System and method for a portable air conditioner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current portable air conditioners are either expensive and cumbersome or ineffective, lacking a balance between ease of use and cooling capacity, with a need for a lightweight, portable, and high-cooling-capacity solution.
Innovation Solution
A portable air conditioner design utilizing a standard 5-gallon bucket with 20 pounds of ice, powered by a 24 VDC lithium-ion battery pack, featuring a backwards curved impeller, neoprene insulating sleeve, and adjustable vent wedges to enhance airflow and cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a conventional compressor, evaporator, and blower fan are used to provide cooling, then cooling capacity is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the compression and phase change components (compressor, evaporator) from the cooling system, retaining only the essential elements (ice storage container, fan, housing) needed to achieve cooling. This simplification reduces device complexity while maintaining cooling capacity through the use of ice as the cooling medium.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses ice as a disposable or replaceable cooling medium instead of requiring a complex, expensive compressor system. The ice can be easily replaced when melted, providing a simple and cost-effective solution that avoids complex mechanical components.
2Temperature
If a conventional compressor-based system is used, then cooling capacity is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the heavy compressor, condenser, and refrigerant circulation system from the portable cooling device. By using ice as the cooling medium and a simple fan for air circulation, the device achieves portability while maintaining effective cooling capacity.
3Device complexity
If ice is used for cooling, then device simplicity and portability are improved, but cooling capacity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-cools a large volume of water and freezes it into ice blocks before use. This preliminary action ensures that sufficient cooling capacity is available when the device is deployed, as the ice is already prepared in advance rather than requiring complex on-demand cooling mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses ice as a simple, natural cooling medium that replicates the cooling effect of complex mechanical systems without requiring them. The ice absorbs heat through phase change, providing effective cooling capacity through a simple, copycat approach to traditional AC functionality.
4Device complexity
If a fan is used to moisturize air, then device simplicity is improved, but cooling capacity is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of ice storage and air circulation into a single integrated device. The ice container and fan are combined in one housing, allowing the ice to cool the air while the fan distributes it, achieving both simplicity and adequate cooling capacity through functional integration.
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 solution provides a lightweight, effective, and affordable cooling solution with a high cooling capacity, achieving approximately one ton of cooling capacity while maintaining portability and ease of use.
Implementation Method 1
2,000 pounds of ice can absorb 288,000 BTU/24 hr or 12,000 BTU/hr, which is accepted as one ton of cooling capacity. Put another way, one ton of cooling capacity is equivalent to melting 83.33 pounds of ice an hour.
Implementation Method 2
Ice has been used for millennia for cooling so there is much available data on how much energy heat ice can absorb when it melts.
Implementation Method 3
In some embodiments, a neoprene insulating sleeve may be applied to the outside of the 5-gallon bucket or may line the inside of the bucket.
Implementation Method 4
A 24 VDC lithium ion battery pack powers a backwards curved impeller, which draws air into an intake plenum and down through draft tubes, up through an impeller, which slings the air radially through exhaust duct(s) and out onto the user(s).
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for portable air conditioners are shown. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a description of a design is provided for a portable air conditioning unit that uses a standard 5-gallon bucket and 20 pounds of ice. In some embodiments, a 24VDC lithium ion battery pack powers a backwards curved impeller, which draws air into an intake plenum and down through draft tubes, up thru an impeller, which slings the air radially thru exhaust duct(s) and out onto the user(s). A single push button may be utilized to turn the fan on and off and select a fan speed. In some embodiments, a neoprene insulating sleeve may be applied to the outside of the 5-gallon bucket or may line the inside of the bucket. In some embodiments, up to 7 vent wedges may be installed to duct the cool air in selectable directions. In some embodiments, the vent wedges may be removed allowing the top to seat down lower increasing the velocity of the cool air exiting radially.