Cold and hot storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cold and hot storage systems for wet towels are inefficient in rapidly heating or cooling large quantities of towels due to limited installation space and high power consumption, with heating by natural convection and conduction taking a long time, and are prone to dew condensation issues that lead to electrothermal heater disconnection.
Innovation Solution
A cold and hot storage system featuring a temperature control heat sink with fins, a heater, temperature control fan, Peltier module, and heat dissipation fan, which circulates air efficiently to rapidly heat or cool towels using a power control unit, reducing power consumption and preventing dew condensation by ensuring continuous heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a large-sized cold and hot storage is used to cool or heat a large number of wet towels simultaneously, then the productivity is improved, but the installation space requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage chamber is divided into multiple shelves that can be independently configured, allowing the system to handle multiple towels simultaneously while maintaining a compact footprint. Each shelf acts as an independent processing unit for cooling or heating operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a compact nested structure where shelves, fans, and thermal elements are integrated within a vertical stacking arrangement. The heat insulating layer is nested between the thermal conductor and outer casing, maximizing space utilization while maintaining thermal efficiency.
2Device complexity
If heating is performed by an electrothermal heater wound around the peripheral wall portion, then the device complexity is reduced, but the heating speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is extended from one-dimensional peripheral heating to three-dimensional volumetric heating by placing electrothermal heaters at multiple locations including the bottom, sides, and between shelves. This multi-dimensional heating approach significantly reduces heating time while maintaining relatively simple device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple heating elements are merged into a coordinated system where electrothermal heaters are integrated at various positions (bottom, sides, between shelves) to work simultaneously, creating a comprehensive heating network that accelerates the heating process while keeping individual components simple.
3Device complexity
If cooling is performed by a Peltier element in close contact with the bottom portion, then the device complexity is reduced, but the cooling speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling function transitions from one-dimensional bottom contact to multi-dimensional cooling by positioning Peltier elements at the bottom, sides, and between shelves. This spatial distribution of cooling elements dramatically accelerates cooling speed while maintaining relatively simple device architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple Peltier cooling elements are merged into a coordinated cooling system distributed throughout the storage chamber, working simultaneously to rapidly cool towels at various positions while keeping the overall device structure simple and manageable.
4Loss of energy
If the electrothermal heater is covered with the heat insulating layer, then the thermal efficiency is improved, but the ease of repair decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat insulating layer is segmented into removable sections or panels that can be easily detached to access the electrothermal heater for repair or replacement, then reinstalled to restore thermal insulation. This modular approach maintains thermal efficiency while enabling straightforward maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat insulating layer is designed as a separable component that can be temporarily removed or extracted to access the heater, allowing repair operations without permanently compromising the thermal insulation structure. After repair, the insulating layer is reinstalled to restore energy efficiency.
5Quantity of substance
If wet towels in the center portion are surrounded by other wet towels, then the storage capacity is improved, but the heat or cold transfer efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Heat and cold are transferred not only through direct contact between towels but also through the storage chamber air space and structural elements. The patent utilizes vertical and lateral airflow paths to deliver thermal energy to towels in the center, bypassing the limitation of direct towel-to-towel conduction and maintaining efficiency even with high storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage chamber air and structural elements (shelves, walls) act as intermediaries to transfer heat and cold to towels positioned in the center. This intermediary heat transfer mechanism ensures that even towels surrounded by other towels receive adequate thermal energy through convection and radiation from the chamber environment.
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 system enables rapid and efficient heating or cooling of all towels within the storage with low power consumption, preventing dew condensation and ensuring stable operation by maintaining continuous heating without electrothermal heater disconnection.
Implementation Method 1
a Peltier module having a heat absorbing surface to be connected to the temperature control heat sink and a heat dissipating surface to be connected to the heat dissipation heat sink
Implementation Method 2
a heater that heats the temperature control heat sink
Implementation Method 3
a temperature control fan arranged on the one surface of the temperature control heat sink and blows air in the inner tank to the fins of the temperature control heat sink
Implementation Method 4
a heat dissipation fan that blows air outside the inner tank to the heat dissipation heat sink
Implementation Method 5
a temperature control heat sink including a base plate and a plurality of fins formed on one surface of the base plate
Implementation Method 6
blows air in the inner tank to the fins of the temperature control heat sink
Data Source
AI summary
A cold and hot storage includes a main body portion, an inner tank arranged in the main body portion, a temperature control heat sink, a heater that heats the temperature control heat sink, a temperature control fan that blows air in the inner tank to fins of the temperature control heat sink, a shielding plate that shields an area where the temperature control heat sink is arranged, a heat dissipation heat sink arranged outside the rear surface of the inner tank, a heat dissipation fan that blows air outside the inner tank to the heat dissipation heat sink, a Peltier module having a heat absorbing surface to be connected to the temperature control heat sink and a heat dissipating surface to be connected to the heat dissipation heat sink, and a power control unit.