Integrated Fuel Regulator for Fast Portable Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable heating devices often require high temperatures that conventional battery-powered electrical energy sources cannot consistently provide, necessitating the use of fuel energy sources, but existing systems rely on separate vaporizers that limit the quantity and consistency of gas transfer for ignition.
Innovation Solution
A portable heating system that incorporates a regulator configured to vaporize liquid fuel directly from a cartridge, eliminating the need for a separate vaporizer, allowing for immediate and consistent transfer of vaporized fuel to a burner, achieving temperatures up to 400°F within 90 seconds or less.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a separate vaporizer is used to vaporize liquid fuel from the cartridge, then the fuel can be vaporized, but the quantity and consistency of gas transfer to the burner is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the vaporizer and regulator functions into a single integrated regulator assembly. The regulator receives liquid fuel directly from the cartridge and performs both vaporization and pressure regulation in one component, eliminating the need for a separate vaporizer. This merging increases the quantity of gas transferred to the burner while reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The regulator is designed to perform multiple functions: it vaporizes liquid fuel, regulates gas pressure, and delivers consistent gas flow to the burner. This multi-functionality allows a single component to replace what would traditionally require separate vaporizer and regulator components, improving gas transfer quantity while maintaining simplicity.
2Temperature
If a separate vaporizer is used, then fuel vaporization can occur, but the heating element takes longer to achieve desired temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated regulator pre-vaporizes the liquid fuel before it reaches the burner, ensuring that fuel is already in gas form and ready for immediate combustion. This preliminary vaporization action within the regulator eliminates delays associated with separate vaporization systems, allowing the heating element to reach operating temperature faster.
Solution Approach 2:
The regulator provides continuous and consistent vaporized fuel delivery to the burner, maintaining steady combustion and heat generation. This continuous action ensures the heating element reaches and maintains desired temperature without interruptions or delays that would occur with batch-wise vaporization in separate vaporizers.
3Temperature
If conventional battery-powered electrical energy sources are used, then portability is achieved, but high temperatures cannot be consistently provided
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the energy source from electrical (battery-powered) to chemical (liquid fuel). This parameter change in the energy source type enables the system to achieve much higher temperatures suitable for portable heating applications, as liquid fuel combustion can generate significantly higher temperatures than conventional battery-powered heating elements.
4Ease of operation
If liquid fuel is released directly to the burner without vaporization, then the system is simpler, but the fuel cannot be properly ignited or transferred consistently
Solution Approach 1:
The regulator combines vaporization and pressure regulation functions in one integrated component that receives liquid fuel directly from the cartridge. This merging ensures consistent fuel vaporization and delivery without requiring separate vaporizer components, maintaining ease of operation while achieving reliable fuel transfer.
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 efficiently elevates and maintains high temperatures by instantaneously vaporizing and transferring fuel directly from a cartridge to a burner, enhancing the performance of portable heating devices like hair straighteners and curling irons.
Implementation Method 1
the liquid fuel is vaporized due, at least in part, to exposure to the temperature of the regulator and contact with an inner surface of the regulator
Implementation Method 2
The ignited fuel transfers heat to an element (e.g. barrel of a curling iron or an iron panel of a hair straightener)
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to portable heating systems that utilize a portable fuel source. Portable heating systems of the invention generally include a regulator that is configured to vaporize fuel released from a cartridge and to transfer the vaporized fuel to a burner for ignition.