Battery Pellet Grill With Continuous Spark Ignition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pellet grills require a continuous AC power supply, are heavy, large, and have limited portability, making them inconvenient for outdoor use, and they consume excessive power for igniting biomass pellets.
Innovation Solution
A battery-powered pellet grill with a continuous spark ignition system using DC power, a compact design, and a swing-away warming rack, which reduces power consumption and allows for easy battery exchange, enabling portable and efficient outdoor cooking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a continuous AC power supply is used to power the pellet grill, then the grill can operate continuously with stable power supply, but the portability and mobility of the grill are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply system is segmented into a removable battery pack that can be easily exchanged. The battery pack is a separate, self-contained unit that provides portable power while maintaining the ability to operate the grill without being tethered to AC power, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The power source is changed from AC power to DC battery power, fundamentally altering the power supply parameter. This enables the grill to be portable while still providing sufficient power for operation, including the high-power ignition system, by using high-capacity lithium-ion or lithium铁 phosphate batteries.
2Reliability
If a high-power resistive heating element is used to ignite biomass pellets, then the ignition is reliable and consistent, but the power consumption exceeds the capabilities of an economically priced battery system
Solution Approach 1:
The traditional resistive heating element is replaced with an electronic ignition system that uses a spark generator to create high-voltage sparks. This substitution dramatically reduces power consumption while maintaining reliable ignition, as the spark generator draws minimal current compared to a resistive heater, enabling battery-powered operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The ignition method is changed from thermal (resistive heating) to electrical (spark discharge). This parameter change allows the ignition system to operate within the power constraints of a battery system while maintaining consistent and reliable pellet ignition through high-voltage spark generation.
3Weight of moving object
If the pellet grill is designed to be compact and lightweight for portability, then the grill becomes easily transportable, but the cooking area is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The warming rack is designed to nest within the cooking chamber when not in use, and can be swung away or extended when needed. This nested configuration allows the grill to maintain a compact form factor for portability while providing additional cooking surface area when the warming rack is deployed, resolving the contradiction between size and cooking capacity.
4Ease of operation
If a single battery charge is used to power the portable pellet grill, then the grill achieves portability, but the cooking session duration may exceed the battery charge capability
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is designed with sufficient capacity to provide the majority of the cooking session duration on a single charge, with the preliminary understanding that battery replacement may be needed for extended use. The battery pack is engineered to last through typical cooking sessions while maintaining portability, and the system is designed to accommodate battery exchange for marathon cooking events.
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 battery-powered pellet grill provides a portable, compact, and efficient cooking solution with reduced power consumption, allowing for extended use without constant AC power, making it suitable for various outdoor locations.
Implementation Method 1
the power supply controller is configured to cause the spark generator to create a continuous spark in the gap space between the first metallic tip and the second metallic tip
Implementation Method 2
A battery-powered pellet grill with a continuous spark ignition system using DC power
Data Source
AI summary
A pellet fueled apparatus having a continuous spark ignition system and swing-away warming rack is disclosed. The apparatus may include a power supply controller configured to cause a spark generator to create a continuous spark in a gap space between two electrodes for a duration greater than 2 seconds and up to 20 minutes uninterrupted. The apparatus, when embodied as a grill may include a warming rack that swings away from an underlying cooking surface when the grill lid is opened.