Induction controlled cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Glass bottles in refrigerators or freezers can break due to rapid freezing, causing damage and safety hazards, as existing methods do not effectively control cooling to prevent ice formation and subsequent thermal expansion.
Innovation Solution
A system with a conducting wire wound around the bottle, monitoring inductance changes to notify users when a target beverage temperature is reached, preventing the bottle from freezing and breaking by calculating and signaling the final inductance value corresponding to the desired temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the glass bottle is placed in the freezing compartment or directly into a freezer to cool the beverage quickly, then the cooling speed is improved, but the glass bottle may break due to ice formation and thermal expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The wire is pre-wound around the container in a loose configuration before cooling begins. This preliminary arrangement allows the wire to contract freely as it cools, using the contraction to indicate temperature without risking damage to the container. The loose initial configuration prevents stress concentration that could lead to glass breakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The conducting wire acts as an intermediary element between the cooling environment and the beverage. Instead of directly monitoring the beverage temperature, the system uses the wire's thermal contraction as an indirect indicator. The wire mediates the thermal interaction and provides a mechanical signal (inductance change) that correlates with temperature without requiring direct contact with the fragile glass container.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the glass bottle is exposed to low temperature for too long to ensure thorough cooling, then the cooling completeness is improved, but the beverage may freeze and break the glass
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback through the inductance monitoring mechanism. As the wire cools and contracts, its inductance changes. When the beverage reaches the desired temperature, the wire's contraction produces a detectable inductance change that signals the cooling process should stop. This feedback loop prevents over-cooling and subsequent freezing that would damage the glass container.
Solution Approach 2:
The system monitors changes in the wire's physical parameters (length and inductance) as functions of temperature. By tracking the inductance parameter, which changes predictably with temperature due to wire contraction, the system can determine when the beverage has reached the target temperature without needing to measure the beverage directly. This parameter change approach provides a reliable stopping criterion to avoid freezing.
3Measurement precision
If a conducting wire is wound around the container to monitor temperature, then the temperature control precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conducting wire serves dual purposes: it acts as both the cooling medium (thermally coupling the container to the freezer environment) and the temperature sensing element. The wire's own thermal contraction, which is necessary for heat transfer, simultaneously provides the measurement signal through inductance change. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate temperature sensors, thermocouples, or complex electronic temperature measurement systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex electronic temperature sensing and measurement mechanisms with a simple electrical inductance measurement. Instead of using thermocouples, RTDs, or semiconductor temperature sensors that require complex signal conditioning and calibration, the invention uses the mechanical contraction of the wire (converted to an electrical signal via inductance change) to indicate temperature. This substitution simplifies the overall system while maintaining measurement precision.
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
Prevents glass bottles from breaking by ensuring the beverage does not freeze, allowing safe removal without damage to the appliance or risk of injury, through precise temperature control based on inductance monitoring.
Implementation Method 1
If the temperature of a wire forming a coil decreases, the length of the wire will decrease. A decreasing length of the wire leads to an increased inductance of the wire.
Implementation Method 2
a monitor adapted to sense the inductance of the wire, and an indicator to signal to a user that the temperature of the container has reached a predetermined temperature value based on a change of the inductance of the wire
Data Source
AI summary
A system for controlling cooling of a container in a household appliance includes a conducting wire adapted and configured to be placed in windings around the container, a monitor adapted to sense the inductance of the wire, and an indicator to signal to a user that the temperature of the container has reached a predetermined temperature value.