Automated temperature control method for a solid-fueled cooker
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing temperature control systems for solid-fueled grills and ovens are inefficient, requiring frequent manual adjustments and consuming significant power, while failing to maintain consistent temperatures due to factors like variable fuel characteristics and ambient conditions, and are not well-suited for cooking operations requiring substantial temperature changes.
Innovation Solution
An automated temperature control system using a digital feedback device that automatically adjusts a mechanical vent damper to regulate airflow through the combustion chamber based on a user-specified target temperature, providing accurate steady-state control and quick response to temperature fluctuations, while consuming minimal electricity and being easy to operate and retrofit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by stationary object
If manual throttling of vent damper is used for temperature control, then the grill can be operated without additional power consumption, but frequent manual inspection and adjustment are required resulting in variable and inconsistent operating temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an automated feedback control system where a temperature sensor continuously monitors the cooking chamber temperature and a microcontroller adjusts the vent damper position accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism maintains consistent target temperatures without manual intervention, resolving the contradiction between automated temperature control and power consumption by using minimal energy for sensing and actuation rather than continuous forced air circulation
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service temperature control where the automated damper adjustment mechanism operates autonomously based on temperature feedback. The grill self-regulates its temperature by automatically modulating the vent damper position in response to temperature changes, eliminating the need for frequent manual adjustments while maintaining temperature consistency throughout long cooking cycles
2Extent of automation
If forced air temperature control with electrically-driven blowers is used, then automated temperature control is achieved, but the blowers cannot provide significant resistance to naturally occurring airflow due to the chimney effect when powered off
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the forced air blower system with a mechanical damper control system that directly modulates the vent opening. This mechanical substitution allows the system to effectively resist the chimney effect by physically restricting the exhaust path, enabling automated temperature control across a wide temperature range including low-temperature cooking where blower systems fail
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using forced air to push combustion gases out (which cannot overcome the chimney effect when off), the system inverts the approach by using a damper to restrict the exhaust path and let natural convection do the work. This inversion allows the same natural airflow that limits blower effectiveness to be harnessed and controlled for automated temperature regulation
3Reliability
If vent dampers are adjusted to achieve required airflow rate, then proper operation can be maintained, but the operator must continuously monitor and reposition dampers as cooking conditions change
Solution Approach 1:
The automated system uses continuous temperature feedback from a sensor in the cooking chamber to automatically adjust damper position. This eliminates the need for operator monitoring and repositioning of dampers as cooking conditions change, maintaining proper operation throughout the entire cooking cycle without time loss to manual adjustments
4Measurement precision
If a digital feedback device automatically adjusts the mechanical vent damper, then accurate steady-state temperature control is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a simple mechanical damper actuation mechanism controlled by a basic microcontroller and temperature sensor, replacing complex forced air blower systems. This mechanical substitution achieves accurate steady-state temperature control with minimal device complexity, as the system leverages natural convection and simple mechanical adjustment rather than complex electrical motor control
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 achieves accurate and consistent temperature control across a wide range, reducing the need for continuous monitoring and frequent adjustments, and is energy-efficient, effectively managing temperature changes and flare-ups during cooking.
Implementation Method 1
an operating temperature probe connected to the control module
Implementation Method 2
automatic actuation of a mechanical vent damper, which damper throttles the flow of fresh air through the combustion chamber
Implementation Method 3
the rate of heat energy released by the combustion process
Implementation Method 4
The natural force that drives the hot exhaust from the combustion chamber is the action of buoyancy
Implementation Method 5
Continuity results in fresh air being drawn into the inlet vent to replace a portion of the exiting exhaust gas
Data Source
AI summary
An actuated vent valve external of, and in series with a vent port of, a solid-fueled cooker is automatically controlled by controlling a flow of air into a combustion region of the solid-fueled cooker so as to substantially regulate a first temperature within a cooking region of a solid-fueled cooker to a user-defined temperature level responsive to a first temperature signal measured within the cooking region of the solid-fueled cooker.