Induction Cooker Heat Pump for Transistor Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Induction cookers face inefficiencies due to high temperatures in switching transistors, which reduce their current-carrying capacity and require higher power levels to maintain cooking vessel heating, leading to potential overheating and reduced operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a heat pump apparatus with a closed circuit of tubing containing a refrigerant, which cools the switching transistors and provides supplementary heat to the induction coil, enhancing heat management and reducing power requirements by using a vapour-compression refrigeration cycle and thermally coupled heat conducting elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the induction coil operates at high power levels to maintain cooking vessel heating, then the heating performance is improved, but the switching transistors overheat and their current-carrying capacity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers waste heat from the switching transistors through a heat pump apparatus and redirects it to the cooking surface. This converts the harmful overheating of transistors into a beneficial heat source for cooking, simultaneously cooling the transistors and supplementing cooking heat.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a heat recovery system that captures thermal energy that would otherwise be wasted from the switching transistors and reuse it for cooking purposes, improving overall system efficiency.
2Reliability
If the switching transistors are cooled to increase current-carrying capacity, then the operational efficiency is improved, but additional cooling components increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pump apparatus performs dual functions: cooling the switching transistors and providing supplementary heating to the cooking surface. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate cooling and heating systems, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the cooling function for transistors with the heating function for the cooking surface into a single integrated heat pump system, reducing overall system complexity compared to having separate systems.
3Loss of energy
If heat conducting elements are added to increase heat transfer efficiency, then the heat management is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies heat conducting elements specifically at critical locations where heat transfer is most needed - between the switching transistors and the heat pump apparatus, and between the heating section and the cooking surface. This targeted approach improves heat transfer efficiency without requiring complex heat conducting structures throughout the entire device.
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
This solution increases the current-carrying capacity of switching transistors, improves the efficiency of the induction cooker, and allows for lower power operation of the induction coil, while also providing supplementary heat to the cooking surface, thus enhancing overall performance and reducing energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
at least a portion of the cooling section includes one or more heat conducting elements to enable absorption of heat from the switching circuit
Implementation Method 2
a closed circuit of tubing containing a refrigerant, the circuit having a heating section associated with the cooking surface and a cooling section associated with the component to be cooled
Implementation Method 3
pulses of electric current are passed through an induction coil, the coil thereby generating a corresponding varying electromagnetic field
Implementation Method 4
The varying electromagnetic field induces a varying eddy current in a ferromagnetic cooking vessel
Data Source
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AI summary
An induction cooker is provided, comprising a cooking surface and a heat pump apparatus (30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42) constructed and arranged to absorb heat from a component (14) of the induction cooker to be cooled and to supply heat to the cooking surface during operation of the induction cooker. The heat pump apparatus (30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42) comprises a heating section associated with the cooking surface, and a cooling section associated with the component (14) of the induction cooker to be cooled. The heat pump apparatus (30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42) may be arranged, for example, to cool a switching transistor (14) of a switching circuit (14, 16, 18) arranged to supply a current from a power source to an induction coil (12) of the induction cooker.