Battelle Memorial Institute

David M Pfund

Richard A Pappas

Gerald P Morgen

David M Sheen

Leonard J Bond

Aaron A Diaz

Brion J Burghard

Walter C Weimer

Kayte M Judd

William C Cliff

A method and apparatus are described for determining the doneness of food during a cooking process. Ultrasonic signal are passed through the food during cooking. The change in transmission characteristics of the ultrasonic signal during the cooking process is measured to determine the point at which the food has been cooked to the proper level. In one aspect, a heated fluid cooks the food, and the transmission characteristics along a fluid-only ultrasonic path provides a reference for comparison with the transmission characteristics for a food-fluid ultrasonic path.

System and technique for ultrasonic determination of degree of cooking

A pair of multi-frequency ultrasound transducer surround a fluid flow and are configured to operate under computer control in both a mono-static and a bi-static mode at each of the multiple frequencies. In the mono-static mode, pulsed wideband Doppler shift measurements provide the velocity profile across the fluid flow which can be combined with measured pressure drops to determine the rheogram&#x2014;a plot of shear stress versus shear rate. Velocity profile data from each frequency can be combined to form a composite velocity profile. In the bi-static mode, transmission data is collected that improves the accuracy and robustness of the velocity profile and provides supplemental material property information. The system is configured for automated operation for a wide variety of fluid types and can be reconfigured and/or monitored remotely.

Ultrasonic system and technique for fluid characterization

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Richland, WA, United States of America

David M Pfund