Temperature control system and method TDSF plus
AssigneeB/E Aerospace, Inc.
InventorsKenneth W. Cowans, William W. Cowans, Glenn Zubillaga
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A temperature control system is disclosed where thermal energy generated by pressurization of a gaseous medium is stored at a selected temperature level so that it is later readily accessible. Temperature control of a two-phase medium is exercised across selectable dynamic ranges and with different resolutions and the control can be exerted by varying the input flow rate of a mixture applied to a thermal load, or by controlling the back pressure of the flow through the thermal load.
Claims6
A system for preparing individual custom servings of a thermally congealed food product comprising:
- a thermally conductive platen having an upper planar surface on which the starting ingredients for fluid refrigeration can be disposed;
- a drive system for rotating the thermally conductive platen about a central vertical axis;
- a pair of refrigerant tubes rotatable with the thermally conductive platen and having upper termini in thermal interchange relationship to the inferior side of the thermally conductive platen, and lower termini extending downwardly therefrom;
- a refrigeration system coupled to the lower termini of the pair of refrigerant tubes, the refrigeration system further including a compressor coupled to cycle refrigerant between the pair of refrigerant tubes, and also including, along the central vertical axis, a condenser and an adjacent air blower unit;
- a housing rotatable with the thermally conductive platen and incorporating the pair of refrigerant tubes of the refrigeration system, the housing including side orifices for allowing cooling airflow therein;
- and
- the system further including a controller responsive to the temperature of the thermally conductive platen to vary the temperature of the refrigerant to maintain the thermally conductive platen temperature in a selected temperature range.
A system for congealing by cooling a food product on a refrigeration system, comprising:
- a heat conductive element having an upper surface for receiving ingredients to be cooled;
- a drive system for rotating the heat conductive element about a central vertical axis normal to a plane thereof;
- a refrigeration system disposed beneath the heat conductive element and rotatable therewith for flowing cooled refrigerant in thermal contact with the underside of the heat conductive element;
- and
- the drive system engaging both the heat conductive element and the refrigeration system for rotating the heat conductive element and the refrigeration system concurrently.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.