PFI-TT: Prototyping a Electromechanical Sensor to Reduce Cheese Trim Losses

PFI-TT：制作机电传感器原型以减少奶酪边角损失

• 批准号: 2345656
• 负责人: Melih Eriten
• 金额: $ 55万
• 依托单位: University of Wisconsin-Madison
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-03-01 至 2026-02-28
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2345656&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: PFI; TT; Prototyping; Electromechanical; Sensor

This Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project develops sensor that will reduce food loss/waste. Much of the food waste in the cheese industry occurs during processing, with cheese/milk lost to trim losses. The new sensor will reduce trim losses by providing real-time information on the mechanical behavior of the cheese that will allow automated adjustments to cutting parameters. In addition, the mechanical property data gathered for each pack of cheese will create a detailed and labeled database that will be very valuable for cheese makers and retailers. For instance, cheesemakers may use the database to infer dietary, seasonal, and regional variations of cheese texture and constituents. This, in the long run, will promote standardization and reduce trim losses due to variations in cheesemaking. The database will facilitate quality control and pack-to-pack consistency and improve customer satisfaction at the retail stage. The sensor can be extended to other segments of consumer-packaged goods, such as portioned fruits, vegetables, meat, and cereal bars. In addition, trainees will develop technical and entrepreneurial skills through this project. This project will address the challenge of trim losses in cheese processing, which can result in up to 30% lost revenue and several billion pounds of cheese/milk loss annually. A sensor will be prototyped that leverages recent developments in using information contained in surface waves emitted during cutting to determine material behavior. The objectives are: (1) to develop a prototype sensor, (2) to test the sensor on well-controlled cheese substitutes, and (3) to test the sensor on common cheese. The prototype sensor will be developed using low-cost optical sensors, which will undergo validation against multipoint laser vibrometry. Initial sensor testing will be completed on gelatin with deformable fillers. This cheese substitute has been selected because of prior research use and because it allows tight control over material behavior to confirm the sensor output. Subsequent sensor testing will focus on cheeses that account for 2/3 of U.S. cheese consumption (mild/sharp cheddar, Gouda and mozzarella). The anticipated technical outcomes will be a working prototype sensor and a thorough understanding of the relationships between surface waves and cheese properties.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这种创新的合作伙伴关系 - 技术翻译（PFI -TT）项目开发了可以减少粮食损失/浪费的传感器。奶酪行业中的许多食物浪费都发生在加工过程中，奶酪/牛奶损失了损失。新的传感器将通过提供有关奶酪机械行为的实时信息来减少修剪损失，从而可以自动调整切割参数。此外，为每包奶酪收集的机械属性数据将创建一个详细且标记的数据库，对于奶酪制造商和零售商来说非常有价值。例如，奶酪制造商可以使用数据库来推断奶酪质地和成分的饮食，季节性和区域变化。从长远来看，这将促进标准化并减少由于奶酪制造的变化而导致的修剪损失。该数据库将促进质量控制和包装一致的一致性，并在零售阶段提高客户满意度。该传感器可以扩展到其他包装商品的其他部分，例如分配的水果，蔬菜，肉和谷物棒。 此外，学员将通过该项目发展技术和创业技能。该项目将解决奶酪加工中修剪损失的挑战，这可能会导致30％的收入损失和每年数十亿磅的奶酪/牛奶损失。传感器将是原型的，即利用在切割过程中发出的表面波中包含的信息来确定材料行为。目标是：（1）开发原型传感器，（2）在控制良好的奶酪替代品上测试传感器，以及（3）在普通奶酪上测试传感器。 原型传感器将使用低成本光学传感器开发，该传感器将对多点激光振动法进行验证。初始传感器测试将在明胶上使用可变形填充剂完成。由于先前的研究使用，因此选择了这种奶酪替代品，并且因为它允许对材料行为的严格控制以确认传感器输出。 随后的传感器测试将集中于占美国奶酪消费2/3的奶酪（轻度/夏普切达干酪，Gouda和Mozzarella）。预期的技术结果将是一个有效的原型传感器，并且对表面波和奶酪特性之间的关系有透彻的理解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是值得通过基金会的知识分子和更广泛影响的评估评估的评估来支持的。