CA2585464A1 - Apparatus for cooling food - Google Patents
Apparatus for cooling food Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2585464A1 CA2585464A1 CA002585464A CA2585464A CA2585464A1 CA 2585464 A1 CA2585464 A1 CA 2585464A1 CA 002585464 A CA002585464 A CA 002585464A CA 2585464 A CA2585464 A CA 2585464A CA 2585464 A1 CA2585464 A1 CA 2585464A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- cold accumulator
- phase change
- water
- cold
- line
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D3/00—Devices using other cold materials; Devices using cold-storage bodies
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- C09K5/00—Heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants; Materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion
- C09K5/02—Materials undergoing a change of physical state when used
- C09K5/06—Materials undergoing a change of physical state when used the change of state being from liquid to solid or vice versa
- C09K5/066—Cooling mixtures; De-icing compositions
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D31/00—Other cooling or freezing apparatus
- F25D31/002—Liquid coolers, e.g. beverage cooler
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
- F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
- F28D20/00—Heat storage plants or apparatus in general; Regenerative heat-exchange apparatus not covered by groups F28D17/00 or F28D19/00
- F28D20/02—Heat storage plants or apparatus in general; Regenerative heat-exchange apparatus not covered by groups F28D17/00 or F28D19/00 using latent heat
- F28D20/023—Heat storage plants or apparatus in general; Regenerative heat-exchange apparatus not covered by groups F28D17/00 or F28D19/00 using latent heat the latent heat storage material being enclosed in granular particles or dispersed in a porous, fibrous or cellular structure
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B21/00—Machines, plants or systems, using electric or magnetic effects
- F25B21/02—Machines, plants or systems, using electric or magnetic effects using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
- F25B21/04—Machines, plants or systems, using electric or magnetic effects using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect reversible
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2303/00—Details of devices using other cold materials; Details of devices using cold-storage bodies
- F25D2303/08—Devices using cold storage material, i.e. ice or other freezable liquid
- F25D2303/085—Compositions of cold storage materials
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y02E60/14—Thermal energy storage
Abstract
An apparatus for cooling food, in particular water-based beverages, includes a cold accumulator ( 6 ) that contains a phase transition material. A conduit ( 8 ) for a water-based liquid that is to be chilled is guided through the cold accumulator ( 6 ). Also provided is a device ( 2 ) for dissipating heat from the cold accumulator ( 6 ). In order to make such an apparatus less expensive, easier to produce, and more effective, the cold accumulator ( 6 ) is made from a composite material containing expanded graphite and a phase transition material that undergoes a solid-liquid phase transition at or above 273 K.
Description
No 2006/039829 PcT/EP2005/010379 Apparatus for oooling food The invention relates to an apparatus for cooling foods, in particular water-based drinks, which is described in the preamble of claim 1.
Such an apparatus is disclosed by DE 198 56 214. In one embodiment of the known apparatus, a cold accumulator is provided in the form of an ice bank which is cooled via a lo coolant by the cold side of a Peltier plate module. The drink to be cooled is passed round or through the ice bank. The thermal conductivity of the ice water and therefore the heat transfer properties of the ice bank can be improved by distributing a good conductor, such as, for example copper tis wool or copper pieces, in its volume. The cooling of foods and drinks by ice is current practice, but has critical disadvantages. A main disadvantage is the low thermal conductivity of ice. The addition of copper material is firstly expensive and secondly involves the risk that, for 20 example, copper pieces, under the influence of gravity, and with partial melting of the ice bank, collect in the lower region and are depleted in the upper xegion. A further disadvantage of ice which, however, has hitherto always been accepted, is the unfavorable phase change temperature of ice 25 to water, with to date there always being the xisk, which had to be avoided by complex control technology, that also water-based drinks froze. Although in this publication the use of a eutectic salt or an aluminum block is mentioned as cold accumulator, the special choice of the eutectic salt, in 30 particular according to its solid-liquid phase change temperature, is not described howevex.
For industrial applications as tubular or plate heat exchanger, EP 914 399 S1 discloses a composite material in 35 which pressed expanded graphite is impregnated with a phase change material. The graphite acts as heat conductor which in addition is able to take up the most varied phase change materials. As phase change material, use can be made of - 2 _ paraffin, but preferably likewise water/ice.
In industrial and commercial applications, generally use is made of compression or absorption refrigeration units, the relatively large dimensions of which and also high production costs, oppose use in the domestic sector, however. For this reason, for the provision of cooled drinking water in the lower price segment, in particular in the field of small domestic units, Peltier elements suggest themselves, in which, by applying an electric field to two different electric conductors, one side heats up and the other cools down.
periodic provision of cooled drinking water for application in the domestic sector, owing to the low thermal efficiencies of Peltier elements, make effective storage of, for example during night phases, a critical criterion for the capacity of a continuous flow Peltier cooling.
The simplest form of such a cooling is disclosed, for example, in DE 299 10 820, in which a closed water reservoir is cooled down to the desired temperature by Peltier elements and replenishing water replaces a corresponding fraction of the cooled water. Since for storage of cold in this case only the specific heat capacity of the water in the reservoir is available, large volumes are required even for small capacities.
