阅读说明：本技术 模块化电磁加热系统 (Modular electromagnetic heating system ) 是由 L·N·斯皮扎里 M·A·马加纳 M·J·瑞德 于 2019-06-28 设计创作，主要内容包括：包括模块化电磁加热系统的系统和方法能够使用电磁能加热物品。所述系统包括配备有电磁能发射器和流体递送系统的初级处理容器,以能够在所述初级处理容器内对所述物品进行预热、加热和冷却。所述初级处理容器进一步被配置成联接到一个或多个上游或下游容器,使得部分预热和/或加热功能可以替代地由另外的容器执行。这种灵活性使得能够在相对较小的(例如实验室)规模的系统和相对较大的(例如生产)规模的系统之间缩放所述电磁加热系统,同时使资本支出和空间需求最小化。(Systems and methods including modular electromagnetic heating systems enable heating of an item using electromagnetic energy. The system includes a primary treatment vessel equipped with an electromagnetic energy emitter and a fluid delivery system to enable preheating, heating and cooling of the items within the primary treatment vessel. The primary processing vessel is further configured to be coupled to one or more upstream or downstream vessels such that partial preheating and/or heating functions may alternatively be performed by additional vessels. This flexibility enables scaling of the electromagnetic heating system between a relatively small (e.g., laboratory) scale system and a relatively large (e.g., production) scale system, while minimizing capital expenditure and space requirements.)

1. A method for pasteurizing or sterilizing a plurality of articles in an electromagnetic radiation heating system, the method comprising:

(a) pasteurizing or sterilizing a first group of articles in a first processing vessel, wherein the pasteurizing or sterilizing comprises: preheating said first group of articles with a first heating fluid, heating said first group of articles with electromagnetic radiation energy, and cooling said first group of articles with a first cooling fluid;

(b) attaching a second processing container to the first processing container to form a combined processing unit; and

(c) pasteurizing or sterilizing a second group of items in the combined processing unit, wherein the pasteurizing or sterilizing comprises: preheating the second group of articles with a second warming fluid, heating the second group of articles using electromagnetic radiation energy, and cooling the second group of articles with a second cooling fluid different from the first cooling fluid,

wherein, during the pasteurization or sterilization of step (c), at least a portion of the heating is performed in the first processing vessel and at least a portion of at least one of the preheating and the cooling is performed in the additional processing vessel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the attaching of step (b) comprises attaching the second processing container to one end of the first processing container and attaching a third processing container to an opposite end of the first processing container, and

during the pasteurization or sterilization of step (c), performing at least a portion of the heating in the first processing vessel, performing at least a portion of the preheating in the second processing vessel, and

performing at least a portion of said cooling in said third processing vessel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first processing vessel includes a first end section, a second end section, and at least one emitter section between the first end section and the second end section, wherein the emitter section includes a pair of emitters that release the electromagnetic radiant energy to the first processing vessel during the heating.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first end section and the second end section do not include any emitters.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the pasteurization or sterilization of step (a), loading the first group of items into a first carrier, and pasteurizing or sterilizing the first group of items in the first carrier in step (a); and

prior to the pasteurization or sterilization of step (c), loading a second carrier with the second set of items and pasteurizing or sterilizing the second set of items in the second carrier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein during at least a portion of the heating of steps (a) and (c), the first processing vessel is at least partially filled with a liquid.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein during each of said preheating, said heating, and said cooling of step (a), the pressure surrounding said first group of articles differs by within 10psig between each of said preheating, said heating, and said cooling of step (a).

8. An electromagnetic heating system for pasteurizing or sterilizing a plurality of articles, the system comprising:

a processing container for holding a carrier holding a plurality of articles, wherein the processing container comprises:

a first end;

a second end spaced apart from the first end to define a chamber therebetween, at least one of the first end and the second end of the processing vessel including an opening configured for at least one of introducing the carrier into the processing vessel and removing the carrier from the processing vessel;

a warming fluid inlet for introducing a warmed fluid into the chamber;

a cooling liquid inlet for introducing cooled liquid into the chamber;

a conveyor line for conveying the carrier through at least a portion of the chamber; and

two transmitters for releasing electromagnetic energy into the chamber,

wherein the processing container is configured as a liquid-filled container for each of: preheating the article, heating the article with electromagnetic energy, and cooling the article.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the emitters are two of a plurality of emitters for releasing electromagnetic energy into the chamber, the plurality of emitters including more than two emitters.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the emitters are located on the same side of the processing vessel.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the emitters are located on opposite sides of the processing vessel.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the processing vessel further comprises a plurality of nozzles that release pressurized liquid jets into the chamber during at least one of the preheating and the cooling.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the conveyor line is configured to convey the articles in opposing first and second horizontal conveying directions.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the processing vessel comprising a first end section, a second end section opposite the first end section, and an emitter section between the first end section and the second end section,

a portion of said preheating is performed in said first end section,

a part of the cooling is performed in the second end section, and

a portion of the heating is performed in the emitter section.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the processing vessel comprises at least two emitter segments.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the processing vessel is configured to be coupled to a further vessel and to disable at least one of the preheating and cooling functions of the processing vessel when coupled to the further vessel.

17. A method of heating a plurality of articles, comprising:

conveying the plurality of articles through each of a first processing container and a second processing container, wherein:

the first processing vessel includes a first preheating zone, each of a heating zone following the first preheating zone and a first cooling zone following the heating zone, and

the second processing vessel comprises one of a second preheating zone and a second cooling zone;

preheating the articles in one of the first and second preheating zones by exposing the articles to a warmed liquid;

directing electromagnetic energy from a plurality of emitters coupled to the first processing vessel into the first processing vessel to heat the articles while the articles are in the heating zone; and

cooling the article in one of the first cooling zone and the second cooling zone.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the second processing vessel coupled to the first processing vessel upstream of the first processing vessel such that the second processing vessel is isolatable from the first processing vessel,

the second processing vessel includes a second preheating zone, and

the step of preheating the articles is performed in the second processing vessel.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the second processing vessel coupled to the first processing vessel downstream of the first processing vessel such that the second processing vessel is isolatable from the first processing vessel,

the second processing vessel includes a second cooling zone, and

the step of cooling the articles is performed in the second processing vessel.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising conveying the plurality of articles through a third processing vessel, wherein:

the second processing vessel coupled to the first processing vessel upstream of the first processing vessel such that the second processing vessel is isolatable from the first processing vessel,

the second processing vessel includes a second preheating zone, and

said step of preheating said articles is performed in said second processing vessel.

The third processing vessel coupled to the first processing vessel downstream of the first processing vessel such that the third processing vessel is isolatable from the first processing vessel,

the third processing vessel includes a second cooling zone, and

performing said step of cooling said articles in said second processing vessel.

Technical Field

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods and systems for pasteurizing or sterilizing articles using electromagnetic radiation. The methods and systems described herein provide enhanced operational flexibility and efficiency when scaling a relatively smaller heating system to a relatively larger heating system. In one example, the container may be configured to perform a variety of different pasteurization or sterilization operations, and additional containers may be operatively connected to the container to scale the throughput as desired.

Background

Traditionally, heating systems based on electromagnetic radiation may be used in the microwave spectrum for pasteurization and sterilization of various types of articles including, for example, food, beverages, and medical, dental, and pharmaceutical items and materials.

Often, the differences in design and operation between commercial scale equipment and laboratory scale or pilot scale equipment make scaling of these processes and systems complex and expensive, if not impossible in practice. Therefore, there is a need for a flexible heating system that can be effectively scaled up from small-scale to large-scale production, among other needs and advantages.

Disclosure of Invention

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for pasteurizing or sterilizing a plurality of articles in an electromagnetic radiation heating system is provided. The method comprises pasteurizing or sterilizing a first group of articles in a first processing vessel, the pasteurizing or sterilizing comprising: the method includes the steps of preheating a first group of articles with a first heating fluid, heating the first group of articles using electromagnetic radiation energy, and cooling the first group of articles with a first cooling fluid. The method further includes attaching a second processing container to the first processing container to form a combined processing unit. The method further comprises pasteurizing or sterilizing a second group of articles in the combined processing unit, the pasteurizing or sterilizing the second group of articles comprising: the method includes preheating a second group of articles with a second warming fluid, heating the second group of articles using electromagnetic radiation energy, and cooling the second group of articles with a second cooling fluid different from the first cooling fluid. During pasteurization or sterilization of the second group of articles, at least a portion of the heating is performed in the first processing vessel and at least a portion of at least one of the preheating and cooling is performed in the additional processing vessel.

In one embodiment, the attaching step comprises attaching a second processing container to one end of the first processing container and attaching a third processing container to an opposite end of the first processing container. In such embodiments, at least a portion of the heating is performed in the first processing vessel, at least a portion of the preheating is performed in the second processing vessel, and at least a portion of the cooling is performed in the third processing vessel during pasteurization or sterilization of the second group of articles.

In another embodiment, the first processing vessel comprises a first end section, a second end section, and at least one emitter section between the first end section and the second end section. The emitter section includes a pair of emitters that release electromagnetic radiant energy into the first processing vessel during heating. In such embodiments, the first end section and the second end section may not include any emitters.

In yet another embodiment, the method may further comprise: the first group of items is loaded into the first carrier and the first group of items in the first carrier is pasteurized or sterilized prior to pasteurizing or sterilizing the first group of items. The method may further comprise: the second group of items is loaded into the second carrier and the second group of items in the second carrier is pasteurized or sterilized prior to pasteurizing or sterilizing the second group of items.

In another embodiment, the first processing container is at least partially filled with a liquid during at least a portion of the heating of each of the first and second pluralities of items.

