Roasting method and apparatus

1. A method for roasting a food product, comprising the steps of:

loading a batch of a predetermined food product type in a roasting device, the predetermined food product type having a first set of reference roasting curves including at least a first sound quantity references roasting curve of sound quantity versus time;

setting, by way of a control device, operating parameters of the roasting device according to initial reference values for said predetermined food product type to initiate a heating process for the food product, and continuously monitoring said operating parameters during the entire heating process;

performing, by said control device, a continuous feedback control of the roasting device during the entire heating process, comprising the steps of:

continuously obtaining, by at least one sound sensor, an actual value for a sound quantity associated with a sound emitted by the food product, wherein said sound includes both audible frequencies and ultrasound frequencies;

comparing the actual value of the sound quantity at a first point in time during the heating process with an expected value for the sound quantity at a corresponding point in time from the first sound quantity reference roasting curve;

continuously determining an actual cumulative sound energy released by the food product up to the first point in time; comparing the actual cumulative sound energy to an expected cumulative sound energy at the corresponding point in time from a reference roasting curve of expected sound energy versus time, which is associated with said predetermined food product type; continuously adjusting the operating parameters of the roasting device depending on the result of said comparisons of the actual to expected sound quantity value, wherein said comparison is and the actual to expected cumulative sound energy repeated throughout the entire heating process;

continuously monitoring a frequency of the sound emitted by the food product and identifying the food product type depending on the frequency obtained over time, wherein the identified food product type has a second set of reference roasting curves including at least a second sound quantity reference roasting curve of sound quantity versus time;

determined whether the predetermined food product type matches the identified food product type based on the frequency of the sound emitted by the food product; and

when the predetermined food product type does not match the identified food product type, selecting the second sound quantity reference roasting curve, and conducting further comparisons of a second actual value of the sound quantity at a second time during the heating process with a second expected value for the sound quantity at a second corresponding point in time from the second sound quantity references roasting curve.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the heating of the product is carried out by exposing the product to a heated air flow.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said operating parameters of the roasting device comprise at least one of: hot air temperature and hot air flow speed.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the roasting device comprises a reactor into which the food product is loaded, and said operating parameters comprise at least one of: hot air temperature, hot air flow speed and rotation speed of at least one rotating member of the reactor.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said actual sound quantity value is indicative of at least one of a sound pressure and an intensity of the sound emitted by the food product.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first set of reference roasting curves further includes at least a first actual food product temperature reference roasting curve of food product temperature versus time, and wherein the step of performing a continuous feedback control of the roasting device during the entire heating process further comprises the steps of:

continuously obtaining, by a temperature sensor, an actual temperature of the food product at the first point in time during the heating;

continuously comparing the actual food product temperature with an expected food product temperature at the corresponding point in time from the first food product temperature reference roasting curve; and

wherein the step of continuously adjusting the operating parameters of the roasting device is also carried out based on the result of the comparison of the actual food product temperature to the expected food product temperature.

7. A method for roasting a food product, comprising the steps of:

loading a batch of a predetermined food product type in a roasting device;

setting, by way of a control device operating parameters of the roasting device according to initial reference values for said predetermined food product type to initiate a heating process for the food product and continuously monitoring said operating parameters during the entire heating process;

performing, by said control device, a continuous feedback control of the roasting device during the entire heating process, including evaluation of a chemical transformation occurring in the food product, comprising the steps of:

continuously obtaining, by at least one sound sensor, an actual value for a sound quantity associated with a sound emitted by the food product, wherein said sound includes both audible frequencies and ultrasound frequencies;

comparing the actual value of the sound quantity at a first point in time with an expected value of the sound quantity at a corresponding point in time from a reference roasting curve of the expected value of the sound quantity versus time associated with said predetermined food product type, wherein said actual and expected values of the sound quantity are indicative of a sound pressure or intensity of the sound emitted by the food product;

continuously determining an actual cumulative sound energy released by the food product up to the first point in time;

comparing the actual cumulative sound energy to an expected cumulative sound energy at the corresponding point in time form a reference roasting curve of expected cumulative sound energy versus time, which is associated with said predetermined food product type;

continuously determining, a current state of the chemical transformation occurring in the food product depending on the result of the comparisons of the actual to expected sound quantity and the actual to expected cumulative sound energy;

determining an amount of required adjustment to the operating parameters and a priority of adjustment to the operating parameters, based at least in part on the current state of the chemical transformation in the food product; and

continuously adjusting the operating parameters of the roasting device based on the amount of required adjustment to the operating parameters, and the priority of adjustment to the operating parameters.

