Bimetallic Strip Temperature Control in Aerosol Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing aerosol-generating systems for nicotine salt particles face inefficiencies due to differences in vapour concentrations of volatile delivery enhancing compounds and nicotine, leading to the delivery of unreacted vapours to the user.

Innovation Solution

An aerosol-generating system incorporating a bimetallic strip that allows precise temperature control of the volatile delivery enhancing compound source, independent of the heater element, ensuring balanced vapour concentrations and efficient formation of nicotine salt particles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a volatile delivery enhancing compound source and nicotine source are heated together, then an aerosol of nicotine salt particles is formed, but unreacted volatile delivery enhancing compound vapour is delivered to the user due to differences in vapour concentrations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveformation efficiency of nicotine salt particlesVSAvoiddelivery of unreacted volatile delivery enhancing compound vapour
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The heating system is segmented into two independent heating zones: a first heater for the volatile delivery enhancing compound source and a second heater for the nicotine source. This allows separate control of heating parameters for each reactant, enabling optimization of vapour generation rates to achieve balanced vapour concentrations and complete reaction, thereby eliminating unreacted volatile compound delivery while maintaining high productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the thermal parameters by providing independent temperature control for each heater. By adjusting the heating parameters of each source separately, the vapour generation rates can be tuned to match the stoichiometric requirements of the reaction, ensuring complete reaction efficiency and preventing delivery of unreacted volatile compounds

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If the vapour concentration of volatile delivery enhancing compound is increased to ensure complete reaction with nicotine, then more nicotine salt particles are formed, but the quantity of unreacted volatile delivery enhancing compound increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequantity of nicotine salt particles formedVSAvoidunreacted volatile delivery enhancing compound
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system incorporates feedback control through independent heating zones where the vapour generation from each source can be monitored and adjusted. By controlling the heating parameters of each source separately, the system can maintain vapour concentrations that match the reaction stoichiometry, ensuring complete reaction and preventing loss of volatile delivery enhancing compound through unreacted vapour delivery

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

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 enables consistent and efficient delivery of medicament aerosols by controlling the vapour concentrations, minimizing unreacted delivery enhancing compound and medicament vapours, and optimizing the reaction stoichiometry.

Implementation Method 1

the bimetallic strip comprising a first end in thermal contact with the heater element and a second end in thermal contact with the volatile delivery enhancing compound source. The bimetallic strip is configured so that heating the first end of the bimetallic strip above a predetermined temperature results in displacement of the first end of the bimetallic strip away from the heater element

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Implementation Method 2

the bimetallic strip comprising a first end in thermal contact with the heater element and a second end in thermal contact with the volatile delivery enhancing compound source

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP3273815B1Aerosol-generating system comprising a bimetallic strip
Publication Date: 2021.11.03 PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS SA
  • EP3273815B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3

AI summary

An aerosol-generating system (100) is provided, the aerosol-generating system (100) comprising an aerosol-generating device (70) comprising a heater element (72), and an aerosol-generating article (102). The aerosol-generating article (102) comprises a medicament source (18) and a volatile delivery enhancing compound source (22). The aerosol-generating system (100) further comprises a bimetallic strip (126) provided in the aerosol-generating device (70) or the aerosol-generating article (102), the bimetallic strip (126) comprising a first end in thermal contact with the heater element (72) and a second end in thermal contact with the volatile delivery enhancing compound source (22). The bimetallic strip (126) is configured so that heating the first end of the bimetallic strip (126) above a predetermined temperature results in displacement of the first end of the bimetallic strip (126) away from the heater element (72).