Product Research & Development

Session 5 : Case Study of

Pushcart for Vending Ice-Cream – Part 3

Department of Chemical Engineering

2nd Semester 2020 - 2021

V. M. Naik

1
 RECAPITULATION OF SESSIONS 3 & 4

CASE STUDY OF ICE-CREAM VENDING PUSH CARTS

2
 Schematic Design of the Push Cart
(Developed Jointly by Indian Business and Laboratory in Vlaardingen)

Poly Urethane Power

(PU) Foam Supply in
Insulation the Night
“Eutectic”
Coolant
Jacket
Freezer on
+ + Wheel

35 Kg of 35%PG-Water “Eutectic” Frozen to -25 deg C

Employed as Nontoxic Coolant
3
 Market Response

•Vendors Complained That the Push Carts Were Too

Heavy and Difficult to Push

•Consumers Complained That the Ice-Cream Was

Soggy When Purchased in the Afternoon

•Ice-cream Sales Were Far Below Break-even Level

4
 Business Brief to Research

Find Ways to Improve Performance of Pushcart So

That………..

1. The Pushcarts Deliver Non-soggy Ice-Cream

for at Least 10 Hrs, AND

1. The Coolant Quantity Is Reduced from 35 Kg to

20 Kg, to Make the Push Carts Lighter by 15 Kg

5
 Reality Checks Using “Back of the Envelope”
Estimations and Exploratory Hypothetico-
Deductive Experiments
Revealed
35% PG in Water System Was NOT an Eutectic
at All
It Was Too Poor a Coolant “Battery”

6
 Next Question:
Was the Pushcart Design Satisfactory, If We Were To
Find a Suitable Coolant Which Melted Sharply at – 20
to – 26 Deg C ?

We Needed a Toolbox to Check the Above Possibility or

to Carry Out “Thought Experiments” for Improving the
Pushcart Design

The Way Forward:

Building A Mathematical Model To Simulate the
Pushcart Operation

……… But Mathematics Is Only the Language of Science7

 Steps Before Modelling:
Personally Observe the Phenomena, Collate
Relevant Data, Sketch Physical Models

Enthalpy – Temp Diagram

for Cornetto Ice-Cream The Physical Model

Next Question:
How Do We Build a Model for Multiple Coupled Phenomena
with Vastly Different Time-scales, Expeditiously within a Short
Project Time and with Limited Resource 8
 Use Observations and Physical Insights to Simplify
Reality, …….. Without Omitting Essential Details

T – Ice-Cream
T - MixedAir

T - Coolant

DECOUPLE the Three Processes Which Operate at Three Distinct Time-scales, within
every 10 Minute Cycle, Viz. (i) “Instant” Ingress of Fresh Hot Air When Lid Is Opened,
and Its Instant Mixing with Internal Cold Air (ii)”Rapid” Fall in Temperature of Mixed-Air
Due to Heat Transfer between Mixed-Air inside Container and (A) Coolant, (B) Ice-
cream, (C) External Air (- through container insulation), (iii) “Minute” Rise in
Temperature of Melting Coolant and Ice-cream, over the Short 10 Minute Cycle Time

PREDICT (I) The Peak Temperature of Mixed Air by Enthalpy Balance, (II) The Time-
Dependent Fall in Temperature of Mixed Air, Assuming All Three “Sink” Surfaces (A), (B),
(C) to Be at Their Relatively Constant Respective “Initial” Temperatures during the 10
Minutes Cycle Time; and (III) The Minute Rise in Temperatures of (A), and (B), Due to
Enthalpy Gains during the 10 Minutes Cycle Time.
REVISE the Initial Temperature Values of Mixed Air, (A), and (B) at the Beginning of
Next Cycle
Comparison of Result with Field Data Confirmed
Validity of the Model

The Model Was Ready for Evaluation of Alternative

Hypothetical Ideas
10
 Hypothetical Ideas Tested Using The Model
• Use a New Genuine Eutectic Coolant
------------------------------------------------------------
• Increase Mass of Eutectic System
• Deploy Lower Melting Point Eutectic System
• Increase Cooling Surface of Eutectic System
---------------------------------------------------
• Reduce Air-ingress ------- Not Pursued

