Fryer Cooking Medium Temperature Management Around Filtration Cycles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Fryer cooking medium temperature drops during filtration cycles, leading to delayed start times for subsequent cooking cycles and reduced throughput, as well as potential reduction in cooking medium service life due to skipped filtration cycles.

Innovation Solution

A controller system that adjusts the cooking medium temperature set-point during cooking cycles to a higher set-point if a filtration cycle is scheduled, allowing for preheating and reducing the time needed to reheat the medium post-filtration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of stationary object

If the cooking medium is filtered periodically to maintain cooking quality and extend operational lifetime, then the service life of the cooking medium is extended, but the temperature drop during filtration delays the start of the next cooking cycle and reduces throughput

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice life of cooking mediumVSAvoidthroughput of fryer

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The controller preheats the cooking medium during the cooking cycle when a filtration cycle is scheduled to follow, preparing the medium in advance for the upcoming filtration. This preliminary heating action reduces the temperature drop impact and minimizes the time required to reheat the medium after filtration, thereby maintaining higher throughput while still extending cooking medium service life through periodic filtering

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of substance

If the cooking medium is filtered frequently to extend operational life, then the cost of cooking medium replacement is reduced, but the cumulative downtime from multiple filtration cycles increases and reduces overall productivity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecost of cooking medium replacementVSAvoidcumulative downtime from filtration cycles

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By preheating the cooking medium during the cooking cycle before filtration is scheduled, the system reduces the reheating time required after each filtration cycle. This allows for more frequent filtration cycles to be performed with minimal cumulative downtime, thereby extending cooking medium operational life without significantly impacting overall productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of time

If the temperature set-point is increased before a filtration cycle, then the reheating time after filtration is reduced, but the energy consumption during the cooking cycle increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereheating time after filtrationVSAvoidenergy consumption during cooking cycle

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The controller increases the temperature set-point during the cooking cycle when filtration is scheduled to follow, preheating the cooking medium in advance. This preliminary heating action stores thermal energy that will be available after filtration, reducing the reheating time and energy consumption during the post-filtration period, thereby balancing energy usage across the entire cooking-filtration cycle

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The heating element continues to operate at elevated temperature during the cooking cycle to maintain the cooking medium above the required cooking temperature. This continuous heating action ensures that the medium is already hot when filtration begins, eliminating the need for complete cooling and subsequent reheating, thus maintaining continuous useful heating action throughout the cycle

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach reduces the duration of filtration cycles by preheating the cooking medium, thereby minimizing downtime and encouraging more frequent filtration, which extends the cooking medium's operational life and maintains cooking quality.

Implementation Method 1

Heat is typically provided to the cooking medium using an electrical heating element submerged in the cooking medium

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Implementation Method 2

the food products are cooked by heat from the cooking medium

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 3

the cooking medium experiences a drop in temperature during the filtration cycle

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentUS11191390B2Temperature management of cooking medium in fryers around filtration cycles

Publication Date: 2021.12.07 HENNY PENNY CORP

AI summary

Systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for controlling a fryer. In response to determining a filtration cycle is scheduled to occur after a current cooking cycle, a temperature set-point for a cooking medium is increased to pre-heat the cooking medium prior to the end of the cooking cycle. A heating element used to heat the cooking medium may be deactivated prior to entering the filtration cycle, and reactivated during the filtration cycle in response to the filtered cooking medium in the fry pot reaching a predetermined level. Activating the heating element during the filtration cycle may further heat the cooking medium prior to starting the next cooking cycle, thereby reducing the total time needed for filtration and reheating for a subsequent cooking cycle.