Oil quality sensor and adapter for deep fryers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining cooking oil quality in deep fryers are subjective, time-consuming, or unreliable, and current sensors do not effectively detect the level of total polar materials (TPMs) in oil, which indicates oil degradation.
Innovation Solution
A capacitance sensor system is installed in the filtration loop of a deep fryer, external to the fryer pots, to measure the dielectric constant of the oil, allowing for continuous sampling and detection of TPMs, providing an indication when oil quality becomes unacceptable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If simple methods such as testing taste, smell and color are used, then the testing process is simple, but the accuracy and reliability are excessively poor and too time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual sensory testing methods with an automated capacitance sensing system that electrically measures oil degradation. The sensor system substitutes human taste, smell, and color assessment with objective electrical measurements of dielectric constant, eliminating subjectivity and reducing testing time while improving accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from subjective sensory attributes to the electrical property of dielectric constant. By measuring capacitance changes that correlate with total polar materials concentration, the system transforms quality assessment into a precise electrical measurement that is both rapid and accurate.
2Measurement precision
If chemical or chromatographic methods are used, then the testing is more comprehensive and accurate, but the process becomes time consuming and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex chemical and chromatographic analysis systems with a simpler capacitance-based electrical sensing system. The measurement approach substitutes sophisticated chemical separation and detection equipment with straightforward electrical capacitance measurements that provide comparable accuracy for TPMs detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes from measuring specific chemical components (fatty acids, polymeric triglycerides) through complex chemical methods to measuring the overall dielectric constant of the oil. This parameter transformation provides comprehensive degradation assessment without requiring identification of individual chemical species, simplifying the system while maintaining accuracy.
3Reliability
If a sensor is installed inside the fryer pot, then the measurement is direct, but the sensor is exposed to high temperature and oil debris causing reliability issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the measurement system into two separate locations: a pre-filtration sensor in the oil return line that measures oil quality before it enters the fryer pot, and a filtration system that removes debris. This segmentation protects the sensor from high-temperature exposure and debris contamination while maintaining measurement capability through the recirculating oil flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the recirculating oil flow as an intermediary medium to transfer the measurement function from the harsh fryer pot environment to the more favorable oil return line environment. The moving oil carries degradation products past the sensor, enabling indirect measurement without exposing the sensor to extreme conditions.
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
The system accurately determines when cooking oil has degraded, preventing premature or excessive use, thereby ensuring food safety and reducing waste by providing timely oil changes.
Implementation Method 1
an oil quality sensor that measures an electrical property of the oil... an increased capacitance measurement of the cooking oil is indicative of an increased level of TPMs
Implementation Method 2
measures an electrical property of the oil and is disposed in a filtration loop... tests the change in the capacitance... measures the dielectric constant of the oil
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for measuring the state of degradation of cooking oil or fat includes at least one fryer pot; a conduit fluidly connected to the fryer pot for transporting cooking oil from the fryer pot and returning the cooking oil back to the fryer pot. A means for re-circulating cooking oil to and from the fryer pot; and a sensor disposed in fluid communication with the conduit that measures an electrical property of the cooking oil as the cooking oil flows past the sensor and is returned to the at least one fryer pot is provided.