System and method for sensing oil quality

• US 10,436,730 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2016
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitco Frialator LLC (Middleby Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pitco Frialator Inc. (Middleby Corporation)
• Inventors: Lambert, Nathaniel A., Fecteau, Michael T., Finnie, Jason D., Perkins, Jared C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hollington, Jermele M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rhodes-Vivour, Temilade S
• Application Number:
  US15/379,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20170176369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 324693
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/1266 Control devices, e.g. to control temperature, level or quality of the frying liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/12 of a solid body in dependence upon absorption of a fluid; of a solid body in dependence upon reaction with a fluid , for detecting components in the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/03 Edible oils or edible fats
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00584 Control arrangements for automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0617 specially adapted for fluid materials

Abstract

A system for measuring the state of degradation of cooking oil in a deep fryer is provided. The system includes a loop of piping fluidly connected to a fryer for selectively allowing flow of oil from the fryer and into the loop and for returning to the fryer. A pump urges the flow of cooking oil through the loop of piping and selectively to urge oil to return to the at least one fryer pot. The loop further comprises a return portion that extends from a discharge of the pump toward a suction of the pump. A sensor is disposed in the return portion of the loop and adapted to measure an electrical property that is indicative of total polar materials of said cooking oil. A vent line is provided in the return portion of the loop.

Claims

1. A system for measuring the state of degradation of cooking oil comprising:

a vat for receipt of cooking oil, the vat remote from a device used to cook food product with cooking oil;

a pump in fluid communication with the vat, the pump fluidly connected to take suction from the vat;

a sensor disposed in fluid communication within the vat and adapted to measure an electrical property that is indicative of the quality of the cooking oil within the vat;

wherein the sensor is disposed in a fluid conduit that is in fluid communication with the pump, further comprising a vent line disposed in fluid communication with the fluid conduit proximate to the sensor, the vent line in communication with the vat,

wherein the vent line has an inner diameter that is smaller than an inner diameter of the fluid conduit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vat comprises a filtering media disposed therein the filtering media configured to remove impurities from cooking oil that flows through the filtering media.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the vent line is disposed between the filtering media and the pump.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of the vent line is at least three times smaller than the inner diameter of the fluid conduit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the vent line is disposed between the sensor and a first isolation valve, the first isolation valve being adjustable between a first position to allow fluid flow therethrough and a second position to prevent fluid flow therethrough.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a second isolation valve that is disposed on an opposite side of the sensor as the vent line.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising a second valve that is disposed in the vent line.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a controller that controls the position of each of the first isolation valve and the second valve and maintains the positions of the first isolation valve and the second valve in an opposite position to each other.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the second isolation valve receives a signal from the first valve that is indicative of the position of the first valve, wherein the second isolation valve is configured to be automatically positioned into a position that is opposite the position of the first valve with a master/slave relationship.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the vent line is disposed downstream of a discharge side of the pump.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to measure an electrical property that is indicative of the total polar materials of the cooking oil.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to measure the electrical property of the cooking oil when the cooking oil flows past the sensor.

13. A system for measuring the state of degradation of cooking oil in a deep fryer comprising:

at least one fryer pot;

a loop of piping fluidly connected to said at least one fryer pot for selectively allowing flow of oil from the at least one fryer pot into the loop and for selectively allowing the cooking oil to return to said at least one fryer pot from the loop;

a pump for urging the flow of cooking oil through the loop of piping and selectively to urge oil to return to the at least one fryer pot,

the loop further comprising a first valve that is positionable to a closed position to prevent oil flow to or from the at least one fryer pot, and is positioned to an open position to allow flow to or from the at least one fryer pot,

the loop further comprises a return portion that extends from a discharge of the pump toward a suction of the pump, wherein the return portion includes a second valve that is configured to selectively prevent or allow flow through the return portion;

a sensor disposed in fluid communication within the loop and adapted to measure an electrical property that is indicative of the quality of the cooking oil within the loop of piping, wherein the sensor is disposed in the return portion of the loop,

