Electromagnetic cooking device with automatic anti-splatter operation
An electromagnetic cooking device and method of controlling the same is provided herein. The cooking device has a cavity in which a liquid is placed and a plurality of RF feeds configured to introduce electromagnetic radiation into the cavity for heating the liquid. A controller is provided and is configured to: analyze forward and backward power at the plurality of RF feeds to calculate efficiency; determine and monitor a coefficient of variation of the efficiency; detect a boiling state in the liquid based on changes in the coefficient of variation; and adjust a power level of the electromagnetic radiation in response to detection of the boiling state to prevent the liquid from splattering.
1. An electromagnetic cooking device comprising:
a cavity in which a liquid is placed;
a plurality of RF feeds configured to introduce electromagnetic radiation into the cavity for heating the liquid; and
a controller configured to:
analyze forward and backward power at the plurality of RF feeds to calculate efficiency;
determine and monitor a coefficient of variation of the efficiency;
detect a boiling state in the liquid based on changes in the coefficient of variation; and
adjust a power level of the electromagnetic radiation in response to detection of the boiling state to prevent the liquid from splattering;
wherein the coefficient of variation is based on a standard deviation and a mean of the efficiency during a predetermined period of time.
2. The electromagnetic cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the coefficient of variation is determined by computing a quotient between the standard deviation and the mean.
3. The electromagnetic cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the controller compares the coefficient of variation to a threshold, and wherein the boiling state is detected if the coefficient of variation is greater than or equal to the threshold.
4. The electromagnetic cooking device of claim 3 , wherein the threshold is predetermined or defined using the coefficient of variation determined during an initial heating period of the liquid.
5. The electromagnetic cooking device of claim 3 , wherein the controller adjusts the power level by reducing the power level until the coefficient of variation is reduced by a predetermined amount followed by increasing the power level for a predetermined amount of time or until the coefficient of variation reaches a threshold.
6. The electromagnetic cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to output a notification upon detection of the boiling state.
7. A method of controlling cooking in an electromagnetic cooking device, the electromagnetic cooking device having a cavity in which a liquid is placed and a plurality of RF feeds configured to introduce electromagnetic radiation into the cavity to heat the liquid, the method comprising the steps of:
analyzing forward and backward power at the plurality of RF feeds to calculate efficiency;
determining and monitoring a coefficient of variation of the efficiency;
detecting a boiling state in the liquid based on changes in the coefficient of variation; and
adjusting a power level of the electromagnetic radiation in response to detection of the boiling state to prevent the liquid from splattering.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the coefficient of variation is based on a standard deviation and a mean of the efficiency during a predetermined period of time.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the coefficient of variation is determined by computing a quotient between the standard deviation and the mean.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of detecting comprises comparing the coefficient of variation to a threshold, and wherein the boiling state is detected if the coefficient of variation is greater than or equal to the threshold.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the threshold is predetermined or defined using the coefficient of variation determined during an initial heating period of the liquid.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of adjusting comprises reducing the power level until the coefficient of variation is reduced by a predetermined amount followed by increasing the power level for a predetermined amount of time or until the coefficient of variation reaches a threshold.
13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of outputting a notification upon detection of the boiling state.
14. An electromagnetic cooking device comprising:
a cavity in which a liquid is placed;
a plurality of RF feeds configured to introduce electromagnetic radiation into the cavity for heating the liquid; and
a controller configured to:
analyze forward and backward power at the plurality of RF feeds to calculate efficiency;
determine and monitor a coefficient of variation of the efficiency;
detect a boiling state in the liquid based on the coefficient of variation satisfying a threshold condition; and
adjust a power level of the electromagnetic radiation in response to detection of the boiling state to prevent the liquid from splattering;
wherein the coefficient of variation is determined by computing a quotient between a standard deviation and a mean of the efficiency during a predetermined period of time.
15. The electromagnetic cooking device of claim 14 , wherein the threshold condition is satisfied if the coefficient of variation is greater than or equal to a threshold.
16. The electromagnetic cooking device of claim 15 , wherein the threshold is predetermined or defined using the coefficient of variation determined during an initial heating period of the liquid.
17. The electromagnetic cooking device of claim 15 , wherein the controller adjusts the power level by reducing the power level until the coefficient of variation is reduced by a predetermined amount followed by increasing the power level for a predetermined amount of time or until the coefficient of variation reaches threshold.
18. The electromagnetic cooking device of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to output a notification upon detection of the boiling state.