Fermentation Temperature Control in Beverage Maker
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage makers lack efficiency in controlling fermentation temperatures, which is crucial for producing high-quality homemade beers, leading to inconsistent taste and user convenience issues.
Innovation Solution
A beverage maker with a temperature controller that uses a refrigerant cycle device and heater to maintain optimal fermentation temperatures, including a plurality of step temperatures to prevent rapid temperature changes and enhance yeast activation, along with an air supply system for uniform mixing and aeration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a refrigerant cycle device and heater are used to control fermentation temperature, then temperature control precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the refrigerant cycle device and heater into a unified temperature control system that works cooperatively. The controller integrates both heating and cooling functions, allowing the system to maintain fermentation temperature by selecting either heating or cooling based on real-time temperature feedback, thus achieving precise control without requiring completely separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback control mechanism where a temperature sensor continuously monitors the fermentation tank temperature and sends signals to the controller. The controller compares the actual temperature with the target fermentation temperature and automatically adjusts the refrigerant cycle device or heater accordingly, ensuring precise temperature maintenance while simplifying the control logic through automated feedback loops.
2Reliability
If step temperatures are used to prevent rapid temperature changes, then yeast activation is improved, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the temperature control process into multiple step temperatures rather than using a single target temperature. The controller sequentially adjusts the temperature through predefined steps, allowing gradual temperature changes that prevent thermal shock to the yeast while maintaining reliable activation conditions. This segmentation approach simplifies the control strategy by using discrete temperature levels instead of continuous complex adjustments.
3Manufacturing precision
If air supply system is added for uniform mixing and aeration, then beverage quality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the air supply system to serve multiple functions simultaneously: aeration for yeast activation, uniform mixing of ingredients, and temperature distribution throughout the fermentation tank. By designing the air supply system to perform these multiple functions through a single integrated mechanism, the patent improves beverage quality without proportionally increasing device complexity.
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 ensures precise temperature control and improved yeast activation, resulting in better beer quality and user convenience by simplifying the brewing process.
Implementation Method 1
a refrigerant cycle device to cool the mixture to a fermentation temperature
Implementation Method 2
and heater to maintain optimal fermentation temperatures
Implementation Method 3
an air supply system for uniform mixing and aeration
Data Source
AI summary
A beverage maker may include a fermentation tank including a space in which a beverage is made, a refrigerant cycle device to cool the fermentation tank, a temperature sensor to detect a temperature of the fermentation tank, and a controller to drive the refrigerant cycle device to decrease a temperature of the fermentation tank which accommodates a mixture including an ingredient of the beverage to a fermentation temperature while the beverage is being made, to stop driving of the refrigerant cycle device when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reaches a first step temperature of a plurality of step temperatures set higher than the fermentation temperature, and to re-drive the refrigerant cycle device after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.