In certain embodiments, during each of the preheating, heating, and cooling steps, the pressure surrounding the first group of articles differs by within 10psig between each of said preheating, said heating, and said cooling.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, an electromagnetic heating system for pasteurizing or sterilizing a plurality of articles is provided. The system includes a processing receptacle for receiving a carrier containing a plurality of articles. The processing vessel further includes a first end and a second end spaced apart from the first end to define a chamber therebetween. At least one of the first end and the second end of the processing receptacle includes an opening configured for at least one of introducing and removing carriers from the processing receptacle. The processing vessel further comprises: a warming fluid inlet for introducing a warmed fluid into the chamber; a cooling fluid inlet for introducing cooled fluid into the chamber; a transport line for passing the carrier through at least a portion of the chamber; and two emitters for releasing electromagnetic energy into the chamber. The processing vessel is further configured as a liquid-filled vessel for each of: preheating the article, heating the article with electromagnetic energy, and cooling the article.

In some embodiments, the emitters are two of a plurality of emitters for releasing electromagnetic energy into the chamber, the plurality of emitters including more than two emitters. In other embodiments, the emitters are located on the same side of the processing vessel. In other embodiments, the emitters are located on opposite sides of the processing vessel.

In some embodiments, the processing vessel further comprises a plurality of nozzles for releasing jets of pressurized liquid into the chamber during at least one of preheating and cooling of the carrier.

In other embodiments, the conveyor line is configured to convey articles in opposing first and second horizontal conveying directions.

In certain embodiments, the process vessel includes a first end section, a second end section opposite the first end section, and an emitter section between the first end section and the second end section. In such embodiments, the process vessel is configured to perform a portion of the preheating in the first end section, a portion of the cooling in the second end section, and a portion of the heating in the emitter section.

In other embodiments, the processing vessel may comprise at least two emitter sections.

In other embodiments, the processing receptacle is configured to be coupled to a further receptacle, and when coupled to the further receptacle, at least one of the preheating and cooling functions of the processing receptacle is disabled.

In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of heating an article is provided. The method includes transporting the articles through each of the first processing container and the second processing container. The first processing vessel includes a first preheating zone, a heating zone after the first preheating zone, and each of first cooling zones after the heating zone, and the second processing vessel includes each of a second preheating zone and a second cooling zone. The method includes preheating the articles in one of a first preheating zone and a second preheating zone by exposing the articles to a warmed liquid. The method further includes directing electromagnetic energy into the first processing vessel from a plurality of emitters coupled to the first processing vessel to heat the article while the article is in the heating zone, and cooling the article in one of the first cooling zone and the second cooling zone.

In certain embodiments, the second processing vessel is coupled to the first processing vessel upstream of the first processing vessel such that the second processing vessel is capable of processing vessel isolation. In such embodiments, the second processing vessel includes a second preheating zone, and the step of preheating the articles is performed in the second processing vessel.

In other embodiments, the second processing vessel is coupled to the first processing vessel downstream of the first processing vessel such that the second processing vessel can be isolated from the first processing vessel. In such embodiments, the second processing vessel includes a second cooling zone, and the step of cooling the articles is performed in the second processing vessel.

In yet another embodiment, the method further comprises transporting the article through a third processing vessel. In such embodiments, the second processing vessel is coupled to the first processing vessel upstream of the first processing vessel such that the second processing vessel can be isolated from the first processing vessel. The second processing vessel includes a second preheating zone, and the step of preheating the articles is performed in the second processing vessel. Similarly, the third processing vessel is coupled to the first processing vessel downstream of the first processing vessel such that the third processing vessel can be isolated from the first processing vessel. The third processing vessel includes a second cooling zone, and the step of cooling the articles is performed in the second processing vessel.

Drawings

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the disclosure as set forth herein will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments of those inventive concepts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale; emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the inventive concepts. The embodiments and figures disclosed herein are intended to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.

FIG. 1 is a process flow diagram depicting one embodiment of a microwave heating system for heating one or more articles, particularly showing a system comprising a thermalization section, a microwave heating section, an optional thermostat section, and a quenching section;

fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an electromagnetic heating system configured in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, including a single vessel in which each of the regions indicated in fig. 1 may be implemented.

FIG. 3 is a second schematic view of the electromagnetic heating system of FIG. 2 including an end section that is provided separately from the electromagnetic heating section and in which preheating, thermostating and/or cooling functions may be performed;

FIG. 4A is an isometric view of the electromagnetic heating system of FIG. 2 including a plurality of electromagnetic heating sections and a rectangular end section;

FIG. 4B is an isometric view of the electromagnetic heating system of FIG. 2 including a plurality of electromagnetic heating sections and a circular end section;

FIG. 5 is a third schematic depiction of the electromagnetic heating system of FIG. 2, including an electromagnetic energy distribution system;

figure 6 is a fourth schematic depiction of the electromagnetic heating system of figure 2 including each of the heating and cooling circuits for providing heated or cooled liquid to the electromagnetic heating system;

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of a first amplified electromagnetic heating system including the electromagnetic heating system of FIG. 2 and an upstream vessel;

FIG. 9 is a schematic depiction of a first amplified electromagnetic heating system including the electromagnetic heating system of FIG. 2 and each of the upstream vessel and the downstream vessel;

FIG. 10 is a schematic depiction of a third enlarged electromagnetic heating system including the electromagnetic heating system of FIG. 2 and a plurality of additional upstream and downstream vessels; and

fig. 11 is a block diagram of an example computer system that may be used to control and operate an electromagnetic heating system according to the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, electromagnetic heating systems are provided that exhibit enhanced operational flexibility and allow rapid and efficient scale-up from small-scale (e.g., pilot-scale or laboratory-scale) to commercial-scale production with minimal time and minimal capital expenditure. Such heating systems start with a fully operational single container unit and can be extended to enhance production by selectively adding other processing containers designed to perform one or more functions originally performed in the single container unit. Since equipment from smaller scale units has been reused in larger scale systems, duplicate equipment is minimized. In general, the systems and methods described herein are more flexible and simplify the overall process for commercial scale-up, thereby saving significant time and cost.

Typically, pasteurization involves rapidly heating the goods to a minimum temperature of between about 80 ℃ and about 100 ℃, while sterilization involves heating the goods to a minimum temperature of between about 100 ℃ and about 140 ℃. In some cases, the processes and systems described herein may be configured for pasteurization, sterilization, or both pasteurization and sterilization. Examples of suitable types of articles to be pasteurized and/or sterilized include, but are not limited to, packaged foods, beverages, medical instruments and fluids, dental instruments and fluids, veterinary fluids, and/or pharmaceutical fluids.

Typically, pasteurization involves rapidly heating the goods to a minimum temperature of between about 70 ℃ and about 100 ℃, while sterilization involves heating the goods to a minimum temperature of between about 100 ℃ and about 140 ℃. Examples of systems that use electromagnetic energy for sterilization and pasteurization are described in U.S. patent No. 9,357,590 and U.S. patent No. 7,119,313, which are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the extent they do not contradict the present disclosure.

In some cases, the processes and systems described herein may be configured for pasteurization, sterilization, or both pasteurization and sterilization. As described in more detail below, in some cases pasteurization may be performed at lower temperatures and/or pressures and no separate heat equilibration time is required before or after electromagnetic radiation heating, while sterilization may be performed at higher temperatures and/or pressures and may include a pre-heat step before the radiation heating step, as well as a thermostating and heat equilibration stage after heating, to thermostat the articles at a temperature long enough to effect sterilization. In some embodiments, a single microwave system may be operationally flexible such that it can be selectively configured to pasteurize or sterilize various items during different heating runs. The various operations involved in pasteurization or sterilization may be performed first in a single container and then the operations distributed to one or more additional containers as the system is scaled. Examples of suitable types of articles to be pasteurized and/or sterilized include, but are not limited to, packaged foods, beverages, medical instruments and fluids, dental instruments and fluids, veterinary fluids, and/or pharmaceutical fluids.

Turning now to fig. 1, a schematic representation of the main steps and components in an electromagnetic heating system 100 of the present disclosure is depicted. Electromagnetic heating system 100 is operable to heat a plurality of items in part using electromagnetic energy, such as microwave energy. As used herein, the term "microwave energy" generally refers to electromagnetic energy having a frequency between 300MHz and 30 GHz. Although the present disclosure generally relates to microwave energy and

as shown in fig. 1, one or more articles may first be introduced into a thermalization zone 102 (also referred to herein as a preheat zone), wherein the articles may be thermalized to a substantially uniform temperature. Once thermalized, the article may be introduced into the electromagnetic heating section 104. In the electromagnetic heating section 104, the item may be rapidly heated using electromagnetic energy, such as microwave energy, which is released into at least a portion of the heating section 104 by one or more emitters. The heated item may then optionally be passed through a constant temperature zone 106, where the item may be maintained at a constant temperature for a particular amount of time. The articles may then be passed to a cooling or quenching section 108, where the temperature of the articles may be rapidly reduced to a suitable processing temperature. Thereafter, the cooled articles may be removed from system 100 and further utilized.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the above-described thermalization section 102, microwave heating section 104, thermostatting section 106, and/or quenching section 108 may be defined within a single vessel, while in another embodiment, at least one of the above-described stages may be defined within one or more separate vessels.

In some cases, at least a portion of one or more of the steps shown in fig. 1 may be performed when the article is at least partially, or fully, submerged in a liquid. For example, the article may be at least about 50%, at least about 60%, at least about 70%, at least about 80%, at least about 90%, or 100% submerged in the liquid during at least a portion of one or more of the above steps.

In at least certain embodiments, at least one of the above steps (e.g., thermalization, heating, thermostating, cooling/quenching) can be performed in a vessel at least partially filled with a liquid medium in which the article being treated can be at least partially submerged. As used herein, the term "at least partially filled" refers to a configuration in which at least 50% of a specified volume is filled with a liquid medium. In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, an "at least partially filled" volume may be at least about 75%, at least about 90%, at least about 95%, or 100% full of liquid medium.

