Supercooling Storage Control for Stable Nucleation-Free Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing supercooling systems face challenges in reliably preventing ice crystal nucleation and maintaining a supercooled state, requiring complex apparatus and high power consumption, while also needing safety measures to protect users from electric or magnetic fields.
Innovation Solution
A supercooling system comprising a cooling apparatus with a storing unit, temperature control means, and a display unit that maintains the temperature below the maximum ice crystal formation zone, preventing nucleation by controlling energy distribution within the storage space and accurately displaying the supercooled state, even when the storage unit door is open.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electric or magnetic field apparatus are used to maintain supercooled state, then ice crystal nucleation is prevented, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex electric or magnetic field generation apparatus from the supercooling system. Instead of using external field apparatus, the invention relies on the inherent supercooling phenomenon of water when cooled below 0°C without nucleation sites, thereby preventing ice crystal formation through simple thermal cooling rather than complex field application
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/electrical field generation system with a passive thermal system. By substituting active electric/magnetic field apparatus with passive thermal cooling and surface treatment methods, the system achieves supercooling maintenance without complex machinery
2Reliability
If electric or magnetic field apparatus are used to maintain supercooled state, then ice crystal nucleation is prevented, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the energy-consuming electric or magnetic field generation apparatus from the system. By eliminating these high-power components and relying on passive thermal cooling, the system achieves significant power consumption reduction while maintaining supercooling effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes the natural supercooling property of water and self-regulating thermal processes. The cooling system operates passively once initiated, using the inherent thermodynamic properties of water to maintain supercooled state without continuous energy input from external fields
3Reliability
If electric field apparatus are used, then supercooling is achieved, but safety measures are required to protect users from electric fields
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electric field-based supercooling methods with thermal cooling methods. By substituting electric field apparatus with thermal cooling systems, the harmful electric field exposure is eliminated while achieving the same supercooling objective through temperature control
4Reliability
If temperature is suddenly changed, then constituent elements cannot maintain stable state, but this enables supercooled state entry
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary cooling to bring the water temperature below the freezing point before nucleation can occur. By pre-cooling the water in a controlled manner and eliminating nucleation sites through surface treatment, the system creates the necessary conditions for supercooling to occur and be maintained
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temperature parameter below the normal freezing point without triggering phase transition. By controlling temperature to be below 0°C while preventing nucleation through surface treatment, the water maintains liquid state at sub-freezing temperatures, achieving and maintaining supercooled state
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 effectively maintains a stored object in a supercooled state for an extended period, reduces power consumption, and allows for accurate determination and display of the object's state, enhancing user convenience and safety.
Implementation Method 1
supercooling means the phenomenon that a molten object or a solid is not changed although it is cooled to a temperature below the phase transition temperature in an equilibrium state
Implementation Method 2
If the temperature is slowly changed, the constituent elements of the material can follow the temperature changes, maintaining the stable state at each temperature
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a supercooling system and a method for displaying a supercooled state which can accurately display a supercooled state of a stored object in spite of the external influence. The supercooling system includes a cooling apparatus including a storing unit storing a stored object, a cooling means cooling the storing unit, and a main control unit receiving external commercial power and controlling the cooling means to maintain the temperature in the storing unit at a temperature below at least the maximum ice crystal formation zone, and a supercooling apparatus including an independent storage room having a storing space therein to store an object and mounted and cooled in the storing unit, a temperature sensing unit sensing the temperature of the independent storage room, a temperature control means mounted in the independent storage room and controlling the internal temperature, a display unit displaying the state of the current control, and a sub-control unit controlling the temperature control means based on the sensed temperature from the temperature sensing unit to store the object received in the independent storage room in a supercooled state, and displaying the state of the stored object on the display unit with the proceeding of the cooling of the stored object or the storing space.