Monitoring for and/or detecting freeze-up and/or paddle wear conditions within product dispensers and mixers
Disclosed are exemplary embodiments for monitoring for and/or detecting freeze-up and/or paddle wear conditions within dispensers and mixers associated with soft frozen desserts (broadly, edibles or edible products) and crushed ice drinks (broadly, drinkables or potable products).
1. A system for monitoring for and/or detecting a freeze-up condition within a product dispenser and/or mixer including a motor and a paddle rotatable via the motor, the system configured to monitor for and/or detect:
an increase in 4 st /1 st harmonic of an electrical current of the motor normalized for motor size;
a characteristic frequency in a power factor of the motor; and
a reduction in a coefficient of variation of the power factor outside of a thresholds;
wherein the system is configured to:
determine the increase in the 4 th /1 st harmonic of the electrical current of the motor by using a ratio of the 4th harmonic to fundamental of the electrical current of the motor as determined by root mean square and Fast Fourier Transform spectral analysis;
determine the characteristic frequency in the power factor by a Fast Fourier Transform spectral analysis of the power factor to determine a predominate or primary frequency; and
determine the reduction in the coefficient of variation of the power factor by monitoring for a reduction in variance of the power factor from nominal.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein after the system detects the reduction in the coefficient of variation of the power factor that is outside of the threshold, the system is configured to:
provide an alert that a freeze-up is imminent; and/or
shut down the product dispenser and/or mixer; and/or
reduce refrigeration of the product dispenser and/or mixer.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to:
determine a ratio of the 4 th harmonic to fundamental of the electrical current of the motor determined by using root mean square and Fast Fourier Transform spectral analysis;
learn, estimate, and/or actively determine a limit for the 4 th harmonic to fundamental ratio;
determine whether the 4 th harmonic to fundamental ratio is outside the limit; and
provide an alert if the 4 th harmonic to fundamental ratio is determined to be outside the limit.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to:
learn, estimate, and/or actively determine a limit for a mean power factor;
determine whether the mean power factor is outside the limit; and
provide an alert if the mean power factor is determined to be outside the limit.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to:
determine a primary frequency by using a Fast Fourier Transform spectral analysis of the power factor;
learn, estimate, and/or actively determine a limit for the primary frequency;
determine whether the primary frequency is outside the limit; and
provide an alert if the primary frequency is determined to be outside the limit.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to:
learn, estimate, and/or actively determine a limit for the coefficient of variation of the power factor;
determine whether the coefficient of variation of the power factor is outside the limit; and
provide an alert if the coefficient of variation of the power factor is determined to be outside the limit.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the threshold is learned, estimated, and/or actively determined by the system.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the threshold is predetermined, equipment based, and/or fixed.
9. A soft frozen dessert dispenser and/or crushed ice drink dispenser including the system of 1.
10. Method for monitoring for and/or detecting a freeze-up condition within a product dispenser and/or mixer including a motor and a paddle rotatable via the motor, the method comprising:
monitoring for an increase in 4 th /1 st harmonic of an electrical current of the motor as normalized for motor size;
monitoring for a characteristic frequency in a power factor of the motor; and
monitoring for a reduction in a coefficient of variation of the power factor outside of a threshold;
wherein the method includes:
determining the increase in the 4 th /1 st harmonic of the electrical current of the motor by using a ratio of the 4 th harmonic to fundamental ratio of the electrical current of the motor as determined by root mean square and Fast Fourier Transform spectral analysis; and/or
determining the characteristic frequency in the power factor by a Fast Fourier Transform spectral analysis of the power factor to determine a predominate or primary frequency; and
determining the reduction in the coefficient of variation of the power factor by monitoring for a reduction in variance of the power factor from nominal.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein after detecting the reduction in the coefficient of variation of the power factor outside of the threshold, the method further comprises:
providing an alert that a freeze-up is imminent; and/or
shutting down the product dispenser and/or mixer; and/or
reducing refrigeration of the product dispenser and/or mixer.
12. A system for monitoring for and/or detecting paddle wear condition within a product dispenser and/or mixer including a motor and a paddle rotatable via the motor, the system configured to:
compare a moving average of electrical current peaks of the motor to a moving average of the electrical current of the motor; and
determine whether an electrical peak based value exceeds an electrical current based value by an amount
wherein the system is configured to:
determine an increase in 4 th /1 st harmonic of the electrical current of the motor normalized for motor size by using a ratio of the 4th harmonic to fundamental of the electrical current of the motor as determined by root mean square and Fast Fourier Transform spectral analysis;
determine a characteristic frequency in a power factor by a Fast Fourier Transform spectral analysis of the power factor to determine a predominate or primary frequency; and
determine a reduction in a coefficient of variation of the power factor by monitoring for a reduction in variance of the power factor from nominal.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the system is configured to flag a paddle wear condition when the electrical peak based value exceeds the electrical current based value by the amount.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the system is configured to:
compare the moving average of the electrical current peaks of the motor to the moving average of the electrical current of the motor over time;
determine whether the electrical peak based value exceeds the electrical current based value raised to the 1.4 power over the time; and
flag a paddle wear condition when the electrical peak based value exceeds the electrical current based value raised to the 1.4 power.
15. A method for monitoring for and/or detecting paddle wear condition within a product dispenser and/or mixer including a motor and a paddle rotatable via the motor, the method comprising:
comparing a moving average of electrical current peaks of the motor to a moving average of the electrical current of the motor; and
determining whether an electrical peak based value exceeds an electrical current based value by an amounts;
wherein the method includes:
determining an increase in 4 th /1 st harmonic of the electrical current of the motor normalized for motor size by using a ratio of the 4 th harmonic to fundamental of the electrical current of the motor as determined by root mean square and Fast Fourier Transform spectral analysis;
determining a characteristic frequency in a power factor by a Fast Fourier Transform spectral analysis of the power factor to determine a predominate or primary frequency; and
determining a reduction in a coefficient of variation of the power factor by monitoring for a reduction in variance of the power factor from nominal.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising flagging a paddle wear condition when the electrical peak based value exceeds the electrical current based value by the amount.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method includes:
comparing the moving average of the electrical current peaks of the motor to the moving average of the electrical current of the motor over time;
determining whether the electrical peak based value exceeds the electrical current based value raised to the 1.4 power over the time; and
flagging a paddle wear condition when the electrical peak based value exceeds the electrical current based value raised to the 1.4 power.