When used, the liquid medium used may comprise any suitable type of liquid. The liquid medium may have a dielectric constant greater than that of air, and in one embodiment, may have a dielectric constant similar to that of the item being treated. Water (or a liquid medium containing water) may be particularly suitable for systems for heating edible and/or medical devices or articles. In one embodiment, additives (e.g., oils, alcohols, glycols, and salts) may optionally be added to the liquid medium, if desired, to alter or enhance its physical properties (e.g., boiling point) during processing.

The electromagnetic heating system 100 may include at least one conveyor system (not shown) for conveying articles through one or more of the above-described processing sections. Examples of suitable delivery systems may include, but are not limited to: plastic or rubber belt conveyors, chain conveyors, roller conveyors, flexible or multi-flexing conveyors, wire mesh conveyors, bucket conveyors, pneumatic conveyors, screw conveyors, trough or vibrating conveyors and combinations thereof. The transport system may include any number of individual transport lines and may be arranged in any suitable manner within the process vessel. The conveyor system utilized by electromagnetic heating system 100 may be configured in a generally fixed position within the vessel, or at least a portion of the system may be adjustable in a lateral or vertical direction.

The articles processed by microwave heating system 100 may include packages of any suitable size and/or shape, and may contain any food or beverage, any medical, dental, pharmaceutical or veterinary fluid, or any instrument capable of being processed in a microwave heating system. Examples of suitable items may include, but are not limited to, packaged foods such as fruits, vegetables, meats, pasta, prepared meals, soups, stews, jams, and even beverages. The particular type of packaging is not limiting, but at least a portion thereof must be at least partially microwave transmissive in order to facilitate heating of the contents using microwave energy.

The articles may comprise individual packages, each package being generally shaped, for example, as a rectangle or a prism. In some cases, the articles may have a top and a bottom, and the top and bottom of each article may have different widths. For example, in some cases, the top of each article may be wider than the bottom, and the top edge of each article may be longer and wider than the bottom edge. In other cases, such as when the article comprises a flexible pouch, the top portion may be narrower than the bottom portion. Particular types of articles may include, but are not limited to, flexible and semi-flexible pouches, cups, bottles with or without spouts, and other rigid or semi-rigid containers with or without lids, including flexible lids, in the shape of a circle, oval, or other cross-sectional shape. The article may be constructed of any material, including plastics, cellulose and other microwave transparent materials.

As shown in fig. 1, an article introduced into an electromagnetic heating system 100 is initially introduced into a thermalization section 102, wherein the article is thermalized to achieve a substantially uniform temperature. In a particular embodiment, such preheating/heating is accomplished by contacting the article with a warmed fluid, thereby bringing the article to a substantially uniform temperature. For example and without limitation, in at least certain embodiments of the present disclosure, at least about 85%, at least about 90%, at least about 95%, at least about 97%, or at least about 99% of all articles removed from the thermalization section 102 have temperatures within about 5 ℃, within about 2 ℃, or within 1 ℃ of each other. As used herein, the terms "thermalizing" and "preheating" generally refer to a step of temperature equilibration or equalization. Typically, the thermalization step precedes and provides for the electromagnetic heating step.

When thermalizing section 102 is at least partially filled with a liquid medium, the article may be at least partially submerged in the liquid during the passing. The liquid medium in thermalization section 102 may be at a higher or lower temperature than the articles passing therethrough. In some embodiments and without limitation, the average bulk temperature of the liquid medium may be at least about 30 ℃, at least about 35 ℃, at least about 40 ℃, at least about 45 ℃, at least about 50 ℃, at least about 55 ℃, or at least about 60 ℃ and/or no more than about 100 ℃, no more than about 95 ℃, no more than about 90 ℃, no more than about 85 ℃, no more than about 80 ℃, no more than about 75 ℃, no more than about 70 ℃, no more than about 65 ℃, or no more than about 60 ℃. The thermalization step precedes and provides for the electromagnetic radiation heating step. Generally, since the preheating step is performed by hot water circulating within the vessel, the amount of water within the vessel should be sufficient to immerse or substantially immerse the articles within the vessel.

The thermalization step may be carried out at ambient pressure or in a pressurized vessel. For example and without limitation, when pressurized, thermalization can be performed at a pressure of at least about 1psig, at least about 2psig, at least about 5psig, or at least about 10psig and/or no more than about 80psig, no more than about 50psig, no more than about 40psig, or no more than about 25 psig. When the thermalization section 102 is filled with liquid and pressurized, the pressure may be in addition to any head pressure exerted by the liquid. Items undergoing thermalization may have average residence times of different durations in thermalization zone 102. For example and without limitation, in certain embodiments, the residence time may be at least about 1 minute, at least about 5 minutes, at least about 10 minutes, and/or no more than about 60 minutes, no more than about 20 minutes, or no more than about 10 minutes.

The articles removed from the thermalization section 102 may have different average temperatures. In some embodiments, after the preheating step, the average temperature of the liquid medium can be at least about 20 ℃, at least about 25 ℃, at least about 30 ℃, at least about 35 ℃, at least about 40 ℃, at least about 45 ℃, at least about 50 ℃, at least about 55 ℃, or at least about 60 ℃ and/or no more than about 100 ℃, no more than about 95 ℃, no more than about 90 ℃, no more than about 85 ℃, no more than about 80 ℃, no more than about 75 ℃, no more than about 70 ℃, no more than about 65 ℃, or no more than about 60 ℃. When pasteurizing the articles, the temperature of the articles after the preheating step may be in various ranges suitable for pasteurization. For example, and without limitation, when pasteurizing the goods, the temperature of the goods may be in the range of about 30 ℃ to about 80 ℃, about 35 to about 75 ℃, or about 40 to about 70 ℃. Similarly, when sterilizing the articles, the temperature of the articles after the preheating step may be in various ranges suitable for sterilization. For example, but not limiting of, when the articles are sterilized, the temperature of the articles after the preheating step may be in the range of about 50 ℃ to about 100 ℃, about 55 ℃ to about 95 ℃, or about 70 ℃ to about 90 ℃.

The articles exiting thermalization section 102 may then be directed into electromagnetic heating section 104. In electromagnetic heating section 104, items may be rapidly heated using a heat source using electromagnetic energy (e.g., microwave energy) released from one or more emitters. As previously mentioned, microwave energy may refer to electromagnetic energy having a frequency between about 300MHz and 30 GHz. In one embodiment, various configurations of microwave heating section 104 may utilize microwave energy at a frequency of about 915MHz or at a frequency of about 2.45GHz, both of which are generally designated as industrial microwave frequencies. In general, however, other wavelengths of electromagnetic energy may be employed in various possible scenarios. In certain embodiments, the electromagnetic energy used in the electromagnetic heating section 104 may be polarized. In addition to microwave energy, microwave heating section 104 may optionally utilize one or more other heat sources, such as conductive or convective heating or other conventional heating methods or devices. However, in at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, at least about 50%, at least about 55%, at least about 60%, at least about 65%, at least about 70%, at least about 75%, at least about 80%, at least about 85%, at least about 90%, or at least about 95% of the energy used to heat the item in heating microwave heating section 104 is electromagnetic energy.

The use of electromagnetic energy during the heating step allows for the rapid heating of the coldest portion of each item in order to rapidly reach a minimum target temperature, such as a minimum pasteurization or sterilization temperature. In some embodiments, the target temperature may be at least about 65 ℃, at least about 70 ℃, at least about 75 ℃, at least about 80 ℃, at least about 85 ℃, at least about 90 ℃, at least about 95 ℃, at least about 100 ℃, at least about 105 ℃, at least about 110 ℃, at least about 115 ℃, at least about 120 ℃, at least about 121 ℃, at least about 122 ℃ and/or no more than about 130 ℃, no more than about 128 ℃, or no more than about 126 ℃. When the target temperature is a pasteurization target temperature, the target temperature may be at least about 65 ℃, at least about 70 ℃, at least about 75 ℃, at least about 80 ℃, at least about 85 ℃, at least about 90 ℃ and/or no more than about 120 ℃, no more than about 115 ℃ or no more than about 110 ℃. When the target temperature is a sterilization temperature, it may be at least about 121 ℃, at least about 122 ℃, and/or no more than about 135 ℃, no more than about 130 ℃, no more than about 128 ℃, or no more than about 126 ℃.

During the heating step, the article may be heated to the target temperature in a relatively short period of time. Such rapid heating helps to minimize damage or degradation of the goods due to prolonged exposure to high temperatures, while still achieving the desired degree of pasteurization or sterilization. During the heating step, the article may be heated continuously for at least about 5 seconds, at least about 20 seconds, at least about 60 seconds, and/or for no more than about 10 minutes, no more than about 8 minutes, no more than about 5 minutes, no more than about 3 minutes, no more than about 2 minutes, or no more than about 1 minute. The coldest temperature of each of the heated articles during the heating step may be increased by at least about 20 ℃, at least about 30 ℃, at least about 40 ℃, at least about 50 ℃, at least about 75 ℃ and/or no more than about 150 ℃, no more than about 125 ℃, or no more than about 100 ℃.

When the heating step is carried out while the article is at least partially immersed in the liquid, the average bulk temperature of the liquid may vary, in some cases depending on the energy released into the container. In some cases, the average temperature of the liquid in the container surrounding the article or the liquid in which the article is at least partially immersed can be at least about 70 ℃, at least about 75 ℃, at least about 80 ℃, at least about 85 ℃, at least about 90 ℃, at least about 95 ℃, at least about 100 ℃, at least about 105 ℃, at least about 110 ℃, at least about 115 ℃, or at least about 120 ℃, and/or no more than about 135 ℃, no more than about 132 ℃, no more than about 130 ℃, no more than about 127 ℃, or no more than about 125 ℃.

