Exclusive Macom technology that uses UV light to break down fat particles from the cooking process.
A ultraviolet light is a natural, powerful and effective disinfectant. When used in hoods, it can eliminate odors, bacteria, and especially break down small particles of grease, which are not captured by inertial filters. This guarantees a complete treatment for the duct system. In this week's article, find out more about how hoods with OGR technology can eliminate fire risks and make everyday life in the professional kitchen easier.
Why do I need a cooker hood in my professional kitchen?
The rate of fires in restaurants due to poorly cleaned and maintained hoods in industrial kitchens is much higher than you might think. The likelihood of fires occurring in areas that are constantly exposed to heat is high, so it is important to invest in high-tech hoods to reduce the chances of a fire as much as possible.
Fume hoods with ultraviolet systems are usually used in cooking blocks that require special care in cooking processes with high fat emissions. But how do you measure whether your restaurant's cooking process needs this technology? How do you identify whether your operation has a low, medium or high volume of fat?
The Brazilian standard for exhaust and ventilation systems, NBR14518:2020, classifies cooking blocks according to their severity based on a reference temperature, or rather, the higher the temperature the cooking equipment reaches, the greater its severity.
- LightweightBain-marie, cauldrons, electric/gas ovens, stoves, microwaves, coffee makers, dishwashers, toasters, milk makers and pasta cookers;
- Moderate: Stoves, deep-fat fryers, electric and gas barbecues, combi ovens, grills, griddles and sandwich makers;
- SevereChar broilers, grills, frying pans and steakhouses;
- Solid fuelwood or charcoal oven.
Types of hoods
The types of hoods offered by Macom are divided according to the classification of the cooking blocks.
- Light classification: hood without inertial filters.
- Moderate, severe and solid fuel: hoods with inertial filters and additional filtering using ultraviolet lamps (OGR technology).
Another important reference is to identify the type of food being processed. The graph below shows 5 common types of food, separating the amount of fat in the effluent from the water vapors coming from the cooking process. Note that the data classifies fat particles smaller than or equal to 2.5µm (micrometers, the millionth part of a millimeter), between 2.5µm and 10µ and greater than or equal to 10µm. Gas or electric ovens and fryers do not emit considerable levels of fat, but broilers processing beef burgers generate 1 kg of fat for every 100 kg of burgers processed.
The particle size data, according to the equipment and the food processed, is important for clarifying that conventional filtering processes: inertial filter, centrifugal filter, vortex filter; are highly efficient for particles larger than 8µm, which leads us to add an additional system for treating the smaller particles that migrate into the exhaust duct network and drastically increase the risk of fire. This is precisely where ultraviolet technology comes in, treating particles smaller than 8µm.
Small particles can accumulate on the walls of the ducts forming large pasty or solid accumulations of flammable grease, greatly increasing the risk of fire and reducing the suction capacity of the system.
Differences of OGR Technology
The technology basically consists of a direct action on the organic bonds causing the breaking down fat molecules and consequent reduction of polluting odors and gases. The temperature of the fumes from the cooking process is a determining factor when choosing the type of lamp.
It is common for C-band UV lamps to be used in air-conditioning systems because of their high efficiency in treating bacteria, fungi and viruses. These lamps (UVC) are generally used in air cooling systems with 85W of power and their working temperature ranges from 16° to 22°.
The aggressive kitchen environment provides effluents of up to 90°C (the temperature of the air inside the hood), forcing us to choose the same type C band of ultraviolet rays, but with a slightly higher power, starting at 200W. Even so, with low electricity consumption.
When compared to hood systems with automatic flushing, UV technology puts on a show, as there is no need to clean the ducts, eliminating the accumulation of grease and the costs of cleaning products and hiring specialized teams. Only the inertial filters and the external structure of the hood need to be cleaned. This makes it the ideal solution for 24-hour establishments, drastically reducing the time the cooking line has to stop for cleaning.
Benefits
Due to the factors mentioned above, the OGR technology hood offers several benefits, such as:
- Automates the sanitization of professional hoods, eliminating the need for washing;
- Attenuates odors in the exhaust air;
- Organic cleaning solution without the use of chemicals;
- Reduces maintenance costs;
- Increases the interval between periodic pipeline maintenance;
- Compatible with any exhaust system.
Want to know more? Talk to one of our experts.
