Multi-Zone Fryer Oil Level Control for Uniform Deep-Frying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large-scale food processing systems face increased costs and complexity due to duplication of deep-fryer components and oil usage, with existing deep-fryers struggling to maintain consistent oil levels, leading to uneven frying results.
Innovation Solution
A multi-zone fryer with oil level sensors and control valves in each zone to regulate oil levels, ensuring a predetermined level is maintained throughout the cooking process, using a circulation system that matches oil flow with conveyor belt speed to prevent turbulence and maintain uniform deep-frying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single deep-fryer with extended conveyor arrangement is used to process greater volumes of food, then productivity increases, but device complexity and oil volume requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fryer is divided into multiple cooking zones (first cooking zone, second cooking zone, etc.) along the conveyor path. Each zone has independent oil level control systems with separate inlet and outlet valves. This segmentation allows the system to handle larger food volumes through extended conveyor arrangement while maintaining manageable complexity by dividing the oil control system into independent controllable sections.
2Productivity
If parallel frying process lines are used to process greater volumes of food, then productivity increases, but costs and device complexity increase due to duplication of components
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cooking zones are merged into a single integrated fryer system with a common conveyor belt passing through all zones. The heating system, control unit, and overall structure are shared across zones, reducing component duplication compared to parallel fryer lines while still achieving increased food processing capacity through the extended single-pass conveyor arrangement.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a large reservoir volume is used to maintain counter-balancing oil flow, then temperature uniformity improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The oil level control system uses dynamic adjustment of inlet and outlet valves in each cooking zone based on real-time oil level sensor feedback. This dynamic control allows the system to maintain temperature uniformity through controlled oil circulation without requiring a large fixed reservoir volume, thereby reducing the energy needed to heat and maintain a large volume of oil.
Solution Approach 2:
Each cooking zone is equipped with oil level sensors that provide feedback to the control unit, which automatically adjusts the inlet and outlet valves to maintain optimal oil levels. This feedback mechanism ensures temperature uniformity through precise oil level management without requiring excessive oil volume, thus reducing energy consumption compared to systems that rely on large reservoirs for stability.
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 solution reduces energy consumption and maintains consistent oil levels, ensuring uniform deep-frying of food products across all zones, reducing costs and improving frying efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The oil circulation system generates a flow of cooking oil that moves through the oil bath in a direction transverse to the movement of the food product and which is intended to provide substantially equal temperature throughout the oil bath
Implementation Method 2
An arrangement of a pump to pump oil out of the reservoir below a particular oil level through outlet pipes, then through pump further through conduit and inlet pipes entering the reservoir above the particular oil level
Implementation Method 3
a heated bath of cooking oil carried in a reservoir through which food products are carried on a conveyor means for cooking or frying said products
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-zone fryer (100) and method for preparation of fried food products (187) comprising an elongated cooking trough (105) for holding a volume of heated cooking oil (115), at least first and second rollers (106a, 106b), and a conveyor (110) arranged to extend and transport the food products in a direction from the first roller (106a) at an inlet end (120), along the bottom (121) of the trough to the second roller (106b) at an outlet end (122), wherein the elongated cooking trough (105) comprises at least a first and second cooking zone (140, 145), each cooking zone having oil level sensors (170,175,180,181) configured to co-operate and control an oil inlet control valve (184;184a) and an oil outlet control valve (185;185a) arranged in fluid connection with the trough (105) and an oil circulation system to ensure that a predetermined oil level is kept in the trough.