Water Recirculation Cooling for Consistent Cold Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water dispensing systems, such as water coolers, often fail to maintain consistently cold water temperature due to inefficiencies in heat removal and distribution, leading to lukewarm or warm water being dispensed.
Innovation Solution
A recirculation system integrated with a heat exchanger that can be positioned upstream, downstream, or within the reservoir, along with an auxiliary pump to selectively recirculate water through the heat exchanger based on elapsed time or temperature, ensuring continuous cooling and temperature consistency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If water is stored in a reservoir for later dispensing, then water availability is improved, but water temperature consistency deteriorates (water becomes lukewarm or warm)
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary cooling by passing water through the heat exchanger before it enters the reservoir. This pre-cooling action ensures that water is cooled in advance of dispensing, addressing the temperature consistency issue while maintaining water availability in the reservoir.
Solution Approach 2:
The recirculation system continuously circulates water through the heat exchanger, maintaining continuous cooling action. This ensures that water in the reservoir remains consistently cold rather than allowing temperature to rise over time, thus maintaining temperature consistency while water is stored.
2Temperature
If a heat exchanger is used to remove heat from water, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger serves multiple functions: it cools water before it enters the reservoir, and through the recirculation system, it continuously cools water in the reservoir. This multi-functionality justifies the added component by providing enhanced cooling effectiveness across different operational phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The recirculation system automatically circulates water through the heat exchanger based on temperature or time conditions, making the system self-regulating. This reduces the need for complex manual controls while maintaining effective cooling, thus improving cooling effectiveness without proportionally increasing operational complexity.
3Temperature
If water is circulated through the heat exchanger continuously, then temperature consistency is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The recirculation system operates periodically rather than continuously, activating the pump based on elapsed time or temperature conditions. This periodic operation maintains temperature consistency by circulating water when needed while reducing energy consumption by allowing the pump to remain idle during periods when cooling is not required.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses temperature sensing or time-based feedback to control recirculation activation. When water temperature rises above a threshold or a certain time interval elapses, the recirculation pump activates to restore cooling. This feedback mechanism ensures temperature consistency is maintained while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption from continuous operation.
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 cold water temperature by accelerating cooling, reducing temperature variations, and ensuring consistent cold water delivery across multiple dispense points.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger for removing heat from the water before it is dispensed
Implementation Method 2
an auxiliary pump for drawing fluid from the reservoir, through the auxiliary circuit, and back to the reservoir
Data Source
AI summary
A water dispensing system includes an inlet for receiving water from a water supply; a spout for dispensing water; a heat exchanger for removing heat from the water before it is dispensed from the spout; a reservoir for storing water received from the water supply before it is dispensed from the spout; and a recirculation system for driving water stored in the reservoir through the heat exchanger and returning the water to the reservoir.