Single-Serve Pod Cooling With Phase-Change Freezing Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for rapidly cooling food and drinks are inefficient, requiring pre-cooling or pre-freezing and often taking more than two minutes to achieve freezing temperatures, and do not offer convenient single-serving options with easy-to-use interfaces.
Innovation Solution
The development of a refrigeration system with low startup times and a pod-machine interface that uses sterilized, shelf-stable pods to cool or freeze food and drinks from room temperature to freezing in under two minutes, utilizing a refrigeration cycle with efficient heat transfer and a counter-top or installed machine, allowing for single-serving portions and easy operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If conventional cooling methods are used, then cooling capacity is sufficient, but cooling time exceeds two minutes and pre-cooling is required
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the cooling process by dividing the beverage container into zones with different thermal conductivities. The bottom portion uses high thermal conductivity material for rapid heat extraction, while the upper portion uses insulating material to maintain cooling efficiency and prevent refreezing of already cooled portions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the thermal parameters of the container by using phase change material that transitions from solid to liquid at a specific temperature threshold. This phase change absorbs excessive heat rapidly, maintaining the beverage at the optimal freezing point without going below it, thereby achieving fast cooling within two minutes while preventing over-freezing.
2Loss of time
If rapid cooling is implemented, then cooling time is reduced, but temperature control precision may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses phase change material with a specific melting point that acts as a thermal buffer. When the beverage approaches the freezing point, the phase change material absorbs excess heat through its phase transition, automatically regulating the temperature and preventing it from dropping below the desired threshold, thus maintaining precision during rapid cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates a temperature sensor that continuously monitors the beverage temperature and provides feedback to the cooling mechanism. When the temperature approaches the target range, the feedback signal modulates the cooling power, preventing over-cooling and maintaining precise temperature control throughout the rapid cooling process.
3Reliability
If pre-cooling is required, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and operation convenience are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-freezing the phase change material in the cooling element before use. This pre-prepared cooling element can then rapidly cool the beverage without requiring the user to pre-cool the entire device or wait for the system to reach operating temperature, thereby maintaining cooling effectiveness while improving convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The phase change material automatically regulates the cooling process by absorbing heat when the beverage approaches the freezing point and releasing it when the temperature rises. This self-regulating mechanism eliminates the need for complex user intervention or monitoring, making the device easy to operate while maintaining reliable cooling effectiveness.
4Use of energy by moving object
If high thermal conductivity materials are used throughout the container, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but temperature uniformity and over-freezing prevention worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by using different thermal conductivity materials in different zones of the container. The bottom portion uses high thermal conductivity material for efficient heat extraction from the beverage, while the upper portions use insulating materials to prevent excessive cooling and maintain temperature uniformity throughout the beverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the thermal parameters by introducing phase change material that dynamically adjusts the effective thermal conductivity. When the beverage temperature approaches the freezing point, the phase change material transitions and absorbs excess heat, effectively reducing the thermal conductivity to prevent over-freezing while maintaining temperature 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
Enables rapid cooling or freezing of food and drinks to below freezing temperatures in under two minutes, providing single-serving options with efficient heat transfer and easy use, including the ability to make soft-serve ice cream, frozen cocktails, and other frozen beverages without pre-cooling, and uses recyclable aluminum pods.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing a refrigeration cycle with efficient heat transfer
Implementation Method 2
based on a refrigeration cycle with low startup times
Implementation Method 3
utilizing a phase change material having a phase change threshold at or near the optimal freezing point of the beverage
Implementation Method 4
The mixing paddle is rotated by the drive shaft during the cooling process
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks.