Kitchen hood filtration apparatus

Details Kitchen hood filtration apparatus Kitchen hood filtration apparatus

1998-12-29

2001-05-22

Chiesa, Richard L. (Department: 1724)

Gas separation: apparatus

Electric field separation apparatus

And serially arranged nonelectrical separator

C055SDIG003, C096S063000, C096S064000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06235090

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to a kitchen hood filtration apparatus which removes cooking odors and collects particles, oil mist, grease droplets and water fog resulting from the cooking of food. The kitchen hood filtration apparatus produces sufficiently clean exhaust air which can be returned to the kitchen.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electronic air cleaners have been used in the restaurant industry for many years. Electronic air cleaners have been used both to purify outside air drawn into the restaurant, and to clean exhaust cooking air so that it can be discharged outdoors. However, it has been difficult to remove all particles, oil and grease droplets, vapors and odors from commercial cooking effluent so that the exhaust can be returned directly to the room.
Conventional hood filtration systems used in commercial kitchens employ electronic air cleaners for removal of particles from the air. These electronic air cleaners do not adequately remove vapor and odors. The conventional electronic air cleaners use a positive corona (electrodes with positive polarity) to minimize ozone production.
Attempts have been made to remove vapors and odor by placing charcoal granular beds downstream from the electronic air cleaner. The charcoal beds have not proven effective in odor removal, and instead emit rancid odors when not frequently replaced. Other kitchen hood systems employ baffles and chemical baths to remove grease, vapor and odors. These systems require high maintenance, and have not proven effective in removing odors. Absent frequent maintenance, the performance of these hood systems deteriorates rapidly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a kitchen hood filtration system which removes particles, oil mist, grease droplets, water fog and cooking odors from cooking effluent, producing clean exhaust air which can be returned directly to a kitchen, room and/or restaurant. The filtration system includes four significant components. These are a baffle filter, an electronic precipitator which generates ozone using negative corona, an odor removal device which uses the ozone, and an exhaust fan.
The electrostatic precipitator having negative corona (produced by electrodes with negative polarity) generates a significant amount of ozone which, in effect, substantially reduces the rancid grease odor emitted by many conventional hood systems. Other odors are also removed by the oxidation effect of the ozone. Additionally, the negative corona is more stable than positive corona, permitting higher voltage operation of the precipitator to facilitate more efficient particle collection.
The odor removal device uses the ozone generated by the corona, and destroys the ozone. The odor removal device may include a charcoal filter, a positive corona device, or a charcoal filter combined with a positive electrostatic field. During the deodorizing process, the ozone is converted to oxygen. Some of the ozone reacts with and oxidizes odor-producing compounds to eliminate their odor. Any excess ozone is converted to free oxygen.
The baffle filter and exhaust fan may be conventional. The baffle filter removes most grease and oil droplets. Unlike a conventional apparatus, the exhaust fan may be directed to return clean exhaust air to the kitchen and/or restaurant which is the source of the kitchen effluent.
With the foregoing in mind, it is a feature and advantage of the invention to provide an improved kitchen hood filtration system which combines a conventional baffle filter and exhaust fan with an ozone-producing negative corona electrostatic precipitator, and an odor removal device which uses the ozone to eliminate odor, and converts excess ozone to atmospheric oxygen.
It is also a feature and advantage of the invention to provide an integrated kitchen hood filtration system that removes odors from cooking effluent as well as particles, oil mist, grease droplets and water fog.
The foregoing and other features and advantages will become further apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative rather than limiting, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.


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“Operations and Service Manual, (Modes FSH-2 and FSH-2A)”, Giles Food Service Equipment, Giles Enterprises, Inc., Montgomery, Alabama, Form No. 64916 (Jul. 1998).
Harry J. White, “Industrial Electrostatic Precipitation”, Addison-Wesley, 1963, pp. 33-87.

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