Beverage Cooling Control via Ambient Temperature Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage dispensing assemblies are not efficient in maintaining optimal beverage temperature control, especially in varying ambient conditions, and often require complex maintenance and user interaction.
Innovation Solution
A beverage dispensing assembly that uses a cooling system with a thermally conductive contact body coupled to a cooling element, adjusting cooling based on ambient temperature and beverage volume, with a processing unit to manage temperature control and prevent freezing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cooling algorithms are used with fixed temperature thresholds, then the cooling control is simple, but the temperature control efficiency deteriorates under varying ambient conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling control system dynamically adjusts the cut-on temperature threshold based on ambient temperature conditions. Instead of using fixed thresholds, the system adapts the activation temperature of the cooling element to match varying environmental conditions, thereby maintaining optimal temperature control efficiency across different operating scenarios
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates ambient temperature sensing and uses this feedback to adjust the cooling control parameters. The processing unit continuously monitors ambient conditions and modifies the cut-on temperature threshold accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that responds to environmental changes while maintaining reliable temperature control
2Reliability
If cooling is activated frequently to maintain beverage temperature in high ambient conditions, then temperature control reliability improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically determines the cut-on temperature for the cooling element based on real-time ambient temperature measurements. In high ambient conditions, the cut-on temperature is adjusted to activate cooling only when necessary, preventing excessive energy consumption while maintaining beverage temperature within acceptable limits
Solution Approach 2:
The control system changes the operational parameters of the cooling element by adjusting the cut-on temperature threshold according to ambient conditions. This parameter adaptation allows the system to optimize between temperature maintenance reliability and energy consumption by activating cooling only when the beverage temperature exceeds the dynamically determined threshold
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
Maintains beverage temperature within acceptable limits by dynamically adjusting cooling based on ambient conditions and beverage volume, ensuring efficient and easy-to-use temperature management.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling system for contact cooling of a container for liquid, especially for contact cooling a container and liquid contained therein to be dispensed
Data Source
Figure 1~1A
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A method is provided for cooling a beverage in a container, the container being provided in contact with a cooling contact body thermally conductively coupled to a cooling element. The method comprises operating the cooling element and obtaining an ambient temperature of the environment outside the container and the cooling contact body. Based on the ambient temperature, a cut on temperature is defined and a temperature value indicative of a temperature of the beverage is obtained. The cooling element is operated if the temperature is larger than the cut on temperature until an end criterion is met. A higher ambient temperature may require more cooling of the beverage to ensure the temperature of the beverage is maintained between acceptable boundaries. A higher environmental temperature, requiring more cooling, means faster switching on or off. By using a switch on temperature based on the ambient temperature, more efficient cooling may be established.