refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators do not effectively consider the storage state of items inside when adjusting cooling, leading to inefficient energy use and potential food spoilage due to uniform temperature maintenance without accounting for the amount and placement of stored food.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator with a storage state detection system using LEDs and light sensors to estimate the storage amount by measuring illuminance, which adjusts cooling accordingly, ensuring optimal temperature control and energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If uniform temperature maintenance is implemented using a fan-driven indirect cooling system, then temperature uniformity is improved, but energy efficiency deteriorates when storage items are sparse
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerator implements dynamic cooling control by switching between different cooling modes (fan-driven circulation and cooling-only operation) based on real-time storage state detection. When storage items are sparse, the system disables the fan and operates in cooling-only mode to save energy. When storage items are abundant, the system activates the fan to maintain temperature uniformity, thus adapting the cooling strategy to actual storage conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (fan speed, cooling intensity) based on detected storage state. The control unit adjusts the fan rotation speed and cooling operation intensity according to the storage state information obtained from light sensor measurements, optimizing energy consumption while maintaining required temperature uniformity.
2Ease of operation
If temperature is maintained at appropriate levels without considering storage state, then temperature control simplicity is improved, but food spoilage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerator incorporates a feedback mechanism where light sensors continuously detect the storage state (amount and distribution of stored items), and this information is fed back to the control unit. The control unit then adjusts the cooling operation accordingly, enabling the system to respond to actual storage conditions and prevent food spoilage while maintaining relatively simple temperature control logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-adjustment of cooling parameters based on automatic detection of storage state. The light sensors and control unit work autonomously to determine appropriate cooling intensity without user intervention, allowing the refrigerator to adapt to changing storage conditions while maintaining food preservation reliability.
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 accurately detects the storage state, allowing for precise temperature control and energy savings by adjusting cooling based on the storage conditions, thereby improving food freshness and reducing energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a light sensor that detects light emitted from the light source
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A refrigerator includes a storage room that is divided into sections by a heat insulation wall and a heat insulation door, and stores storage items, a light source that is disposed inside the storage room, a light sensor (21) that detects the illumination light illuminated from the light source, and a calculation control unit (1) that performs a calculation process based on a detection result of the light sensor (21). The calculation control unit(1) includes an attenuation rate calculation unit (81) that calculates an attenuation rate from a reference storage room illuminance in a state that the storage items are stored, based on the reference storage room illuminance in a state that the storage items are not stored in the storage room and a detected illuminance by the light sensor (21), and a storage state estimation unit (82) that estimates a storage amount of the storage items, based on a calculation result of the attenuation rate calculation unit (81).