Domestic kitchen appliance with a peltier cooling system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern domestic kitchen appliances face challenges in cooling sensitive areas, such as control electronics, due to heat produced by cooking appliances, which can exceed temperature limits, necessitating effective cooling solutions that also reduce fan size for energy efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A Peltier device is used with a hot-side and cold-side heat-sink configuration, where the Peltier device absorbs heat from the cold-side heat-sink and expels it into the hot-side heat-sink, connected to the cooking chamber, with a cold-side fan circulating air to provide cooling to areas outside the cooking chamber, reducing the need for larger fans.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a conventional cooling system is used to cool areas outside the cooking chamber, then adequate cooling is provided, but fan size increases and energy consumption rises
Solution Approach 1:
A Peltier device is introduced as an intermediary heat transfer mechanism between the cooking chamber and the area to be cooled. The Peltier device actively transports heat from the area to be cooled to the cooking chamber, enabling effective cooling without requiring a large fan. This intermediary system allows for reduced fan size and lower energy consumption while maintaining adequate cooling performance.
2Productivity
If a Peltier device is used to transfer heat to the cooking chamber, then cooling efficiency improves and fan size can be reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The Peltier device serves multiple functions simultaneously: it cools the area outside the cooking chamber while also transferring heat to the cooking chamber where it can be utilized. This multi-functionality improves cooling efficiency without proportionally increasing system complexity, as the same device provides both cooling and heat transfer benefits.
3Temperature
If heat is transferred from the Peltier device to the cooking chamber, then cooling performance improves, but heat management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes the cooking chamber itself as the heat sink for the Peltier device, eliminating the need for separate heat management infrastructure. The cooking chamber naturally absorbs and utilizes the heat transferred by the Peltier device, providing self-service heat management that improves temperature control without significantly increasing 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
This configuration effectively cools areas outside the cooking chamber, maintaining temperature-sensitive components within safe limits while minimizing fan size, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing heat transfer to the surrounding environment.
Implementation Method 1
a peltier device having a hot side and a cold side; a hot-side heat-sink attached to the hot side of the peltier device, the hot-side heat-sink configured to remove heat from the hot side of the peltier device and transfer the heat removed from the hot side of the peltier device to the cooking chamber; a cold-side heat-sink attached to the cold side of the peltier device, the cold-side heat-sink fluidly connected to the area to be cooled
Data Source
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AI summary
A domestic kitchen appliance is provided. The domestic kitchen appliance includes a peltier device having a hot side and a cold side; a hot-side heat-sink attached to the hot side of the peltier device, the hot-side heat-sink configured to remove heat from the hot side of the peltier device and transfer the heat removed from the hot side of the peltier device to a cooking chamber; a cold-side heat-sink attached to the cold side of the peltier device, the cold-side heat-sink fluidly connected to an area to be cooled; and a voltage supply that supplies voltage to the peltier device to cause the peltier device to absorb heat from the cold-side heat-sink into the cold side of the peltier device and to expel heat from the hot side of the peltier device into the hot-side heat-sink. The area to be cooled is outside of the cooking chamber.