US 5 544 489 discloses in this respect an improvement in capacity by utilization af the melting enthalpy of the water to be cooled. For this, on the cold side of the Peltier element, ice is generated within a water reservoir, as a result of which the energy density of the cold accumulator is markedly increased.
However, both said apparatuses are opposed by the expected high microbial loading due to stagnant water in a reservoir with respect to approval under drinking water law.
- ~ -EP 0 777 090 provides an aid in this respect with the essential difference from US 5 544 489 that the drinking water to be cooled is passed through the ice-cooled reservoir in a pipe coil and direct contact is therefore avoided. A
problem in this regard of the spatial dimensions of such an apparatus is that the space filled by ice is no longer available for the drinking water coil.
A fundamental problem of all known continuous-flow Peltier-based chillers is the low efficiency of Peltier elements which is predominantly determined by the temperature difference between the cold and warm sides. Whereas the warm side, by use of corresponding cooling bodies and aeration fans, is problem-free in principle and technically solved, the cold side is a problem which has not yet been solved to date. Owing to the low specific thermal conductivity of the cold accumulatox medium used [4at$r appr4ximately 0.57 W/ (mK) , Xica approximately 2.2 W/(mK)], there is an increase in the temperature difference and thus an impairment of the 2 I 0 efficiency.
The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for cooling foods, in particular water-based drinks, which is simple and inexpensive to produce and has a high cooling capacity.
The object is achieved by the features specified in claim 1.
By means of the design according to the invention, for the first time an apparatus for cooling foods, in particular water-based drinks, is provided whiah represents a high-grade solution for small equipment, in partxcular in the household or restaurant. By means of the cold accumulator used according to the invention and made of expanded graphite and a phase change material which passes through its solid-liquid phase change at or above 273 K, that is the freezing temperature of water, preferably a few C (up to 10 C) above the freezing point of water, a very effective cold accumulator is provided which fixstly, as a result of the graphite, has a high thermal conductivity, and thereby ensures relatively rapid shock-like cooling, and which secondly comprises a phase change material which, even without complicated control technology, does not involve the risk that water-based drinks freeze and form an ice block. In addition, firstly the size of the cold accumulator required for good performance is decreased, and secondly the space and costs of comprehansive control are saved.
Both measures lead to optimum matching of the apparatus according to the invention to the requirements in the chilling of foods, in particular water-based drinks.
Advantageous developments may be found in the subclaims.
To remove the heat taken up by the cold accumulator, preferably a Peltier element is provided which further has the advantage that the liquid flowing through the line can be heated for disinfection by reversing the polarity of the vqltage supply of the Peltier element. Peltier elements are very cheap. The comparatively low thermal effzciencies of a Peltier element are of less importance owing to the very effective storage material having expanded graphite, in particular when there is the possibility of being able to "charge" the cold accumulator in idle times of the apparatus, for example during the night.
However, instead of a Peltier element, conventional refrigerator technology can also be used, for example the absorber or compressor technique for "chargang" the cold aecumulator. Thus it is conceivable, for example, to integrate the cold accumulator into a conventional refrigerator and there, either for equipping the refrigerator for active and effective shock cooling, for example to use it in the area of the freezer compartment, or to use it for dispensing a drink, for example water, from a aentral water supply, in or on the refrigerator, in the course of a sh=ook-like continuous-flow cooling.
In principle, however, the invention may also be used advantageously wherever a high cooling capacity with periodic 5 load or fluctuating cooling power requirement must be provided inexpensively with small spatial dimensions.
In order that the entire container is available for the drinking water-bearing pipe geometry, in the invention use is made of a material as cold accumulator medium which passes through a phase change at, or a few C above, the freezing point of water, for which in principle salt hydrates, eutectic mixtures and also paraffins are suitable.
To increase the efficiency of the Peltier element, the cold accumulator medium is admixed with expanded graphite, as a result of which the thermal conductivity can be increased by up to a factor of 150.
7-0 The invention is in addition suitable for construction of a cooling container, wherein the cold accumulator can be integrated into an insulated wall of the cooling container, or into the interior, wherein the interior can also be completely filled by the cold accumulator. By means of the apparatus according to the invention, for example inexpensively available commercially conventional refrigerators can be refitted in this manner.
The invention can, for example, also be used as a shock-cooling unit for dispensing drinking water into a cooling container. The invention is also particularly suitable for dispensing units, wherein, in the interior of a housing, a drink source, for example a beer keg, can be received and the cold accumulator is active both in the interior and in the dispense line.
Examples of the invention will be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings. In the drawings:
R
fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of a first example of an apparatus according to the invention, fig. 2 shows the plan view onto fig. 1, fig. 3 shows a diagrammatic representation of a further example of an apparatus according to the invention, fig. 4 shows the depiction of the section A-A from fig. 3 for a first arrangement of the line, fig. 5 shows the sectional view A-A from fig. 3 for a second arrangement of the line, fig. 6 shows a diagrammatic representation of an apparatus according to the invention using refrigerator technology.
