Aircraft galley environment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air-cooled thermoelectric systems in aircraft galleys face inefficiency in maintaining temperature differential as ambient air temperature rises, affecting the ability to preserve perishable food items through recirculated chilled air.
Innovation Solution
A flatpack air chiller device with a primary and secondary thermoelectric subsystem, utilizing Peltier modules to pre-chill ambient air and recirculating air, respectively, with control processors and temperature sensors to adjust voltage and maximize heat absorption, incorporating finned heat sinks for enhanced thermal communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a single thermoelectric module is used to chill ambient air in an aircraft galley, then the device can provide cooling function, but the temperature differential cannot be maintained when ambient air temperature rises
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into multiple independent thermoelectric modules (first module and second module) that operate in parallel. Each module has its own hot side and cold side, allowing the system to maintain adequate temperature differential even when individual modules are overwhelmed by high ambient temperatures. The segmentation enables distributed heat rejection across multiple hot sides.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested configuration where the first and second thermoelectric modules are positioned within the same housing, with their cold sides facing the chilled air space and hot sides facing the ambient air. This nested arrangement allows efficient space utilization while enabling the cold sides to work together to chill air that then passes over both hot sides for heat rejection.
2Device complexity
If thermoelectric modules rely on ambient air to cool the hot side, then the system structure is simple, but efficiency drops as ambient temperature rises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing dedicated heat rejection zones for each thermoelectric module's hot side. The housing creates localized cooling channels that guide ambient air flow specifically over the hot sides, optimizing heat transfer in those critical regions while maintaining overall system simplicity. This localized thermal management ensures each module's hot side can reject heat effectively.
3Reliability
If multiple thermoelectric modules are used to maintain temperature differential, then cooling reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple thermoelectric modules into a unified cooling system housed within a single housing. The first and second modules work together as an integrated unit, with their cold sides collectively chilling air that then flows over their hot sides. This merging approach achieves reliable temperature maintenance through redundancy while presenting a compact, single-unit device to the user.
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
The system effectively maintains the temperature of perishable items by pre-chilling ambient air and recirculating it, enhancing the efficiency of the air chiller device and reducing energy consumption despite rising ambient temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
thermoelectric modules, each having a hot side and a cold side... whereby when an electric current is passed through the associated voltage may correspond to a temperature differential between the two sides
Implementation Method 2
the efficiency of the Peltier effect to absorb heat from an airstream is directly tied to the ability of the ambient air to cool the hot side
Implementation Method 3
the cold side may be made progressively colder... the chilled air recirculated through the cold side ineffective in preserving perishable food stuffs
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A flatpack air chiller device is disclosed. In embodiments, the air chiller device includes a primary chiller or pre-chiller subsystem (102) and a secondary or main chiller subsystem (104) within a housing. The pre-chiller subsystem receives and chills ambient air via cold-side contact with a primary thermoelectric device (104) and directs the pre-chilled ambient airstream to the hot side of a secondary thermoelectric device (108). The secondary or main chiller subsystem is connected to a recirculating air stream, e.g., circulating through the interior airspaces, compartments, or bays of a galley structure. The pre-chilled ambient airstream absorbs heat from the secondary hot side to progressively chill the recirculating air stream, which is in contact with the cold side of the secondary thermoelectric device before recirculation back into the galley structure interior.