Cold Water Generator Using Ice Thermal Buffer for Compact Purifiers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Direct-type water purifiers face challenges in efficiently cooling purified water while maintaining a compact size and reducing power consumption, as they require rapid temperature adjustments and often rely on thermoelectric elements with high power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A cold water generating apparatus that freezes a portion of purified water into ice within a tank, using the ice as a thermal buffer to maintain a low temperature state, allowing newly introduced water to rapidly cool through heat exchange with the ice, thereby reducing the size and weight of the apparatus while enhancing cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the tank or passage size is increased to increase continuous flow rate of cooled water, then the cooling capacity is improved, but the overall volume and weight of the water purifier increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes phase transition by freezing a portion of purified water into ice within the tank. The ice serves as a thermal buffer that maintains low temperature in the tank, enabling rapid cooling of newly introduced water without requiring a large tank or passage volume. This phase change approach allows the system to achieve high continuous flow rate while keeping the apparatus compact.
2Speed
If a thermoelectric element is used for quick generation of cold water, then the response speed is improved, but the power consumption increases due to relatively low thermal efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-freezing a portion of purified water into ice before new water needs to be cooled. This ice is then used as a thermal buffer to rapidly cool incoming water, achieving quick response speed without the need for continuous high-power thermoelectric element operation, thereby reducing overall power consumption.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If the tank size is increased to maintain low temperature state for longer duration, then the cooling duration is improved, but the weight of the apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs phase transition by converting a portion of water into ice, which serves as a long-lasting thermal buffer. The ice maintains the low temperature state in the tank for extended periods due to its latent heat of fusion, eliminating the need for a large tank volume or continuous energy input, thereby keeping the apparatus lightweight while extending cooling duration.
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 configuration enables efficient cooling of purified water by maintaining a continuous low temperature state within the tank, reducing recovery time for cooling and allowing for a smaller apparatus size while maintaining effective cooling performance.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling module coupled to the tank to cool purified water introduced into the tank through the inlet port
Implementation Method 2
a part of the purified water remains within the internal passage unit with being phase-changed into ice by the cooling module
Implementation Method 3
another part of the purified water is cooled due to a contact with the ice while passing through the internal passage unit
Data Source
AI summary
A cold water generating apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a tank having an inlet port and an outlet port, a cooling module coupled to the tank to cool purified water introduced into the tank through the inlet port, and an internal passage unit formed inside the tank to guide the purified water from the inlet port to the outlet port, wherein a part of the purified water is phase-changed into ice within the tank by the cooling module, and another part of the purified water flows along the internal passage unit to be brought into contact with the ice so as to be discharged through the outlet port.