Aerosol Consumable Peripheral Airflow Path
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerosol generating systems, particularly in the 'heated tobacco' approach, face challenges in improving the quality of the vapour generated and minimizing tobacco burning, despite advancements in technology.
Innovation Solution
A consumable with a carrier element containing propylene glycol and/or glycerine, featuring a substantially unimpeded airflow path at its periphery, is used in conjunction with a heating system that heats the carrier element to a higher temperature than the solid aerosol precursor, optimizing vaporization while preventing tobacco burning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If air flows through a porous medium (typical approach), then the carrier element can be heated uniformly, but pressure loss increases and airflow is impeded
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier element is segmented into a porous central region for heating and a peripheral unimpeded airflow path. This segmentation allows air to flow around the carrier element peripherally, reducing pressure loss while the porous center maintains heating uniformity through controlled air passage.
Solution Approach 2:
The peripheral unimpeded airflow path acts as an intermediary channel that facilitates air flow around the carrier element without directly passing through it. This intermediary path reduces pressure loss while still enabling heat transfer to the carrier element through the porous structure.
2Quantity of substance
If air passes directly through the carrier element, then vaporization occurs, but the cooling rate of the carrier increases and aerosol particle size decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of passing air directly through the carrier element (which causes rapid cooling), the design inverts the approach by providing an unimpeded peripheral path where air flows around the carrier element. This reversal of the conventional flow path reduces the cooling rate and allows for larger aerosol particle size formation.
3Quantity of substance
If the carrier element is heated to high temperature, then vaporization is optimized, but tobacco burning may occur
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the consumable are assigned different thermal characteristics: the carrier element is heated to higher temperatures for optimized vaporization, while the tobacco material is positioned to be heated to lower temperatures that prevent burning. The peripheral airflow path facilitates this differential heating by allowing controlled heat distribution.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the quality of the aerosol by controlling particle size and ensuring that the aerosol is effectively vaporized without causing tobacco to burn, thereby improving user experience and safety.
Implementation Method 1
the carrier element of the consumable may be heated and a user may draw air through the consumable (by inhalation), such that an aerosol may be formed by vaporisation and/or entrainment of components of the carrier element in the airflow
Implementation Method 2
the flow of air around the carrier element to the downstream end may be such that, in use, vaporised carrier can be drawn from the downstream end of the carrier element by air that has passed along the airflow path
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
A consumable (70) for an aerosol generating (e.g. heat-not-burn) apparatus (50). The consumable comprising a carrier element (101) containing a carrier (106) in the form of propylene glycol and/or glycerine. A substantially unimpeded airflow path (105) is provided at a periphery of the carrier element for flow of air from an upstream end of the carrier element to a downstream end of the carrier element. Also disclosed is an aerosol-generating system and a carrier element.