Fig. 1 shows a device according to the invention for chilling foods having a cylindrical container 1 which has an intrQduced line in the form of a pipe coil 8 through which passes a water-based liquid to be cooled from an inlet 5 to an outlet 4. The liquid to be cooled can be either the drink to be cooled, preferably water with or without gas admixture (carbon dioxide and/or oxygen) which originates from a water source, preferably the central local water supply. Or, however, the liquid can be a coolant, which is, however, preferably likewise water and originates from the central water supply, but serves for cooling foods or drinks at another point.
The container 1 is filled by a cold accumulator 6 which comprises a composite material made of expanded graphite and also a material wha.ch passes through a phase change at or above 273 K, the phase change preferably being a few C (up to 7.o C, preferably 3 to 5 C) above the freezing point of water.
Wo 2006/034829 PCT/EP2005/010379 Suitable phase change materials are preferably salts and also paraffins known for their phase change properties. In the example shown, the graphite is present as free-flowing granules and is impregnated with the phase change material.
The heat taken up from the liquid in the pipe coil 8 is taken off from the cold accumulator 6 again by a suitable unit. The unit in the example shown is a Peltier element 2 which is in intimate contact with the cold accumulator 6 by its cold side. The hot side of the Peltier element 2 is provided with an apparatus 3 for transporting away the heat. The apparatus 3 can be any suitable apparatus and is in particular a fan as is customarily used with Peltier elements. In addition, measures can be taken to reverse the polarity of the Peltier element 2 so that if appropriate the liquid flowing through the line 8 can be heated for disinfection.
To improve the thermal conductivity, the point of the container 1 at which the Peltier element 2 is mounted is made of a readily-conducting materiaZ, in particular a metallic material, Finally, a plurality of Peltier elements can be provided.
In figs. 3 to 5, further examples of the apparatus according to the invention for cooling foods are shown which differ from the example according to figs. 1 and 2 only by the details described hereinafter. The apparatus according to fig. 3 also comprises a container 1 which in this example, however, is rectangular, but can equally be cylindrical, as in the first example. In the container 1, a cold accumulator 6 is accommodated which this time consists of plate-type, expanded graphite which was impregnated with the same phase change material which has already been described with reference to fig. 1. The cold accumulator has a layer structure, with plates of the graphite material alternating with a layer-type arrangement 7 of suitably shaped and laid lines which, however, again extend from the container 1 by the water outlet 4 and the water inlet 5. The layer-type arrangement 7 can contain, for example, a meander-like line geometry 9 of fig. 4 or a spiral-type line geometry 10 of fig. 5. Each line layer 7 is connected by inlet and outlet in a manner which is not shown to the adjacent line layers, with the first and last line layers being connected to the water outlet 4 and the water inlet 5, respectively.
The line layers can either be laid as pipes, or in the shape of profiled plates, wherein preferably two plates are provided in a mirror image fashion with corresponding embossings of the size of the half cross section of the line, and the plates are subsequently laid one upon the other and are fastened to one another, so that the embossings supplement each vther to give continuous channels which are closed on the periphery side. Not only the pipes but also the profile plates consist of readily heat-conducting material, for example metal. The lines 8, 9 or 10 preferably have a diameter between 3 and 11 mm, in partiCulax 4-10 mm, since, with this diameter, in combination with a water pressure as is supplied on average by a water pipe grid (1.5W4.5 bar) which, if appropriate, can be set by a pump or a pressure-reduoing valve to a constant insignificantly varying pressure ( 0.5 bar), a strong flow counteracting microbial infestation forms.
The layer-like arrangement according to figs. 3 to 5 is preferably produced by compressing the line layers having the graphite plates, which leads to a particularly intimate, heat-transferring contact between the layers.
In this example also, the system for "charging" the cold accumulator 6 prefexably contains the Qeltier element 2 already described, wherein the Peltier element 2 is arranged -~5 in such a manner that the surface normal to the graphite plates is oriented in parallel to the surface of the Peltier element 2.
- g -The examples corresponding to figs. 1 to 5 are preferably constructed in the form of a cold battery, that is to say a handleable unit. Yn this form, the apparatus according to the invention can be installed anywhere where it is required, if appropriate even retrospectively. It is only necessary that measures are taken to connect the water inlet and outlet 4, 5 to a water source, for example the local drinking water supply. However, if appropriate, it is also possible to construct the apparatus according to the invention as a cold battery without the Peltier element and to use another technology for "charging" the cold accumulator.
This can be, for example, the cooling unit of a conventional refrigerator, for example an absorber or compressor refrigerator. This case is illustrated in fig. 6. Fig. 6 shows a conventional refrigerator 11 which is provided with its own cooling unit 12. In the refrigerator 11 a cold accumulator 6 of the invention is installed which is constructed as a cold battery. The cold accumulator 6 can, as shown in fig. 6, be accommodated anywhere in the interior 13 of the refrigerator 11, if appropriate also retrospectively.
