Device and method for cooling a liquid and use of the device as a component for a storage arrangement

Abstract

A device, for cooling a liquid, especially a beverage, comprising a cold accumulator and a thermal line, the cold accumulator and the liquid to be cooled being thermally connected by means of the thermal line, and the cold accumulator comprising a phase change material, the device also comprising means for dissipating heat from at least the thermal line, and the cold accumulator comprising a carrier material into which the phase change material is integrated.

Claims

1. A device for cooling a liquid, comprising, a cold accumulator and a thermal line, said cold accumulator comprising a phase change material and a carrier material and is thermally connected to the liquid to be cooled via the thermal line, wherein the device further comprises an additional heat dissipator for heat dissipation at least from the thermal line, and wherein the phase change material is integrated into the carrier material, and the cold accumulator includes an expanded graphite additive.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the phase change material includes paraffin.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the carrier material includes a polymer.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein a percentage of the carrier material relative to the cold accumulator is between 1 and 10% by weight.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the carrier material forms a matrix, in which the phase change material is integrated.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the cold accumulator and the thermal line are adjoining each other at least in a certain area.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the thermal line has an integral structure to guide the liquid.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the thermal line is from a heat conducting material.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the thermal line includes a surface structure that enlarges the effective heat transfer surface.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the surface structure includes lamellae.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the surface structure is arranged at least at a first surface of the thermal line in that the thermal line and the cold accumulator are adjoining each other.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the heat dissipator includes a thereto-electric module.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the heat dissipator borders the thermal line.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the active heat dissipator includes a ventilator.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device includes an insulation which borders the cold accumulator.

16. The device according claim 15, wherein the insulation includes foamed material.

17. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage tank for taking up the liquid and the thermal line borders the storage tank.

18. The device according to claim 1, wherein the thermal line is essentially shaped as a hollow cylinder.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein the cold accumulator is arranged at an outer shell surface of the hollow cylinder.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein the storage tank is arranged within the hollow cylinder, wherein the hollow cylinder surrounds the storage tank.

21. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is a carbonating device with a carbonator for carbonating the liquid.

22. A method of using the device according to claim 21, incorporating the device as a component for a storage arrangement to store liquid.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the thermal line is configured as walls for the storage arrangement.

24. The device according to claim 3, wherein the polymer is a polymer blend and/or a block polymer.

Description

(1) An example of another advantageous configuration of an embodiment is shown in the FIGURE that follows. The features shown there are not limited to this embodiment. Rather one or more of the afore-described features can be combined with one or more of the present embodiments in a further development of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(2) FIG. 1 shows a cooling device with storage tank.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(3) Shown in FIG. 1 is a cooling device 1 where a thermal line 2 is configured as a hollow cylinder which surrounds a storage tank. The thermal line 2 is made of aluminum and configured as a pressure-cast body.

(4) The thermal line 2 borders directly at a means to remove heat 6 from the thermal line 2 and is thermally connected to the means. The means for heat dissipation 6 is illustrated here schematically as a block. Preferably, it is an evaporator or a Peltier-element. The means for dissipating heat 6 also includes a ventilator 8, which supports the removal of heat by air movement and thus supports removal of air from the thermal line.

(5) The thermal line 2 is provided with a helical channel 10 which extends as a spiral through the hollow cylinder and the liquid to be cooled is guided through this helical line 10, wherein the liquid to be cooled and the thermal line 2 are thermally connected.

(6) The thermal line 2 borders at the cold accumulator 12, wherein the outer shell surface of the thermal line 2 is provided with lamellae 14. The cold accumulator 12 is formed as a structure embedded into the lamellae 14 of the thermal line 2.

(7) For example, cold accumulator 12 can be made from a polymer with bonded phase change material, wherein the polymer preferably includes a heat-conducting additive, such as for example, graphite. This improves the thermal coupling of the cold accumulator 12 to the thermal line 2.

(8) The lamellae 14 enlarge the heat transfer surface between the thermal line and the cold accumulator 12 and also improve the thermal coupling of the thermal line to the cold accumulator.

(9) The cold accumulator 12 includes an additional insulation 16 which surrounds the cooling device 1 in the area of cold accumulator 12, so that the cold accumulator 12 basically can only supply cold to the thermal line 2. This does not cause dissipation in the capacity of the cold accumulator in order to cool the exterior area of the device, but supplies only cold to the liquid to be cooled.

(10) The device is further set up so that the beverage to be cooled is guided into the cooling device at the inlet side 20 and leaves the cooling device at an outlet side 22 as a cooled beverage.

(11) Additionally, it is provided that the cooled beverage is introduced into the storage tank 4 at an inlet point. The storage tank 4 can be configured in various ways; on the one hand, it can be set up to hold a cooled beverage and on the other hand, it can also include further functions and devices such as, for example, a carbonator for carbonating the cooled beverage (carbonator not shown here).

(12) Since the carbonator is a device where a certain pressure must build up in order to carbonate the beverage, it can be further contemplated that the thermal line is equipped to ensure a certain pressure stability in the storage tank 4.

(13) FIG. 1 illustrates tank 4 in a top view, while the thermal line 2 and the arrangement in the cold accumulator 12 showing the means for cooling 6 are shown in a sectional view.