Cooking Oil Filtration Locking Control for Pressure-Safe Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial cooking oil filtration systems pose safety hazards due to high fluid pressures and mechanical movements, risking personnel safety during maintenance and operation, as they often require access to enclosed areas with unsafe conditions.
Innovation Solution
A cooking-oil filtration system with electronically controlled locks, a programmable controller, electrically controlled pumps, and a graphical user interface that prevents door access during unsafe operational states, such as pump motion or high pressures, ensuring doors can only be unlocked when pumps are off and pressures are below a predetermined threshold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If access to the enclosure is permitted during operation for maintenance and adjustment, then ease of operation is improved, but personnel safety deteriorates due to exposure to high fluid pressures and mechanical movements
Solution Approach 1:
An electronic safety locking system acts as an intermediary between the operator and the enclosure. The system monitors pump operation status and pressure levels, and only permits door unlocking when safe conditions are detected (pumps off and pressure below threshold), thereby mediating access control to prevent harmful exposure while maintaining operational accessibility
2Object-affected harmful factors
If electronically controlled locks with safety monitoring are implemented, then personnel safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking system incorporates feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring pump operation status and pressure sensor readings. The door locks are electronically controlled based on this feedback, remaining locked when unsafe conditions are detected and unlocking automatically when safe conditions are confirmed, providing intelligent safety control without excessive complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Traditional mechanical interlocks or manual safety procedures are replaced with an electronic control system that uses electrical signals from pressure sensors and pump motors to control the door locks. This substitution provides more reliable and automated safety control while reducing the complexity of mechanical safety mechanisms
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention is a cooking-oil filtration system for automated cooking apparatus which has a solids-removing filter for cleaning cooking oil from the food-fryer and returning oil to the cooking apparatus.