In the example shown, it is accommodated in the rear region opposite a door 14. The cold accumulator 6, however, can also be accommodated anywhere in a wall 15 (including base and upper cover or door 14) or in an intermediate base or the like.
The cold accumulator 6 is provided with the line 8 through which a water-based liquid is passed. The water inlet 5 is connected to a drinking water grid which is preferably detachable via a valve 5a, for example a conventional water tap. The water outlet 4 can be passed to a dispense point which is not shown.
The function of the Peltier element, here, however, is met by the cooling unit 12 of the refrigerator 11. The cold accumulator 6 can, as shown, be provided only in one part of the interior 13, but can also fill the entire interior 13.
WO 2006/034829 PcT/EP2005/010379 The latter version leads to an apparatus for cooling drinks which can be manufactured particularly inexpensively, the line being passed through the entire interior filled with cold accumulator 6.
Such an apparatus is disclosed by DE 198 56 214. In one embodiment of the known apparatus, a cold accumulator is provided in the form of an ice bank which is cooled via a lo coolant by the cold side of a Peltier plate module. The drink to be cooled is passed round or through the ice bank. The thermal conductivity of the ice water and therefore the heat transfer properties of the ice bank can be improved by distributing a good conductor, such as, for example copper tis wool or copper pieces, in its volume. The cooling of foods and drinks by ice is current practice, but has critical disadvantages. A main disadvantage is the low thermal conductivity of ice. The addition of copper material is firstly expensive and secondly involves the risk that, for 20 example, copper pieces, under the influence of gravity, and with partial melting of the ice bank, collect in the lower region and are depleted in the upper xegion. A further disadvantage of ice which, however, has hitherto always been accepted, is the unfavorable phase change temperature of ice 25 to water, with to date there always being the xisk, which had to be avoided by complex control technology, that also water-based drinks froze. Although in this publication the use of a eutectic salt or an aluminum block is mentioned as cold accumulator, the special choice of the eutectic salt, in 30 particular according to its solid-liquid phase change temperature, is not described howevex.
For industrial applications as tubular or plate heat exchanger, EP 914 399 S1 discloses a composite material in 35 which pressed expanded graphite is impregnated with a phase change material. The graphite acts as heat conductor which in addition is able to take up the most varied phase change materials. As phase change material, use can be made of - 2 _ paraffin, but preferably likewise water/ice.
In industrial and commercial applications, generally use is made of compression or absorption refrigeration units, the relatively large dimensions of which and also high production costs, oppose use in the domestic sector, however. For this reason, for the provision of cooled drinking water in the lower price segment, in particular in the field of small domestic units, Peltier elements suggest themselves, in which, by applying an electric field to two different electric conductors, one side heats up and the other cools down.
periodic provision of cooled drinking water for application in the domestic sector, owing to the low thermal efficiencies of Peltier elements, make effective storage of, for example during night phases, a critical criterion for the capacity of a continuous flow Peltier cooling.
The simplest form of such a cooling is disclosed, for example, in DE 299 10 820, in which a closed water reservoir is cooled down to the desired temperature by Peltier elements and replenishing water replaces a corresponding fraction of the cooled water. Since for storage of cold in this case only the specific heat capacity of the water in the reservoir is available, large volumes are required even for small capacities.
US 5 544 489 discloses in this respect an improvement in capacity by utilization af the melting enthalpy of the water to be cooled. For this, on the cold side of the Peltier element, ice is generated within a water reservoir, as a result of which the energy density of the cold accumulator is markedly increased.
However, both said apparatuses are opposed by the expected high microbial loading due to stagnant water in a reservoir with respect to approval under drinking water law.
- ~ -EP 0 777 090 provides an aid in this respect with the essential difference from US 5 544 489 that the drinking water to be cooled is passed through the ice-cooled reservoir in a pipe coil and direct contact is therefore avoided. A
problem in this regard of the spatial dimensions of such an apparatus is that the space filled by ice is no longer available for the drinking water coil.
A fundamental problem of all known continuous-flow Peltier-based chillers is the low efficiency of Peltier elements which is predominantly determined by the temperature difference between the cold and warm sides. Whereas the warm side, by use of corresponding cooling bodies and aeration fans, is problem-free in principle and technically solved, the cold side is a problem which has not yet been solved to date. Owing to the low specific thermal conductivity of the cold accumulatox medium used [4at$r appr4ximately 0.57 W/ (mK) , Xica approximately 2.2 W/(mK)], there is an increase in the temperature difference and thus an impairment of the 2 I 0 efficiency.
The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for cooling foods, in particular water-based drinks, which is simple and inexpensive to produce and has a high cooling capacity.
The object is achieved by the features specified in claim 1.
