Cooking time control system for conveyor ovens

A method for processing products in an oven, wherein processing includes changing or maintaining an energy content of the product, comprising the steps of:

• heating the oven to a temperature;
• conveying products through the oven at variable velocities;
• sensing the temperature of the oven;
• establishing initial conditions including a set temperature and a product processing time;
• determining an effective processing time for a product at intervals, wherein the effective processing time is a function of the sensed temperature and a sensitivity of processing time to changes in oven temperature for the product;
• determining, at each of the intervals, a total effective processing time by summing each of the effective processing times determined at each interval;
• and
• controlling a velocity of the product through the oven in response to a difference between the total effective processing time and an actual elapsed processing time that the product has been in the oven so that the product exits the oven when the total effective processing time equals the product processing time.

Apparatus for cooling food products in an oven, comprising:

• a conveyor for moving food products through the oven at variable velocities;
• a heater for heating the oven to a temperature;
• a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the oven;
• an oven controller for establishing initial conditions including a set temperature and a food product cooking time;
• a calculator, responsive to the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor, for determining an effective cooking time for a food product at intervals, wherein the effective cooking time is a function of the sensed temperature and a sensitivity of cooking time to changes in oven temperature for the food product;
• an integrator for determining, at each of the intervals, a total effective cooking time by summing each of the effective cooking times determined at each interval;
• and
• a conveyor velocity controller for adjusting a velocity of the conveyor as a function of a difference between the total effective cooking time and an actual elapsed time that the food product has been in the oven, the conveyor velocity controller adjusting the velocity of the conveyor so that the food product exits the oven when the total effective cooking time equals the food product cooking time.