Method of controlling flow of cooking medium using multiport/rotary valve sensor using hall effect control

Abstract

Systems and methods for delivering a cooking medium in a cooking apparatus are disclosed. A delivery system includes a rotary valve having a rotary inlet and a plurality of rotary outlets. The rotary inlet is configured to be in fluid communication with a source of cooking medium and the plurality of rotary outlets are configured to be in fluid communication with a corresponding plurality of receptacles. A rotary position sensor generates a signal, having continuous angular position resolution, based on an angular position of the rotary valve. A controller receives the signal generated by the rotary position sensor and selectively places the rotary inlet in fluid communication with one of the plurality of rotary outlets based on the signal generated by the rotary position sensor. The rotary position sensor may include a Hall-effect sensor that functions at elevated operating temperatures associated with the cooking medium.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of transferring a cooking medium to various parts of a cooking apparatus, the method comprising causing a controller to perform the following operations:
 determining an angular position of a rotary valve using a rotary position sensor that generates a signal, having continuous angular position resolution, based on the angular position of the rotary valve;   rotating the rotary valve to selectively position at least one rotary inlet of the rotary valve in fluid communication with one of a plurality of rotary outlets based on the determined angular position, to thereby control flow through a plumbing system of the cooking apparatus; and   transferring the cooking medium from at least one cooking medium source that is in fluid communication with the at least one rotary inlet to a destination receptacle that is fluid communication with one of the plurality of rotary outlets.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining an angular position of the rotary valve using a Hall-effect sensor that determines a position of a magnetic field source residing on the rotary valve.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 determining an angular position of the rotary valve using a rotary position sensor that provides accurate readings of the angular position of the rotary valve while operating in environments at temperatures up to 400° F.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the magnetic field source comprises a magnet. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the magnetic field source comprises a current carrying wire. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining an angular position of the rotary valve using a plurality of Hall-effect sensors that determine a position of a magnetic field source on the rotary valve.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining an angular position of the rotary valve without making mechanical contact with the rotary valve.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 measuring a temperature of a fluid in the form of air or the cooking medium that flows through the rotary valve using a temperature sensor that is mounted in an internal volume of the rotary valve.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 controlling a temperature within a plumbing system of the cooking apparatus according to a predetermined temperature profile by performing the following operations:
 measuring a temperature of the cooking medium at one or more first locations within the plumbing system of the cooking apparatus; and 
 proving heat to one or more second locations within the plumbing system of the cooking apparatus based on the measured temperatures at the one or more first locations according to a predetermined temperature profile. 
   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising performing a filtration operation using a filtration system that is in fluid communication with one or more cooking vessels of the cooking apparatus, the filtration operation comprising:
 receiving, at the filtration system, a used cooking media from the one or more cooking vessels;   causing the filtration system to filter the used cooking media to generate filtered cooking media; and   providing the filtered cooking media to the at least one rotary inlet as one of the at least one cooking medium source.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the rotary valve includes a plurality of inlet ports communicating with the at least rotary inlet, the plurality of inlet ports including a first inlet port, a second inlet port, and a third inlet port, and the method further comprises:
 receiving new oil from a new oil reservoir in the rotary valve via the first inlet port;   receiving recycled filtered oil from the filtration system in the rotary valve via the second inlet port; and   receiving new oil from a fill port configured to supply new oil to the new oil reservoir in the rotary valve via the third inlet port.   
     
     
         12 . A method of transferring a cooking medium to various parts of a cooking apparatus, the method comprising causing a controller to perform the following operations:
 determining an angular position of a rotary valve using a rotary position sensor that generates a signal, having continuous angular position resolution, based on the angular position of the rotary valve, wherein the angular position of the rotary valve is determined without making mechanical contact with the rotary valve;   rotating the rotary valve to selectively position at least one rotary inlet of the rotary valve in fluid communication with one of a plurality of rotary outlets based on the determined angular position, to thereby control flow through a plumbing system of the cooking apparatus; and   transferring the cooking medium from at least one cooking medium source that is in fluid communication with the at least one rotary inlet to a destination receptacle that is fluid communication with one of the plurality of rotary outlets.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 determining an angular position of the rotary valve using a Hall-effect sensor that determines a position of a magnetic field source residing on the rotary valve.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 determining an angular position of the rotary valve using a rotary position sensor that provides accurate readings of the angular position of the rotary valve while operating in environments at temperatures up to 400° F.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 determining an angular position of the rotary valve using a plurality of Hall-effect sensors that determine a position of a magnetic field source on the rotary valve.   
     
     
         16 . A method of transferring a cooking medium to various parts of a cooking apparatus, the method comprising causing a controller to perform the following operations:
 determining an angular position of a rotary valve using a rotary position sensor that generates a signal, having continuous angular position resolution, based on the angular position of the rotary valve;   rotating the rotary valve to selectively position at least one rotary inlet of the rotary valve in fluid communication with one of a plurality of rotary outlets based on the determined angular position, to thereby control flow through a plumbing system of the cooking apparatus;   transferring the cooking medium from at least one cooking medium source that is in fluid communication with the at least one rotary inlet to a destination receptacle that is fluid communication with one of the plurality of rotary outlets; and   measuring a temperature of a fluid in the form of air or the cooking medium that flows through the rotary valve using a temperature sensor that is mounted in an internal volume of the rotary valve, to thereby assess and confirm a source of the fluid and whether the fluid is in the form of air or cooking medium.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the cooking apparatus includes a filtration system and a new oil reservoir, the filtration system configured to provide recycled and filtered oil back to one or more cooking vessels of the cooking apparatus, the new oil reservoir configured to provide new oil that is cooler in temperature than the recycled and filtered oil, and the method further comprises:
 determining whether air, new oil, or recycled and filtered oil is being delivered through the rotary valve based on the temperature of fluid passing through the rotary valve, as measured by the temperature sensor in the internal volume of the rotary valve.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 using inputs from the rotary position sensor and the temperature sensor in the rotary valve to confirm what fluid is currently being transferred and which source and destination the fluid is being transferred from and to in the plumbing system based on these inputs.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 determining an angular position of the rotary valve using a plurality of Hall-effect sensors that determine a position of a magnetic field source on the rotary valve.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 determining an angular position of the rotary valve without making mechanical contact with the rotary valve.