Beverage Dispenser Cooling via Liquid Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Beverage dispensers require forced air convection for cooling, leading to noise, increased maintenance, and unwanted heat emission, and often necessitate invasive installation and clogging issues with air filters.
Innovation Solution
A beverage dispenser design that uses a recooling heat exchanger and reverse osmosis filter, coupled with a cooling device that extracts heat from permeate and dissipates it back to the recooling heat exchanger, eliminating the need for forced air convection and enhancing the efficiency of the reverse osmosis membrane by increasing the temperature of the aqueous liquid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If forced air convection is used for cooling the condenser, then heat dissipation is achieved, but noise is generated and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical forced convection system (fan-driven air circulation) with a liquid-based heat dissipation system. A pump circulates liquid through the condenser, and a heat exchanger transfers heat from the liquid to the ambient environment through the container wall, eliminating the need for fans and associated noise.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a hydraulic system using liquid circulation for heat dissipation. The liquid absorbs heat from the condenser and releases it to the environment through the heat exchanger, replacing the pneumatic air convection system and eliminating fan-related noise and maintenance issues.
2Loss of energy
If air convection is used for cooling, then heat dissipation is achieved, but large cooling fins are required which increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex mechanical air convection system with large cooling fins with a simpler liquid-based heat dissipation system. The liquid circulating through the condenser and heat exchanger provides efficient heat transfer without requiring extensive fin structures, thereby reducing device complexity.
3Reliability
If air filters are installed to reduce dust and dirt on cooling fins, then heat transmission is improved, but the filters clog and require maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the air filter system entirely by replacing air convection with liquid-based heat dissipation. Since liquid does not suffer from dust and dirt accumulation in the same way air does, the system avoids filter clogging and associated maintenance requirements while maintaining reliable heat transmission.
4Loss of energy
If the beverage dispenser emits heat into the room, then cooling is achieved, but unwanted heat emission occurs in office or kitchen environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a heat exchanger as an intermediary component between the condenser and the ambient environment. The heat exchanger transfers heat from the liquid to the environment through the container wall, allowing heat dissipation without direct emission into the room, thus maintaining cooling efficiency while minimizing unwanted heat emission in office or kitchen settings.
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 solution reduces noise, simplifies installation, minimizes maintenance, and increases the efficiency of the reverse osmosis membrane by allowing operation at lower pressures, while also reducing heat dissipation and improving the coefficient of performance of the cooling system.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling portion extracting heat energy from the permeate and a heating portion dissipating energy to the heat receiving portion of the recooling heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
a heating portion dissipating energy to the heat receiving portion of the recooling heat exchanger
Implementation Method 3
The reverse osmosis filter comprises an inlet for aqueous liquid, a permeate outlet and a concentrate outlet
Data Source
AI summary
A beverage dispenser has a supply opening that supplies an aqueous liquid from a source; a recooling heat exchanger having a heat receiving portion, a recooling inlet and a recooling outlet; a reverse osmosis filter having an inlet for aqueous liquid, a permeate outlet and a concentrate outlet; and a cooling device having a cooling portion extracting heat energy from the permeate and a heat dissipation portion dissipating energy to the heat receiving portion of the recooling heat exchanger. The heat dissipation portion of the cooling device is thermally coupled with the heat receiving portion of the recooling heat exchanger. The cooling portion of the cooling device is thermally coupled with the permeate exiting the permeate outlet of the reverse osmosis filter, wherein the permeate enters the cooling portion by a cooling portion permeate inlet and exits the cooling portion by a cooling portion permeate outlet.