Golf Ball Phase-Change Material Temperature Regulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Golf balls experience performance degradation due to temperature changes, particularly in varying environmental conditions, as existing technologies focus on minimizing property changes rather than stabilizing the ball's temperature, leading to inconsistent performance.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a phase-change material (PCM) into golf ball components such as the coating, cover, or core, which has a melting point between 5° C. and 40° C., to regulate temperature changes and maintain optimal properties by adjusting the phase-change time in response to ambient temperature changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If materials with small property changes in response to temperature changes are compounded with base rubber or base resin, then the golf ball maintains stable properties across temperature ranges, but the ball temperature itself still changes in response to ambient temperature, leading to performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a phase-change material (PCM) into the golf ball core or cover layer that undergoes phase transition at a specific temperature range. When the ball temperature approaches the phase-change temperature, the PCM absorbs or releases latent heat, actively regulating the ball temperature and suppressing excessive temperature changes. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining both stable composition properties and stable temperature through phase transition mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thermal parameters of the golf ball by introducing PCM with specific phase-change temperatures and latent heat values. By selecting PCM with appropriate parameters (phase-change temperature between -10°C to 50°C and latent heat of 100-500 J/g), the ball's temperature response characteristics are fundamentally altered, enabling active temperature regulation while maintaining material stability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the compressive hardness of the ball is set to a low value to reduce changes in ball properties during winter, then property changes are suppressed, but the ball cannot actively suppress temperature changes and maintain optimal properties
Solution Approach 1:
The PCM embedded in the golf ball undergoes phase transition at predetermined temperatures, actively regulating ball temperature regardless of the ball's compressive hardness. This provides adaptability by automatically responding to temperature changes through phase transition, complementing the low compressive hardness design to achieve both property stability and active temperature suppression.
Solution Approach 2:
The PCM provides self-regulating temperature control without external intervention. When ball temperature rises above the phase-change temperature, the PCM melts and absorbs heat; when temperature drops below, the PCM solidifies and releases heat. This self-service mechanism enhances the ball's adaptability to varying temperatures while maintaining stable properties.
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 PCM helps maintain consistent performance by slowing down temperature changes in the golf ball, ensuring that the designed properties and feel at impact remain stable, allowing golfers to play with confidence across different temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
by including a phase-change material (PCM) in components making up a golf ball such as the coating layer, cover layer, intermediate layer and core, changes in the ball temperature itself in response to changes in the ambient air temperature during use of the ball can be suppressed
Implementation Method 2
the PCM has a melting point of between 5° C. and 40° C.
Data Source
AI summary
A golf ball made up of components such as a coating layer, a cover layer, an intermediate layer and a core includes, within such a component, a material that contains a phase-change material. The phase-change material is preferably normal paraffin having a melting point of between 5° C. and 40° C. and is preferably used in the form of microcapsules. This golf ball suppresses changes in the ball temperature itself in response to changes in the ambient air temperature during use of the ball, enabling the optimal properties that have been designed into the ball to be maintained.