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Exhaust flow control system and method

  • US 10,082,299 B2
  • Filed: 06/29/2016
  • Issued: 09/25/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2008
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An exhaust ventilation system adapted for use with a cooking appliance that generates exhaust air, the exhaust ventilation system, comprising:

  • an exhaust hood positioned above the cooking appliance;

    at least one temperature sensor attached to the exhaust hood and measuring temperature of exhaust air in a vicinity of the exhaust hood;

    a radiant temperature sensor measuring radiant temperature of a surface of the cooking appliance;

    a control module receiving a signal indicating the temperature of the exhaust air from the at least one temperature sensor and receiving a signal indicating the radiant temperature from the radiant temperature sensor,the control module being coupled to a motor controller and configured to determine a status of the cooking appliance as at least one ofa cooking state,an idle state, andan off state based ona mean of the radiant temperature, the temperature of the exhaust air, and fluctuation in the radiant temperature,the control module further configured to determine the status as the cooking state in response to the measured radiant temperature increasing or decreasing at a rate faster than a predetermined threshold, andthe control module further configured to control an exhaust air flow rate based on the determined status of the cooking appliance;

    an exhaust fan for removing exhaust air generated by the cooking appliance; and

    the motor controller for controlling the exhaust fan coupled to the control module and the exhaust fan, whereinthe control module is configured to change the exhaust flow rate through the motor controller to design exhaust flow rate (Qdesign) when the cooking appliance is determined to be in the cooking state, to the idle exhaust flow rate (Qidle) when the appliance status is determined to be in the idle state, and to the off exhaust flow rate when the appliance is determined to be in the off state, andwherein the control module determines that the cooking appliance is in the cooking state when there is a fluctuation in the radiant temperature and the radiant temperature is greater than a predetermined minimum radiant temperature, the cooking appliance is in the idle state when there is no fluctuation in the radiant temperature, and the cooking appliance is in the off state when there is no fluctuation in the radiant temperature and the radiant temperature is less than a minimum predetermined radiant temperature.

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