Heated Pump Cylinder With Thin-Film Resistors for Precise Liquid Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid pumps for hot drinks dispensers are inefficient in heating a precise volume of liquid quickly and consistently, leading to energy waste, long heating times, and difficulty in maintaining constant temperature, especially when powered by autonomous sources.
Innovation Solution
A compact liquid pump with a piston sliding in a metal cylinder, where the cylinder's outer surface is coated with thin, resistant electric tracks for efficient heating, controlled by a micro-controller and position sensors, allowing for precise control of liquid volume and temperature through adjustable heating branches and current modulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a discrete wire coiled around the cylinder is used for heating, then the heating function is provided, but the heat transmission efficiency is low due to considerable thermal resistance between the wire and the cylinder
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is merged directly with the cylinder surface by coating the outer surface of the cylinder with a heating layer containing heating wire, eliminating the thermal resistance interface between separate wire and cylinder components. This integration improves heat transmission efficiency while simplifying the overall heating structure.
Solution Approach 2:
A composite heating structure is created by coating the cylinder with a heating layer that combines the cylinder material with heating wire embedded in a matrix material. This composite structure provides both structural integrity and efficient heating, resolving the contradiction between heat transmission efficiency and device complexity.
2Productivity
If the cylinder is heated by a resistor wire, then heating function is achieved, but the thermal inertia of the heater wire and cylinder slows heat transmission and increases heating time
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system parameters are optimized by controlling the electric current supplied to the heating element and adjusting the piston's run to match the heating capacity. This allows the system to heat the precise volume of liquid quickly by coordinating the heating rate with the liquid volume being processed, reducing unnecessary heating time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the piston's run and heating current based on the liquid volume being processed. For smaller volumes, the piston run is reduced and heating is applied more intensively, enabling faster heating times while maintaining the ability to process larger volumes when needed.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the resistor's heat is transmitted on the entire length of the cylinder, then heating coverage is maximized, but energy is wasted when only a small quantity of liquid needs to be heated
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is made local and selective by allowing the piston's run to be adjusted independently of the full cylinder length. The heating element is activated only for the portion of the cylinder containing the liquid being processed, energy-efficiently heating only the necessary volume rather than the entire cylinder length.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial heating action by adjusting the piston's run to match the actual liquid volume being processed. When only a small quantity of liquid is needed, the piston travels a shorter distance and heating is applied only to that portion, avoiding the energy waste of heating the entire cylinder length.
4Measurement precision
If a flowmeter with an idle wheel with fins is used to control liquid volume, then flow measurement is achieved, but the device complexity increases and the hollow piston pump becomes difficult to clean
Solution Approach 1:
The complex flowmeter mechanism with idle wheel and fins is extracted and removed from the system. Instead, liquid volume is controlled directly by adjusting the piston's run, which is a simpler mechanism that integrates into the pump structure without requiring separate flow measurement components.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston serves multiple functions: it both pumps the liquid and controls the liquid volume through its adjustable run. This eliminates the need for a separate flowmeter, simplifying the device structure while maintaining precise volume control capability.
5Manufacturing precision
If the piston's run is controlled by micro-connectors or encoder to precisely control liquid volume, then volume control precision is improved, but the device complexity and control system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The piston's run is made dynamically adjustable through simple mechanical or electronic control mechanisms, allowing precise volume control without requiring complex encoder systems or micro-connectors. The adjustability is built into the basic pump operation, maintaining precision while minimizing control system 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
Enables rapid and consistent heating of a controlled liquid volume, reducing energy waste and maintaining a stable temperature, suitable for use in autonomous power sources, improving the quality of beverages by ensuring optimal temperature during dispensing.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element (7) integrated into the pump, characterized in that the heating element (7) is formed as a thin layer coating the outer surface of the cylinder (2)
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid pump that includes a cylinder (2), an inlet valve (4) for feeding liquid into the cylinder, and a discharge valve (5) for discharging the liquid out of the cylinder. The liquid pump also includes a piston (3) sliding in said cylinder so as to draw said liquid into said cylinder and to expel the same outside the cylinder. Additionally, the liquid pump includes an electric circuit (7) for heating the cylinder, with at least one resistor (70, 71) for electrically heating the liquid in the cylinder. The resistor (70, 71) may be made in the form of an electrically conducting thin track deposited on or in the wall (20) of the cylinder (2). The heating may be initiated before the introduction of the liquid into the cylinder, and interrupted before the full discharge of the liquid out of the cylinder.