By means of the design according to the invention, for the first time an apparatus for cooling foods, in particular water-based drinks, is provided whiah represents a high-grade solution for small equipment, in partxcular in the household or restaurant. By means of the cold accumulator used according to the invention and made of expanded graphite and a phase change material which passes through its solid-liquid phase change at or above 273 K, that is the freezing temperature of water, preferably a few C (up to 10 C) above the freezing point of water, a very effective cold accumulator is provided which fixstly, as a result of the graphite, has a high thermal conductivity, and thereby ensures relatively rapid shock-like cooling, and which secondly comprises a phase change material which, even without complicated control technology, does not involve the risk that water-based drinks freeze and form an ice block. In addition, firstly the size of the cold accumulator required for good performance is decreased, and secondly the space and costs of comprehansive control are saved.
Both measures lead to optimum matching of the apparatus according to the invention to the requirements in the chilling of foods, in particular water-based drinks.
Advantageous developments may be found in the subclaims.
To remove the heat taken up by the cold accumulator, preferably a Peltier element is provided which further has the advantage that the liquid flowing through the line can be heated for disinfection by reversing the polarity of the vqltage supply of the Peltier element. Peltier elements are very cheap. The comparatively low thermal effzciencies of a Peltier element are of less importance owing to the very effective storage material having expanded graphite, in particular when there is the possibility of being able to "charge" the cold accumulator in idle times of the apparatus, for example during the night.
However, instead of a Peltier element, conventional refrigerator technology can also be used, for example the absorber or compressor technique for "chargang" the cold aecumulator. Thus it is conceivable, for example, to integrate the cold accumulator into a conventional refrigerator and there, either for equipping the refrigerator for active and effective shock cooling, for example to use it in the area of the freezer compartment, or to use it for dispensing a drink, for example water, from a aentral water supply, in or on the refrigerator, in the course of a sh=ook-like continuous-flow cooling.
In principle, however, the invention may also be used advantageously wherever a high cooling capacity with periodic 5 load or fluctuating cooling power requirement must be provided inexpensively with small spatial dimensions.
In order that the entire container is available for the drinking water-bearing pipe geometry, in the invention use is made of a material as cold accumulator medium which passes through a phase change at, or a few C above, the freezing point of water, for which in principle salt hydrates, eutectic mixtures and also paraffins are suitable.
To increase the efficiency of the Peltier element, the cold accumulator medium is admixed with expanded graphite, as a result of which the thermal conductivity can be increased by up to a factor of 150.
7-0 The invention is in addition suitable for construction of a cooling container, wherein the cold accumulator can be integrated into an insulated wall of the cooling container, or into the interior, wherein the interior can also be completely filled by the cold accumulator. By means of the apparatus according to the invention, for example inexpensively available commercially conventional refrigerators can be refitted in this manner.
The invention can, for example, also be used as a shock-cooling unit for dispensing drinking water into a cooling container. The invention is also particularly suitable for dispensing units, wherein, in the interior of a housing, a drink source, for example a beer keg, can be received and the cold accumulator is active both in the interior and in the dispense line.
Examples of the invention will be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings. In the drawings:
R
fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of a first example of an apparatus according to the invention, fig. 2 shows the plan view onto fig. 1, fig. 3 shows a diagrammatic representation of a further example of an apparatus according to the invention, fig. 4 shows the depiction of the section A-A from fig. 3 for a first arrangement of the line, fig. 5 shows the sectional view A-A from fig. 3 for a second arrangement of the line, fig. 6 shows a diagrammatic representation of an apparatus according to the invention using refrigerator technology.
Fig. 1 shows a device according to the invention for chilling foods having a cylindrical container 1 which has an intrQduced line in the form of a pipe coil 8 through which passes a water-based liquid to be cooled from an inlet 5 to an outlet 4. The liquid to be cooled can be either the drink to be cooled, preferably water with or without gas admixture (carbon dioxide and/or oxygen) which originates from a water source, preferably the central local water supply. Or, however, the liquid can be a coolant, which is, however, preferably likewise water and originates from the central water supply, but serves for cooling foods or drinks at another point.
The container 1 is filled by a cold accumulator 6 which comprises a composite material made of expanded graphite and also a material wha.ch passes through a phase change at or above 273 K, the phase change preferably being a few C (up to 7.o C, preferably 3 to 5 C) above the freezing point of water.
Wo 2006/034829 PCT/EP2005/010379 Suitable phase change materials are preferably salts and also paraffins known for their phase change properties. In the example shown, the graphite is present as free-flowing granules and is impregnated with the phase change material.
The heat taken up from the liquid in the pipe coil 8 is taken off from the cold accumulator 6 again by a suitable unit. The unit in the example shown is a Peltier element 2 which is in intimate contact with the cold accumulator 6 by its cold side. The hot side of the Peltier element 2 is provided with an apparatus 3 for transporting away the heat. The apparatus 3 can be any suitable apparatus and is in particular a fan as is customarily used with Peltier elements. In addition, measures can be taken to reverse the polarity of the Peltier element 2 so that if appropriate the liquid flowing through the line 8 can be heated for disinfection.
To improve the thermal conductivity, the point of the container 1 at which the Peltier element 2 is mounted is made of a readily-conducting materiaZ, in particular a metallic material, Finally, a plurality of Peltier elements can be provided.
