WO2012163958A2

WO2012163958A2 - An apparatus for cooling a hot fluid

Info

Publication number: WO2012163958A2
Application number: PCT/EP2012/060124
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kent Frøberg LARSEN; Martin Lillesø LARSEN; Peter Houlberg Abildhauge OLESEN
Original assignee: Ex-Burn Aps
Priority date: 2011-06-03
Filing date: 2012-05-30
Publication date: 2012-12-06
Also published as: WO2012163958A3

Abstract

An apparatus for cooling a hot fluid, the apparatus comprising a hollow cooler for introduction into the fluid, an elongate, hollow element for connecting the hollow cooler to a fluid supply, a cradle for holding the cooler when not in use, and a valve element adapted to prevent fluid supply to the cooler through the elongate element when the cooler is in the cradle and allow fluid supply when the cooler is not in the cradle. An apparatus for cooling a hot fluid, the apparatus comprising a cooler for introduction into the fluid, a cradle for holding the cooler when not in use, the cradle having a cover with a handle attached to one side thereof, where the cooler is attached to a side of the cover opposite to the side on which the handle is attached.

Description

AN APPARATUS FOR COOLING A HOT FLUID

The present invention relates to an apparatus for cooling a hot fluid, such hot or burning oil of a deep fryer. Several problems exist with the cooling of hot oil or fat in that cooling with e.g. water will create steam explosions where the water, when having travelled into the lighter oil/fat will expand and thus eject the hot oil/fat out of the fryer.

Extinguishing the burning oil/fat with fire blankets or fire extinguishers is difficult and may often cause a large contamination of the surroundings of the deep fryer with burned oil/fat, chemicals and the like.

In order to improve the extinguishing capabilities of firemen, a Danish fireman invented a cooling device, which is more or less an inverted immersion heater which has a cooling coil and water hoses connected thereto for supplying water to the coil.

When used by professionals wearing the right equipment, this device is very efficient, but in the hands of laymen, such as cooks, this device can become dangerous. One example is the fact that laymen are not equipped with fire retardant garments and gloves and another is seen when the coil is provided in the burning fat before water flow is established. In the latter situation, a steam explosion will take place in the coil, which will cause ejection of burning fat on the operator and destroy the device.

The present invention relates to several improvements of this device.

A first aspect of the invention relates to an apparatus for cooling a hot fluid, the apparatus comprising: a hollow cooler for introduction into the fluid,

an elongate, hollow element for connecting the hollow cooler to a fluid supply,

a cradle for holding the cooler when not in use,

- a valve element adapted to prevent fluid supply to the cooler through the elongate element when the cooler is in the cradle and allow fluid supply when the cooler is not in the cradle.

In this context, a hot fluid may be any type of liquid, such as water, oil, fat, other types of hydrocarbons, chemicals or the like. Also, the fluid may be a gas, which may also be any type of chemical, such as one comprising hydrocarbons. Usually, the hot fluid will be burning/oxidating or be at a temperature where undesired chemical reactions take place or may be close to take place.

The hollow cooler is connected, via the hollow element, to a fluid supply, such as a supply of water, gas, other liquids or the like. Preferably, the cooler is made of a material with a high thermal conductance, such as a metal, so that a high temperature exchange can take place between the hot fluid and the fluid in the cooler. The cooler may have thereon cooling fins or other elements increasing its surface in order to further increase this energy transport.

Naturally, the cooler preferably is made of a material which can withstand the temperature of the hot fluid, even though the cooling fluid will be operative in cooling the cooler as well as the hot fluid. Typical materials for high-temperature use may be metals and/or ceramics.

The hollow element may comprise a number of cavities or channels for transporting cooling fluid to the cooler and removing heated fluid there from. Naturally, more than one channel may be used for transporting fluid to or from the cooler.

The amount of water fed through the cooler naturally will depend on the expected

temperature of the hot fluid and the overall surface of the cooler in that these will determine the amount of energy which may be transported to the fluid.

In the case of a burning deep fryer and a standard garden hose used as the hollow element (internal diameter of 14-18 mm), a flow of about 13 liter/minute is desired, when the cooler itself is a coiled length of Al with an internal diameter of 10mm and a length of 2.7m of which at least 90% has been provided with outwardly extending fins with an outer diameter of

20mm, an inner diameter adapted to the Al tube, a thickness of 0.5mm and a mean spacing of 1.5mm.

A flow of 10-401/min thus may be preferred.

