Pod-Based Refrigeration System for Rapid Cooling Below Two Minutes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for rapidly cooling food and drinks are inefficient, often requiring pre-cooling or pre-freezing and taking longer than desired to achieve the desired temperature, especially for single servings.
Innovation Solution
The development of a refrigeration-based system with low startup times and a pod-machine interface that uses sterilized pods filled with ingredients, capable of cooling from room temperature to freezing in less than two minutes, utilizing a driveshaft to engage a mixing paddle within the pod for efficient heat transfer and rapid cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If conventional cooling methods are used for single servings, then the cooling process can handle large batches, but the cooling time becomes excessively long and pre-cooling equipment is required
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the cooling process into two independent stages: rapid freezing of the pod contents using the evaporator, followed by mechanical churning. This segmentation allows the freezing function to be performed quickly without requiring the entire system to be pre-cooled, resolving the contradiction between fast cooling and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The pod is pre-filled and sealed with ingredients in a controlled manufacturing environment, eliminating the need for pre-cooling equipment at the point of use. This preliminary preparation allows the cooling system to focus only on the rapid freezing step, reducing both cooling time and system complexity.
2Speed
If a refrigeration system is designed for rapid cooling from room temperature to freezing, then cooling speed improves, but the system requires low startup times and efficient heat transfer interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The pod acts as an intermediary heat transfer medium between the evaporator and the final product. The evaporator freezes the pod contents through efficient thermal contact, and the pod itself serves as the cooling chamber, ensuring consistent heat transfer and reliable performance regardless of startup conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes the phase transition of the refrigerant in the evaporator to achieve rapid cooling. The refrigerant absorbs heat during evaporation, providing consistent and reliable cooling performance that maintains system reliability while achieving high cooling speeds.
3Ease of operation
If sterilized pods are used to store ingredients at room temperature, then storage convenience and portion control improve, but the pods require efficient sealing and sterilization processes
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses disposable sealed pods that are pre-sterilized and filled in the manufacturing process. These single-use pods eliminate the need for complex cleaning and sterilization equipment at the point of use, improving ease of operation while the manufacturing complexity is concentrated in the controlled production environment.
4Use of energy by moving object
If a driveshaft with mixing paddle is used within the pod, then heat transfer efficiency and mixing improve, but the pod structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The driveshaft and mixing paddle are integrated as a single mechanical assembly that serves dual functions: mixing the ingredients and facilitating heat transfer through the pod walls. This merging of functions improves heat transfer efficiency without adding separate components, thereby minimizing the increase in pod structural 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
Enables the rapid production of chilled or frozen foods and drinks, such as soft-serve ice cream, frozen cocktails, and chilled coffee drinks, with the ability to dispense directly from the pod, providing efficient portion control and convenience without the need for pre-cooling or extensive cleanup.
Implementation Method 1
a refrigeration cycle with low startup times and a pod-machine interface that is easy to use and provides extremely efficient heat transfer
Implementation Method 2
a motor disposed in the housing, the motor operable to move the mixing paddle of a pod in the receptacle
Implementation Method 3
a driveshaft operable to pierce through a wall of the pod and engage the mixing paddle and rotate the mixing paddle
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.