“Experiments” Using the Mathematical Model

Showed That None of the Above Listed Ideas would
Be Successful………..
11
 Genesis Of A Novel Breakthrough Idea
Hypothesis:
If We Rearrange The Coolant with Teu<<-18 DegC, as a “Heat
Shield” In Series With Ice-cream, (Instead of “Heat Sink” in
Parallel with Ice-Cream), It Will Maintain Ice-cream at a
Temperature <-18 DegC, Until the Coolant Is Molten Entirely

Vs

12
The Computational Model in Hand Not Suitable to
Check Validity of the New Hypothetical Idea !

The Model Had to Be Modified to Test the

Novel Idea of “Resistances in Series”

13
 The Magical Result

-16

Ice-Cream Temperature (deg C)

-17
Heat Sink
-18

-19

Heat Shield
-20

-21
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Time (hours)

HEAT SINK HEAT SHIELD

14
 Next Steps

1. File a Patent: The Idea Was So Simple That It Could

Be Copied Very Easily. But It Was So Useful That It
Had to Be Protected as an Intellectual Property

2. Identify a new SUBSTANCE: Which Is Non Toxic,

Non Corrosive, Which Has a High λ

AND

Which Has a Sharp Melting Point in a Narrow

Range of – 20 to – 26 Deg C

Pure Molecular Chemicals Were the Obvious First

Choice as They Have Sharp Melting Points
15
 Eutectic Compositions Also Have A Sharp Melting Point

Schematic Phase Diagram of Two Realistic Phase Diagram of Two Components

Components A and B, Which Are Assumed to A and B, Which Are Partially Soluble in Each
Be Immiscible in Each Other, in Solid State Other in Solid State

MELTING TEMPERATURES OF PURE

A AND B

L ≡ Molten Liquid Solution of A and B

α ≡ Solution of B in Solid A
β ≡ Solution of A in Solid B
16
 Eutectic Mixtures Also Have A Sharp Melting Point
Eutectic Phase Diagram of Two Components A and B, Which Are Partially
Soluble in Each Other in Solid State, and Their Heating Curve
MELTING TEMPERATURES OF PURE HEATING OR ENTHALPY ABSORPTION CURVE OF EUTECTIC
A AND B COMPOSITION X’, AND NON EUTECTIC COMPOSITION X”

MELTING OF COMPOSITIONS
X’ AND X” X” X’
T
MELTING TEMP
RANGE OF X” SHARP MELTING
EUTECTIC OF X’
POINT

X’ , X” X’ , X”

X’ ,

TIME ( AT CONSTANT RATE OF HEAT SUPPLY)

L ≡ Molten Liquid Solution of A and B

α ≡ Solution of B in Solid A
β ≡ Solution of A in Solid B
17
 Moreover, the Probability of Finding a Multicomponent
Eutectic System with Desired Sharp Melting Point Was
Much Higher than Finding Pure Chemicals

A Binary Eutectic System A Ternary Eutectic System

3 Pure Chemicals Will Offer 3(Binary)+1(Ternary) = 4 Sharp

Melting Eutectic Options, .. in Addition to the 3 Sharp Melting
Pure Chemicals; Thus Total No of Sharp Meting Substances 18= 7
The Fact That Likelihood of Finding a Multicomponent Eutectic
System with Desired Sharp Melting Point, AND High λm Was
Much Higher than Finding Pure Molecular Chemicals ……

• Was Perhaps a Revelation to Us but It Was No Secret to

Frozen Products Industry. Most Commercially Available
Coolants for Preserving Frozen Products Are
Multicomponent Eutectics
• However Ice-Cream and Cryogenic Industries All Over
the World, Had Worked on The Problem of Developing
a Safe + Non-Corrosive Eutectic Mixture That Melts at
~ -20 Deg C, for Years, Without Much Success.
How Do We Search for a New and Right Eutectic System ?
19
 Search of a Non Toxic, Non Corrosive Pure
Chemical, or a Genuine Eutectic System with High
l, Which Melts between ~ - 20 and - 26 Deg C

A So Called Rigorous Rational Approach:

