Variable ventilation method and system

Abstract

A system and method for providing variable ventilation for a cooking environment. The system includes a plurality of cooking appliances, wherein each appliance has various operating parameters indicative of a cooking level of each appliance; a cooking event monitor operably connected to each of the cooking appliances and configured to: (1) determine a level of ventilation for each of the plurality of appliances based upon the cooking level of each appliance, (2) determine a control signal based upon the determined level of ventilation, and (3) transmit the control signal; a motor speed controller operably connected to the cooking event monitor and configured to receive the control signal; and at least one exhaust fan operably connected to the motor speed controller, wherein the motor speed controller adjusts a speed of the exhaust fan based upon the control signal.

1 . A system for providing variable ventilation for a cooking environment, the system comprising:
 a plurality of cooking appliances, wherein each appliance has various operating parameters indicative of a cooking level of each appliance;   a cooking event monitor operably connected to each of the cooking appliances and configured to:
 determine a level of ventilation for each of the plurality of appliances based upon the cooking level of each appliance, 
 determine a control signal based upon the determined level of ventilation, and transmit the control signal; 
   a motor speed controller operably connected to the cooking event monitor and configured to receive the control signal; and   at least one exhaust fan operably connected to the motor speed controller,   wherein the motor speed controller adjusts a speed of the exhaust fan based upon the control signal.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a make-up air system operably connected to the motor speed controller. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the motor speed controller is further configured to adjust a ventilation level of the make-up air system based upon the control signal. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cooking event monitor is further configured to query a database to determine the cooking level of each appliance. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the appliances comprises a microprocessor operably connected to the cooking event monitor via a data network. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the motor speed controller is a variable frequency drive. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the exhaust fan is a single phase fan. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the exhaust fan is a three phase fan. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of appliances comprise at least one multi-vat deep fryer or at least one multi-platen grill. 
     
     
         10 . A system for providing variable ventilation for a cooking environment, the system comprising:
 a cooking event monitor configured to be operably connected to each of a plurality of cooking appliances and configured to:
 query a database stored on a computer readable medium operably connected to the cooking event monitor to determine a cooking level of each appliance based upon one or more operating parameters of each appliance, wherein each operating parameter is indicative of a cooking level of the appliance, 
 query the database to determine a level of ventilation for each appliance based upon the determined cooking level of each appliance, 
 determine a control signal based upon the determined level of ventilation, and transmit the control signal; and 
   a motor speed controller operably connected to the cooking event monitor and configured to receive the control signal; and   wherein the motor speed controller is further configured to adjust the speed of an exhaust fan based upon the control signal.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a make-up air system operably connected to the motor speed controller. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the motor speed controller is further configured to adjust a ventilation level of the make-up air system based upon the control signal. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the motor speed controller is a variable frequency drive. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the exhaust fan is a single phase fan. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the exhaust fan is a three phase fan. 
     
     
         16 . A method for providing variable ventilation for a cooking environment, the method including:
 determining, at a cooking event monitor, one or more operating parameters for each of a plurality of appliances operably connected to the cooking event monitor;   querying, by the cooking event monitor, a database stored on a computer readable medium operably connected to the cooking event monitor to determine a cooking level of each appliance based upon the operating parameters of each appliance;   querying, by the cooking event monitor, the database to determine a level of ventilation for each appliance based upon the determined cooking level of each appliance;   transmitting, by the cooking event monitor, a control signal based upon the determined level of ventilation;   receiving, at a motor speed controller operably connected to the cooking event monitor, the control signal; and   adjusting, by the motor speed controller, a speed of at least one exhaust fan operably connected to the motor speed controller based upon the control signal.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising adjusting, by the motor speed controller, a speed of a make-up air system operably connected to the motor speed controller based upon the control signal.