In figs. 3 to 5, further examples of the apparatus according to the invention for cooling foods are shown which differ from the example according to figs. 1 and 2 only by the details described hereinafter. The apparatus according to fig. 3 also comprises a container 1 which in this example, however, is rectangular, but can equally be cylindrical, as in the first example. In the container 1, a cold accumulator 6 is accommodated which this time consists of plate-type, expanded graphite which was impregnated with the same phase change material which has already been described with reference to fig. 1. The cold accumulator has a layer structure, with plates of the graphite material alternating with a layer-type arrangement 7 of suitably shaped and laid lines which, however, again extend from the container 1 by the water outlet 4 and the water inlet 5. The layer-type arrangement 7 can contain, for example, a meander-like line geometry 9 of fig. 4 or a spiral-type line geometry 10 of fig. 5. Each line layer 7 is connected by inlet and outlet in a manner which is not shown to the adjacent line layers, with the first and last line layers being connected to the water outlet 4 and the water inlet 5, respectively.
The line layers can either be laid as pipes, or in the shape of profiled plates, wherein preferably two plates are provided in a mirror image fashion with corresponding embossings of the size of the half cross section of the line, and the plates are subsequently laid one upon the other and are fastened to one another, so that the embossings supplement each vther to give continuous channels which are closed on the periphery side. Not only the pipes but also the profile plates consist of readily heat-conducting material, for example metal. The lines 8, 9 or 10 preferably have a diameter between 3 and 11 mm, in partiCulax 4-10 mm, since, with this diameter, in combination with a water pressure as is supplied on average by a water pipe grid (1.5W4.5 bar) which, if appropriate, can be set by a pump or a pressure-reduoing valve to a constant insignificantly varying pressure ( 0.5 bar), a strong flow counteracting microbial infestation forms.
The layer-like arrangement according to figs. 3 to 5 is preferably produced by compressing the line layers having the graphite plates, which leads to a particularly intimate, heat-transferring contact between the layers.
In this example also, the system for "charging" the cold accumulator 6 prefexably contains the Qeltier element 2 already described, wherein the Peltier element 2 is arranged -~5 in such a manner that the surface normal to the graphite plates is oriented in parallel to the surface of the Peltier element 2.
- g -The examples corresponding to figs. 1 to 5 are preferably constructed in the form of a cold battery, that is to say a handleable unit. Yn this form, the apparatus according to the invention can be installed anywhere where it is required, if appropriate even retrospectively. It is only necessary that measures are taken to connect the water inlet and outlet 4, 5 to a water source, for example the local drinking water supply. However, if appropriate, it is also possible to construct the apparatus according to the invention as a cold battery without the Peltier element and to use another technology for "charging" the cold accumulator.
This can be, for example, the cooling unit of a conventional refrigerator, for example an absorber or compressor refrigerator. This case is illustrated in fig. 6. Fig. 6 shows a conventional refrigerator 11 which is provided with its own cooling unit 12. In the refrigerator 11 a cold accumulator 6 of the invention is installed which is constructed as a cold battery. The cold accumulator 6 can, as shown in fig. 6, be accommodated anywhere in the interior 13 of the refrigerator 11, if appropriate also retrospectively.
In the example shown, it is accommodated in the rear region opposite a door 14. The cold accumulator 6, however, can also be accommodated anywhere in a wall 15 (including base and upper cover or door 14) or in an intermediate base or the like.
The cold accumulator 6 is provided with the line 8 through which a water-based liquid is passed. The water inlet 5 is connected to a drinking water grid which is preferably detachable via a valve 5a, for example a conventional water tap. The water outlet 4 can be passed to a dispense point which is not shown.
The function of the Peltier element, here, however, is met by the cooling unit 12 of the refrigerator 11. The cold accumulator 6 can, as shown, be provided only in one part of the interior 13, but can also fill the entire interior 13.
WO 2006/034829 PcT/EP2005/010379 The latter version leads to an apparatus for cooling drinks which can be manufactured particularly inexpensively, the line being passed through the entire interior filled with cold accumulator 6.
Claims (12)
1. An apparatus for cooling foods, in particular water-based drinks, having a cold accumulator comprising a phase change material, with a line for a water-based liquid to be cooled being passed through the cold accumulator, and also having a unit for removing heat from the cold accumulator, characterized in that the cold accumulator (6) contains expanded graphite and a phase change material which passes through a solid-liquid phase change at or above 273 K.
2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cold accumulator (6) contains a loose bed of graphite granules impregnated with the phase change material.
3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that use is made of a phase change material whose phase change temperature is not above 10°C.
4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that use is made of a phase change material whose phase change temperature is above O°C to not above 10°C.
5. The apparatus as claimed in one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the system for removing heat contains a Peltier element (2).
6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the liquid flowing through the line (8, 9, 10) can be heated for disinfection by reversing the polarity of the voltage supply of the Peltier element (2).