C1 C2 …. Cm
Even if We Restrict Choice
.
of “C” to Only Binary
L1 Combinations,
L2 102 Million Components in
CAS Registry Would Lead to
….
. n
  =
(102M )!
 2  (2)!(102M − 2)!
Ln
20
Search of a Non Toxic, Non Corrosive Pure Chemical,
or a Genuine Eutectic System with High l, Which
Melts between ~ - 20 and - 26 Deg C
• This Was Not a Rational Optimization Problem, but a
Complex Multi-dimensional Creative Challenge.
• However, Mere Brainstorming and “Creative Ideation”
Is of Little Use in Solving Technology Intensive Problems
• Use of Heuristic Physico-Chemical Insights about
Phenomenology of Solid-Liquid Phase Equilibria,
Simplified Theoretical Thumb Rules, and Most
Importantly a
Hypothetico-Deductive
Approach
Is the Best Way Forward.
21
What Are Qualitative Heuristic Observations on Simple Binary
Eutectic Systems Formed by Two Immiscible Solids ?

Congruous Melting

22
 Some Qualitative Heuristic Observations on a Simple
Binary Eutectic System Formed by Two Immiscible Solids

Congruous Melting

Eutectic Temperature of a Binary Mixture Is

Always Lower Than the Melting Point of Either
Component 23
 Some Heuristic Observations On Ternary Eutectic
Systems

Three Binary Eutectics

Usually Result in a Ternary
Eutectic, with Melting Point
Lower Than Those of All
Three Components, and
the Three Binary eutectics

• Melting Points of All Constituents of Our Candidate

Eutectic Mixture Must Be Higher Than -20 to - 26 Deg C
• Composition of Such Ternary Eutectic Would Lie within
the Triangle Formed by the Three Binary Eutectic Points
24
Search For Suitable Eutectic : Our Approach

•If A Is a “Solvent”, and B a

Solute, The Heat Absorbed
Congruous Melting
During Eutectic Melting ~
XAlA + XB DHSB-A
-----------------------------------

•What Do You Do to
Obtain an Eutectic with
High Heat Absorption
Capacity?

25
Search For Suitable Eutectic : Our Approach

•If A Is a “Solvent”, and B a Solute,

The Heat Absorbed During Eutectic
Melting ~ XAlA + XB DHSB-A
Congruous Melting
---------------------------------------------
•What Do You Do to Obtain an
Eutectic with High Heat Absorption
Capacity?
__________________
Choose a Solvent with High λ
and a Combination of
Components Which Forms an
Eutectic Which Is Rich In
Solvent “A”.
26
Search For Suitable Eutectic : Our Approach

If A Is a “Solvent”, and B a Solute, the Heat

Absorbed During Eutectic Melting ~ XAlA +
Congruous Melting XB DHSB-A
---------------------------------------------
Choose a Solvent with High λ and a
Combination of Components Which Forms
an Eutectic Which Is Rich In Solvent.
_________________
Water Is One of the Most Obvious
Choices of Solvent “A”.

Now How Do We Choose Solute

“B” Such That It Forms an
Eutectic Which Is Rich In Solvent
“A” ? 27
How Do We Choose Solute B Such That It Depresses Melting Point of Ice at
Minimal XB & Forms an Eutectic at < - 23 Deg C ?

Some Quantitative Thumbrules

for Qualitative Creative Thinking

Congruous Melting
RTA2
DT for A  (iB xB )
lmA
 XB 
2  M B 

RT
(iB )
A 
RTA2
DT for A  (ixB ) lmA  XB +XA 
lA    M A 
 MB  
RTA2
 Liquidus T for A  TA − (iB ) M A ( X B )
lmA MB
Desirables : High iB and Low MB
Similarly
RTB2
Liquidus T for B  TB − (iA ) M B (1 − X B )
lmB MA
Desirable : High TB 28
How Do We Choose Solute B Such That It Depresses Melting Point of Ice at
Minimal XB , & Forms an Eutectic at < - 23 Deg C ?

Congruous Melting

RTA2
DT for A  (ixB )
lA

Look for Small Molecular Weight, Well Dissociating

Electrolytes Which Form Eutectics with Water at Temperatures
near – 23 Deg C
•Avoid Halides ……Corrosive
•Avoid Nitrites …….Toxic 29
How Do We Choose Solute B Such That It Depresses Melting Point of Ice at
Minimal XB , & Forms an Eutectic at < - 23 Deg C ?

