Sensor solution helps efficiently clear kitchen exhaust (video)

Smoke billowing from a range or stovetop might take several minutes to clear up with a standard hood. But a solution by Melink Corp. can put something of a charge into a hood, enabling it to suck up the haze in a matter of seconds.

Intelli-Hood uses sensor controls to reduce exhaust and fan speeds during idle, non-cooking conditions. An infrared beam detects smoke and vapors inside the hood, increasing the fan speed to 100 percent only when necessary.

That approach yields fan energy savings of up to 97 percent and conditioned air savings of up to 70 percent.

The Ohio company recently spotlighted the solution’s capabilities at AHR 2016 in Orlando. More than 10,000 Intelli-Hood solutions have been installed worldwide in schools, prisons, restaurants, hotels and other commercial spaces with kitchens.

Intelli-Hood controls are easily installed on new hoods and retrofitted on existing ones. Temperature and optic sensors are mounted inside the hood-duct and the touchpad, system controller and variable-speed drives typically are mounted in an end cabinet or on a kitchen wall.

The system controller can control more than 30 hoods outfitted with an Intelli-Hood solution.

To operate Intelli-Hood, a cook presses the light and fan switches on the accompanying keypad. When cooking appliances are turned on, fan speeds increase based on exhaust air temperature.