Calibration Bath Rapid Cooling via Forced Air Conduit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional calibration baths lack efficient cooling mechanisms, leading to prolonged cooling times, which can be hazardous and costly, especially when using high-temperature fluids like silicone oils that degrade rapidly above their oxidation temperature.
Innovation Solution
A calibration device with a chamber and tank system that uses a motor-driven fluid propulsion device and a processor to control air flow through a conduit, allowing for rapid temperature regulation by adjusting the speed of a fan motor based on temperature differences and ambient conditions, enabling efficient cooling of fluids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If ambient conditions are used to cool the fluid, then the cooling system is simple, but the cooling time is excessively long
Solution Approach 1:
A fan is introduced as an intermediary device to accelerate heat transfer from the fluid to the ambient air. The fan forces air circulation over and around the container, creating forced convection that dramatically speeds up the cooling process compared to passive ambient cooling, while avoiding the complexity of active refrigeration systems.
2Loss of time
If vapor compression refrigeration systems are used to speed up cooling, then the cooling time is reduced, but the temperature range is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the essential cooling function needed for the application without implementing a complete vapor compression refrigeration system. By using passive cooling enhanced with forced air circulation, the solution achieves sufficient cooling speed for the specific use case while maintaining the ability to operate across a wide temperature range without refrigerant limitations.
3Productivity
If the fluid is kept at high temperature for extended periods, then calibration can be performed, but the fluid degrades rapidly
Solution Approach 1:
The rapid cooling capability allows the system to quickly transition from calibration temperature to storage temperature, minimizing the time the fluid spends at high temperatures. This enables the fluid to be used effectively for calibration when needed while spending most of its time at lower, non-degrading temperatures, thereby extending its operational lifespan.
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 significantly reduces cooling times, extending the life of expensive fluids and ensuring safer handling by quickly lowering fluid temperatures, thus improving operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
a motor coupled to a fluid propulsion device, wherein the fluid propulsion device, in operation, moves air into the conduit past the bottom wall and side walls of the tank
Implementation Method 2
the processor, in operation, controls a speed at which the motor rotates by causing a control signal to be supplied to the motor, the control signal being a pulse-width modulated signal having a maximum duty cycle that may be less than one-hundred percent
Data Source
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AI summary
A device includes a chamber having an interior surface formed from a material that reflects infrared energy. A tank is disposed within the chamber. A bottom wall of the tank is spaced apart from a bottom wall of the chamber, and side walls of the tank are spaced apart from side walls of the chamber. A conduit is formed between the bottom wall of the tank and the bottom wall of the chamber and between the side walls of the tank and the side walls of the chamber. A fan or pump moves air into the conduit past the bottom and side walls of the tank to cool a fluid disposed within the tank. A processor controls a speed at which a motor of the fan or pump rotates based on input received from one or more temperature sensors.