AccuTemp ACCU-STEAM GAS GRIDDLE - Manual (Page 7)

AT2T-3238-1 Rev. C ACCU-STEAM GAS GRIDDLE OWNERS MANUAL Page 3/29
THEORY OF OPERATION
INTRODUCTION
The A CCU -S TEAM griddle is constructed and uses technology like no other
griddle in the world. The diagram below is a cross-sectional view of the griddle. The
griddle cooking surface is the top of a chamber in which we have produced a unique
environment. Welded stainless steel reinforcement studs connect the chamber top to
the chamber bottom. The perimeter joints are all robotically welded and produce a
vessel that is airtight, which is verified using a helium mass spectrometer. The
chamber is filled half full with distilled water. The remaining air is removed and the
chamber is welded shut. At this point, the chamber becomes a hermetically sealed
vessel, never to be opened again. The griddle steam chamber requires no water
or maintenance. A thermowell for a thermocouple to sense temperature and a
thermowell for the overtemp safety shutdown system are also welded into the griddle
steam chamber.
At temperatures below 212°F (100°C), the chamber is actually in a vacuum, similar
to that of a canning jar. At temperatures above 212°F (100°C), the chamber operates
under pressure. Located between the water and the bottom of the cooking surface is
the best heat transfer medium – steam, the most effective way to transfer heat. The
thermocouple senses the temperature of the steam and reports this data to the
thermostat, which ignites the burners. This system maintains the griddle cooking
surface temperatures to within ± 3°F (1.7°C) over the entire cooking surface and
provides a near instant temperature recovery, even in the same spot on the griddle,
when turning food in place.