7. The apparatus as claimed in one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the system for removing heat contains an absorber and/or evaporator refrigerator unit (12).
8. The apparatus as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by a design as cold battery which contains at least one cold accumulator (6) as a handleable unit.
9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the unit contains the unit for removing heat.
10. The apparatus as claimed in one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the line (8, 9, 10) is connected to a drink source and leads to a dispense system.
11. The apparatus as claimed in one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the line (8, 9, 10) can be connected to a central water supply.
12. The apparatus as claimed in one of claims 1 to 11, characterized by a design as cooling container (11) having a housing having an insulated wall (15), with the cold accumulator (6) and the line (8, 9, 10) being integrated into the wall (15) and/or an interior (13) of the cooling container (11).
Applications Claiming Priority (5)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE102004046794.3 | 2004-09-27 | ||
| DE102004046794 | 2004-09-27 | ||
| DE102005014742A DE102005014742A1 (en) | 2004-09-27 | 2005-03-31 | Device for cooling food |
| DE102005014742.9 | 2005-03-31 | ||
| PCT/EP2005/010379 WO2006034829A1 (en) | 2004-09-27 | 2005-09-26 | Apparatus for cooling food |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2585464A1 true CA2585464A1 (en) | 2006-04-06 |
Family
ID=35500935
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002585464A Abandoned CA2585464A1 (en) | 2004-09-27 | 2005-09-26 | Apparatus for cooling food |
Country Status (12)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US20080010999A1 (en) |
| EP (1) | EP1797382B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JP2008514892A (en) |
| AT (1) | ATE448455T1 (en) |
| AU (1) | AU2005289132A1 (en) |
| BR (1) | BRPI0516133A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2585464A1 (en) |
| DE (2) | DE102005014742A1 (en) |
| HK (1) | HK1108732A1 (en) |
| NO (1) | NO20072207L (en) |
| NZ (1) | NZ554149A (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2006034829A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US10151523B2 (en) | 2011-12-12 | 2018-12-11 | Avner Sadot | On-demand beverage cooler |
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| US8171984B2 (en) * | 2006-02-01 | 2012-05-08 | Sgl Carbon Ag | Latent heat storage devices |
| ATE483947T1 (en) * | 2006-05-29 | 2010-10-15 | Webasto Ag | COLD AND/OR HEAT STORAGE |
| DE202006010757U1 (en) * | 2006-07-11 | 2006-11-02 | Sgl Carbon Ag | A method for providing an open refrigerated display cabinet with uniform temperature maintenance has an inner liner within the thermal insulation comprising a phase change material and graphite |
| WO2008011846A1 (en) * | 2006-07-28 | 2008-01-31 | Webasto Ag | Cold and/or heat store |
| DE102006049398A1 (en) * | 2006-10-19 | 2008-04-30 | BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH | Refrigerating appliance with cold water dispenser |
| EP1974802A1 (en) * | 2007-03-29 | 2008-10-01 | Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V. | Cool drink dispenser for home use, and refrigerator equipped with such a dispenser |
| DE102007023645A1 (en) * | 2007-05-22 | 2008-12-04 | Webasto Ag | Loading space wall for use with loading space, particularly for commercial motor vehicles, has outer hull and plate shaped cold accumulator arranged parallel to outer hull, where plate shaped cold accumulator has two carrier elements |
| DE102007039472A1 (en) | 2007-08-21 | 2009-02-26 | Biologic Gmbh | Apparatus and method for the intermittent impregnation and dispensing of drinking water |
| KR101102333B1 (en) * | 2011-03-02 | 2012-01-04 | 케이디피시엠 주식회사 | Multi cooling type phase-change material thermal storage system |
| DE102011100192A1 (en) * | 2011-05-02 | 2012-11-08 | Liebherr-Hausgeräte Ochsenhausen GmbH | Heat exchanger e.g. evaporator of refrigerator and/or freezer, has tubes through which heat transfer medium flows, which are provided in connection with expanded graphite for improving heat transfer and/or contact surface of graphite |
| DE102011053308A1 (en) | 2011-09-06 | 2013-03-07 | Biologic Gmbh | Phase change material composition and latent heat storage element made therefrom; Method for producing a latent heat storage element and method for conditioning a medium by means of the latent heat storage element |
| US9016070B2 (en) * | 2012-09-14 | 2015-04-28 | Whirlpool Corporation | Phase change materials for refrigeration and ice making |
| ITVR20130241A1 (en) * | 2013-11-08 | 2015-05-09 | Italbedis A T S S R L | COMBINED DEVICE TO ADAPT GAS AND REFRIGERATE WATER |
