Vessel for transferring thermal energy to and inducing convection in a contained fluid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooking vessels with flat bottoms inefficiently transfer heat to fluids, leading to slow heating and potential superheating, which can result in dangerous pressures and spills.
Innovation Solution
The design of a vessel with a base and wall portion featuring polygonal shaped portions that extend above the inner surface, providing additional heat transfer surfaces to induce hexagonal convection cells and promote rapid boiling, thereby increasing heat transfer efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a flat bottom vessel is used for heating fluid, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but heat transfer efficiency is low and superheating occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The base inner surface is segmented into multiple polygonal shaped portions (triangular, quadrangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, or octagonal) that extend above the inner surface. This segmentation creates multiple heat transfer zones that induce convection cells, improving heat transfer efficiency while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standardized geometric patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional flat base surface to a three-dimensional structured surface by extending polygonal portions vertically above the inner surface. This dimensional change creates additional heat transfer surfaces and induces convection currents, significantly enhancing heat transfer efficiency without substantially complicating the manufacturing process.
2Speed
If uniform heat distribution is prioritized, then thermal degradation is prevented, but heating speed decreases and superheating occurs
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the base inner surface have different geometries (polygonal portions with varying numbers of sides and heights), creating localized variations in heat transfer characteristics. This local quality variation induces convection cells that promote uniform heat distribution while accelerating heating speed, preventing superheating by ensuring no single region becomes excessively hot.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the base inner surface by introducing polygonal portions with specific numbers of sides (3-8 sides) and varying heights (0.5mm to 5mm). These parameter changes create controlled unevenness that induces convection, transforming the heat transfer mechanism from purely conductive to convective-conductive, thereby improving heating speed while maintaining temperature uniformity.
3Area of stationary object
If conventional flat base design is used, then manufacturing is simple, but heat transfer surface area is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses polygonal geometric forms (curved in the sense of regular geometric shapes) that extend vertically from the base surface. These regular polygonal portions create additional surface area through their vertical extensions and angled sides, increasing heat transfer area while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized geometric patterns that can be produced using conventional forming techniques.
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 vessel achieves faster heating of fluids by creating uneven heat transfer patterns, reducing the risk of superheating and enhancing boiling efficiency, while maintaining safety by promoting nucleation points for bubble formation.
Implementation Method 1
The heat source transfers thermal energy through the flat bottom of the vessel and into the fluid therein
Implementation Method 2
the plurality of shaped portions of the base inner surface or the wall inner surface including the polygonal shaped tops of the plurality of shaped portions and sides of the plurality of shaped portions assist in uneven heat transfer from the heating source to the fluid retained in the article of manufacture to induce a plurality of hexagonal convection cells
Implementation Method 3
The plurality of shaped portions of the base inner surface or the wall inner surface including the polygonal shaped tops of the plurality of shaped portions and sides of the plurality of shaped portions assist in uneven heat transfer from the heating source to the fluid retained in the article of manufacture to induce creation of the plurality of hexagonal convection in contact with the surface of the fluid
Data Source
AI summary
An article of manufacture includes a wall portion having a wall inner surface and a wall outer surface, a base portion having a base inner surface and a base outer surface, at least a portion of the wall portion and the base portion forming a vessel to retain fluid therein, at least part of the base portion configured to receive heat, and a plurality of shaped portions with at least three sides extending above, each shaped portion of the base inner surface including at least three sides and polygonal shaped tops, each of the plurality of shaped portions capable of supplying heat from the sides to fluid adjacent to the sides, the plurality of shaped portions including the polygonal shaped tops to induce creation of a plurality of hexagonal convection cells in contact with a surface of the fluid which increases heat transfer from the heating source to the fluid.