Abstract: The present invention is a cooking-oil filtration system for automated cooking apparatus which has a solids-removing filter for cleaning cooking oil from the food-fryer and returning oil to the cooking apparatus. The system comprises a solids-removing filter enclosure which includes a plurality of doors having electronically controlled locks with lock-state feedback, a controller including memory and software for controlling the system and a user interface, a number of electrically-controlled pumps, valves, actuators and sensors, the user interface comprising screens with icons representing system set-up, status, and actions.

Abstract: A cooking-oil filtration system and method for automated food-fryers with a solids-removing filter for cleaning cooking oil from the food-fryer which includes and involves an oil/air separator for receiving air-containing oil from the filter and then returning air-separated oil to the food-fryer. In certain highly preferred embodiments the oil/air separator includes a cylindrical inner wall and an inlet conduit configured for tangential entry and spiral flow of oil. In another embodiment, the oil/air separator is a surge tank having upper and lower tank upper portions and conduits facilitating the in-flow of air-containing oil and the gravity out-flow of air-separated oil to the food-fryer. In-flow is preferably driven by a pump upstream of the filter media.

Abstract: A cooking-oil filtration system and method for automated food-fryers with a solids-removing filter for cleaning cooking oil from the food-fryer which includes and involves an oil/air separator for receiving air-containing oil from the filter and then returning air-separated oil to the food-fryer. In certain highly preferred embodiments the oil/air separator includes a cylindrical inner wall and an inlet conduit configured for tangential entry and spiral flow of oil. In another embodiment, the oil/air separator is a surge tank having upper and lower tank upper portions and conduits facilitating the in-flow of air-containing oil and the gravity out-flow of air-separated oil to the food-fryer. In-flow is preferably driven by a pump upstream of the filter media.

Abstract: A process of continuous, on-line active filtration of cooking oil during food processing in a vat to remove free-fatty-acids and other undesirable impurities includes moving oil from the vat to a treatment tank; adding an amount of adsorbent to the oil in the treatment tank; mixing the oil and the adsorbent in the treatment tank for a time to allow substantially all of the free-fatty-acid adsorption of the process to occur in the tank; drawing treated oil from the treatment tank and moving it to a flatbed pressure filter; filtering the treated oil through the filter to remove the impurity-laden adsorbent therefrom; returning the filtered oil to the vat; and conducting the foregoing steps at a rate such that a volume of oil substantially equal to the volume of the vat is filtered each hour.

Abstract: A pleated filter cartridge for filtering liquids including an annular filter element having a filter material which is a thin non-perforated non-woven material of flash-spun plexifilamentary high-density polyethylene fibrils, the filter material having a pressure drop of less than 4 psid at a flow rate of 10 gal/hr and a filtration efficiency of at least 98% of 1–2 micron particulates at a pressure differential of 30 psid. The filter material preferably has a mean flow pore size greater than 4 microns while its normal pore-size filtration rating is 1 micron, and preferably has a thickness of less than about 0.15 mm, most preferably less than or equal to about 0.13 mm. The filter element preferably has two layers, including a mesh layer, preferably of a low-density polyethylene.

Abstract: Improved liquid filter apparatus of the filter-sock type is disclosed. The filter sock is a non-perforated non-woven filter material of flash-spun plexifilamentary polyolefin (preferably polyethylene) fibrils, wherein the filter material has a pressure drop of less than 4 psid at a flow rate of 10 gal/hr and a filtration efficiency of at least 98% of 1-2 micron particulates at a pressure differential of 30 psid. In certain preferred embodiments, the filter material, which is most preferably a sole sock layer, has: a pressure drop less than 1.5 psid at a flow rate of 10 gal/hr and filtration efficiency is at least 99% of 1-2 micron particulates at a pressure differential of 30 psid; a mean flow pore size greater than 4 microns while its nominal pore-size filtration rating is 1 micron; a Gurley Hill porosity rating no more than 5 sec/100 cc; a thickness of less than 0.15 mm; and/or a basis weight of less than 45 g/m2.