Cooling Element Structure to Prevent Initial Undercooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling elements for refrigerated goods often cause initial undercooling, leading to damage such as freezer burn or hypothermia, due to their supercooled state, and require complex insulation structures that increase handling complexity and reduce service life.
Innovation Solution
A cooling element design that spatially separates the solid and liquid states of the coolant, allowing the liquid state to come into thermal contact with the goods while maintaining the solid state away, using a separating element to prevent initial undercooling and allowing for efficient heat transfer during phase transition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If the cooling element is supercooled to extend cooling duration, then the cooling period is extended, but the refrigerated goods are damaged by initial undercooling
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling element is divided into two separate compartments: a first compartment containing the coolant supply and a second compartment containing the goods to be cooled. This spatial segmentation prevents direct thermal contact between the supercooled coolant and the goods, allowing extended cooling duration without initial undercooling damage.
Solution Approach 2:
A separating element is introduced as an intermediary between the coolant and the goods. This separator mediates the thermal interaction, allowing heat transfer over time while preventing the harmful direct contact with supercooled coolant, thus enabling extended cooling without damage.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If additional insulation layers are added to prevent undercooling, then undercooling damage is avoided, but the packaging complexity and handling steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The separating element that prevents undercooling is integrated directly into the cooling element structure, merging the protective function with the cooling device itself. This eliminates the need for separate insulation layers and complex packaging arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling element provides its own protection against undercooling through the integrated separating element, making the system self-sufficient. No additional external insulation or complex packaging is required, simplifying handling and reducing steps.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If passive insulation buffers are used to reduce initial undercooling, then undercooling is reduced, but the overall service life of cooling elements is shortened
Solution Approach 1:
The separating element is designed to be dynamically adaptable, allowing optimal thermal interaction throughout the cooling process. This dynamic design maintains effective cooling over the full service life without the degradation associated with static passive insulation buffers.
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 prevents initial undercooling damage, extends cooling periods, and simplifies handling by allowing the cooling element to be supercooled without risk to the goods, while maintaining a known minimum temperature for effective cooling.
Implementation Method 1
a phase transition of a coolant from the solid state of aggregation to the liquid state of aggregation
Implementation Method 2
the solid state of aggregation of the coolant and at least a substantial amount of the coolant in the liquid aggregate state can be enabled to come into closer thermal contact with the goods to be cooled
Implementation Method 3
The separating element is set up to keep the supply of coolant in the solid aggregate state away from the fluid space
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2~3
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
The element (110) has a casing (112) provided with a heat transfer wall (122) to interchange thermal energy with goods i.e. medicament, to be refrigerated. A fluid space (120) is adjacent to the wall, and a storage space (118) is separated from the fluid space by a separating element (114). The storage space is arranged such that a supply of cooling agent (126) e.g. parafme, is kept away from the fluid space in a solid aggregation condition. The cooling agent is transferred from the storage space into the fluid space in a fluid aggregation condition. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a cooling container comprising an outer container with a receiver for spatial fixing of a cooling element (2) a method for cooling goods to be refrigerated (3) a method for manufacturing a cooling element.