The heating step may be performed at about ambient pressure, or may be performed at an elevated pressure above ambient pressure. For example, in some cases, the article can be heated at a pressure of at least 5psig, at least about 10psig, at least about 15psig, or at least about 17psig, and/or no more than about 80psig, no more than about 60psig, no more than about 50psig, or no more than about 40 psig. Generally, pressure may be applied during the heating step to help avoid rupture of the package due to steam that may be generated within the sealed package.

In some embodiments, after the heating step, the heated items may be subjected to a "constant temperature" period during which the minimum temperature of each of the items is maintained at or above a certain minimum target temperature for a predetermined period of time. For example, in some embodiments, during the thermostating step, the temperature of the coldest portion of each article may be held constant at a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined minimum temperature. While the predetermined minimum temperature may vary, in some particular embodiments, the predetermined minimum temperature may be at least about 70 ℃, at least about 75 ℃, at least about 80 ℃, at least about 85 ℃, at least about 90 ℃, at least about 95 ℃, at least about 100 ℃, at least about 105 ℃, at least about 110 ℃, at least about 115 ℃, at least about 120 ℃, at least about 121 ℃, at least about 122 ℃ and/or no more than about 130 ℃, no more than about 128 ℃, or no more than about 126 ℃. The predetermined time period (or "constant temperature period") may also vary; however, in at least certain embodiments, the isothermal period can be at least about 2 minutes, at least about 4 minutes, at least about 5 minutes, or at least about 10 minutes and/or no more than about 20 minutes, no more than about 16 minutes, or no more than about 10 minutes. In other embodiments, after the microwave heating step, the article is cooled directly with a constant temperature period of no more than about 2 minutes, or no more than about 1 minute, or no thermostat at all. Thermostating may be performed to maintain the temperature of the goods at an appropriate temperature for sterilization or pasteurization, and to, among other possible reasons, stabilize the temperature for any time required for a particular good or most likely set of goods.

After heating, in some cases, after the thermostating step, the article can be rapidly cooled by contact with the cooled liquid. During cooling, the temperature of the outer surface of the article may decrease by different amounts. For example, in certain embodiments, the temperature of the outer surface of the article may be reduced by at least about 30 ℃, at least about 40 ℃, at least about 50 ℃, and/or no more than about 100 ℃, no more than about 75 ℃, or no more than about 50 ℃. Such cooling may occur over different periods of time; however, in certain embodiments, the cooling period may be at least about 1 minute, at least about 2 minutes, at least about 3 minutes, and/or no more than about 10 minutes, no more than about 8 minutes, or no more than about 6 minutes. Any suitable fluid may be used for the quench section 108, and the fluid may be similar to or different from the liquid used in the microwave heating section 104 and/or the thermostatic section 106. After cooling, the average temperature of the article may vary in different applications; however, in at least certain embodiments, the average temperature can be at least about 20 ℃, at least about 25 ℃, at least about 30 ℃, and/or no more than about 70 ℃, no more than about 60 ℃, or no more than about 50 ℃.

In some embodiments, for example, when the article is sterilized, the pressure around the article may be adjusted before the heating step and/or before the cooling step, or after at least a portion of the cooling step has been performed. In one example, the pressure may be reduced when the temperature of the package is at a level where rupture is less likely. When at least a portion of the preheating, heating, and/or cooling steps are performed at different pressures, the pressure differential between one or more of these steps may vary; however, in certain embodiments, the difference can be at least about 5psig, at least about 10psig, or at least about 15psig and/or no more than about 35psig, no more than about 30psig, no more than about 25psig, or no more than about 20 psig. In other exemplary embodiments, each of the preheating, heating, and cooling steps can be performed at a pressure within about 5psig, about 3psig, or about 2psig of each other. In a single vessel arrangement, where various operations are performed within a single vessel, the pressure within the vessel may be controlled depending on the steps performed within the vessel, as well as other possible conditions. In some cases, when additional containers are coupled with an existing container and each container may perform different operations, a pressure lock may be placed between the containers to complete the movement (e.g., transport) of the commodity from one container to the next while maintaining the pressure within a given container, which may be different from the adjacent container.

In some cases, the articles may be loaded into one or more carriers configured to secure the articles during at least one of the aforementioned preheating, heating, holding (when used), and cooling steps. A carrier may be used when all or part of these steps are performed, for example, when the article is at least partially or fully submerged in a liquid. Examples of suitable carriers that may be used in the microwave heating systems described herein are provided in U.S. patent application serial No. 15/284,173, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety to the extent not inconsistent with this disclosure. The containers may include a rail system or other transport mechanism to modularly interconnect adjacent containers and transfer carriers from one container to the next.

As depicted in fig. 1, the operation of the various sections of the microwave heating system 100 may be controlled and facilitated by a control system 150. Control system 150 generally includes one or more computing devices adapted to communicate with components of one or more sections of microwave heating system 100. Such communication may include receiving signals and data from sensors, switches, or other components of microwave heating system 100, and/or transmitting signals and data, such as control signals, to components of microwave heating system 100 (such as, but not limited to, actuators, heating elements, drivers, lights, alarms, screens, etc.). Control system 150 may be configured to receive inputs from a user and control operation of microwave heating system 100 at least partially in response to such inputs. Similarly, the control system 150 may be configured to at least partially automatically control the operation of the microwave system 100.

The heating system as discussed herein is configured to scale up or down while still providing consistent operation at various production rates. For example, in some cases, the heating system may be a single container unit capable of pasteurizing or sterilizing the articles on a relatively small scale. As used herein, the term "container" refers to a process chamber that is capable of being fluidly isolated from an adjacent process chamber during operation of the unit. Although different steps may be performed in different regions or zones within the processing chamber, such regions or zones are not considered "containers" as defined herein unless such regions or zones are capable of being fluidly isolated during operation of the system.

One or more additional processing vessels may be attached to the original single vessel unit to expand the capacity of the system. The system of the present invention may include one or more vessels having the same core structure, but may be configured, reconfigured or otherwise modified to serve the functions of preheating, heating, thermostatting or cooling (or a combination thereof), which may be different from those of the original vessel, to more effectively increase production. For example, additional processing vessels may be used to provide preheating and/or cooling, while the original vessel may continue to be used for heating. In such cases, the carrier may be moved from a first new container configured for preheating to an original container configured for heating, and then to a second new container configured for cooling. Various embodiments of suitable systems are described below with reference to fig. 2-6.

When the system comprises a single vessel, each of the preheating, electromagnetic heating, thermostating and cooling steps (applicable to any step in the system arrangement) may be performed in the same vessel. One example of such a system 200 is schematically depicted in fig. 2. The system 200 depicted in fig. 2 includes a single container 202 having two opposing ends 204A, 204B, and a chamber 206 is defined between the two opposing ends 204A, 204B. At least one of the ends includes at least one opening (not shown) for introducing and/or removing carriers into and/or from the chamber. In some cases, the container 202 may include a single opening for introducing and removing the carrier from the chamber. In other cases, the container 202 may include an inlet at one end for introducing the carrier into the chamber 206 and an outlet at the other end for removing the carrier from the chamber 206.

In addition, the heating system 200 shown in fig. 2 includes a plurality of emitters 208A-208D for releasing electromagnetic energy into the chamber. Generally, an emitter is an assembly of components for delivering electromagnetic energy (e.g., microwave energy) into the chamber 206. Any suitable number and arrangement of emitters may be used. For example, but not limiting of, the heating system 200 may include at least 2, at least 3, at least 4, at least 5, at least 6, at least 7, at least 8, at least 9, or at least 10 total emitters and/or no more than 50, no more than 40, no more than 30, no more than 20, no more than 18, no more than 16, no more than 14, or no more than 12 emitters.

System 200 may include at least two transmitters on the same side. As used herein, the term "same side emitter" refers to two or more emitters positioned on substantially the same side of the container 202. Two or more same side emitters may be axially and/or laterally spaced apart from each other. As used herein, the term "axial spacing" refers to spacing in a direction parallel to the axis of extension 210 of the container 202, while the term "lateral spacing" refers to spacing in a direction perpendicular to the axis of extension 210 of the container 202. When a conveyor line is present within the container 202, adjacent same-side transmitters may be axially spaced from each other in a direction parallel to the conveying direction and/or laterally spaced from each other in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. To support the transmitter, the container 202 may include one or more coupling structures (not shown) that allow the transmitter to be connected and/or disconnected from the container 202. Thus, the container 202 may include a sufficient number of coupling structures to support the number and location of emitters that can be connected to the container 202. Similarly, discrete sections may also include such coupling structures.

Additionally or alternatively, the heating system 200 may include at least two opposing emitters. As used herein, the term "opposing emitters" refers to two or more emitters positioned on generally opposite sides of the container 202. The pair of opposing emitters may comprise two oppositely directed emitters or two oppositely staggered emitters. As used herein with respect to opposing emitters, the term "relative orientation" indicates emitters whose central emission axes are generally aligned with one another. As used herein with respect to opposing emitters, the term "relative staggering" refers to an emitter whose central emission axis is misaligned. In at least some embodiments, system 200 may include at least 2, at least 3, at least 4, at least 5, or 6 or more pairs of opposing emitters.

Each transmitter may have any suitable configuration. For example, in some cases, each emitter may have a single generally rectangular emission opening, while in other cases, each emitter may include a single inlet and two or more spaced-apart emission openings. Additionally, one or more of the emitters may be an angled emitter oriented to release energy into the container 202 at an emission tilt angle of about 2 ° to about 15 °. Other examples of suitable types and configurations of emitters, particularly microwave emitters, are described in detail in U.S. patent No. 9,357,590, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety to the extent not inconsistent with this disclosure. The coupling structure is adapted for the type of emitter used with the container.

