Porous Heating Element for Complete Fluid Vaporization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vaporization devices often fail to completely vaporize fluids, leading to liquid discharge and exposure to excessive temperatures, which can result in undesirable smoking or chemical reactions, and entrainment of liquid droplets in the vapor stream.
Innovation Solution
A vaporization device with a heater configuration featuring a porous and permeable electrically conductive heating element within a fluid reservoir, optimized for efficient fluid capture and vaporization, where the heating element is designed to have interconnected spaces for intimate contact with the fluid and controlled heating to prevent overheating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional heaters are used for vaporization, then the device structure is simple, but complete vaporization of fluid is not achieved leading to liquid discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is designed as a porous body with interconnected pores that allow fluid to penetrate and be retained within the structure. This increases the effective heating surface area and ensures complete fluid vaporization while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The porous heating element is positioned within a fluid reservoir that is integrated into the vaporization device housing. The heating element is nested within the fluid containment structure, creating a compact integrated design that improves vaporization efficiency without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Speed
If heating temperature is increased to ensure complete vaporization, then vaporization speed improves, but thermal degradation and chemical reactions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element operates at optimized temperature parameters that are sufficient to vaporize the fluid completely without exceeding the threshold for thermal degradation. The porous structure allows for efficient heat distribution that maintains uniform temperature throughout the fluid contact area.
Solution Approach 2:
The porous heating element continuously contacts and vaporizes fluid as it passes through the interconnected pores, ensuring complete vaporization occurs in a continuous manner without interruption or localized overheating that could cause degradation.
3Reliability
If heating power is increased to vaporize fluid quickly, then vaporization completeness improves, but liquid droplet entrainment in vapor stream occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The porous heating element structure provides extensive surface area for fluid contact and vaporization. The interconnected pores ensure that fluid is distributed throughout the heating element and vaporized completely before exiting, preventing liquid droplet entrainment in the vapor stream.
Solution Approach 2:
The porous structure transforms the heating process from a surface phenomenon to a volumetric process, with fluid being heated throughout its volume as it passes through the three-dimensional network of interconnected pores, ensuring complete vaporization.
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 solution ensures complete vaporization of the fluid within a desired time and temperature, minimizing liquid discharge and preventing thermal degradation, thereby providing a clean vapor stream for applications like electronic cigarettes and pharmaceutical delivery.
Implementation Method 1
a porous and permeable electrically conductive heating element (42) located within the fluid reservoir (40)
Implementation Method 2
heating element (42) designed to have interconnected spaces for intimate contact with the fluid and controlled heating to prevent overheating
Implementation Method 3
porous and permeable electrically conductive heating element (42) with interconnected spaces for intimate contact with the fluid
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~6
AI summary
A heater (24) for a vaporization device (10) includes a fluid reservoir (40) and a porous and permeable heating element (42) made of an electrically conductive material and located within the fluid reservoir (40). The fluid reservoir (40) and the heating element (42) located within the fluid reservoir (40) define a volume to capture and retain fluid (46) ejected from an ejection head (22) in the vaporization device (10). The heating element (42) vaporizes the fluid (46) in the fluid reservoir (40).