism controllable with a controller to vary pause time between first and second directions along the length of the retort for more than an interruption in movement that occurs when the reciprocating drive member reverses direction, speed, stroke length, frequency, acceleration, deceleration of the reciprocating drive member to move the at least one product carrier in a non-sinusoidal pattern of movement;
• sending, by a computing device, one or more signals to the variable input linear drive mechanism to apply force linearly along the length of the retort to the reciprocating drive member to execute a non-sinusoidal pattern of movement of the at least one product carrier by at least one of:
• a plurality of strokes of the at least one product carrier in a first direction before movement of the at least one product carrier back in an opposite second direction, wherein a stroke is a movement of the at least one product carrier by the drive mechanism along at least a portion of the length of the retort;
• a plurality of strokes of the at least one product carrier in a first direction before movement of the at least one product carrier back in an opposite second direction with a pause in movement between each of the plurality of strokes, wherein a pause in movement is a stop in the movement of the at least one product carrier that is more than an interruption in movement that occurs when the at least one carrier reverses direction;
• a first acceleration of the at least one product carrier in a first direction and a second acceleration of the at least one product carrier lower than the first acceleration in a second opposite direction;
• a substantially constant acceleration over a first portion of the non-sinusoidal pattern of movement and moving the at least one product carrier with a substantially constant deceleration over a second portion of the non-sinusoidal pattern of movement;
• a substantially constant acceleration over a first portion of a stroke and moving the at least one product carrier with a substantially constant deceleration over a second portion of the stroke;
• moving the at least one product carrier in a first direction before moving the at least one product carrier back in an opposite second direction with a pause in movement of the at least one product carrier between the first and second directions, wherein a pause in movement is a stop in the movement of the at least one product carrier that is more than an interruption in movement that occurs when the at least one carrier reverses direction;
• a first agitation motion profile for a first phase of a thermal process and a second agitation motion profile for a second phase of the thermal process;
• and
• varying a stroke length and a speed for a plurality of cycles while keeping frequency constant for each of the plurality of cycles, wherein a cycle is movement of the at least one product carrier in a first direction from a start position along at least a portion of the length of retort and movement of the at least one product carrier in a second opposite direction back to the start position.