Point-of-Use Refrigerated Cabinet With Independent Tier Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators are cumbersome for restaurant use due to their door design, making it difficult to maintain salads and other cold foods at optimal freshness until they are ready for consumption, whereas food holding ovens are available for keeping foods warm, but not for keeping foods cold.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerated, point-of-use food holding cabinet with thermally-conductive tray-receiving members and advanced temperature control systems, including liquid-phase/vapor-phase refrigeration, chilled working fluid circulation, and Peltier devices, to maintain food at desired temperatures without freezing, using semiconductor sensors and microprocessor-controlled systems for individual tier temperature management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional refrigerator with door design is used, then food can be kept cold, but it is cumbersome and difficult to maintain optimal freshness for salads and cold foods until ready for consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerator is divided into multiple independently controllable compartments or zones, each capable of maintaining different temperature settings. This allows different types of food to be stored at their optimal temperatures simultaneously, improving both ease of operation and food freshness maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions within the refrigerator are provided with different thermal characteristics and temperature control capabilities. For example, the salad compartment can be maintained at a higher temperature (e.g., 34-38°F) compared to the freezer compartment, allowing each zone to provide the specific quality needed for its stored items.
2Adaptability or versatility
If food holding ovens are used to keep food warm, then food can be maintained at serving temperature, but they cannot keep foods cold for salads and cold items
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerator system is designed to provide multiple functions including cold storage, fresh-keeping, and potentially warming capabilities through integrated heating elements or adjustable temperature zones. This universal design allows the same appliance to handle both cold salads and warm food items, eliminating the need for separate holding ovens.
Solution Approach 2:
The refrigerator incorporates dynamically adjustable temperature control for different zones, allowing the temperature settings to be changed based on the type of food being stored. This dynamic adaptability enables the system to switch between cold storage mode for salads and warmer holding mode for other foods.
3Device complexity
If a single temperature setting is used for the entire refrigerator, then the system is simple to operate, but it cannot maintain different optimal temperatures for different food items
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature control system is segmented into multiple independent control units, each managing a specific compartment or zone. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized for specific food types while keeping the overall system manageable through standardized control interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
Each compartment is equipped with local temperature control and sensing capabilities, allowing the system to maintain different temperature qualities in different locations. The control system adjusts local parameters (temperature, humidity) based on the specific requirements of each zone's stored items.
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
Effectively keeps perishable items like salads cold and fresh by maintaining temperatures below 40°F, preventing freezing, and allowing for independent temperature control of each tier, enhancing food preservation and convenience in a restaurant setting.
Implementation Method 1
liquid-phase/vapor-phase refrigeration
Implementation Method 2
heat-exchanging evaporator coils
Implementation Method 3
chilled working fluid circulation
Implementation Method 4
Peltier devices
Implementation Method 5
thermally-conductive tray-receiving members
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerated point-of-use food holding cabinet keeps food products cold in compartments having cross sections that are substantially U-shaped. Food products are kept refrigerated using heat-absorbing, heat-exchangers thermally coupled to the U-shaped compartment. Refrigeration is provided by either a conventional reversed-Brayton cycle, one or more Peltier devices or a chilled, re-circulating liquid that does not change phase as it circulates but which is chilled by another refrigeration system, such as a conventional refrigeration system. An optional cover helps prevent food flavor transfers between compartments. Semiconductor temperature sensors and a computer effectuate temperature control.