Centre De Recherche Industrielle Du Quebec

Investissement Quebec

Richard Gagnon

Feng Ding

Denis Lépine

Jean-Pierre Couturier

Claude Lejeune

Denis Hotte

Olivier Marcotte

Philippe Gagné

Alain Martel

Gaétan Sanschagrin

Ilich Lama

Yvon Legros

François Bédard

Gregory Dorval

Fadi Ibrahim

Nicholas Drolet

A system and method for preparing a shelled crustacean body part for meat extraction are provided. The method involves capturing an image of said body part, evaluating the thickness of the shell from the image, determining from the thickness evaluation at least one laser parameter for forming a line of weakness within the shell, the line of weakness being dimensioned to facilitate meat extraction, while preserving the sensory characteristics of the meat, and sweeping a laser beam on the body part in accordance with the laser parameter to form the line of weakness within the shell. The method and system provide the advantage of facilitating meat extraction without compromising the quality or commercial value of the meat all while increasing productivity and performance in comparison with completely manual extraction techniques.

System and method for preparing crustacean body parts for meat extraction

A method and system for detecting and controlling the quality of debarking at the surface of a wooden log provide information on main parameters related to the debarking quality of the log surface, including fiber loss and residual bark. The debarking quality detecting method and system involve measurement of three-dimensional profile of at least a portion of the log surface to generate corresponding profile image data, which is processed to generate data indicative of the texture of the log surface. The texture data is then analyzed to generate resulting data on the debarking quality parameters. That quality indicative information can be generated on a continuous basis to provide an objective assessment of the quality performance in real-time in view of target productivity, and may then be used to perform optimal adjustments of the debarker operating parameters, either manually by the operator or automatically through feedback control.

Method and system for detecting the quality of debarking at the surface of a wooden log

Methods and apparatus for filtering noise of low frequency from an image of the surface characteristics of an object expressed with reference to orthogonal first and second axis and obtained with linear light scanning, involve calculating a difference between pixel values of an image column vector along the second axis adjacent a selected reference image column vector and respective pixel values of the selected reference image column vector to obtain a pixel difference vector. The pixel difference values not mainly associated with a corresponding atypical change of surface characteristics as compared with noise are then selected, and a mean value from the selected pixel difference values are calculated as an estimated value of the noise. The estimated noise value are subtracted from the adjacent image column vector to obtain a corrected image column vector. The calculations are repeated using the corrected image vector as the reference image column vector and a further adjacent image column vector to obtain further corrected image column vectors, from which a noise filtered image is generated.

Method and apparatus for image noise filtering

An enclosure assembly for a camera is designed to be mounted on the frame of an optical inspection apparatus for scanning the profile of a surface of an article moving along a travel path axis, the profile being associated with a reference axis orthogonal to a reference plane parallel to the travel path axis. The camera is part of a profile sensor unit and has an optical sensing field directed toward the travel path axis to define a scanning zone associated with the surface as intersected by the optical sensing field, the profile unit further having a laser source directing at angle with the optical sensing field a fan-shaped laser beam toward the scanning zone to define an associated scanning plane transverse to the travel path axis, to generate sensor output data related the profile of the article surface. The enclosure assembly comprises an enclosure body secured to the apparatus frame and including a front end wall provided with an opening protected by an optical element made of light transparent material, and a device for mounting the camera within the enclosure body such that the camera has its optical sensing field directed toward the opening. The enclosure assembly further comprises a device mechanically coupled to the enclosure body for displacing thereof in a direction perpendicular to the profile reference axis and parallel to the scanning plane to adjust the position of the optical sensing field with respect to the scanning plane.

Camera enclosure assembly

A system and method for optimizing a process for refining lignocellulosic granular matter such as wood chips use a predictive model including a simulation model based on relations involving a plurality of matter properties characterizing the matter such as moisture content, density, light reflection or granular matter size, refining process operating parameters such as transfer screw speed, dilution flow, hydraulic pressure, plate gaps, or retention delays, at least one output controlled to a target such as primary motor load or pulp freeness, and at least one uncontrolled output such as specific energy consumption, energy split, long fibers, fines and shives. An adaptor is fed with measured values of matter properties and measured values of controlled and uncontrolled outputs, to adapt the simulation model accordingly. An optimizer generates a value of the target according to a predetermined condition on a predicted uncontrolled output parameter and to one or more process constraints.

System and method for optimizing lignocellulosic granular matter refining

A method and apparatus for measuring size distribution of bulk matter consisted of randomly orientated granules, such as wood chips, make use of scanning the exposed surface of the granular matter to generate three-dimensional profile image data defined with respect to a three-coordinate reference system, The image data is segmented to reveal regions associated with distinct granules, and values of the size-related parameter for the revealed regions are estimated. Then, a geometric correction to each ones of estimated size-related parameter values is applied, to compensate for the random orientation of corresponding distinct granules. Finally, the size distribution of bulk matter is statistically estimated from the corrected size-related parameter values.

Apparatus and method for measuring size distribution of granular matter

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Québec, Canada

Richard Gagnon