The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 23, 2019
Filed:
Dec. 22, 2015
Nestec S.a., Vevey, CH;
Peter Erdmann, Bern, CH;
Peter Frankhauser, Konolfingen, CH;
Martin Nydegger, Konolfingen, CH;
Dale Richard Sanders, Courgevaux, CH;
Michael Stranzinger, Munsingen, CH;
Gerhard Walthert, Aeschlen, CH;
Nestec S.A., Vevey, CH;
Abstract
A method of controlling the spray droplet size of a spray nozzle apparatus, in particular for the manufacturing of food powders, delivered to the spray nozzle comprises the following steps: a) providing a paste of a product to be sprayed by a spray nozzle; b) continuously determining the shear viscosity (η) of the product paste delivered to the spray nozzle; c) determining the mass flow rate (Qrn) of the product paste delivered to the spray nozzle; d) determining the static pressure (P) of the product paste delivered to the spray nozzle; e) determining the density (p) of the product paste delivered to the spray nozzle; f) delivering the data obtained in steps b) to e) to a control device comprising a computer and a memory; g) calculating control data for adjusting the spray nozzle on the basis of the data obtained in steps b) to e) and on nozzle geometry parameters stored in the memory; h) sending the control data as control signals to a control means of the spray nozzle and adjusting the spray nozzle accordingly.