Insulated Cooling Element Design for Cold-Chain Storage Duration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling devices for remote areas in developing countries face challenges in maintaining a stable cold chain for medical products, requiring continuous energy and additional batteries, which are costly and difficult to dispose of, and often result in inadequate insulation and storage capacity.
Innovation Solution
A cooling element with a plate-like insulating element made of plastic foam or vacuum, integrated into the cooling device, which allows for efficient heat transfer and prevents direct contact between cooled goods and the cooling element, along with a design that eliminates the need for additional heating and reduces the number of components, using water as a non-toxic and readily available cooling liquid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If sufficient thermal mass is provided to store cold in the cooling element, then the storage capacity for medical products is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling element is divided into two distinct parts: a thermal mass core for cold storage and an insulating layer for thermal protection. This segmentation allows the cold storage function and storage capacity to be optimized independently, resolving the contradiction between cold storage duration and storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating layer is applied as an outer shell surrounding the thermal mass core, creating a nested structure. This allows the insulating material to envelop the cold storage element without occupying additional space, thereby maximizing storage capacity while maintaining cold storage duration.
2Productivity
If the cooling element directly contacts refrigerated goods, then cooling efficiency is improved, but the risk of freezing goods and temperature fluctuations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating layer serves as an intermediary between the cooling element and refrigerated goods. It allows thermal energy transfer for cooling while preventing direct contact that would cause freezing, thus resolving the contradiction between cooling efficiency and freezing risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating layer provides localized thermal management by allowing heat transfer in the radial direction (from goods to cooling element) while preventing conductive contact. This creates different thermal properties in different directions, enabling efficient cooling without freezing.
3Stability of the object's composition
If additional components such as heating devices and blowers are added to maintain temperature, then temperature stability is improved, but device complexity and maintenance difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The passive insulating layer structure enables the cooling element to self-regulate temperature without requiring active heating devices or blowers. The insulating material naturally prevents excessive heat transfer, providing temperature stability through passive thermal management and reducing component complexity.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If the cooling element is made with high insulation material to prevent heat transfer, then cold storage duration is improved, but the weight of the cooling device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling element uses a composite structure combining thermal mass material (for cold storage) and insulating material (for thermal protection). This composite design optimizes the weight-to-insulation ratio by selecting materials with appropriate thermal properties, resolving the contradiction between cold storage duration and weight.
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 solution provides effective insulation and reduced weight, enabling efficient cooling without additional heating, maintaining optimal cold storage conditions and reducing the risk of temperature fluctuations, thus ensuring the integrity of medical products while minimizing component complexity and maintenance issues.
Implementation Method 1
The cooling element according to the invention is also distinguished from the prior art in that the plate-like insulation element is made from a plastic foam or is a vacuum element
Implementation Method 2
the back of the cooling element rests on the evaporator and the front faces the refrigerated goods space... optimal cold input into the cooling element can be achieved at all times
Implementation Method 3
using water as a non-toxic and readily available cooling liquid
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a cooling element (1) for use in a cooling device (11), comprising a front face and a rear face and four side faces. The cooling element (1) is characterised in that the rear face of the cooling element (1) is substantially planar and the front face has reinforcing elements, wherein the reinforcing elements prevent deformation of the cooling element (1) during cooling and freezing. The invention also relates to a cooling device (11), in particular a freezer, comprising at least one cooling circuit, wherein the cooling circuit has a compressor, an evaporator, and a condenser. The cooling device (11) also has a closable cooling space (15) that comprises a plurality of cooling space side walls, a cooling space base, a space for cooling goods (17), and at least one cooling element (1) according to the invention. The cooling device (11) is characterised in that the evaporator and the cooling element (1) are arranged within the cooling space (15), such that the rear face of the cooling element (1) rests against the evaporator and the front face is facing the space for cooling goods (17).