US 12,757,907 B1Granted

Food dehydration device

AssigneePrince Mohammad Bin Fahd University

InventorDeepanraj Balakrishnan

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A food dehydration device includes a dehydrating cabinet with chambers. Each chamber includes an inlet port, an outlet port, a removable partition, and an adjustable tray. A sensing array includes a humidity sensor positioned at both the inlet and outlet ports. A temperature sensor is positioned on the tray, and an airflow sensor is positioned in the upper region of a sidewall of the chambers. A dehydrating unit disposed in the chambers includes a thermal unit, a pulsed electric field unit, and an ultrasound-assisted dehydrating unit. An ultraviolet-C lamp is disposed in the chambers, and a safety interlock mechanism. An airflow management unit includes a variable-speed fan and an exhaust vent. An energy module includes a solar thermal collector and an electric heating element. A microcontroller to compute power output and a cloud-based communication module to transmit performance data.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A food dehydration device comprising:

a dehydrating cabinet comprising a plurality of chambers, wherein each chamber comprises an inlet port, an outlet port, a removable partition, and an adjustable tray,
wherein the chambers are thermally isolated from one another by the removable partition selected from the group consisting of:
an aerogel-based insulation panel,
a vacuum-insulated panel (VIP),
a ceramic-fiber insulation panel, and
a silica-based microporous insulation panel;
a sensing array disposed within each chamber, wherein each sensing array comprises:
a humidity sensor positioned at the inlet port, the outlet port, and configured to measure a relative humidity gradient;
a temperature sensor positioned at the tray and configured to detect a chamber temperature;
and
an airflow sensor positioned at an upper region of a sidewall of the chambers and configured to measure an airflow velocity;
a dehydrating unit disposed in the chambers, comprising:
a thermal unit configured to deliver heat energy;
a pulsed electric field (PEF) unit configured to deliver high-voltage pulses;
and
an ultrasound-assisted dehydrating (UAD) unit configured to generate acoustic waves;
an ultraviolet-C (UV-C) lamp disposed in the chambers and configured to activate during low-temperature dehydrating cycles,
a safety interlock mechanism configured to deactivate the UV-C lamp, the PEF unit, and the UAD unit when a corresponding chamber is open,
an airflow management unit comprising:
a variable-speed fan disposed at the inlet port and the outlet port configured to drive air through the chambers;
and
an exhaust vent disposed at the outlet port comprising actuators configured to regulate an exhaust flow path;
wherein the airflow management unit is configured to:
modulate an airflow based on the relative humidity gradient between the inlet port and the outlet port, and
adjust a fan speed and a vent aperture to maintain an uniform dehydrating condition across the chambers;
an energy module disposed at a surface of the cabinet, wherein the energy module comprises a solar thermal collector and an electric heating element,
a microcontroller operatively coupled to the energy module, the sensing array, the UV-C lamp, the dehydrating unit, and the airflow management unit,
wherein the microcontroller is configured to:
compute a power output to the dehydrating unit and the airflow management unit,
calculate a moisture content of a food load, and
dynamically adjust the relative humidity gradient, the chamber temperature, and the relative humidity within the chambers;
and
a cloud-based communication module configured to:
transmit performance data and system alerts to a remote display interface, and
transmit an external input to the microcontroller.

32 more elements

A method for dehydrating food using a food dehydration device comprising:

placing a food load into a chamber of a dehydrating cabinet,
wherein the chamber comprises a thermal unit, a pulsed electric field (PEF) unit, an ultrasound-assisted dehydrating (UAD) unit, an airflow management unit, and an ultraviolet-C (UV-C) lamp;
measuring a relative humidity gradient, a chamber temperature, and an airflow velocity via a sensing array, wherein the sensing array comprises:
a first humidity sensor positioned about 10 to 30 mm from an inlet port,
a second humidity sensor positioned about 10 to 30 mm from an outlet port,
a temperature sensor positioned about 5 to 30 mm from a sidewall of the chambers, and
an airflow sensor disposed at an upper region of the sidewall of the chambers, about 20 to 50 mm from a surface level of an adjustable tray;
controlling activation of the thermal unit, the PEF unit, and the UAD unit via a microcontroller according to Equation (2):
S
⁡
(
t
)
=
⁢
{
Thermal
,
if
⁢
dH
dt
<
α
PEF
,
if
⁢
dH
dt
≥
α
⁢
and
⁢
Δ
⁢
T
<
β
UAD
,
if
⁢
H
≤
γ
(
2
)
where:
S(t) represents a mode-selection vector defining activation of the thermal unit, the PEF unit, and the UAD unit,
dH
dt
is a humidity rate of change,
ΔT is a temperature deviation,
H is the relative humidity within the chamber,
α is a humidity rate-of-change threshold,
β is a temperature-deviation threshold, and
γ is a chamber-humidity threshold;
and
wherein the microcontroller is configured to:
activate the thermal unit to raise the chamber temperature between 40° C. and 80° C.;
and
transition an activation sequence comprising:
from the thermal unit to the PEF unit when the humidity rate-of-change threshold is between about 0.5 and 2.0% RH/min;
from the PEF unit to the UAD unit when the temperature-deviation threshold is between 1° C. and 3° C.;
and
from the UAD unit to a termination state, when the chamber-humidity threshold is about 5 to 15% RH;
adjusting the airflow velocity and a vent aperture based on the relative humidity gradient via the airflow management unit,
wherein the airflow management unit comprises a variable-speed fan and an exhaust vent;
activating the UV-C lamp during low-temperature dehydrating cycles and disabling the UV-C lamp when the chamber is opened via a safety interlock mechanism, and
terminating the activation sequence when the relative humidity is below the chamber-humidity threshold.

70 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 19/549,168Filed 25 Feb 2026
Granted: 13 Oct 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

A23B 2/97
By drying or kilning; Subsequent reconstitution: using irradiation or electric treatment, e.g. ultrasonic waves
A23B 2/001
Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general: details of apparatus, e.g. pressure feed valves or for transport, or loading or unloading…
A23B 2/003
Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general: control or safety devices for sterilisation or pasteurisation systems
A23B 2/53
By irradiation without heating: with ultraviolet light