Steam generation system for use in cooking appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing steam generators for cooking appliances are costly, slow to produce steam, and require complex plumbing and multiple components, making them unsuitable for low-cost, simple, and versatile steam generation.
Innovation Solution
A steam generator system with an in-line heating element and gravitational water feeding, using bubble pumps and separators to efficiently produce and deliver steam to a cooking cavity without hard plumbing, featuring a sealed system with rapid steam generation and minimal moving parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a boiler with a submerged heating element is used, then steam can be generated, but the steam generation speed is slow and the system becomes complex with multiple components
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the water heating process into two distinct stages: first, the immersion heater rapidly heats a small amount of water to boiling point; second, the generated steam heats the remaining water in the reservoir. This segmentation allows for rapid steam generation without requiring a complex boiler system, as each component performs a specific function efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the steam generation function from a traditional boiler system and implements it using a simple immersion heater that directly contacts water. By taking out the complex boiler structure and replacing it with a straightforward heating element, the system achieves rapid steam generation while minimizing device complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If a traditional steam generator is used, then steam can be produced, but hard plumbing and multiple components are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the steam generated from heating a small amount of water to automatically heat the remaining water in the reservoir through a steam injection mechanism. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex external plumbing, pumps, and control systems, as the system uses its own generated steam to complete the heating process without external intervention.
3Quantity of substance
If a large amount of water is heated in a boiler, then sufficient steam can be generated, but the reaction time is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary heating by rapidly boiling a small amount of water using the immersion heater to generate steam before the bulk water needs to be heated. This preliminary action creates a reservoir of thermal energy in the form of steam, which then quickly heats the remaining water, significantly reducing the overall reaction time compared to heating all water from scratch.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent exploits the phase transition of water from liquid to vapor to transfer thermal energy efficiently. By heating a small volume of water to vapor phase and then using this steam to heat the larger volume of liquid water, the system leverages the high latent heat of vaporization to rapidly transfer energy, achieving fast heating of large water volumes without the time penalty of direct heating.
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 rapidly produces steam in under a minute, reducing reaction time and eliminating the need for complex pumping mechanisms, while being adaptable to various cooking appliance configurations and easy to descale.
Implementation Method 1
An in-line heating element is coupled to a heating tube and water from the water reservoir is gravitationally fed into the heating tube for heating by the in-line heating element to produce a hot water and steam mixture
Implementation Method 2
The temperature and weight of the hot water and steam mixture defines a first bubble pump used to move the hot water and steam mixture from the lower portion of the steam generator system to the separator disposed in the upper portion of the steam generator system
Implementation Method 3
The separator is configured to separate steam and hot water from the steam and hot water mixture
Implementation Method 4
A return line is coupled to the separator at a first end and further coupled to the heating tube at a second end, wherein the return line is configured to gravitationally deliver hot water separated by the separator to the heating tube
Data Source
AI summary
A steam generator system for a cooking appliance includes an in-line heating element coupled to a heating tube, wherein water from a water reservoir is gravitationally fed into the heating tube for heating by the in-line heating element to produce a hot water and steam mixture. A first supply line is coupled to the heating tube to carry the mixture to a separator without the need for moving or complex pump parts. The separator separates steam and hot water from the mixture of the two. A second supply line is coupled to the separator at a first end and opens into the cooking cavity of the cooking appliance at a second end. The second supply line is configured to supply steam separated at the separator to the cooking cavity via a steam outlet disposed in the cooking cavity.