The elongate, hollow element is operative to facilitate a fluid flow from the fluid supply, which can be a water supply of a building, to the cooler. This element is, as will be described further below, preferably flexible in order to provide the cooler with a predetermined operation radius as well as for it to be easily handled. This element may be formed by usual water hoses, preferably of a high quality, as the apparatus may be un-used for extended periods of time while fluid may be present in the elongated element. Also, this element preferably should be able to withstand fluid supply with a high pressure and with a high temperature, as the return fluid from the cooler will have collected a large amount of energy from the hot fluid. In this connection, a cradle may be a box-like element for storing and enclosing the cooler in a manner so that the cooler is not visible. This box may be mounted on a wall or on the floor or may be built-in in the floor, ceiling or wall. Alternatively, the cradle may be a more open structure, such as a simple fixing element, releasably fixing or attaching the cooler to the floor/wall/ceiling but where the cooler and/or elongate elements are visible from the outside.

The valve may be any type of fluid valve. Preferably, also the valve is adapted to withstand high temperature fluids at high pressure. The valve is adapted to open and thus allow fluid transport there through, when the cooler is removed from the cradle so as to preferably ensure that fluid flow takes place through the cooler, before the cooler is provided in the hot fluid.

This cover may be useful for protecting the hand(s) of an operator positioning the cooler in the hot fluid. Thus, the cover preferably has a non-broken surface and is without holes or openings so as to prevent heat radiation, hot gas or hot fluids from reaching the handle and thus the operator's hand. This cover preferably is made of a heat resistant material, such as metal or ceramics.

The cover preferably has a surface of at least 400 cm², such as at least 800 cm². Usually, the cover will be relatively flat and have a longest/largest dimension exceeding 20 cm and a second smallest dimension, of the flat surface thereof, exceeding 10 cm, so that a hand may be covered sufficiently when grasping the handle. In another aspect, the invention relates to an apparatus for cooling a hot fluid, the apparatus comprising: a cooler for introduction into the fluid,

a cradle for holding the cooler when not in use, the cradle having a cover with a handle attached to one side thereof, where the cooler is attached to a side of the cover opposite to the side on which the handle is attached.

In this aspect, the cooler may in itself have a size, mass and/or thermal capacity to remove a predetermined amount of heat/energy from the hot fluid. Again, the cooler preferably is of a heat resistant material, such as metal or ceramics, in order to withstand the introduction to, contact with and/or immersion in, the hot fluid. The cover may be useful for protecting the hand(s) of an operator positioning the cooler in the hot fluid. Thus, the cover preferably has a non-broken surface and is without holes or openings so as to prevent heat radiation, hot gas or hot fluids from reaching the handle and thus the operator's hand. This cover preferably is made of a heat resistant material, such as metal or ceramics.

The cover preferably has a surface of at least 400 cm², such as at least 800 cm². Usually, the cover will be relatively flat and have a longest/largest dimension exceeding 20 cm and a second smallest dimension, of the flat surface, exceeding 10 cm, so that a hand may be covered sufficiently when grasping the handle. In one embodiment, the cooler is hollow, the apparatus further comprising an elongate, hollow element for connecting the hollow cooler to a fluid supply and a valve element adapted to prevent fluid supply to the cooler through the elongate element when the cooler is in the cradle and allow fluid supply when the cooler is not in the cradle. This corresponds to the first aspect of the invention. In general, it may be desired that the cooler is rotatable in relation to the cover. This has the advantage that the cooler may be introduced into different shapes and sizes of containers with the hot fluid. Especially if the cooler is oblong, the longer direction thereof could be rotated in relation to the cover so as to extend perpendicularly from an overall plane of the cover so as to extend, vertically, into a compartment while the cover lies over the

compartment (horizontally). In another situation, the angle between the cover and cooler is smaller, in this situation, it may not be necessary to position the cover and thus the handle over the hot fluid but maintain the handle to a side of e.g. a container holding the hot fluid.

Preferably, the above elongate, hollow elements comprise a first part connected to the coil and which is relatively stiff and a second part connected to the second part and which is relatively flexible. This first part may be made of the same material or even monolithically with the coil. This stiffer part as the advantage that it may be positioned so as to not extend into the hot fluid and/or to guide the flexible part away from the hot fluid. Alternatively, the stiff part may be made of a material which is able to withstand being provided in the hot fluid. Usually, flexible hollow elements are less heat resistant but instead provide a more flexible operation where the cooler can be provided with a predetermined operation radius while having fluid connection and fluid supply during use. A third aspect of the invention relates to a method of operating the apparatus of the first aspect, the method comprising: removing the cooler from the cradle, the valve facilitating flow of fluid from the fluid supply to the cooler, - positioning the cooler in the hot fluid while maintaining fluid supply to the cooler.

Usually, the removal of the cooler from the cradle automatically, due to the operation of the valve, facilitates or starts flow of fluid from the fluid supply to the cooler, so that the cooler is being cooled when it is introduced into the hot fluid. In the following, a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawing, wherein: figure 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment according to the invention, figure 2 illustrates a first operation of the cooler of figure 1 and

figure 3 illustrates a second operation of the cooler of figure 1.

