I-Corps: Rapid Heating and Cooling Technology for Liquids

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种快速、均匀地将液体加热或冷却到所需温度的技术。传统的加热或冷却液体(例如，母乳/配方奶、葡萄酒、咖啡、药品、静脉输液、血液或化学品)的方法不能满足某些应用，因为达到所需温度所需的时间较长。这项技术的主要应用是婴儿配方奶粉和母乳的升温，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提供了机会。这种设备可能会在餐饮业、药店、制药公司、化学工业和军事应用中应用。这个i-Corps项目基于一种热交换器技术的开发，该技术可以将液体快速加热和冷却到所需的温度。与依赖于通过包含液体的容器的热传导的传统方法相比，所提出的技术直接加热或冷却目标液体。拟议的技术利用传统家用水龙头的按需冷热温度和稳定的流速，结合目标/初级液体通过拟议的热交换器系统的高效和快速循环，加快了热传递过程。现有的加热饮料的技术，包括母乳和配方奶粉，专注于在静止的浴缸中沸水，以及随后通过由隔热塑料或玻璃组成的瓶子的热传导。这项拟议的技术可以在30秒内从36华氏度的冰箱温度加热到所需的100华氏度的温度，而传统的瓶子加热器需要大约10分钟，加热时间减少了20倍。同样，与需要更长时间的传统方法相比，拟议的技术可以在一分钟内将750毫升的标准液体从室温68华氏度冷却到55华氏度。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.