PCM-Graphite Beverage Container for Heat Transfer and Leak Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage containers with phase-change materials face issues of low thermal conductivity, leakage prevention, and uneven heat distribution, which affect the maintenance of desired drinking temperatures and safety.
Innovation Solution
A container design with an inner and outer wall separated by a mixture of phase-change material and graphite powder, which has a sludgy consistency at the phase-change material's liquid temperature, enhancing heat conductivity and preventing leakage, while allowing for easy adaptation to shape and efficient cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If phase-change material is placed between container walls to maintain temperature, then temperature stability is improved, but thermal conductivity remains low causing slow heat transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines phase-change material with graphite powder to create a composite filling material. The graphite powder acts as a thermal conductor while the phase-change material provides temperature stability through phase transitions. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by enabling efficient heat transfer through the graphite network while maintaining temperature stability through the phase-change material's latent heat absorption and release.
2Temperature
If pure phase-change material is used for temperature regulation, then temperature control is improved, but leakage occurs due to liquid phase flow
Solution Approach 1:
By combining phase-change material with graphite powder particles, the composite structure prevents the phase-change material from flowing freely in liquid state. The graphite particles act as a skeletal framework that restrains the liquid phase material, preventing leakage while maintaining the temperature control functionality through phase transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The mixture of phase-change material and graphite powder creates a porous-like structure where the graphite particles form a matrix that holds the phase-change material. This structure allows the material to maintain its shape and prevent leakage while still enabling heat transfer through the graphite network.
3Temperature
If phase-change material is used alone, then phase-change temperature functionality is achieved, but heat distribution is uneven throughout the container
Solution Approach 1:
The graphite powder component provides a thermally conductive network that distributes heat evenly throughout the composite material. This ensures uniform heat distribution across the container walls while the phase-change material maintains its temperature control functionality at the phase-change temperature, resolving the contradiction between temperature functionality and heat distribution uniformity.
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 container effectively maintains a desired drinking temperature for longer periods, prevents leakage, and ensures safe handling by improving thermal conductivity and mechanical stability, while allowing for economical production in various quantities.
Implementation Method 1
the phase-change material is melted. Thus a desired drinking temperature is attained. Further cooling due to loss of heat to the environment is reduced in that upon solidification of the phase-change material, heat is again released
Implementation Method 2
a large amount of heat can be stored in a small temperature interval, namely in a temperature interval around the phase-change temperature
Implementation Method 3
the thermal conductivity of the phase-change materials is often low. Therefore, mixtures are used which contain graphite in addition to the phase-change material. In this way the heat conductivity can be improved significantly
Data Source
AI summary
A container may be provided, in particular a beverage container, comprising an inner container wall and an outer container wall, an intermediate space lying between the container walls, wherein the intermediate space is filled with a mixture that contains phase-change material and graphite powder, wherein the graphite powder is introduced into the phase-change material in such a way that the mixture has a pulpy consistency at a temperature at which the phase-change material is liquid. A method may be provided for producing a container that includes the following steps: A) providing an inner container wall and an outer container wall; B) applying a mixture of graphite powder and phase-change material to the inside of the outer container wall and/or the outside of the inner container wall; C) joining the outer container wall and the inner container wall.