| US10890383B2 (en) | 2014-01-21 | 2021-01-12 | Drexel University | Systems and methods of using phase change material in power plants |
| US9476648B2 (en) | 2014-01-21 | 2016-10-25 | Drexel University | Systems and methods of using phase change material in power plants |
| FR3020449B1 (en) * | 2014-04-25 | 2019-05-31 | Stephane Watts | DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THERMOREGULATION OF THE INTERIOR OF AN ENCLOSURE |
| DE102014213800A1 (en) * | 2014-07-16 | 2016-01-21 | BSH Hausgeräte GmbH | Refrigerator with a water dispenser unit and a phase change material |
| DE102014214322A1 (en) | 2014-07-23 | 2016-01-28 | BSH Hausgeräte GmbH | Refrigeration unit with liquid tank |
| EP3186573B1 (en) * | 2014-08-26 | 2019-09-18 | Cornelius Deutschland GmbH | Cooling device comprising slurries of granulate material |
| NO20150501A1 (en) * | 2015-04-24 | 2016-10-25 | Norsk Vannkjoeling As | Modular beverage cooler. |
| DE102015119858A1 (en) * | 2015-11-17 | 2017-05-18 | Gerrit Sonnenrein | cooler |
| EP3203169B1 (en) * | 2016-02-08 | 2019-04-03 | Eugster/Frismag AG | Carbonating device for domestic use |
| CN109135680A (en) * | 2017-06-28 | 2019-01-04 | 无锡新祥恒包装科技有限公司 | One kind keeping the temperature 12 ~ 18 DEG C of phase change cold accumulating agents for insulin |
| EP3489597A1 (en) | 2017-11-23 | 2019-05-29 | RIPRUP Company S.A. | Flow-type water tempering device for a beverage dispenser |
| CN108302853A (en) * | 2018-02-02 | 2018-07-20 | 上海理工大学 | A kind of Low Temperature Storage cold plate |
| DE102019000697A1 (en) * | 2018-08-30 | 2020-03-05 | GlMA-THERM PGmbH | Cooling device and use of a cooling device |
| JP7203408B2 (en) * | 2018-09-25 | 2023-01-13 | 学校法人東洋食品工業短期大学 | Sterilization device and sterilization method |
| AT525226A1 (en) * | 2021-07-12 | 2023-01-15 | Hertig Schankanlagen Gmbh | cooler |
| DE102022111028A1 (en) | 2022-05-04 | 2023-11-09 | Refolution Industriekälte GmbH | Rapid cooler with changing chamber |
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| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5074283A (en) * | 1990-08-10 | 1991-12-24 | The United States Department Of Energy | Thermal storage module for solar dynamic receivers |
| JP3526993B2 (en) * | 1995-11-30 | 2004-05-17 | サッポロホールディングス株式会社 | Instantly cooled beverage supply device and control method thereof |
| DE19630073B4 (en) * | 1996-07-25 | 2004-04-01 | Sgl Carbon Ag | Device for storing heat or cold in a storage system made of pressed graphite expandate and a solid-liquid phase change material and method for its production |
| US6105659A (en) * | 1996-09-12 | 2000-08-22 | Jaro Technologies, Inc. | Rechargeable thermal battery for latent energy storage and transfer |
| DE10023572A1 (en) * | 2000-05-15 | 2001-11-22 | Merck Patent Gmbh | Process for producing a storage system for storing heat and cold |
| DE10250249A1 (en) * | 2002-10-28 | 2004-05-13 | Sgl Carbon Ag | Mixtures for heat storage |
-
2005
- 2005-03-31 DE DE102005014742A patent/DE102005014742A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2005-09-26 WO PCT/EP2005/010379 patent/WO2006034829A1/en active Application Filing
- 2005-09-26 NZ NZ554149A patent/NZ554149A/en unknown
- 2005-09-26 CA CA002585464A patent/CA2585464A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2005-09-26 AT AT05791055T patent/ATE448455T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2005-09-26 DE DE502005008503T patent/DE502005008503D1/en active Active
- 2005-09-26 BR BRPI0516133-9A patent/BRPI0516133A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2005-09-26 AU AU2005289132A patent/AU2005289132A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2005-09-26 JP JP2007532853A patent/JP2008514892A/en active Pending
- 2005-09-26 EP EP05791055A patent/EP1797382B1/en not_active Not-in-force
-
2007
- 2007-03-27 US US11/728,918 patent/US20080010999A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2007-04-27 NO NO20072207A patent/NO20072207L/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2007-12-19 HK HK07113848.0A patent/HK1108732A1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US10151523B2 (en) | 2011-12-12 | 2018-12-11 | Avner Sadot | On-demand beverage cooler |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| WO2006034829A1 (en) | 2006-04-06 |
| NO20072207L (en) | 2007-04-27 |
| US20080010999A1 (en) | 2008-01-17 |
| HK1108732A1 (en) | 2008-05-16 |
| EP1797382B1 (en) | 2009-11-11 |
| EP1797382A1 (en) | 2007-06-20 |
| BRPI0516133A (en) | 2008-08-26 |
| AU2005289132A1 (en) | 2006-04-06 |
| DE502005008503D1 (en) | 2009-12-24 |
| ATE448455T1 (en) | 2009-11-15 |
| NZ554149A (en) | 2010-09-30 |
| JP2008514892A (en) | 2008-05-08 |
| DE102005014742A1 (en) | 2006-04-06 |
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