Band Heating Element for Rapid Cooling in Sterilizing Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sterilizing units face challenges in rapidly cooling heaters to prevent damage to adjacent packaging materials during shut-off, leading to increased complexity and costs with separate cooling systems.
Innovation Solution
A sterilizing unit with a heater featuring a band-shaped electrically conductive heating element, which can rapidly cool upon shutdown, is designed to prevent damage to adjacent components. The heating element is formed as a high-surface-area band or wire netting, supported by rollers and guiding plates, allowing for efficient air flow and reduced noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional heaters are used in sterilizing units, then heating efficiency is achieved, but rapid cooling capability is insufficient causing damage to packaging material during shut-off
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element parameters are changed from conventional solid or tubular forms to a thin band configuration with high surface area to volume ratio. This parameter change enables the heater to rapidly change temperature (both heat and cool) in response to operational requirements, preventing packaging material damage during shut-off while maintaining heating efficiency during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element is designed with dynamic thermal response characteristics through its thin band structure. This allows the system to dynamically adjust temperature quickly when shutting off, transforming from a static thermal mass to a dynamically responsive heating element that can adapt to changing operational conditions without causing harm to adjacent packaging material.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a separate cooling system is added to rapidly cool heaters during shut-off, then packaging material damage is prevented, but system complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element itself provides the cooling function through its inherent thin band structure. When power is cut, the high surface area to volume ratio enables rapid passive cooling without requiring external cooling systems. The heater serves its own cooling needs, eliminating the requirement for separate cooling components and reducing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling function is extracted from a separate cooling system and integrated into the heating element design itself. By incorporating rapid cooling capability directly into the heating element through its thin band configuration, the patent eliminates the need for distinct cooling components, simplifying the overall system architecture.
3Power
If heating element mass is increased to improve heating capacity, then heating efficiency increases, but cooling speed decreases causing packaging material damage
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element geometry parameters are optimized with a thin band configuration that provides sufficient surface area for high heating capacity while maintaining low thermal mass. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction by achieving both high power output and rapid cooling speed simultaneously, preventing packaging material damage during shut-off.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element transitions from traditional three-dimensional solid or tubular forms to a two-dimensional thin band structure. This dimensional change increases surface area relative to volume, enabling both high heating capacity and rapid cooling speed, thus resolving the contradiction between heating power and cooling rate.
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 enables rapid cooling of the heater and packaging material, reducing the risk of damage and simplifying the system by eliminating the need for additional cooling components, thus enhancing efficiency and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
the heating element is formed as a band of an electrically conductive material... for heating a flow of air being directed through the housing
Implementation Method 2
the heating element is formed as a band of an electrically conductive material... By such configuration the heating element will cool rapidly
Implementation Method 3
By such configuration the heating element will cool rapidly in case of a sudden shut down
Data Source
AI summary
A sterilizing unit comprising at least one heater is provided, wherein said heater comprises a housing and at least one heating element extending in said housing for heating a flow of air being directed through the housing, and wherein said heating element is formed as a band of an electrically conductive material.