Breath Test Simulator Thermal Mass Lid Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breath test simulators face challenges in maintaining stable temperatures and efficient manufacturing processes, particularly due to the use of expensive and time-consuming brass tubing manufacturing methods, which can lead to rapid temperature fluctuations and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A breath test simulator with a top housing formed from a machined conductive metal body, featuring a lid with a passage projection that acts as a thermal mass to maintain stable temperatures in inlet and outlet passages, and utilizing two independent temperature control circuits to ensure the solution temperature remains within a regulatory allowable range, preventing rapid cooling and reducing manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If brass tubing is used for inlet and outlet tubes with welding and plating, then manufacturing precision and protective coating are achieved, but manufacturing cost and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive brass tubing with inexpensive stainless steel tubing that is easier to manufacture. The tubing is simply inserted through the lid without requiring welding or plating operations, significantly reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining functional requirements.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the lid heater is turned off, then energy consumption is reduced, but the inlet and outlet tubes cool rapidly causing temperature fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a thermal mass component (the lid itself or a dedicated thermal mass element) that acts as an intermediary heat storage element. This thermal mass absorbs and releases heat to maintain tube temperatures even when the heater is off, reducing temperature fluctuations and energy consumption cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the thermal parameters of the lid structure by increasing its thermal mass or improving its insulating properties. This allows the system to maintain stable temperatures with reduced heating, decreasing energy consumption while preventing rapid cooling of the tubes.
3Reliability
If the solution temperature is maintained in the center of the regulatory range, then compliance is ensured, but the system requires continuous heating to counteract cooling from inlet air
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-heats the inlet air in the inlet passage before it enters the solution. This preliminary heating action prevents the inlet air from cooling the solution, thereby reducing the continuous heating energy required to maintain regulatory compliance temperatures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful cooling effect of inlet air into a beneficial pre-heating opportunity. By deliberately heating the inlet air path, the system eliminates the cooling penalty and reduces overall heating requirements, turning a problem into a solution.
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 solution maintains stable temperatures in the breath test simulator, reducing the need for excessive heating, ensuring accurate calibration of breath test analyzers, and lowering manufacturing costs by using a single piece of conductive metal for the housing, while independent temperature control circuits prevent temperature fluctuations and alert operators to deviations from the acceptable range.
Implementation Method 1
The projection is preferably formed from the same piece of metal forming the lid and serves as a thermal mass for warming the inlet and outlet passages.
Implementation Method 2
The simulator includes a heater for the lid. The heater heats the lid, the passage projection and the passages in the projection.
Implementation Method 3
An unheated breath sample is flowed through a thin wall air inlet tube into the jar and bubbles up through the solution to absorb a known amount of ethyl alcohol from the solution.
Data Source
AI summary
A breath test simulator for supplying a breath test analyzer with a vapor including ethyl alcohol includes a heated thermal mass to heat an inlet passage.