Cooking Device Annular Channel Steam Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing commercial cooking appliances face challenges in efficiently generating steam and dehumidifying due to complex designs that limit the availability of negative pressure for air intake and require additional components within the cooking chamber, leading to inefficiencies and increased maintenance needs.
Innovation Solution
A cooking appliance design featuring a heating device in an annular channel with a water injection nozzle adjacent to it, allowing direct water spray onto the heating element, combined with an optional heating element around the fan wheel, which generates steam efficiently while minimizing chamber heating and limescale buildup, and integrates steam and dehumidification functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If auxiliary blades are added to create negative pressure for fresh air intake, then air intake efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fan wheel is segmented into two functional parts: main blades for generating cooking chamber flow and auxiliary blades for creating negative pressure. This segmentation allows each blade type to perform its specific function optimally without interfering with the other, resolving the contradiction between air intake efficiency and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fan wheel serves multiple functions simultaneously: the main blades generate cooking chamber flow while the auxiliary blades create negative pressure for fresh air intake. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components, improving air intake efficiency without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Productivity
If fresh air duct coils are positioned inside the cooking chamber near the fan wheel, then steam generation efficiency is improved, but limescale buildup increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element for steam generation is extracted from the cooking chamber interior and relocated to the annular channel in the fresh air duct. This extraction places the heating element in a location that is easily accessible for cleaning and maintenance, eliminating the limescale buildup problem while maintaining steam generation efficiency through direct water injection onto the heated surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The annular channel in the fresh air duct serves as an intermediary location between the cooking chamber and the external environment. The heating element positioned in this channel can efficiently generate steam through water injection while being protected from direct exposure to cooking conditions that cause limescale buildup, and simultaneously remains easily accessible for cleaning.
3Power
If heating element is placed in cooking chamber for steam generation, then steam generation capability is improved, but chamber temperature increases unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is extracted from the cooking chamber and relocated to the annular channel of the fresh air duct. This allows the heating element to generate steam through direct water injection without transferring excessive heat to the cooking chamber, thereby maintaining steam generation capability while avoiding unnecessary temperature increase in the cooking environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element is positioned in a specific location (annular channel) with specific properties (easy access, controlled environment) that allow it to perform steam generation locally without affecting the overall cooking chamber temperature. The local heating occurs where water is injected onto the heating element surface, while the cooking chamber maintains its required temperature independently.
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 design achieves efficient steam generation and dehumidification with reduced component complexity, lower maintenance requirements, and improved reliability by eliminating the need for internal components and external generators, while maintaining compactness and energy efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the nozzle, particularly when the injected water is agitated, sprays it directly onto the heating element
Implementation Method 2
a heating device is arranged in a ring channel and that a water injection nozzle is provided adjacent to this heating device
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Cooking appliance (1), in particular a commercial cooking appliance with a housing (2) in which an openable and closable cooking chamber (3) is arranged, with a blower (6) which has a blower wheel (7) which is provided with a blower motor (1) which comprises a drive shaft (12) which is connected to the blower wheel (7) for drive purposes, and with an annular channel (15) which is in flow communication with an intake opening (11) of the housing (2), wherein a heating device (9) is arranged in the annular channel (15), and wherein a water injection nozzle (16) is arranged in the annular channel (15) adjacent to the heating device (9) of the annular channel (15).