I-Corps: Rapid Heating and Cooling Technology for Liquids

I-Corps：液体快速加热和冷却技术

• 批准号: 2228384
• 负责人: Marissa Rylander
• 金额: $ 5万
• 依托单位: University of Texas at Austin
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-08-01 至 2024-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2228384&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Corps; Rapid; Heating; Cooling; Technology

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a technology that rapidly and uniformly heats or cools liquids to the desired temperature. Conventional methods for heating or cooling liquids (e.g., breast milk/formula, wine, coffee, pharmaceuticals, intravenous fluids, blood, or chemicals) are not satisfactory for certain applications due to the extended timeframes required to reach the desired temperature. A primary application for this technology is warming of baby formula and breast milk, which is relevant to households, child development centers, nurseries, and neonatal care facilities in hospitals. The proposed device may be used to both heat and cool liquids rapidly and uniformly, which broadens the opportunities for a wide range of commercial applications. Such a device may have applications in the restaurant industry, pharmacies, drug companies, chemical industries, and military applications.This I-Corps project is based on the development of a heat exchanger technology that rapidly heats and cools liquids uniformly to the desired temperature. Compared to traditional methods that rely on heat conduction through the vessel containing the fluid, the proposed technology directly heats or cools the target liquid. The proposed technology leverages the on demand hot or cold temperatures and steady flow rate of a conventional household water faucet to expedite the heat transfer process when coupled with an efficient and rapid circulation of the target/primary liquid through the proposed heat exchanger system. Existing technologies for warming beverages, including breast milk and formula, focus on boiling water in a stagnant bath and subsequent heat conduction through the bottle comprised of insulating plastic or glass. The proposed technology may be used to heat from refrigerator temperatures of 36 degrees Fahrenheit to the desired temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit in less than 30 seconds compared to traditional bottle warmers that require approximately 10 min, decreasing heating time by a factor of 20. Similarly, the proposed technology may be used to chill a standard liquid volume of 750 ml from a room temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit to 55 degrees Fahrenheit in one minute compared to traditional methods that require significantly longer time periods.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种快速均匀加热或冷却液体到所需温度的技术。传统的加热或冷却液体（如母乳/配方奶粉、葡萄酒、咖啡、药品、静脉输液、血液或化学品）的方法，由于需要较长的时间才能达到所需的温度，因此在某些应用中不能令人满意。这项技术的主要应用是婴儿配方奶粉和母乳的加热，这与家庭、儿童发展中心、托儿所和医院的新生儿护理设施有关。该装置可用于快速均匀地加热和冷却液体，这为广泛的商业应用拓宽了机会。这种装置可以在餐饮业、药房、制药公司、化学工业和军事应用中应用。I-Corps的这个项目是基于热交换器技术的发展，该技术可以快速加热和均匀冷却液体到所需的温度。与传统的通过装有液体的容器进行热传导的方法相比，该技术直接加热或冷却目标液体。拟议的技术利用随需应变的热或冷温度和传统家用水龙头的稳定流速，当与目标/主液体通过拟议的热交换器系统的有效和快速循环相结合时，加速传热过程。现有的加热饮料技术，包括母乳和配方奶粉，主要是在静止的浴缸里烧开水，然后通过绝缘塑料或玻璃制成的瓶子进行热传导。与需要大约10分钟的传统瓶子加热器相比，所提出的技术可用于在不到30秒的时间内从36华氏度的冰箱温度加热到100华氏度的所需温度，将加热时间减少了20倍。同样，与需要更长的时间的传统方法相比，所提出的技术可用于在一分钟内将750毫升的标准液体体积从68华氏度的室温冷却到55华氏度。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。