Rapid Water-Chilling System for Consistent Cold Water Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current water dispensers struggle to maintain water at a consistent cold temperature during high demand situations, as traditional methods like cold-tank and ice bath technologies take too long to recover, leading to consumers waiting for chilled water.
Innovation Solution
A rapid water-chilling system utilizing a fast-chilling refrigerant pump, refrigerant circulation tank, and refrigerant coils to quickly cool water to a desired temperature, with a refrigerant circulation system that includes a cold water storage tank, water inlet coils, and a refrigerant chilling system to maintain and restore cold water levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional cold-tank or ice bath methods are used to chill water, then the water can be kept cool during normal use, but the system cannot recover quickly enough when multiple users dispense water in quick succession
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-chills water in a storage tank before it is needed, maintaining a reserve of cold water that can be dispensed immediately. When water is dispensed, the system quickly replenishes the cold water supply by passing ambient water through refrigerated coils, ensuring continuous availability of cold water without long recovery waits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary rapid-chilling system with refrigerated coils that act as a mediator between the ambient water supply and the cold water storage tank. This intermediary system enables fast heat transfer and quick replenishment of cold water, resolving the contradiction between maintaining temperature consistency and reducing recovery time.
2Temperature
If the ice bath method is used with very cold water in a tank, then water can be chilled, but the dispensed water must travel as slow as acceptable to allow it to get cold, causing waiting time during heavy demand
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-chills water in the storage tank before dispensing is needed. The rapid-chilling system continuously maintains the water at the desired cold temperature, so when dispensing occurs, the water is already cold and ready for immediate dispensing at full speed without requiring slow travel time for cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the passive ice bath method with an active refrigeration system using refrigerant coils that actively remove heat from the water. This substitution allows for rapid heat transfer and quick chilling, enabling both cold water delivery and fast dispensing speeds without the trade-off present in the ice bath method.
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 system ensures rapid chilling and consistent cold water delivery, maintaining water below a pre-set limit, even with frequent use, by continuously monitoring and adjusting temperature, thus providing immediate cold water without prolonged waiting times.
Implementation Method 1
a refrigerant chilling system including a refrigerant; a rapid chill refrigerant circulation tank, wherein disposed within the rapid chill refrigerant circulation tank which includes a cold water storage tank
Implementation Method 2
a fast-chilling refrigerant pump; a refrigerant chilling system including a refrigerant; a rapid chill refrigerant circulation tank
Data Source
AI summary
A rapid water-chilling system for a water dispenser that can quickly replenish cold water in the water dispenser when water has been dispensed or the water rises above a pre-set limit; so that when a user requests cold water, the user does not get ambient or warm water dispensed instead of the requested cold water or has to wait for the water to be chilled back to the requested temperature.