Chiller with Temper Mode for Bidirectional Wine Temperature Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current beverage and wine chillers lack a dedicated heating mode, leading to inefficient temperature adjustment for wine, particularly red wine, which requires temperatures between 13°C and 18°C, and can result in over-cooling or slow warming due to the absence of a heat-up process.

Innovation Solution

A chiller with an additional 'temper mode' that uses internal temperature sensors to monitor content temperature, calculate heat load, and automatically switch between cooling and heating to quickly and safely reach target temperatures, incorporating features like super-heated gas operation and additional sensors for enhanced control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a chiller uses only cooling modes (pull-down and sustain) to reach target temperatures, then the cooling function is reliable, but the chiller cannot heat up content when starting temperature is below target temperature

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature adjustment capabilityVSAvoidtemperature control reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies inversion by reversing the refrigeration cycle to enable heating functionality. The system can operate in reverse mode where the evaporator becomes the heat source and the condenser becomes the heat sink, allowing the chiller to heat up wine bottles when their temperature is below the target serving temperature, rather than only cooling them

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Productivity

If a chiller uses pull-down mode to cool content, then the content reaches target temperature quickly, but the content may be over-cooled or frozen if starting temperature is already below target

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature adjustment speedVSAvoidcontent damage from over-cooling

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback control by continuously monitoring the wine bottle temperature during the temperature adjustment process and comparing it with the target temperature. Based on this feedback, the system automatically switches between cooling and heating modes, preventing over-cooling and ensuring the wine reaches the precise target temperature without damage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts its operation mode based on real-time temperature conditions. The control system can switch between pull-down mode, sustain mode, and the new heat-up mode depending on whether the wine temperature is above, at, or below the target temperature, making the temperature adjustment process adaptive and safe

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Stability of the object's composition

If a chiller uses sustain mode to maintain target temperature, then the temperature is stable, but the content warms up very slowly and never really reaches target temperature when starting below target

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature stabilityVSAvoidtemperature adjustment efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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

Enables fast and precise temperature adjustment for wine, preventing damage and ensuring red wine reaches serving temperatures efficiently, even when starting from lower temperatures, and can be applied in various settings like aircrafts.

Implementation Method 1

a temperature sensor (TR) for measuring a temperature of the return air in the chiller cavity

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTemperature sensing:

Implementation Method 2

determine a heat load based on the measured temperature

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat load calculation:

Implementation Method 3

a heating mode for heating up the content

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 4

a pulling-down mode for cooling the content

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCooling: Cooling

Data Source

PatentEP4462042A1Method for operating a chiller and corresponding chiller

Publication Date: 2024.11.13 SAFRAN CABIN GERMANY GMBH

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AI summary

In the present invention, a chiller includes a pull-down procedure or pull-down mode, a sustain procedure or sustain mode and, additionally, a heat-up procedure or heat-up mode or temper mode. This allows the chiller to deliberately and determined heat up content if the starting temperature of the content is below the target temperature for serving the content.