In figure 1, an apparatus 10 is illustrated having a hollow cooling coil 12 and feeding hoses 14 for providing water flow, via flexible hoses 15, to the coil 12. The feeding hoses 14 are stiff in order to prevent them from falling into the hot fluid, and the hoses 15 are flexible and coiled in order to provide the coil 12 with a predetermined action radius. The hoses 14 are made of a metal, ceramic or other heat resistant material, as the may, as the coil 12, be immersed in or otherwise exposed to hot fluid. Actually, the coil 12 and hoses 14 may be made of the same material, which is wound to form the coil 12.

The coil 12 is provided inside a box or cradle 16 having a lid 18 with a handle 20 for an operator to engage. The coil 12 is provided on the other side of the lid 18, so that the lid 18 protects the hand of the operator when positioning the coil 12 in the hot/burning fluid by engaging the handle 20.

The coil 12 and hoses 14 may be rotated around an axis 17 in order to for the coil 12 to be introducible into different types of containers, such as a deep fryer. Also, in the cradle 16, a valve 22 is provided which cuts off cooling water supply when the coil 12 is positioned in the cradle 16. However, when the coil 12 is removed from the cradle 16, the valve 22 opens and automatically generates water supply, from a connection 24 connected to a building's water supply, to the coil 12, so that this water supply is already taking place, when the coil 12 is provided in the hot fluid.

Naturally, the coil 12 may have any number of windings of a hollow tube which may also have thereon cooling fins for providing a larger surface and thus a larger heat transport from the hot fluid to the liquid flowing in the coil 12.

It is noted that the coil 12 need be only a single loop of material. Increasing the number of loops increases the surface and amount of cooling fluid present but also increases the amount of heat removed, so that the more loops, the hotter fluid is removed in the hoses 14/15, which then must be able to withstand this temperature.

The device 10 is adapted to e.g. be positioned or fixed to a wall or the like in a kitchen or the like in the vicinity of deep fryers or the like. The connection 24 preferably is permanently fixed to the building's water supply, and the device 10 may be for use, depending on the length of the hoses 15, in the whole kitchen.

The advantage of the rotation between the coil 12 and the lid 18 is illustrated in figures 2 and 3 in which the coil 12 is introduced into a deep fryer 25. In figure 2, the lid 18 is

perpendicular to the oblong axis of the coil 12, whereas in figure 3, the angle is smaller. In figure 3, the outer wall of the deep fryer 25 is sufficiently thin for the lid 18 to stay away from the hot upper opening of the fryer 25 while still allowing the coil 12 to be immersed into the fryer 25. In figure 2, this is not possible, but the coil 12 may still be introduced without the operator's hands being exposed to the flames and/or hot gasses emitted from the fryer 25. Naturally, the dimensions of the coil and hoses may be adapted to the intended or expected use. In the case of a burning deep fryer and a standard garden hose used as the hollow element (internal diameter of 14-18 mm), a flow of about 13 liter/minute is desired, when the cooler itself is a coiled length of Al with an internal diameter of 10mm and a length of 2.7m of which at least 90% has been provided with outwardly extending Al fins with an outer diameter of 20mm, an inner diameter adapted to the Al tube, a thickness of 0.5mm and a mean spacing of 1.5mm.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cooling a hot fluid, the apparatus comprising : a hollow cooler for introduction into the fluid,

an elongate, hollow element for connecting the hollow cooler to a fluid supply,

a cradle for holding the cooler when not in use,

a valve element adapted to prevent fluid supply to the cooler through the elongate element when the cooler is in the cradle and allow fluid supply when the cooler is not in the cradle.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cradle has a cover with a handle on one side thereof, where the cooler is attached to the cover on a side opposite to the side on which then handle is attached.

3. An apparatus for cooling a hot fluid, the apparatus comprising : - a cooler for introduction into the fluid,

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the cooler is hollow, the apparatus further comprising an elongate, hollow element for connecting the hollow cooler to a fluid supply and a valve element adapted to prevent fluid supply to the cooler through the elongate element when the cooler is in the cradle and allow fluid supply when the cooler is not in the cradle.

5. An apparatus according to any of claims 2-4, wherein the cooler is rotatable in relation to the cover.

6. An apparatus according to any of claims 1, 2 and 4, wherein the elongate, hollow element comprises a first part connected to the coil and which is relatively stiff and a second part connected to the second part and which is relatively flexible.

7. A method of operating the apparatus according to claim 1, the method comprising: removing the cooler from the cradle,

the valve facilitating flow of fluid from the fluid supply to the cooler, positioning the cooler in the hot fluid while maintaining fluid supply to the