Norwegian purification technology enters the kitchen

The Trondheim-based company's solution is currently used to clean exhaust gases from ships, air from compressors and gases in the offshore industry. With a grant from us, the filtration system will now be introduced into restaurant kitchens to improve fire safety.

Grease deposits in ventilation ducts can build up to several centimetres thick over time and become highly flammable. If a fire breaks out in such a ventilation system, the temperature often rises so high that the ducts melt and collapse, allowing the fire to spread. Another problem is that grease deposits can become so heavy that the ventilation ducts fall down when their fixings fail.

'We have tested the filter in our separator with a range of cooking oils and water, and not a single droplet or particle has passed through – not even the smell. The process is highly effective,' says InnSep CEO Sondre Klæboe Jacobsen.

The solution first attracted the interest of Mælen Blikk og Ventilasjon, which was working on a nearby project. InnSep then connected with building and restaurant owners who face these challenges while complying with fire safety regulations.

In 2021, the prototypes will undergo full-scale testing as part of an innovation project supported by us. The Trondheim-based company has received several grants for its startup and development work.

‘Without Innovation Norway, we would not have been able to focus on developing the technology or pay ourselves a salary, both of which have been essential to keeping the project moving forward. We would have had to delay the process, giving our competitors the opportunity to take the market from us,’ says Klæboe Jacobsen.

InnSep plans to begin mass production with machining company PTM Industrier once the final commercial version is ready.

'In Norway alone, between 5,000 and 10,000 restaurants need our technology. Current grease removal systems combine filters, UV lights, carbon filters and noisy rotating discs, and can cost several hundred thousand Norwegian kroner. We aim to offer a more affordable solution with a fraction of the operating costs,' says Klæboe Jacobsen.

The separation principle, called Lynx, is primarily based on a rotating porous disc through which all gas and liquid must pass. Droplets attempting to pass through the disc are captured and flung outwards by centrifugal forces. The dry, clean gas remains unaffected and passes through freely.

The Lynx principle is protected by several patents. Through a preliminary project, InnSep developed its own patent strategy, resulting in three new patents that protect every aspect of the innovation and its application.

Read more about how Innsep presents its solution to international audiences on Business Norway.