Aerosol System Micro Pump Direct Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerosol-generating systems face issues with residue clogging in capillary tubes and inefficient heat transfer due to indirect heating, leading to maintenance challenges and increased power consumption.
Innovation Solution
The proposed aerosol-generating system incorporates a liquid storage portion, a vaporizer with a heating element having an open-ended internal passage, and a micro pump to deliver liquid aerosol-forming substrate directly to the heating element, reducing residue formation and improving heat transfer efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by stationary object
If indirect heating through tube or capillary wick is used, then the liquid material can be heated, but heat is lost during the energy transfer process and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the liquid material directly from the tube or capillary wick and applies heating directly to it, eliminating the intermediate heating step. The heating element is positioned to heat the liquid material directly as it is deposited onto the heating surface, removing the energy loss associated with heating the tube or wick first.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an asymmetric heating arrangement where the liquid material is deposited onto a heating surface that is specifically designed to provide direct contact heating. This asymmetric configuration allows one-sided direct heating of the liquid material, improving thermal efficiency compared to symmetric indirect heating through walls or wicks.
2Productivity
If capillary tubes are used for liquid transport, then the liquid material can be delivered to the heating element, but residues are created that cause clogging and alter liquid transport properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the liquid material from the capillary tube before it reaches the heating element. A blade or scraper is positioned to remove the liquid material from the tube's open end, preventing the liquid and any residues from entering and clogging the capillary tube's internal passage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of residue formation into a benefit by positioning the heating element and liquid delivery system such that liquid is deposited onto the heating surface rather than flowing through narrow passages. The residue formation occurs on the heating surface where it can be managed, rather than inside the capillary tube where it would cause clogging.
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 configuration results in a low-maintenance liquid transport system with reduced power consumption, as the micro pump ensures precise delivery of the aerosol-forming substrate, minimizing residue buildup and optimizing heating efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a micro pump configured to deliver liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the liquid storage portion to the internal passage of the heating element
Implementation Method 2
The vaporizer may be configured to heat the delivered liquid aerosol-forming substrate at the internal passage to a temperature sufficient to volatilize at least a part of the delivered liquid aerosol-forming substrate
Implementation Method 3
heat the delivered liquid aerosol-forming substrate to a temperature sufficient to volatilize at least a part of the delivered liquid aerosol-forming substrate
Data Source
AI summary
An aerosol-generating system may include a liquid storage portion configured to hold liquid aerosol-forming substrate, a vaporizer including a heating element with an internal passage at least partially defined by a surface of the heating element, and a micro pump configured to deliver liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the liquid storage portion to the internal passage of the heating element, such that the vaporizer is configured to heat the delivered liquid aerosol-forming substrate at the internal passage to a temperature sufficient to volatilize at least a part of the delivered liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The micro pump may be configured to deliver a particular amount of liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the internal passage based on the micro pump performing an individual pump cycle.