Steam Compression Fryer Heating for Lower-Oil Snack Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Frying processes for snack foods, particularly potato chips, face challenges in achieving high energy efficiency and reducing waste heat generation while maintaining product quality and consistency.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a continuous fryer with a closed oil recirculation system and a steam management system that captures and compresses steam to provide additional heat for oil heating, using a gas turbine engine to generate electricity and utilize waste heat, creating a high-pressure steam blanket to reduce oil content in the final product.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If steam is captured and compressed to heat oil, then energy efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent captures waste steam that would normally be exhausted to the atmosphere or thermal oxidizer and converts it into a useful heating resource. The steam is compressed to elevate its temperature, then used to heat the cooking oil through a heat exchanger. This transforms a harmful waste product into a beneficial energy source, directly improving energy efficiency while the heat exchanger integration manages the added system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The steam compression system serves multiple functions: it heats the oil for frying, generates electricity through the gas turbine engine, and provides waste heat for additional heating. This multi-functionality justifies the added device complexity by delivering multiple benefits from a single integrated system.
2Use of energy by moving object
If a closed oil recirculation system is used, then energy efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a closed recirculation system where cooking oil is continuously pumped from the fryer, heated in a heat exchanger using steam energy, and returned to the fryer. This recovers and reuses thermal energy that would otherwise be lost, significantly improving energy efficiency. The systematic integration of pumps and heat exchangers manages the device complexity through organized component arrangement.
3Loss of substance
If steam is compressed to high pressure, then oil content in product is reduced, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses waste steam from the frying process, which would normally be discarded, and compresses it to high pressure and temperature. This compressed steam is then used to heat the oil and maintain the high-pressure steam blanket. By converting waste steam into a high-energy resource, the system achieves reduced oil content in products without proportionally increasing external energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The steam compression process utilizes phase transitions and thermodynamic principles to elevate steam temperature and pressure. The compressed high-pressure steam provides enhanced heating capability and maintains the steam blanket more effectively, which reduces oil absorption by the fried food. The phase change from low-pressure to high-pressure steam delivers concentrated energy for oil reduction.
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 method achieves significant energy and cost savings, reduces waste heat, and results in snack foods with lower oil content without compromising taste, organoleptic, or sensory qualities, while also recovering water for further use in the manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
An output 20 for condensate, in the form of water. The working fluid undergoes a phase change, from a gas to a liquid, within the second side 11 of the first heat exchanger 10 and the resultant latent heat given up is employed, together with the heat transfer resulting from the elevated input temperature of the working fluid as compared to the oil input temperature into the first side 9, to heat the oil in the first heating phase.
Implementation Method 2
A mechanical vapour compressor 44. The compressor 44 compresses the gaseous working fluid to an even higher temperature and pressure.
Implementation Method 3
The working fluid undergoes a phase change, from a gas to a liquid, within the second side 11 of the first heat exchanger 10
Implementation Method 4
An engine 46 is powered by burning a combustible gas, such as natural gas. Typically, the engine 46 is a gas turbine engine.
Implementation Method 5
The exhaust 54 feeds exhaust gas from the gas engine 46 at a typical temperature of about 300 to 500°C
Implementation Method 6
The exhaust 54 for combustion products which is connected as an input 56 to a second side 15 of the second heat exchanger 14. An output 58 of the second side 15 of the second heat exchanger 14 connects to the chimney 40 for exhausting the combustion products from the gas engine to atmosphere.
Implementation Method 7
The provision of a heavy steam blanket within the hood above the fryer can provide reduced fat content of the snack food products
Implementation Method 8
At the inlet end 4 of the fryer 2 the temperature of the steam within the hood 24 is substantially the same as in the conventional fryer. However, downstream of approximately the mid point of the fryer 2, the heavy steam blanket can preferably cause the temperature of the steam within the hood 24 to increase by approximately 40 to 45°C
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
An apparatus for frying foodstuffs, the apparatus comprising a fryer (2) having inlet (4) and outlet (6) longitudinal ends, an oil recirculating system coupled to the fryer, a heat exchanger (10) for heating the oil in the oil recirculating system, a hood (24) above the fryer (2) for collecting steam generated during the frying process, a conduit (32) for conveying steam from the hood (24), and a compressor (44) for compressing the steam, the compressor (44) having an input connected to the conduit (32) and an output for compressed steam connected to the heat exchanger (10).