8. A method for roasting a food product, comprising the steps of:

loading a batch of a predetermined food product type in a roasting device;

setting, by way of a control device operating parameters of the roasting device according to initial reference values for said predetermined food product type to initiate a heating process for the food product and continuously monitoring said operating parameters during the entire heating process;

performing, by said control device, a continuous feedback control of the roasting device during the entire heating process, including evaluation of a chemical transformation occurring in the food product comprising the steps of:

continuously obtaining, by at least one sound sensor, an actual value for a sound quantity associated with a sound emitted by the food product, wherein said sound includes both audible frequencies and ultrasound frequencies;

comparing the actual value of the sound quantity with an expected value of the sound quantity value at a first point in time from a said reference roasting curve of the expected value of the sound quantity versus time associated with said predetermined food product type;

continuously calculating an actual cumulative amount of heat transferred to the food product up to the first point in time;

comparing the actual cumulative amount of heat transferred to the food product to an expected cumulative amount of heat transferred at a corresponding point in time from a reference roasting curve of the expected cumulative amount of transferred heat versus time associated with said predetermined food product type; continuously determining, by said at least one sound sensor, an actual cumulative sound energy released by the food product up to the first point in time; comparing the actual cumulative sound energy with an expected cumulative sound energy at a corresponding point in time from a reference roasting curve of expected cumulative sound energy versus time for said predetermined food type;

continuoulsy determining a state of the chemical transformation occurring in the food product depending on the result of the comparisons of the actual to expected value of the sound quantity, the actual to expected cumulative amount of transferred heat, and the actual to expected cumulative sound energy;

continuoulsy determining an amount of required adjustment to the operating parameters and a priority of adjustment to the operating parameters, based at least in part on a current state of the chemical transformation in the food product, and

continuously adjusting the operating parameters of the roasting device based on the amount of required adjustment to the operating parameters, and the priority of adjustment to the operating parameters.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the food product comprises at least one of coffee beans, barley grains, and nut pieces.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of storing, by said control device, all adjustments of the operating parameters of the roasting device made during said heating process in a database, and associating said adjustments of the operating parameters with said predetermined food product type as predetermined reference values for said operating parameters after completion of the heating process.

11. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the step of continuously determining the sound energy further includes calculating an integral of a measured sound pressure up to the first point in time.

12. The method according to claim 7 , wherein performing the continuous feedback control further comprises the steps of:

continuously determining an actual cumulative amount of heat transferred to the food product up to the first point in time;

comparing the actual cumulative amount of heat transferred to the food product to an expected cumulative amount of heat transferred at a corresponding point in time from a reference roasting curve of the expected cumulative amount of transferred heat versus time for said predetermined food product type; and

wherein the step of continuously determining the current state of the chemical transformation occurring in the food product is also carried out based on the result of the comparison of the actual to expected cumulative amount of transferred heat.

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein performing the continuous feedback control further comprises a step of determining whether the chemical transformation occurring in the food product is in an endothermal or exothermal phrase based on the actual cumulative amount of heat transferred to the food product.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the step of continuously determining the amount of required adjustment to the operating parameters and the priority of adjustment to the operating parameters, is also carried out based on whether the chemical transformation occurring in the food product is determined to be in an endothermal or exothermal phrase.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein performing the continuous feedback control further comprised the steps of:

continuously obtaining, by a temperature sensor, an actual temperature reached by the food product at the first point in time during the heating;

comparing the actual food product temperature with an expected food product temperature at a corresponding point in time from a reference roasting curve of expected food product temperature versus time for said predetermined food product type, and wherein the step of continuously determining the state of the chemical transformation occurring in the food product is also carried out based on the result of the comparison of the actual to expected food product temperature.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising a step of storing, by said control device, all obtained and determined actual values of sound quantity, food product temperature, cumulative sound energy, and cumulative amount of transferred heat in a database or more corresponding reference roasting curves for said predetermined food product type.