Referring now to fig. 3, another schematic depiction of a heating system 200 is provided. As shown in fig. 3, a processing vessel 202 used in a single vessel heating system 200 may include multiple sections. As used herein, the term "segment" refers to an area of a container used to perform a particular function or part of an entire step. Unlike vessels, sections cannot be fluidly isolated from each other during system operation because no isolation devices, such as gate valves, doors, etc., are used between the sections. Rather, the sections of the vessel are open to each other with little or no restriction to the flow path between the sections, such that each section remains in fluid flow communication with each of the other sections during operation of the vessel. For example, less than 20%, less than 15%, less than 10%, less than 5%, less than 2%, or less than 1% of the flow path between the various sections may be restricted during operation.

As shown in fig. 3, the vessel 202 of the heating system 200 may include at least three sections, namely a first end section 212, a second end section 214, and at least one emitter section 216 located between the first end section 212 and the second end section 214. Generally, one of the end sections 212, 214 may be configured as an inlet section to receive a carrier containing a plurality of articles through an inlet (not shown). Depending on the specific configuration of the vessel 202, the same end section or another end section may be configured as an exit section to facilitate removal of the loaded carrier from an outlet (not shown) of the vessel.

The end sections 212, 214 of the vessel 202 do not include any emitters, and none of the emitters of the heating system 200 are configured to release energy directly into either of the end sections 212, 214. Rather, the emitters 208A-208D are configured to release energy into one or more emitter segments, such as emitter segment 216, as generally shown in fig. 3. Each emitter segment may include any suitable number of emitters. For example, in certain embodiments, each emitter segment may include at least 2, at least 3, at least 4, at least 5, at least 6, at least 7, or at least 8 individual emitters and/or no more than 12, no more than 10, or no more than 8 individual emitters. The emitters may be arranged as the same side and/or opposite emitters. The container 202 may include a plurality of emitter segments. For example, the vessel 202 may include at least 1, at least 2, at least 3, at least 4, and/or no more than 8, no more than 6, no more than 5, or no more than 4 total emitter segments between the end segments 212, 214.

In some cases, the overall length of the emitter section may constitute a significant portion of the overall length of the vessel 202, particularly when the vessel 202 includes an emitter section, as shown in fig. 2 and 3. For example, the ratio of the total length of the emitter segment to the total length of the container 202 may be at least about 0.15:1, at least about 0.20:1, at least about 0.25:1, at least about 0.30:1, at least about 0.35:1, or at least about 0.40:1 and/or no more than about 0.75:1, no more than about 0.70:1, no more than about 0.65:1, no more than about 0.60:1, no more than about 0.55:1, no more than about 0.50:1, or no more than about 0.45: 1. The total length of the emitter segments may be measured from the front flange of the first emitter segment to the rear flange of the last emitter segment, or if there is no flange, from the leading edge of the first emitter in the first emitter segment to the trailing edge of the last emitter in the last emitter segment.

Each end section and emitter section may have any suitable cross-sectional shape. The cross-sectional shape of each type of segment may be the same or different. For example, in some cases, both the emitter segment and the end segment may have a generally rectangular cross-sectional shape. An example of such a configuration is shown in fig. 4A. As depicted in fig. 4A, the vessel 202 includes two end sections 212, 214 and two emitter sections 216, 218, each having a generally rectangular cross-sectional shape. Alternatively, the emitter segments 216, 218 may have a generally rectangular cross-sectional shape, while the end segments may have a generally cylindrical or other cross-sectional shape. An example of such a configuration is shown in fig. 4B. In fig. 4B, the vessel 202 includes two end sections 212, 214, each end having a generally circular or cylindrical cross-sectional shape, and two emitter sections 216, 218, each of the emitter sections 216, 218 having a generally rectangular cross-sectional shape.

One or more emitter segments may be configured independently of one another such that each segment may be removably coupled to an end segment and/or an adjacent emitter segment. Thus, one or more emitter sections may be added to or removed from the processing vessel between heat trials to provide an enlarged or shortened processing vessel in which further pasteurization or sterilization may be performed using more or fewer emitters. In addition to providing more or fewer transmitters, such mobility may also minimize downtime and further enhance the operational flexibility of the system.

Turning now to fig. 5, another schematic view of the container 202 of the heating system 200, particularly illustrating the electromagnetic energy distribution system of the heating system 200, is shown. Fig. 5 is discussed with particular reference to a microwave heating system, but it should be appreciated that it is more generally applicable to electromagnetic radiation heating.

The heating system 200 shown in fig. 5 generally includes a container 202, at least one microwave generator 220 for generating microwave energy, and a microwave distribution system 222 for directing at least a portion of the microwave energy from the generator 220 to the container 202. The microwave distribution system 222 is shown to include four emitters 208A through 208D for directing microwave energy from the microwave distribution system 222 into the container 202.

In addition, the heating system 200 includes at least one transport line 224 for transporting one or more carriers 226 within the container 202. Examples of suitable types of conveyor lines include, but are not limited to: plastic or rubber belt conveyors, chain conveyors, roller conveyors, flexible or multi-flexing conveyors, wire mesh conveyors, bucket conveyors, pneumatic conveyors, screw conveyors, trough or vibrating conveyors and combinations thereof. Any suitable number of individual delivery lines may be used within container 202, and one or more delivery lines 224 may be disposed within container 202 in any suitable manner.

As shown generally in fig. 5, the transport line 224 may be configured to move the carrier 226 in a transport direction 228 that is generally parallel to an axis of extension of the containers. In some cases, the transport line 224 may be configured to transport the carriers 226 in a single forward direction away from the inlet 230 of the container 202 and pass the carriers 226 through the container 202 to the outlet 232. In other cases, the transport line 224 may be configured to transport the carriers 226 alternately in a forward direction and a rearward direction opposite the forward direction. Depending on the arrangement of the heating system 200, the transport line 224 may be configured to move the carriers 226 relatively continuously through the containers 202 during at least a portion of the preheating, heating, thermostating, and/or cooling stages. Alternatively or additionally, the transport line 224 may be configured to stop the carrier within a particular portion or section of the container 502 during at least a portion of the preheating, heating, thermostating, and/or cooling steps. In some cases, the carrier may alternate and stop moving for various portions of the pasteurization or sterilization process.

The transport line 224 may be configured to transport the carriers 226 through the containers 202 in a single stack configuration, as generally depicted in fig. 5. That is, the conveyor line 224 may convey the carriers 226 individually through the containers 202 without the carriers being stacked vertically above or below a given carrier. The entire (or substantially all) transport path along which the carriers 226 move through the transport line 224 or the transport line 224 itself may be horizontal. For example, in certain embodiments, but not limited to, at least about 75%, at least about 80%, at least about 85%, at least about 90%, at least about 95%, at least about 97%, or all of the delivery lines 224 or pathways may be within about 10 ° of horizontal. In some cases, all (or substantially all) of the transport path may be horizontal. Thus, none or substantially none of the transport paths may be vertical. For example, in the foregoing examples, but not limiting of, no more than 25%, no more than 20%, no more than 15%, no more than 10%, no more than 5%, no more than 3%, or none of the conveying paths or lines may be within about 10 ° of the vertical. In some cases, none (or substantially none) of the transport lines or transport paths may be vertical.

Referring now to fig. 6, an alternative schematic depiction of a heating system 200 is provided. The heating system 200 includes a processing vessel 202, and is further depicted as a temperature control system for delivering a temperature controlled liquid into the vessel 202. More specifically, as shown in fig. 6, the heating system 200 includes a heating circuit 234 for delivering warmed liquid to the container 202 and a cooling circuit 244 for delivering cooled liquid to the container 202. Although shown in fig. 6 as including separate circuits, one or more elements of each circuit 234, 244 may be integrated to provide a combined circuit capable of delivering warmed or chilled liquid to a container. Although the temperature differential between the warmed liquid and the cooled liquid may vary, in certain particular instances the temperature of the cooled liquid is at least about 5 ℃, at least about 10 ℃, at least about 15 ℃, at least about 20 ℃, or at least about 25 ℃ lower than the warmed liquid.

As shown in fig. 6, the heating circuit 234 includes a pump 236, the pump 236 being used to circulate liquid drawn from a liquid outlet 238 to a heater 240. In one particular example, heater 240 warms the liquid by indirect heat exchange with steam or another heat transfer fluid, although any suitable method of heating the liquid may be implemented. The warmed liquid may then be returned to the container 202 through the warmed liquid inlet 242. Similarly, the cooling circuit 244 shown in fig. 6 comprises a pump 246 for circulating liquid drawn from a second liquid outlet 248 of the container 202 to a cooler 250, in which cooler 250 the liquid is cooled. It should be understood that in certain embodiments, the vessel 202 may include only one outlet, such that the liquid outlet 238 associated with the heating circuit 234 and the liquid outlet 248 associated with the cooling circuit are in the same outlet. In such embodiments, other components for passing fluid to heating circuit 234 and cooling circuit 244 may be included downstream of the common outlet. In one particular example, cooler 250 cools the liquid through indirect heat exchange with cooling water or other cold heat transfer fluid, although any suitable method of cooling the liquid may be implemented. The resulting cooled liquid may be returned to the vessel 202 through the cooled liquid inlet 252. As generally shown in FIG. 6, warmed liquid inlet 252 and cooled liquid inlet 242 may be located near opposite ends of container 202, but are generally configured to facilitate introduction of warmed or cooled liquid into the same container that includes the microwave launcher. Thus, in one possible example, the container 202 may be preheated with warm water, pasteurized or sterilized using warm water and microwave energy, thermostated with warm water and cooled with cold water.