• Look for Low Molecular Weight Electrolytes Which Form

Eutectics with Water at Temperatures Near – 23 oC
– Avoid halides…..corrosive
– Avoid Nitrites/Nitrates……toxic

• Inventories of Commercially Used “Freezing Mixtures”

Reported in Literature, Had No Such Salts

What Next ?

30
How Do We Choose Solute B Such That It Depresses Melting Point of Ice at
Minimal XB , & Forms an Eutectic at < - 23 Deg C ?

Another Observation Regarding the Inventory of

Freezing Mixtures: ……. All Inorganic Salt Mixtures

Our Hypothesis :

The Best Candidate Would Be Dissociating Salt of

a Low MW “Fatty” Acid; Being Edible, It Would Be Non
Toxic; and by Heuristic Judgment, It Would Be Less
Corrosive as Well
31
How Do We Choose Solute B Such That It Depresses Melting Point of Ice at
Minimal XB , & Forms an Eutectic at < - 23 Deg C ?

– An Encouraging Data Point :

Sodium Acetate…TEu = - 18 oC

– What Next ?

32
 An Encouraging Finding : Sodium Acetate TEu = - 18 oC
What Next ?

• Further Lower the Freezing Point Using Other Non

Corrosive Binary-Eutectic Forming Edible Salts
– Eg DiSodium Phosphate, Sodium Carbonate

• Adjust Composition Employing Heuristic /

Phenomenological Insights about Multi Component
Eutectic Systems, and Hypothetic-Deductive
Approach, to Obtain Genuine Ternary or Quaternary
Eutectic Point

33
 The Result
DSC
New MarkI
Eutectic
Only the Third
Heat Flow in DSC

Trial Produced
the Mark I
Eutectic
PG35%

Composition!

- 35 -30 -25 -20 -15 -10

Temperature

Was It a Fortuitous Accident?

34
He Who Catches Plenty of Fish
Knows Where to Throw the Line
……………..A Chinese Proverb

35
36
Technology Development and Transfer
Involved Many Additional Steps:

• Safety Clearance for the New Eutectic

• Securing Intellectual property Rights
• Building a Prototype Push Cart
• Testing the Push Cart Under Experimental
Torture Conditions – Hot Humid Chamber
• Debugging the Technology through Next Cycle
of Development
• Market Trials
37
Accelerated Torture Tests on Full Scale Prototypes
Revealed That Mark I Needed Improvements

38
Demonstration Of The Performance In The Field

39
The Happy End

40
 New Challenge :
Bigger Issues Faced by Ice-Cream Distribution &
Retailing Technologies

• > 4KWH energy spent during vending, per kg

ice-cream sold
• 11 Kg weight pushed for ~ 5 hrs, during
vending, per 1 kg of ice-cream sold

CAN WE VEND ICE-CREAM AT 1/2 THE ENERGY

CONSUMPTION, USING PUSHCARTS WHICH
WEIGH 1/2
41
 New Challenge :
Bigger Issues Faced by Ice-Cream Distribution & Retailing
Technologies

• > 4KWH refrigeration energy spent to enable

vending, per kg ice-cream sold
• 11 Kg weight pushed for ~ 5 hrs, during
vending, per kg of ice-cream sold

CAN WE VEND ICE-CREAM AT 1/2 THE ENERGY

CONSUMPTION, USING PUSHCARTS WHICH WEIGH
1/2

Key Issue : Reduction in Cooling Requirement;

Reduction in Heat Ingress During Vending
42
Modeling Had Revealed That > 85 % Heat Ingress
Was Through Walls of Container

What Could Be the Way Forward?

43
Modeling Revealed That > 85 % Heat Ingress Was
Through Walls of Container
Way Forward: Search For a Super Insulation

44
 Field Trial of Vacuum Super-insulated
Vending Pushcart

BASIC CONCEPT

LID
AMPOULE LONG
ARRAYS THIN
FRP NECK

METAL
CONTAINERS 10e-6 TORR
VACUUM

MULTILAYER
ZIRCONIUM SUPER-INSULATION
GETTER

SUPPORT

45
Superior Performance at 1/3rd Refrigeration
Requirement

Jaipur
2000
-11

-13
Current Best Practice
Ice-cream Temperature,Deg C

-15

-17

-19
New Insulation
Technology
-21

-23

-25
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
46
Vending Time,Hrs
 Next Session

Learnings from the Case Study

47