Method and measuring device for measuring the degree of conversion to caramel of a flowable compound

摘要

The degree of conversion to caramel of a liquid during a caramel production process is monitored in that the radiation absorption is measured in a cell (10) through which some of the conversion liquid flows. The light of a light source (1) is supplied via an optical fibre (2) to an optical waveguide rod (6) which, together with another optical waveguide rod (11), forms a measuring gap through which the liquid flows. The end of the optical waveguide rod (11) is connected to a phototransistor (12) which responds to radiation in the near infrared range. The conversion liquid is more transparent to this radiation than to visible light. A reference cell (5) contains a reference liquid. The measurement quantity is determined by forming the difference between the output signals of the phototransistors (12 and 7) of the two cells (10 and 5). <IMAGE>