In certain embodiments, the heating circuit 234 may generally operate during the preheating, heating, and, if applicable, the thermostating steps of the pasteurization or sterilization process, while the cooling circuit 244 may operate primarily during the cooling step. However, the absolute and relative flow rates and/or temperatures of the warmed and cooled liquid may be adjusted at any time during any step of the process in order to control the temperature of the liquid surrounding the article.

In some cases, a heating system according to the present disclosure may further include one or more nozzles for releasing jets of pressurized fluid toward the contents of the vessel during the preheating, heating, thermostating (if applicable) or cooling steps of at least a portion of the process. For example, fig. 7 is a further schematic illustration of a longitudinal cross section of the heating system 200 and in particular the container 202. As shown in fig. 7, the heating system 200 may include a fluid release system including a plurality of nozzles 254A-254H, the nozzles 254A-254H coupled to and adapted to release fluid into the container 202.

Nozzles 254A-254H may be arranged in any suitable configuration and, in some cases, may be located at one or more regions along the perimeter of container 202. Although shown in fig. 7 with sections located at the top and bottom portions of the container 202, it should be understood that one or more nozzles may also be spaced along the cross-section of the container configured to release jets of pressurized fluid toward the item and the axis of extension of the container.

Similar to the emitter coupling, the container 202 may include connection points for connecting hoses and nozzles to be connected and removed according to the configuration of the container 202, and the container 202 may be added or removed if the container 202 is reused when a new container is added. As previously described, when the vessel 202 includes multiple sections, one or more nozzles may be located in different sections. For example, in some cases, one or both of the end segments may include at least 1, at least 2, at least 3, at least 4, at least 5, at least 6, at least 7, at least 8, or 9, or more nozzles, although the emitter segment may include no more than 5, no more than 4, no more than 3, no more than 2, no more than 1, or no nozzles. Any type of fluid may be released from the nozzles, and one or more nozzles may be configured to release a different fluid than one or more of the other nozzles. For example, in some cases, a portion of the nozzles in one end section may be configured to release pressurized warmed liquid into the section, while the other end section may include nozzles configured to release pressurized cooled liquid into the section. In some cases, both end sections may include nozzles configured to release warmed liquid and cooled liquid into those sections, although not simultaneously.

The operation of a heating system according to the present disclosure and comprising a single processing vessel will now be described in detail with common reference to the heating system 200 and its components as depicted in fig. 2-7. First, an empty carrier may be loaded with a plurality of different items. The article may comprise a package of any suitable size and/or shape and may contain any food or beverage, any medical, dental, pharmaceutical or veterinary fluid, or any instrument capable of being processed in an electromagnetic radiation heating system. Examples of suitable items may include, but are not limited to, packaged foods such as fruits, vegetables, meats, pasta, prepared meals, soups, stews, jams, and even beverages. The particular type of packaging is not limiting, but at least a portion thereof must be at least partially microwave transmissive in order to facilitate heating of the contents using radiant energy, such as microwave energy.

Next, the loaded carrier may be introduced into the container 202 through the inlet 230. In some cases, the container 202 may be configured to hold no more than 5 carriers simultaneously. Alternatively, the container 202 may be configured to hold 3 or fewer, 2 or fewer, or only 1 carrier at a time during processing. However, the initial configuration of the container 202 may be scaled appropriately to accommodate other numbers of carriers, to stack carriers, and/or to place carriers in parallel. As the heating system 200 is scaled up, its ability to process additional carriers may increase.

Once in the container 202, the articles contained in the carrier may be preheated by contact with the warmed liquid. Contacting may include spraying the article with a pressurized liquid jet (e.g., a pressurized jet released into the container 202 through nozzles 254A-254H), immersing the article in a warmed liquid (e.g., a warmed liquid bath maintained using heating loop 234), or spraying and immersing the article. When contacting includes both spraying and submerging, at least a portion of the spraying and submerging can occur simultaneously. In other cases, the spraying of the article may be stopped before the immersion begins.

As described above, the spray and water immersion are controlled by the nozzles 254A through 254H and accompanying feed lines (not shown), the pump 236 and heater 240 of the heating loop 234, and the like. Wherein the temperature of the warmed fluid within the container 202 can be controlled by adjusting at least one of the flow rate of the warmed fluid, the temperature of the warmed fluid, the flow rate of the cooled fluid, the temperature of the cooled fluid, the relatively low flow rate (or difference in flow rate) between the warmed and cooled fluids, and the relative temperature (or difference in temperature) between the warmed and cooled fluids. In certain embodiments, one or more of these parameters may be adjusted to achieve a preheat liquid temperature to preheat the items in the carrier prior to heating using electromagnetic energy. For example, but not limiting of, the foregoing parameters may preheat the article to at least about 30 ℃, at least about 35 ℃, at least about 40 ℃, at least about 45 ℃, at least about 50 ℃, at least about 55 ℃, or at least about 60 ℃ and/or not more than about 100 ℃, not more than about 95 ℃, not more than about 90 ℃, not more than about 85 ℃, not more than about 80 ℃, not more than about 75 ℃, not more than about 70 ℃, not more than about 65 ℃, or not more than about 60 ℃.

In some cases, the carrier may remain stationary during at least a portion of the preheating step, while in other cases the carrier may move along the transport line 224 during preheating. When moving, the carrier may move in a forward and backward direction through the containers 202 along the transport line 224. In some cases, the carrier may remain stationary during a portion of the preheating (e.g., while spraying the warmed liquid onto the articles) and may move during another portion of the preheating (e.g., while not spraying the articles).

Once the articles have reached a substantially uniform temperature, the articles may be subjected to a pasteurization or sterilization heating step as described above. During the heating step, the carrier may be moved in at least one transport direction past one or more emitters that release energy, such as microwave energy, to the articles in the containers. In some cases, the carrier may traverse each of the emitters one or more times back and forth. One example of a possible "back and forth" pattern of carrier motion is described in detail in U.S. patent application No. 15/921,921, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety to the extent it does not contradict the present disclosure.

After passing through the one or more emitters 208 a-208 d, the articles in the carrier may experience a "dwell" time during which the release of energy is stopped (or reduced to at least about 5kW or less, about 2kW or less, about 1kW or less) to allow the articles to thermally equilibrate. The carrier may or may not be in motion for all or part of each dwell time. Although residence times may vary, in certain particular embodiments, the residence time may be at least about 30 seconds, at least about 1 minute, at least about 2 minutes, or at least about 5 minutes, and/or no more than about 10 minutes, no more than about 8 minutes, or no more than about 5 minutes. The dwell time may alternate with the energy release period until the target temperature is reached.

During the heating step, the temperature of the liquid surrounding the articles within the vessel 202 may be controlled by adjusting the absolute and/or relative flow rates of the heated and/or cooled liquid introduced into the vessel 202 in a manner similar to that described with respect to the preheating step. During the heating step, the temperature of the liquid may change; in at least certain non-limiting examples, however, the temperature of the liquid can be at least about 65 ℃, at least about 70 ℃, at least about 75 ℃, at least about 80 ℃, at least about 85 ℃, at least about 90 ℃, at least about 95 ℃, at least about 100 ℃, at least about 105 ℃, at least about 110 ℃, at least about 115 ℃, at least about 120 ℃, at least about 121 ℃, at least about 122 ℃ and/or no more than about 130 ℃, no more than about 128 ℃, or no more than about 126 ℃. In some cases, during electromagnetic heating, the temperature of the liquid may be maintained at a temperature at least about 1 ℃, at least about 2 ℃, at least about 5 ℃, or at least about 8 ℃ lower than the target temperature of the articles in the one or more carriers and/or no more than about 20 ℃, no more than about 15 ℃, no more than about 10 ℃, no more than about 8 ℃.

In some cases, particularly when sterilizing or pasteurizing the heated items, the support may be subjected to a constant temperature step after the heating step is completed. In one exemplary thermostating step, less than about 5kW of microwave energy (excluding microwave energy) is released into the container, and the temperature of the coldest portion of each article may be constant at or above a minimum target temperature for a constant period of time. The carrier may move back and forth in the container 202 for all or part of the incubation period, or the carrier may remain stationary for all or part of the incubation period. Additionally, in some cases, during the isothermal period, the pressurized fluid jet may be released toward the article (e.g., using nozzles 254A-254H). In other cases, no jets are used and/or the article may be submerged in the liquid bath. In applications using pressurized fluid jets, the articles may be sprayed to optimize heat exchange and temperature maintenance of the articles, and control is achieved by altering the temperature, pressure, and/or flow rate of the liquid from nozzles 254A through 254H.

After the thermostating step (or after the heating step if the thermostating step is omitted), the article may be exposed to a cooling stage to reduce its temperature. During cooling, the carrier may be stationary, may move, or may be stationary for a period of time and move for a period of time.

In certain embodiments, the cooling step may include immersing the article in a liquid, and the temperature of the liquid used to cool the article during the cooling step may be controlled using the heating and/or cooling circuits 234, 244, as previously described in detail in the context of fig. 6. In contrast to large scale facilities employing isolated preheating, heating and cooling zones, the preheating, heating and cooling steps discussed herein may be performed in a single vessel, with all sections open to all other sections. Thus, when cooling water is introduced into the vessel 202 during the cooling step, the temperature of the liquid in the preheating and/or heating zone may also decrease. For example, in the cooling step, the temperature may be reduced by at least about 5 ℃, at least about 10 ℃, at least about 15 ℃ or at least about 20 ℃. In some cases, the difference between the minimum and maximum temperatures of the liquid medium within the vessel 202 is maintained within a particular range. For example, in one embodiment, the difference between the maximum temperature and the minimum temperature of the liquid medium throughout the vessel 202 may be less than about 20 ℃. In other cases, a temperature gradient may exist such that the difference between the minimum and maximum temperatures of the liquid medium during at least a portion of the pasteurization or sterilization process may be at least about 20 ℃. A combination of immersion and spraying may be used for the cooling operation.

