Refrigeration Operating-State Proofing for Fault Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigeration systems in food retail settings face challenges in monitoring and maintaining optimal performance, leading to inefficiencies and increased operational costs due to energy consumption and the lack of expertise among retailers to analyze time and temperature data for food quality and safety.
Innovation Solution
A method for remotely monitoring and evaluating the operating state of refrigeration systems, including the use of sensors, algorithms, and a controller to detect malfunctions, optimize energy use, and predict maintenance needs, thereby enhancing system efficiency and reducing operational costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If retailers independently monitor refrigeration system performance, then system reliability improves, but loss of time increases and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized monitoring system that acts as an intermediary between refrigeration systems and retailers. This system collects, processes, and analyzes data from multiple refrigeration units, providing automated alerts and reports. The intermediary handles the complex monitoring tasks, freeing retailers from time-consuming manual monitoring while maintaining system reliability through continuous surveillance.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system is designed to universally handle multiple refrigeration systems across different retail locations simultaneously. It performs diverse functions including data collection, analysis, anomaly detection, and predictive maintenance scheduling. This multi-functional approach consolidates numerous monitoring tasks into a single system, reducing overall time investment while improving comprehensive system reliability.
2Reliability
If retailers independently monitor refrigeration system performance, then system reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized monitoring system serves as an intermediary that absorbs and manages the complexity of monitoring multiple refrigeration systems. It provides a unified interface and automated analysis capabilities, shielding retailers from the underlying complexity while ensuring reliable monitoring across all systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system incorporates automated diagnostic algorithms and predictive analytics that enable self-service functionality. The system automatically detects issues, generates maintenance schedules, and provides recommendations without requiring expert intervention. This automation reduces the perceived complexity for end-users while maintaining high reliability through continuous intelligent monitoring.
3Reliability
If comprehensive monitoring is implemented across multiple retail locations, then reliability improves, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is designed with universal capabilities to handle data from multiple retail locations simultaneously. It consolidates monitoring tasks across geographically dispersed systems into a single centralized platform, providing comprehensive coverage without proportionally increasing time investment. The system automatically prioritizes and manages alerts across all locations, enabling efficient oversight of extensive refrigeration infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized system acts as an intermediary that aggregates and processes data from numerous retail locations. It provides automated routing of alerts and notifications, ensuring that appropriate personnel are notified of issues at specific locations. This intermediary function manages the complexity of multi-location monitoring while maintaining reliability through continuous surveillance of all systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of proofing a refrigeration system operating state includes monitoring a change in operating state of a refrigeration system component, determining an expected operating parameter of the refrigeration system component as a function of the change, and detecting an actual operating parameter of the refrigeration system component after the change. The method also comprises comparing the actual operating parameter to the expected operating parameter of the refrigeration component and detecting a malfunction of the refrigeration system component based on the comparison. The method may be executed by a controller or stored in a computer-readable medium.