Freezer with remote management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Blast Freezers are limited in freezing products to −40°C within a short time due to the high boiling point of their refrigerants, requiring over 2 hours to freeze a batch of 100 bags.
Innovation Solution
A high-speed freezer system utilizing liquid Nitrogen with a boiling point of −196°C, coupled with a cryogenic heat exchanger and multiple fans for enhanced convective cooling, along with a control system for efficient temperature management and notification features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If conventional mechanical refrigerants are used in Blast Freezers, then the system can maintain stable operation, but the freezing speed is limited due to the high boiling point of the refrigerant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the refrigerant from conventional mechanical refrigerants with high boiling points to liquid nitrogen with a boiling point of -196°C. This parameter change enables the freezer to achieve ultra-low temperatures and dramatically increase freezing speed, reducing the time to freeze 100 bags from over 2 hours to about 1 hour.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the conventional mechanical compression refrigeration system with a cryogenic system using liquid nitrogen. Instead of using mechanical compressors and refrigerant cycles, the system directly utilizes the phase change and cold temperature properties of liquid nitrogen to achieve rapid freezing, eliminating the limitations of mechanical refrigerant boiling points.
2Productivity
If liquid Nitrogen is used as coolant, then freezing speed increases dramatically, but system complexity increases due to cryogenic components required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs self-service principles by using liquid nitrogen's natural properties (boiling point of -196°C and vigorous vaporization) to automatically achieve rapid cooling without complex control systems. The system leverages the inherent characteristics of liquid nitrogen to perform the freezing function, reducing the need for complex mechanical controls and regulation mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the cooling function into multiple evaporators with coolant tubes distributed throughout the payload bay. This segmentation allows for uniform temperature distribution and efficient heat exchange across multiple zones, managing the complexity by dividing the cryogenic system into modular, manageable components rather than a single complex unit.
3Stability of the object's composition
If multiple evaporators with extensive coolant tubes are used, then temperature uniformity improves, but the amount of liquid Nitrogen required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the cooling approach by having evaporators and coolant tubes distributed in three-dimensional space throughout the payload bay, with tubes entering and exiting the bay at multiple locations. This spatial distribution ensures uniform temperature throughout the entire volume, achieving temperature stability without requiring excessive liquid nitrogen by optimizing the geometric arrangement of the heat exchange surfaces.
4Reliability
If remote monitoring and notification systems are added, then service level agreement compliance improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through sensors that continuously monitor vital parameters such as temperature and liquid nitrogen levels. These sensors communicate with a processor that compares actual performance against service level agreement thresholds, providing real-time feedback to ensure compliance. The system automatically generates notifications when parameters approach critical limits, enabling proactive maintenance and ensuring reliable service delivery.
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 can freeze 100 bags in about 1 hour, reducing freeze time by half and maintaining temperature accuracy, while also enabling rapid heating and efficient long-term storage with minimal energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
The preferred embodiment has no refrigeration compressor, common to most prior art freezers, thus alleviating wear problems associated with a multiplicity of moving parts. The system includes a liquid Nitrogen inlet capable of convenient attachment to a customer's liquid Nitrogen supply and a cryogenic flow system that operates at a predetermined Nitrogen flow.
Implementation Method 2
a cryogenic flow system that operates at a predetermined Nitrogen flow; a payload bay with removable shelves; a plurality of evaporators inside the payload bay
Implementation Method 3
a plurality of fans that distribute the cooled air from the evaporators to the payload bay
Implementation Method 4
a pump to force coolant flowing through the evaporators with a pressure of at least 90 psi to supply the coolant at each evaporator with at least 20 gallons per hour of coolant
Data Source
AI summary
A freezer includes a plurality of evaporators coupled to a payload bay with a multiplicity of coolant tubes in each evaporator, wherein each tube enters and then exits the payload bay, further comprising one or more cryogenic valves coupled to the coolant tubes; a pump to force coolant flowing through the evaporators; sensors coupled to the evaporators of the freezer to monitor vital parameters of the freezer; a processor; a wireless telemetry system to communicate one or more measured characteristics of the freezer in accordance with a service level agreement to a remote computer; and at least one notification component that provides a notification associated with a specific customer responsive to the measured characteristic of the service crossing a pre-defined threshold.