Aerosol-Generating Device With Staged Heating for Condensation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerosol-generating devices fail to efficiently control the heating process of aerosol-generating materials, leading to inefficient aerosol production and unwanted condensation within the device.
Innovation Solution
The device employs a heating assembly with programmable heating units that sequentially heat to multiple temperatures, each incrementally higher by less than 120°C, and maintain each temperature for at least 0.5 seconds, using induction or resistive heating, controlled by a PID controller to minimize condensation and enhance aerosol generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the heating unit is rapidly heated to high temperature to generate aerosol quickly, then aerosol generation speed is improved, but condensation and unwanted condensate accumulation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heating process is segmented into multiple discrete temperature steps rather than a continuous rapid heating curve. The controller divides the heating journey from ambient to target temperature into several staged increments, allowing controlled thermal progression that prevents excessive condensation while maintaining efficient aerosol generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary heating actions at controlled intermediate temperatures before reaching the final high temperature. By pre-heating through staged increments with dwell times at each step, the system prepares the heating element and aerosol-generating material in a controlled manner that prevents condensation formation that would occur with direct rapid heating.
2Reliability
If the heating unit is held at each temperature for longer duration to ensure complete vaporization, then aerosol quality is improved, but heating time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial dwelling time at each temperature step rather than requiring complete equilibrium at every stage. The dwell time is optimized to be sufficient for adequate vaporization and aerosol formation at each temperature level, without being excessively long, thus balancing aerosol quality with acceptable heating time.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating process maintains continuous useful action by proceeding through uninterrupted staged heating with brief dwell times. Rather than stopping at each temperature step, the system continuously progresses through the temperature sequence, ensuring that aerosol generation remains an ongoing process throughout the heating sequence, thereby reducing total heating time while maintaining quality.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If multiple temperature steps are used to control heating, then condensation is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller automatically manages the multi-step heating sequence without requiring external intervention or complex user programming. The system self-regulates by internally storing and executing the predetermined temperature profile with specified dwell times, making the complex multi-step process transparent to the user while achieving condensation reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system controls condensation by changing temperature parameters in a predetermined sequence rather than maintaining a single constant temperature. By programmatically adjusting the temperature parameter through multiple discrete steps with controlled dwell times, the system achieves condensation reduction through parameter variation without requiring complex hardware modifications.
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 allows for rapid aerosol generation with reduced condensation, providing a user-friendly experience and efficient aerosol production, mimicking the sensory characteristics of traditional cigarettes while minimizing unwanted condensate accumulation.
Implementation Method 1
heating units arranged to heat, but not burn, the aerosol-generating material in use
Implementation Method 2
heats smokable material to volatilise at least one component of the smokable material, typically to form an aerosol
Implementation Method 3
induction heating unit comprising a susceptor heating element, wherein the coil is configured to be an inductor element for supplying a varying magnetic field
Implementation Method 4
supplying a varying magnetic field to thereby cause induction heating and/or magnetic hysteresis heating
Implementation Method 5
magnetic hysteresis heating unit comprising a coil configured to supply an alternating magnetic field to a ferromagnetic heating element
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
Provided herein is an aerosol-generating device for generating aerosol from an aerosol-generating material (202). The aerosol-generating device comprises a heating assembly (100) including one or more heating units (110, 120) arranged to heat, but not burn, the aerosol-generating material (202) in use and a controller for controlling the one or more heating units (110, 120). The controller is programmed such that, during a session of use, at least one of the one or more heating units (110, 120) is powered so as to be heated to a plurality of different temperatures sequentially, and each time that the heating unit (110, 120) is heated to a new temperature which is higher than a previous temperature the new temperature is less than 120°C greater than the previous temperature and the heating unit is held at the new temperature for at least 0.5 seconds.