The University of Texas System

Board of Regents, the Univesity Systems

Wochner, Mark S.

Wilson, Preston

Lee, Kevin M.

Mendez Martinez, Hector L.

Preston S Wilson

Mark S Wochner

Kevin M Lee

Hector L Mendez Martinez

Andrew R McNeese

Andrew McNeese

Kevin Lee

A system and method for roasting coffee beans, or similar products, is disclosed. In an aspect the invention includes an acoustic sensor, such as a microphone, which senses the acoustic emissions or 'cracks' made by the coffee beans during the roasting process. The acoustic emissions are translated in the system and method to signals that are processed, including in some aspects using frequency domain processing, so as to control the roasting process and achieve a desired final product. The acoustic emissions can also be used to determine if the coffee beans are caffeinated or decaffeinated.

Method and apparatus for controlling coffee bean roasting

Acoustic resonators are formed by injection molding or other process that allows the shape, size, orientation, and arrangement of each resonator to be customized. Customizing the features of the resonators allows their resonance frequency to be adjusted based on their intended deployment. A non-periodic or non-uniform arrangement of the resonators can increase the level of noise reduction compared to a periodic or uniform arrangement of the resonators. A chain guard includes a recess to receive a chain that supports a plurality of resonator rows or frames. In the stowed configuration, the chain guard pivots towards the row/frame to more compactly stow a panel of resonators.

Injection molded noise abatement assembly and deployment system

A system for reducing noise emissions in underwater environments is presented. The system can be extended to applications in any two-fluid environments where one fluid (gas) is contained in an enclosed resonator volume connected to the outside environment at an open end of the resonator body. The resonators act as gas-containing (e.g., air) Helmholtz resonators constructed into solid panels that are submerged in the fluid medium (e.g., sea water) in the vicinity of a noise generating source. The oscillations of the trapped air volume in the resonators causes reduction of certain noise energy and a general reduction in the transmitted noise in the environment of the system.

Underwater noise abatement panel and resonator structure

A deployable underwater noise abatement system allowing packing and deploying an organized set of grouped resonators is disclosed. The system allows relatively compact storage and transportation of the noise abatement apparatus when not in use, then, when deployed, the apparatus can be lowered into the water and extended.

Underwater noise abatement apparatus and deployment system

Air bubbles may be used to reduce radiated underwater noise. Two modalities of sound attenuation by air bubbles were shown to provide a reduction in radiated sound: bubble acoustic resonance damping and acoustic impedance mismatching. The bubbles used for acoustic resonance damping were manifested using gas-filled containers coupled to a support, and the acoustic impedance mismatching bubbles were created using a cloud of freely-rising bubbles, which were both used to surround an underwater sound source.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Preston S Wilson