Cooler with Shelf Plenum Airflow for Temperature Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional coolers experience temperature fluctuations and undesirable temperature gradients due to repeated door openings, leading to inefficient heat transfer and uneven cooling of beverages and food products.
Innovation Solution
A cooler design featuring shelf plenums connected to a supply duct with openings for airflow, a refrigeration system with a fan to generate and circulate temperature-conditioned air, and dampers for precise temperature control, ensuring even airflow distribution and supercooling of products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional cooler air circulation is used, then the cooler can maintain basic cooling function, but temperature gradients and fluctuations occur leading to uneven cooling of products
Solution Approach 1:
The cooler is divided into multiple zones with independent airflow control through shelf plenums. Each shelf plenum receives conditioned air from the supply duct and distributes it locally to products on that shelf, creating segmented temperature zones that prevent large-scale temperature gradients and improve temperature uniformity throughout the cooler.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the cooler receive optimized airflow through individual shelf plenums. The supply airflow is distributed locally to each shelf rather than relying on natural convection, ensuring that each product location receives appropriate cooling according to its specific thermal needs, thereby improving temperature control precision.
2Ease of operation
If door openings are frequent for consumer access, then product availability is improved, but heat transfer between ambient air and cooler air increases causing temperature rise
Solution Approach 1:
Air is pre-cooled and pressurized in the supply duct before being distributed to shelf plenums. This preliminary conditioning ensures that even when doors are opened and warm air enters, the rapidly responding pressurized cold air from shelf plenums can quickly restore proper temperature conditions, reducing the impact of frequent door openings on energy loss.
3Productivity
If supply airflow is increased to improve cooling, then cooling efficiency increases, but temperature gradients may worsen due to uneven distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The supply airflow is segmented into multiple smaller streams that are distributed through individual shelf plenums to different shelves. This segmentation allows high total airflow for improved cooling efficiency while maintaining even distribution across all product locations, preventing temperature gradients that would occur with concentrated airflow.
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 solution maintains a consistent temperature gradient, supercools beverages to 25 degrees Fahrenheit, and reduces temperature fluctuations, ensuring more efficient cooling and precise temperature control within the cooler.
Implementation Method 1
a fan configured to generate a supply airflow through the supply duct to each of the plurality of shelf plenums
Implementation Method 2
the supply airflow exits the shelf plenums through the plurality of openings in each shelf... directly contacting the at least one beverage container with the supply airflow; and supercooling a liquid within the at least one beverage container
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed herein that include providing a cooler with a supply duct, a plurality of shelf plenums connected in fluid communication with the supply duct, and a return duct to implement precise temperature control over an internal cooling space of the cooler. Each of the shelf plenums may include openings disposed in a top surface of each shelf plenum. A supply airflow generated by a fan of a refrigeration system may pass the supply airflow through the supply duct to each of the plurality of shelf plenums, where the supply airflow may exit the shelf plenums through the openings in each shelf plenum to directly contact beverages and/or food products disposed on the top surface of the shelf plenums. The cooler may be further operated to supercool liquid beverages below a freezing point of the beverages without causing solidification and/or crystallization of the beverages.