Cooling device for beverages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Blast chillers require long pre-cooling times, making them unsuitable for rapidly cooling beverages to drinking temperature within minutes, and are not compact enough for household or catering use, due to limitations in heat transfer and thermal conductivity through poorly conductive materials like glass bottles.
Innovation Solution
A compact cooling device with a cylindrical chamber and a cooling liquid bath that immerses the beverage container by at least 30% of its height, featuring a widened section to prevent overflow and a cooling coil that surrounds the container, enhancing heat transfer through direct contact and laminar or turbulent air flow, utilizing a compression refrigeration system and Joule-Thomson cooler for efficient cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional blast chillers use air cooling or water with ice cooling methods, then cooling capacity is improved, but pre-cooling time increases up to 3 hours and device size becomes too large for household use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a compression refrigeration system with a refrigerant circulation circuit that includes an evaporator directly contacting the cooling liquid. This hydraulic system enables rapid heat transfer through the cooling liquid to the beverage container, achieving cooling in under 1 minute without requiring extended pre-cooling times.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transition of the refrigerant in the compression refrigeration system. The refrigerant evaporates at low temperature to absorb heat from the cooling liquid, which then rapidly cools the beverage container. This phase change mechanism provides high cooling capacity while maintaining compact device size.
2Productivity
If conventional blast chillers are designed for rapid cooling, then cooling speed is improved, but device complexity and size increase making them unsuitable for household or catering use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested structure where the beverage container is placed within a chamber that is immersed in the cooling liquid. The cooling element is integrated into the chamber wall, creating a compact nested arrangement that achieves rapid cooling without requiring large device dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from surface cooling to volumetric cooling by immersing the beverage container in cooling liquid. This dimensional change from 2D surface contact to 3D liquid immersion dramatically increases heat transfer efficiency, enabling rapid cooling in a compact device.
3Reliability
If glass bottles with poor thermal conductivity are used, then beverage containment is improved, but heat transfer from cooling medium to container wall becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces cooling liquid as an intermediary medium between the refrigeration system and the beverage container. The cooling liquid absorbs heat from the refrigerant and directly contacts the glass bottle, providing efficient heat transfer despite the poor thermal conductivity of glass.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thermal parameters of the cooling system by using a cooling liquid with high heat capacity and thermal conductivity. This parameter change compensates for the poor thermal conductivity of glass bottles, enabling sufficient heat transfer rate while maintaining beverage containment.
4Productivity
If cooling temperatures are lowered below freezing point to achieve rapid cooling, then cooling speed is improved, but risk of beverage freezing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a control system with temperature sensors that continuously monitor the cooling liquid temperature and beverage temperature. This feedback mechanism adjusts the refrigeration system operation to maintain optimal cooling temperature, achieving rapid cooling while preventing beverage freezing through real-time temperature control.
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 device achieves rapid cooling of beverages to 8°C in under 1 minute, reducing energy consumption and storage needs, while being more compact than conventional refrigerators, with precise temperature control to prevent freezing.
Implementation Method 1
heat transfer from the cooling medium to the container wall
Implementation Method 2
Heat transfer from the cooling medium to the beverage container can be improved by generating a laminar or turbulent airflow
Implementation Method 3
utilizing a compression refrigeration system and Joule-Thomson cooler for efficient cooling
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
In a cooling device for beverages in beverage containers, comprising a preferably cylindrical chamber for receiving a beverage container and at least one cooling element (1), the chamber is constructed as a basin for a cooling bath.