Method and device for monitoring and controlling a process
AssigneeABB AB
InventorsAnna Kornfeldt, Thomas Liljenberg, Stefan Backa, Claudio Pecorari, Eva Lundberg
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Abstract
A method and device for monitoring and controlling a pharmaceutical, chemical or food process, in which the biological activity and/or the bio-mass of micro-organisms in the process is monitored, and in which the state of the process is detected by monitoring viscosity and/or aggregate size and/or content of a dispersion of proteins, crystalline particles or fat droplets that are processed, respectively. The micro-organisms and/or bio-molecules produced in the process, and the proteins, crystals particles or fat droplets being processed are monitored by means of acoustic spectroscopy.
Claims32
A method for monitoring and controlling a fermentation process, in which the biological activity and/or the bio-mass of micro-organisms in the process are monitored, characterised in that the micro-organisms and/or bio-molecules produced in the process are monitored by means of acoustic spectroscopy.
A device for monitoring and controlling a fermentation process by monitoring the content and viability of micro-organisms in the process, characterised in that it comprises a means (5,6) for subjecting the micro-organisms and/or bio-molecules produced in the process to acoustic spectroscopy.
Use of acoustic spectroscopy for the purpose of monitoring the biological activity/bio-mass of micro-organisms and/or the bio-molecules produced thereof in a fermentation process.
A method for monitoring and controlling viscosity and/or aggregate size and/or content of dispersions of proteins, crystalline particles or fat droplets during processing thereof characterised in that at least a part of the proteins and/or crystalline particles and/or fat droplets are monitored by means of acoustic spectroscopy.
A device for monitoring and controlling viscosity and/or aggregate size and/or content of a dispersion of proteins, crystalline particles or fat droplets during processing thereof characterised in that it comprises a means (1,2) for subjecting the dispersion to acoustic spectroscopy.
Use of acoustic spectroscopy for monitoring a process in which the state of the process is detected by monitoring viscosity and/or aggregate size and/or content of dispersions of proteins, crystalline particles or fat droplets that are processed.
Use of acoustic spectroscopy for monitoring a process, which is a process for the production of a food product, preferably a dairy product, and most preferably a process in which whey is denatured or in which fat droplets are homogenised.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.