After cooling, the pasteurized or sterilized articles may be removed from the container 202. The articles removed from the container may exhibit a desired level of microbial kill to allow pasteurization or sterilization to occur to a desired degree. For example, but not by way of limitation, when items are sterilized, the coldest portion of each item can achieve the minimum microbial lethality of Clostridium botulinum (F0) according to ASTM F-1168-88(1994), at least about 1 minute, at least about 1.5 minutes, at least about 1.75 minutes, at least about 2 minutes, at least about 2.25 minutes, at least about 2.5 minutes, at least about 2.75 minutes, at least about 3 minutes, at least about 3.25 minutes measured at 250 ° F (121.1 ℃) and a z-value of 18 ° F, or at least about 3.5 minutes and/or no more than about 10 minutes, no more than about 8 minutes, no more than about 6 minutes, no more than about 4 minutes, no more than about 3.75 minutes, no more than less than about 3.5 minutes, no more than about 3.25 minutes, no more than about 3 minutes, no more than about 2.75 minutes, no more than about 2.5 minutes, no more than about 2.25 minutes, or no more than about 2 minutes.

Similarly, for example, but not limiting of, when the food products are pasteurized, the coldest portion of each food product can reach the microbial lethality (F) of salmonella or escherichia coli (depending on the food being pasteurized) for at least about 5 minutes, at least about 5.5 minutes, at least about 6 minutes, at least about 6.5 minutes, at least about 7 minutes, at least about 7.5 minutes, at least about 8 minutes, at least about 8.5 minutes, at least about 9 minutes, at least about 9.5 minutes, at least about 10 minutes, at least about 10.5 minutes, at least about 11 minutes, or at least about 11.5 minutes, measured at 90 ℃ and at a z-value of 6 ℃. Alternatively or additionally, the microbial lethality of Salmonella or Escherichia coli may be no more than about 20 minutes, no more than about 19 minutes, no more than about 18 minutes, no more than about 17 minutes, or no more than about 16 minutes, according to ASTM F-1168-88 (1994).

When processing is performed in a single vessel as described above, each of the carriers in the vessel is maintained in a single stacked configuration throughout substantially all of the preheating, heating, thermostating (if applicable) and cooling steps. For example, each carrier is maintained in a single stacked configuration for at least about 85%, at least about 90%, at least about 95%, or all of the preheating, heating, thermostating (if applicable), and cooling steps. In addition, as previously described, the carriers also travel along a substantially horizontal transport path, and thus, the carriers are maintained at approximately the same vertical height for each of the preheating, heating, and, if applicable, thermostating and cooling steps. For example, in some cases, the carrier may stay within 5 feet, 3 feet, 2 feet, or 1 foot of the same vertical height for the entire pasteurization or sterilization process. This is in contrast to commercial systems where some items are moving vertically.

The single vessel microwave heating system described herein may be suitable for smaller scale production, such as laboratory scale or pilot plant scale production. For example, in some cases, a single container system may be configured to have a total production rate of no more than about 25, no more than about 20, no more than about 15, no more than about 10, or no more than about 5 packages per minute. In some cases, the total volume of the container can be at least about 50, at least about 100, at least about 150, at least about 200, or at least about 250 cubic feet and/or no more than about 500, no more than about 450, no more than about 400, no more than about 350, no more than about 300, or no more than about 275 cubic feet.

According to various possible embodiments, the overall productivity of the heating system may be increased by, for example, attaching at least one further container to the single container described previously to provide a combined treatment unit. The combined processing unit can then be used for further pasteurization or sterilization of the goods, wherein a part of the process is carried out in the original individual container and a part of the process is carried out in the newly added container. For example, a new vessel may be used for at least a portion of the preheating and/or cooling steps, while the heating step may be performed in the original single vessel. Other configurations are also possible, and additional details of several embodiments are discussed in further detail below.

When at least one further processing container is attached to the original processing container, the attachment may be made in any suitable manner. For example, the containers may be attached by flanges, or may be welded together. The containers may be separated by a gate valve or pressure lock (as described in U.S. patent No. 9,357,590), or may be fluidly isolated from each other. In some cases, each isolation device used between the vessels may be configured to limit a percentage of the flow path between the vessels, such as at least about 40, at least about 45, at least about 50, at least about 55, at least about 60, at least about 65, at least about 70, at least about 75, at least about 80, at least about 85, at least about 90, or at least about 95, or all (i.e., 100%) of the flow path between the vessels.

Fig. 8 shows an example of a combined processing unit. As shown in fig. 8, the combined processing unit 800 includes the original heating system 200, the original heating system 200 including the container 202 and emitters 208A-208D, and a new container 802 (not scaled), the new container 802 attached to the end 204A of the original container 202. In operation, all or part of the preheating and/or cooling steps may be performed in the new vessel 802 by connecting appropriate piping and nozzles (not shown), while the heating step may be performed in the original vessel 202, which original vessel 202 includes the various emitters 208A through 208D connected thereto. In another example, the cooling step may be performed in the new vessel 802, while the preheating, heating, and thermostating steps may be performed in the original vessel 202. Alternatively, all or part of the preheating step and the cooling step may be performed in the new container 802, which would involve first placing the carrier in the new container 802 for preheating, then moving it into the original container 202 for heating and constant temperature, and then returning to the new container 802 for cooling.

During processing, the new container 802 and the original container 202 may or may not be fluidly isolated from each other. For example, in certain embodiments, the isolation device 804 may be disposed between the new container 802 and the original container 202. The isolation device 804 may be a gate, valve, door, or similar device that at least partially isolates the new container 802 from the original container 202. For example, in certain embodiments, the isolation device 804 may prevent or reduce fluid exchange between the new container 802 and the original container 202. In other embodiments, the isolation device 804 may be configured to selectively allow the loaded carrier to pass between the new container 802 and the original container 202. For example, the isolation device may be a gate, flap or door that can be selectively opened or closed to allow or prevent the passage of the carrier.

The carrier may remain stationary in each vessel during the treatment step or may move within a single vessel or within two vessels during all or a portion of one or more of the preheating, heating, thermostating (if applicable) and cooling steps. The original container 202 and/or the new container 802 may be configured for and operate at the same or different pressures. In some cases, for example, the pressure of one or more steps performed in the new vessel 802 differs from the pressure of one or more steps performed in the original vessel 202 by at least 5, at least 8, at least 10, or at least 12 psig. In other cases, one or more steps performed in the new container 802 and one or more steps performed in the original container 202 differ from each other by less than 5, less than 3, or less than 2 sig.

Turning now to FIG. 9, another example of a combined processing unit 900 is shown. In the embodiment shown in fig. 9, two new containers 902, 904 are added to either side of the electromagnetic heating system 200, and more specifically to either side of the container 202. Again, the new containers 902, 904 are not scaled compared to the original container 202.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 9, two new containers are attached to each end of the original heating system 200, more specifically to the ends 204A, 204B of the processing container 202. Similar to the combined processing unit 800 of fig. 8, isolation devices 906, 908 may be provided between the original container 202 and each of the new containers 902, 904. In operation, the combined processing unit shown in fig. 9 can perform at least a portion of the preheating step in the first new container 902, the heating step in the original container 202, and at least a portion of the cooling step in the second new container 904. In some cases, it may be advantageous for the isolation container 904 to perform cooling therein to minimize temperature variations and energy costs. Nozzles and piping (not shown) may be connected to the new end tanks 902, 904 in an arrangement that may or may not involve spray and water immersion as needed for preheating and cooling operations.

The overall production rate of the system shown in fig. 8 and 9 may be greater than a single vessel system, and may be, for example, large laboratory scale, pilot plant scale, or production scale. In some cases, the production rate of these expansion systems may be at least about 15, at least about 20, at least about 25, or at least about 30 packages per minute and/or no more than about 40, no more than about 35, no more than 30, or no more than 25 packages per minute. In general, the volume of the combined treatment units shown in fig. 8 and 9 may vary, but in certain non-limiting embodiments, the volume may be at least about 300 cubic feet, at least about 350 cubic feet, at least about 400 cubic feet, at least about 450 cubic feet, at least about 500 cubic feet, at least about 550 cubic feet, at least about 600 cubic feet, at least about 650 cubic feet, or at least about 700 cubic feet and/or no more than about 1200 cubic feet, no more than about 1100 cubic feet, no more than about 1000 cubic feet, no more than about 900 cubic feet, or no more than about 850 cubic feet.

After forming a combined treatment unit as shown in fig. 8 and 9, (or, in some cases, directly after operating in a single vessel unit as previously described), the heating system can be further expanded by adding more treatment vessels. Also, unlike conventional scaling up, which adds more or larger replicated equipment, adding a new vessel to the system of the present invention modifies the operation of the vessel, making the process more efficient and less expensive. In some cases, additional preheating, thermostating and cooling vessels may be added so that the smaller scale heating systems previously described with reference to fig. 2 to 9 can be converted into commercial scale units similar to the one described in U.S. patent No. 9,357,590.

An example of a commercial scale heating system 1000 assembled by attaching several new vessels to the original single vessel heating system is shown in fig. 10. As illustrated in fig. 10, a commercial scale heating system 1000 includes an original heating system 200 with various added upstream and downstream vessels coupled to the original heating system 200 to expand the functionality and capacity of the original heating system 200. In the particular system 1000 depicted in fig. 10, for example, the additional vessel includes a pre-heat vessel 1002 and a pressure lock 1004 upstream of the vessel 202 of the heating system 200. The system 1000 further includes a containment vessel 1006, a high pressure cooling vessel 1008, a pressure lock vessel 1010, and a low pressure cooling vessel 1012 downstream of the vessel 202. Thus, while the system 200 is configured to provide preheating, heating, thermostating, and cooling functions, all functions except the heating function are offloaded to the new vessels 1002-1012 of the system 1000. This can increase capacity and further customize preheating, thermostating and cooling functions.

