Smokeless Barbecue Radiant Layout for Grease-Free Grilling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional barbecues produce smoke due to grease and juices igniting on heating elements, leading to suboptimal cooking and increased costs for wide grilling areas, as they rely on inefficient heat transmission by radiation and convection.

Innovation Solution

A smokeless barbecue design featuring radiating elements that emit heat mainly parallel to the grill, combined with reflecting surfaces and a cover device to shield flammable substances, allowing efficient heat radiation while preventing smoke formation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If heating elements are used to heat food by radiation, then cooking efficiency is improved, but grease and juices ignite on the heating elements producing smoke

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooking efficiencyVSAvoidsmoke production

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A radiating element is introduced as an intermediary between the heating element and the food. The heating element heats the radiating element, which then radiates heat to the food. This intermediary approach allows the heating element to remain shielded from direct contact with grease and juices, preventing smoke production while maintaining efficient radiant heating of the food.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The heating system is segmented into two distinct functional components: a heating element responsible for generating heat and a radiating element responsible for transferring heat to the food. This segmentation allows the radiating element to be positioned and designed specifically for efficient heat radiation to the food surface while being protected from direct exposure to flammable substances.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-generated harmful factors

If a shield is placed over the heating element to prevent grease ignition, then smoke production is reduced, but the shield itself gets heated and causes grease to catch fire

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesmoke productionVSAvoidgrease ignition

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-generated harmful factorsVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The radiating element serves as a thermal intermediary that absorbs heat from the heating element and redistributes it through radiation to the food. This mediator approach prevents direct thermal contact between the heat source and the grease, eliminating the fire hazard while maintaining effective heat transfer to the food.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The design converts the potential harmful effect of heat concentration into a beneficial radiant heat distribution pattern. By using a radiating element with specific geometric characteristics, the concentrated heat from the heating element is transformed into distributed radiant heat that efficiently cooks the food without creating localized hot spots that could ignite grease.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Device complexity

If conventional heating elements are used, then construction is simple, but heat transmission mainly by convection is inefficient for cooking meat

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconstruction simplicityVSAvoidcooking efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The radiating element acts as a thermal mediator that transforms the heat generation function into an optimized heat radiation function. This intermediary component enables the system to achieve efficient radiant heating characteristic of professional barbecue equipment while maintaining the construction simplicity of conventional heating elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 design achieves optimal grilling by maximizing heat radiation to the food while minimizing smoke production, enabling a wide grilling area with reduced complexity and cost compared to prior solutions.

Implementation Method 1

the radiating element is arranged so as to radiate the heat mainly in a direction substantially parallel to the grill

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal radiation: Thermal Radiation

Implementation Method 2

at least a reflecting surface facing the radiating element and arranged so as to reflect towards the grill the radiating heat coming from the radiating element

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentUS9591947B2Smokeless barbecue

Publication Date: 2017.03.14 ELECTROLUX PROFESSIONAL SPA

AI summary

A smokeless barbecue including a grill adapted for receiving food to be cooked thereon and at least one radiating element placed underneath the grill. The radiating element is arranged so as to radiate heat mainly in a direction substantially parallel to the grill. The barbecue further includes at least a reflecting surface facing the radiating element and arranged so as to reflect, towards the grill, the radiating heat coming from the radiating element, and a cover device placed between the grill and the radiating element to shield the radiating element from substances falling from the grill.