wherein the return portion of the loop further comprises a vent line disposed proximate to the sensor, wherein fluid within the loop can flow into and through the vent line,

further comprising a controller that receives a signal from the sensor indicative of the measured electrical property of the oil, wherein the first and second valves are remotely operable by the controller, and the controller is configured to selectively operate one or both of the first and second valves based upon the measured electrical property of the oil, wherein the vent line further comprises a third valve disposed therein, wherein the third valve is remotely operated by the controller to a closed position when the second valve is open, and the third valve is remotely operated to the open position when the second valve is closed.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the diameter of the vent line is at least 3 times smaller than a diameter of the return portion of the loop.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensor is configured to measure the electrical property of the cooking oil when the cooking oil flows past the sensor.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising an oil filtration system that is disposed in fluid communication with the loop.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the vent line drains into the oil filtration system.

18. The system of claim 13 further comprising a fourth valve positioned within the return portion and located between the sensor and an oil filtration system, such that oil flowing through the return portion flows first through the sensor, then through the third valve, and then into the oil filtration system.

19. The system of claim 13,

further comprising a fourth valve positioned within the return potion and located between the sensor and an oil filtration system such that oil flowing through the return portion flows first through the sensor, then through the fourth valve, and then into the oil filtration system, wherein the controller maintains the position of the third valve in the opposite position as the fourth valve.

20. A system for measuring the state of degradation of cooking oil in a deep fryer comprising:

at least one fryer pot;

a loop of piping fluidly connected to said at least one fryer pot for selectively allowing flow of oil from the at least one fryer pot into the loop and for selectively allowing the cooking oil to return to said at least one fryer pot from the loop;

a pump for urging the flow of cooking oil through the loop of piping and selectively to urge oil to return to the at least one fryer pot,

the loop further comprises a recirculation portion that extends from a discharge of the pump toward a suction of the pump, wherein the recirculation portion includes a first valve that is configured to selectively prevent or allow flow through the recirculation portion;

a sensor disposed in fluid communication within the loop and adapted to measure an electrical property that is indicative of the quality of the cooking oil within the loop of piping, wherein the sensor is disposed in the recirculation portion of the loop,

further comprising a vent line positioned within the recirculation portion and proximate to the sensor, wherein the vent line comprises a second valve disposed therein, and further comprising a controller that is in communication to operate the first and second valves, wherein the controller maintains the first and second valves in the opposite positions to each other.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising a third valve that is disposed within the loop of piping and proximate to a drain of the at least one fryer pot and a fourth valve that is disposed within the loop of piping and proximate to a return of the at least one fryer pot.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the third and fourth valves are shut during operation of the sensor.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the third and fourth valves are open during operation of the sensor.

24. A system for measuring the state of degradation of cooking oil in a deep fryer comprising:

at least one fryer pot;

a loop of piping fluidly connected to said at least one fryer pot for selectively allowing flow of oil from the at least one fryer pot into the loop and for selectively allowing the cooking oil to return to said at least one fryer pot from the loop;

a pump for urging the flow of cooking oil through the loop of piping and selectively to urge oil to return to the at least one fryer pot,

the loop further comprises a recirculation portion that extends from a discharge of the pump toward a suction of the pump, wherein the recirculation portion includes a first valve that is configured to selectively prevent or allow flow through the recirculation portion;

a sensor disposed in fluid communication within the loop and adapted to measure an electrical property that is indicative of the quality of the cooking oil within the loop of piping, wherein the sensor is disposed in the recirculation portion of the loop, further comprising a vent line positioned within the recirculation portion and proximate to the sensor wherein the vent line comprises a second valve disposed therein, wherein the second valve receives a signal from the first valve that is indicative of the position of the first valve, wherein the second valve is configured to be automatically positioned into a position that is opposite the position of the first valve with a master/slave relationship.