Referring to fig. 11, a schematic depiction of an exemplary computing system 1100 having one or more computing units that may implement the various systems, processes, and methods discussed herein is provided. For example, the example computing system 1100 may correspond to, among other things, the control system 150 of the heating system 100 of fig. 1 (or a computing device in communication with the control system 150 or otherwise capable of interacting with the control system 150). It should be understood that the specific embodiments of these means may be different possible specific computing architectures, all of which are not specifically discussed herein but will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.

Computer system 1100 may be a computing system capable of executing a computer program product to perform computer processes. The data and program files may be entered into computer system 1100, which reads the files and executes the programs therein. Some of the elements of computer system 1100 are shown in fig. 11, including one or more hardware processors 1102, one or more data storage devices 1104, one or more memory devices 1108, and/or one or more ports 1108-1112. Additionally, other elements that one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize may be included in the computing system 1100, but are not explicitly depicted in fig. 11 or discussed further herein. The various elements of computer system 1100 may communicate with each other via one or more communication buses, point-to-point communication paths, or other communication means not explicitly depicted in fig. 11.

The processor 1102 may include, for example, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), microprocessor, microcontroller, Digital Signal Processor (DSP), and/or one or more internal levels of cache. There may be one or more processors 1102 such that the processor 1102 comprises a single central processing unit, or multiple processing units capable of executing instructions and performing operations in parallel with one another, an environment of operation commonly referred to as a parallel processing environment.

The computer system 1100 may be a conventional computer, a distributed computer, or any other type of computer, such as one or more external computers available through a cloud computing architecture. The presently described techniques are optionally implemented in software that is stored on one or more data storage devices 1104, on memory device 1106, and/or that communicates via one or more ports 1108-1112, thereby converting computer system 1100 in fig. 11 into a special-purpose machine for performing the operations described herein. Examples of computer system 1100 include personal computers, terminals, workstations, mobile phones, tablets, laptops, personal computers, multimedia consoles, gaming consoles, set-top boxes, and the like.

The one or more data stores 1104 may include any non-volatile data store capable of storing data generated or employed within the computing system 1100, such as computer-executable instructions for executing computer processes, which may include instructions for both application programs and an Operating System (OS) that manages various components of the computing system 1100. The data storage 1104 may include, but is not limited to, magnetic disk drives, optical disk drives, Solid State Drives (SSDs), flash drives, and the like. Data storage 1104 may include removable data storage media, non-removable data storage media, and/or external storage available through a wired or wireless network architecture, wherein such computer program products include one or more database management products, network server products, application server products, and/or other additional software components. Examples of removable data storage media include compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc read only memory (DVD-ROM), magneto-optical disks, flash drives, and the like. Examples of non-removable data storage media include internal magnetic hard disks, SSDs, and the like. The one or more memory devices 1106 may include volatile memory (e.g., Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), etc.) and/or non-volatile memory (e.g., Read Only Memory (ROM), flash memory, etc.).

A computer program product containing a mechanism for implementing systems and methods according to the presently described technology may reside in data storage 1104 and/or memory device 1106, which data storage 1104 and/or memory device 1106 may be referred to as a machine-readable medium. It should be appreciated that a machine-readable medium may include any tangible, non-transitory medium that is capable of storing or encoding instructions for performing any one or more operations of the present disclosure for execution by a machine, or that is capable of storing or encoding data structures and/or modules utilized by or associated with such instructions. The term "machine-readable medium" can include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more executable instructions or data structures.

In some embodiments, computer system 1100 includes one or more ports, such as input/output (I/O) port(s) 1108, communication port(s) 1110, and subsystem port(s) 1112, for communicating with other computing devices, network devices, or the like. It should be understood that ports 1108-1112 can be combined together or separated and more or fewer ports can be included in computer system 1100.

The I/O ports 1108 may connect to I/O devices or other devices through which information is input to or output from the computing system 1100. Such I/O devices may include, but are not limited to, one or more input devices, output devices, and/or ambient transducer devices.

In one embodiment, the input device converts human-generated signals, such as a human voice, body movement, physical touch or pressure, into electrical signals as input data to the computing system 1100 via the I/O ports 1108. Similarly, an output device may convert electrical signals received from computing system 1100 via I/O ports 1108 into signals that can be perceived by a human as output, such as sound, light, and/or touch. The input device may be an alphanumeric input device including alphanumeric and other keys for communicating information and/or command selections to the processor 1102 through the I/O port 1108. The input device may be another type of user input device including, but not limited to: directional and selection control devices such as a mouse, a trackball, cursor direction keys, a joystick, and/or a scroll wheel; one or more sensors, such as a camera, microphone, position sensor, orientation sensor, gravity sensor, inertial sensor, and/or accelerometer; and/or a touch-sensitive display screen ("touchscreen"). Output devices may include, but are not limited to, displays, touch screens, speakers, tactile and/or haptic output devices, and the like. In some embodiments, the input device and the output device may be the same device, for example, in the case of a touch screen.

The ambient transducer device converts one form of energy or signal into another form of energy or signal for input to or output from the computing system 1100 through the I/O ports 1108. For example, an electrical signal generated within computing system 1100 may be converted into another type of signal, and/or vice versa. In one implementation, the environment transducer device senses a characteristic or aspect of the environment of the computing device 1100, such as light, sound, temperature, pressure, magnetic field, electric field, chemical property, physical movement, orientation, acceleration, gravity, etc., local or remote to the computing device. Further, the environment transducer device can generate signals to exert an effect on the local or remote environment of the example computing device 1100, such as physical movement of an object (e.g., a mechanical actuator), heating or cooling of a substance, adding a chemical substance, and so forth.

In one embodiment, the computer system 1100 may receive network data through a communication port 1110 connected to a network, which may be used to perform the methods and systems shown herein as well as to communicate information and network configuration changes determined thereby. In other words, the communication port 1110 connects the computer system 1100 to one or more communication interface devices configured to transmit and/or receive information between the computer system 1100 and other devices over one or more wired or wireless communication networks or connections. Examples of such networks or connections include, but are not limited to, Universal Serial Bus (USB), Ethernet, WiFi,Near Field Communication (NFC), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and the like. One or more such communication interface devices may be utilized via communication port 1110 to communicate with one or more other machines, either directly through a point-to-point communication path, through a Wide Area Network (WAN) (e.g., the internet), through a Local Area Network (LAN), through a cellular (e.g., third generation (3G) or fourth generation (4G)) network, or through another means of communication. Further, the communication port 1110 may communicate with an antenna for electromagnetic signal transmission and/or reception.

Computer system 1100 may include subsystem port 1112 for communicating with one or more subsystems to control operation of the one or more subsystems and to exchange information between computer system 1100 and the one or more subsystems. Examples of such subsystems include, but are not limited to, imaging systems (e.g., infrared or other temperature-related imaging systems), motor controllers and systems for controlling aspects of a heating system or related equipment, battery controllers, fuel cells or other energy storage systems or controls, lighting systems, environmental controls, and the like.

The system shown in FIG. 11 is but one possible example of a computer system that may be employed or configured in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. It should be understood that other non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions for implementing the presently disclosed technology on a computing system may be utilized.

Numerous examples are provided herein to enhance understanding of the present disclosure. A specific set of claims is provided below. Such statements are intended to be merely examples of potential embodiments of the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

As used herein, the terms "comprising," "comprises," and "comprising" are open-ended conjunctions used to transition from a subject matter recited before the term to one or more elements recited after the term, where the one or more elements listed after the conjunctive are not necessarily the only elements that make up the subject matter.

As used herein, the term "comprising" has the same open-ended meaning as "comprising" and "comprises".

As used herein, the term "having," has the same open-ended meaning as "comprising," comprises, and comprises.

As used herein, the term "containing" has the same open-ended meaning as "comprising" and "comprises.

As used herein, the terms "a", "an" and "the" mean one or more.

As used herein, the term "and/or," when used in a list of two or more items, means that any one of the listed items can be used alone, or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be used. For example, if a composition is described as containing components A, B and/or C, the composition can contain a alone; b alone; independently contain C; a combination of A and B; a combination of A and C; a combination of B and C; or a combination of A, B and C.

The terms "about," "substantially," and "approximately" as generally used herein refer to an acceptable degree of error in a measured quantity given the nature or accuracy of the measurement. Typical exemplary degrees of error may be within 20%, within 10%, or within 5% of a given value or range of values.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers recited herein are to be understood as modified in all instances by the term "about". The numerical values disclosed herein are approximations, and each numerical value is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that numerical value. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical value should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding the approximations of the numerical values set forth herein, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples of actual measured values are reported as precisely as possible.

All numerical ranges set forth herein include all sub-ranges set forth herein. For example, a range of "1 to 10" and "between 1 and 10" is intended to include all sub-ranges between the recited minimum value of 1 and the recited maximum value of 10, and including both the recited maximum and minimum values.

All percentages and ratios are by weight unless otherwise indicated. All percentages and ratios are based on the total weight of the compound or composition, unless otherwise specified.

While the present disclosure has been described with reference to various embodiments, it will be understood that these embodiments are illustrative and that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. Many variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are possible. More generally, embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described in the context of particular embodiments. In various embodiments of the disclosure, functions may be separated or combined in different ways in blocks, or described with different terminology. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements may fall within the scope of the disclosure as defined in the claims that follow.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, various modifications thereto, as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Such changes and modifications are within the scope and teachings of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.