Beverage Container Super-Cooling Using Segmented Temperature Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for cooling fluids below their freezing point often result in solidification, which is undesirable for maintaining beverages in a liquid state, and do not effectively manage temperature differentials within containers to prevent freezing.
Innovation Solution
A container design with an upper cooling chamber and a lower uncooled chamber creates a temperature differential, utilizing convection to keep beverages in a liquid state by exposing only part of the fluid to a cooling substance, while maintaining the lower portion at a warmer temperature to prevent freezing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the entire container is exposed to a cooling substance to cool the beverage, then the beverage temperature decreases below freezing point, but the beverage solidifies into ice
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into two distinct chambers: a cooling chamber exposed to the cooling substance and an uncooled chamber that remains warmer. This segmentation allows different portions of the beverage to experience different temperature conditions, enabling super-cooling of the beverage while preventing complete solidification through the warmer uncooled portion.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the beverage are subjected to different thermal conditions. The beverage in the cooling chamber experiences temperatures below the freezing point, while the beverage in the uncooled chamber remains at a warmer temperature. This local quality differentiation allows the beverage to be super-cooled without fully solidifying.
2Stability of the object's composition
If only part of the container is exposed to cooling to prevent solidification, then the beverage remains liquid, but the cooling efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
A hollow chamber acts as an intermediary structure that extends through both the cooling and uncooled chambers. This hollow chamber facilitates heat transfer and convection currents between the two regions, allowing efficient cooling of the beverage while maintaining the temperature differential necessary to prevent complete solidification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes convection currents (a fluid dynamic phenomenon) to circulate the beverage between the cooling and uncooled chambers. This natural fluid movement enhances heat transfer efficiency, allowing the beverage to be cooled effectively while maintaining the temperature gradient that prevents solidification.
3Temperature
If a temperature differential is created within the container to establish convection, then super-cooling is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The container is segmented into distinct cooling and uncooled chambers with a hollow chamber extending through both. This segmentation, while adding structural elements, creates a straightforward geometric division that is easy to manufacture and understand, balancing the need for temperature differential with device simplicity.
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 method allows for the super-cooling of beverages below their freezing point without solidification, maintaining them in a liquid state for extended periods by establishing a sufficient convection current through controlled temperature differentials.
Implementation Method 1
cooling a fluid below its freezing point while maintaining the fluid in a liquid state by exposing a portion of a fluid container to a cooling substance
Implementation Method 2
exposing an upper surface portion of the container to a first temperature by a cooling substance while a lower surface portion of the container is exposed to a second warmer temperature, thereby establish convection induced movement of the liquid beverage
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for super-cooling a contained fluid by exposing a portion of the contained fluid to a temperature below a freezing point of the liquid while exposing a second portion of the contained fluid to a warmer temperature. The present invention establishes a temperature differential between the ambient air or fluid temperature within the cooler and a portion of a receiving element which receives a beveraged container. By creating a temperature differential, convection flow of the beverage within the packaged beverage occurs allowing the liquid beverage to achieve a temperature below its freezing point while being maintained in a liquid state.