Multi-Chamber Beverage Cooling Without a Solid Ice Bank
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage dispensers with refrigeration systems require large components that increase size and weight, are unreliable, consume excessive power, and have lengthy startup times due to the use of a solid bank of cooling fluid.
Innovation Solution
An on-demand cooling system with multiple evaporator zones and a refrigeration unit that chills water sequentially through a cooling enclosure, first and second cooling chambers, and a recirculation system to maintain chilled water supply without a solid bank of cooling fluid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a refrigeration system produces a solid bank of cooling fluid, then cooling capacity is improved, but beverage dispenser size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the solid bank of cooling fluid from the system. Instead of using a large solid ice bank that increases weight and size, the invention uses a recirculating liquid cooling system where cooling fluid continuously circulates through evaporator coils, providing cooling capacity without the need for a solid ice reservoir.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a hydraulic recirculation system using a pump to circulate cooling fluid through the system. The cooling fluid continuously flows through evaporator coils in the cooling chambers, using fluid dynamics to transfer heat efficiently without requiring a solid ice bank, thereby reducing weight while maintaining cooling capacity.
2Reliability
If a refrigeration system produces a solid bank of cooling fluid, then cooling capacity is improved, but beverage dispenser power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action through the recirculation system where cooling fluid is continuously pumped through evaporator coils in cycles. The system activates the refrigeration compressor and pump only when cooling is needed, rather than continuously maintaining a solid ice bank, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining adequate cooling capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The recirculating cooling fluid provides continuous cooling action as it constantly circulates through the evaporator coils and cooling chambers. This continuous liquid flow cooling is more energy-efficient than the intermittent operation required to maintain a solid ice bank, reducing power consumption while sustaining cooling capacity.
3Reliability
If a refrigeration system produces a solid bank of cooling fluid, then cooling capacity is improved, but startup time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The recirculating cooling system is pre-filled with cooling fluid that can immediately begin circulating and absorbing heat when the system starts. Unlike a solid ice bank that requires hours to form, the liquid cooling fluid is already in place and can provide cooling capacity almost immediately upon activation, dramatically reducing startup time.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic recirculation system uses a pump to quickly circulate cooling fluid through the evaporator coils and cooling chambers upon startup. This forced convection rapidly establishes heat transfer pathways, allowing the system to achieve effective cooling capacity much faster than systems that must first create a solid ice bank.
4Reliability
If a refrigeration system produces a solid bank of cooling fluid, then cooling capacity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex control mechanisms needed to manage solid ice bank formation and maintenance. By eliminating the solid bank approach, the system removes associated complexities such as ice level sensors, ice making cycles, and unreliable control switches, replacing them with a simpler recirculating liquid cooling system.
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
Maintains beverage dispensing capacity, reduces dispenser size and weight, eliminates unreliable components, decreases power consumption, and shortens startup times.
Implementation Method 1
the refrigeration system chills the water flowing through the cooling enclosure prior to the water exiting the cooling enclosure
Implementation Method 2
a refrigeration system that interfaces with the cooling tank such that the refrigeration system forms in the cooling tank a solid bank of cooling fluid through freezing a portion of the cooling fluid
Implementation Method 3
a recirculation system to maintain chilled water supply
Data Source
AI summary
An on-demand cooling system for a beverage dispenser includes a cooling enclosure, a first cooling chamber, a second cooling chamber, and a refrigeration system communicating with the cooling enclosure, the first cooling chamber, and the second cooling chamber. The cooling enclosure receives water therethrough from a water source or a recirculation system. The refrigeration system chills the water flowing through the cooling enclosure prior to the water exiting the cooling enclosure into the first cooling chamber. The refrigeration system chills the water within the first cooling chamber prior to the water exiting the first cooling chamber into the second cooling chamber. The refrigeration system chills the water within the second cooling chamber, thereby providing chilled water for the beverage dispenser.