Boat Chiller System Preventing Barnacle Growth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Onboard water cooled air conditioning systems for boats face issues with barnacle growth due to the use of seawater, which promotes sediment and sea life accumulation in the cooling systems, especially when boats are docked for extended periods.
Innovation Solution
A self-contained externally cooled fresh water supply system is introduced, utilizing a bypass to connect an onboard water cooled air conditioning system to a self-contained onshore reservoir that maintains cooled water, replacing seawater and preventing barnacle growth by using municipal water and a chiller unit to keep the water at a predetermined cool temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If seawater is used as the external water supply in an onboard water cooled a/c system, then the system can effectively remove heat from the refrigerant, but barnacle growth and sediment accumulation occur in the piping and circulation system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a freshwater intermediary substance that circulates through the onboard a/c system instead of seawater. This freshwater acts as a mediator between the refrigerant cooling function and the prevention of barnacle growth. The system includes a heat exchanger that transfers heat from the refrigerant to the freshwater, allowing the freshwater to perform the cooling function without causing the harmful effects of seawater.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the water cooling system into two separate loops: an external seawater cooling loop and an internal freshwater circulation loop. The seawater is used only in the external heat exchanger to cool the freshwater, while the freshwater circulates through the onboard a/c system components. This segmentation prevents seawater from contacting the internal piping and components, eliminating barnacle growth while maintaining effective heat removal.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a self-contained onshore reservoir system is used to supply cooled freshwater, then barnacle growth is prevented, but the device complexity increases with additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the onboard a/c system to be compatible with both seawater and freshwater operation modes. The system can switch between using seawater directly (when the boat is moving and seawater circulation is effective) and using the freshwater reservoir system (when docked or when barnacle growth is a concern). This multi-functionality allows the system to prevent barnacle growth while minimizing complexity by only adding components when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system includes automatic controls that monitor the a/c system operation and automatically switch between seawater and freshwater modes based on operating conditions. The freshwater reservoir system is self-contained with its own pump and heat exchanger that automatically circulate and cool the freshwater when activated, reducing the need for additional complex control mechanisms.
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 effectively prevents barnacle growth and sediment accumulation in the boat's cooling system by using cooled freshwater from a self-contained onshore reservoir, thereby prolonging the system's life and reducing maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
The onshore reservoir is connected to an onshore chiller that maintains the water within the reservoir at a predetermined cool temperature so the cooled water may be used in place of seawater
Implementation Method 2
The external supply of water is pumped from a body of water in which the boat is located and circulated over the condenser coil. As the external supply of water is passed through the condenser, heat transfers from refrigerant in the condenser to the external supply of water
Implementation Method 3
The air is circulated via one or more blowers and heat is drawn from the interior space is then transferred to the internal supply of freshwater
Implementation Method 4
As the internal supply of freshwater is circulated it passes though one or more coils that act as radiators to remove heat from air circulated over the coils from the interior space of the boat
Data Source
AI summary
A boat chiller system (1) wherein a self-contained externally cooled fresh water supply is used in place of water in which the boat is docked, such as seawater, to transfer heat from an interior space of a boat (4) to outside of the boat. The use of recirculated fresh water eliminates barnacle growth in an onboard water cooled a/c system (2) and/or excess barnacles and other sea life from growing near an external water discharge (12) on the boat as would occur with the discharge of heated sea water in a conventional boat a/c system.