Product Research & Development

Session 4

Case Study of
Pushcart for Vending Ice-Cream
Part 2
Department of Chemical Engineering
2
nd
Semester 2012-2013

V. M. Naik
Objectives of the Case Study:

Illustrate the Steps, and Stages Involved in
Product R&D, and the Nonlinear Nature of the
Whole Process

Illustrate the Skills and Competencies Required
to MAKE AN INVENTION AND INNOVATION
HAPPEN


The Background
An MNC Built an Ambitious Modern Plant for Ice-Cream, in
India, and Set up a Unique Supply Chain to Improve
Availability of Quality Ice-Cream to Consumers, in 1990s

CITY COLD
STORES


+ + + +
REFRIGERATED
TRUCKS
REGIONAL
COLD
STORES
REFRIGERATED
TRUCKS
RETAIL CABINETS
VENDING PUSHCARTS
FACTORY
COLD STORE
Background Continued.
Ice-Cream Is a Delicately Structured Multiphase Composite
System. It Should Be Stored and Served at ~ -18Deg C for
Consumers Safety and Delight






Therefore Vending Push Carts
Were an Important Strategic
Business Imperative for
Increasing the Availability of
Ice-Cream to Consumers
+ +
Schematic Design of the Original Push Cart
Developed Jointly by the Indian Business and a Laboratory in The
Netherlands

35 Kg of 35%PG-Water Eutectic Frozen to -25 deg C
Employed as Nontoxic Coolant
Poly Urethane
(PU) Foam
Insulation
Eutectic
Coolant
Jacket
Freezer
on
Wheel
+ +
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




An Unrelated Discussion with the Business Head of
CAME Region, Regarding the MAP-DAP Eutectics
Triggered the Subsequent Events
The Needs of Both, the Customers and Consumers
Were not Met
CASE STUDY OF ICE-CREAM VENDING PUSH
CARTS
Business Sent a Technical Brief to Research

Develop a Rigorous Theoretical Model of the
Pushcart and Improve the Performance of the
Non-Toxic 35%PG-Water Eutectic Coolant
System So That:

The Pushcarts Can Deliver Non-soggy Ice-
Cream for at Least 10 Hrs

AND, If Possible

The Coolant Quantity Can Be Reduced from
35 Kg to 20 Kg, to Achieve a Reduction in the
Weight of the Push Cart by 15 Kg
CASE STUDY OF ICE-CREAM VENDING PUSH CARTS


The First Step Was to Perform Reality Checks on the
Technical Brief from Business
One Must Learn to Make Quick Back of the Envelop
Estimates for Reality Checks
Next Reality Check:
Estimate the Expected Cooling
Capacity of the Eutectic
Reality Check1:
What Could Be the Maximum Extent of Heat Ingress (AH) through
PUF Insulation of the Walls of the Cabinet in 12 Hrs?
AH = A * k * AT * t / l
~ 3600kJoules
Please Note : For a liberal
estimate of AH, one can neglect
the resistance by air films, and
use the (larger ) outer surface
area
T
in
=-20
0
C
T
out
=+30
0
C
0.9 m
0
.
6

m

Insulation:
k = 30 mW/m
o
C
l = 75 mm

One Must Learn to Make Quick Back of the Envelop
Estimates for Reality Checks..
Reality Check 2:
What Is the Expected Latent Heat of Melting for the 35% PG-Water
Eutectic System?
AH of Melting = ~ X
water
*
m Water
= ~ 200 k Joules/kg
Please Note : For a quick
conservative estimate of AH for
melting, the heat of
melting/dissolution of the solute
was neglected
Typical melting
curve of eutectics
Temperature
E
n
t
h
a
l
p
y
/
K
g

M
e
l
t
i
n
g

o
f

E
u

M
i
x


T
Eu
Findings from Back of the Envelop
Reality Checks 1&2

Latent Heat of Fusion of PG-Water Eutectic
Containing 65% Water ~ 200 KJ/Kg

Likely Heat Ingress in to the Box, through
Insulation, over 12 Hrs ~ 3000 KJ

Therefore the Theoretically Estimated Quantity of
Eutectic Coolant Required to Counter the Heat
Ingress for 12 hrs : ~ 15 Kg Maximum (as against 35
Kg Actual)
What Was Likely to Be the Source of Discrepancies?
Next Steps : Verify Data and Assumptions

Conclusions:
1. 35% PG Water Was Not an Eutectic System and Its
Cooling Capacity Was Far Short of Theoretical
Estimates/Requirements
2. There Was Definitely a Need for Improvement of the
Eutectic System.
3. Was the Design of Pushcart Acceptable.? Not Sure
A H = < 30 KJ/Kg
Reality Check-3:
Experimental Verification of Latent Heat of Melting of 35%PG-Water Eutectic
Using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)



Case Study Continued.
Next Steps :
Additional Information Gathering, and First
Person Observations/Discussions on the
Field, to Better Understand the Issues, as Well
as for Deciding the Way Forward
Visits to Cold Store, Vendors, and Development
Department

Discussions with Customers/Fabricators/Development Team Regarding
New Ideas and Their Feedback:
(i) Electric Supply Unreliable
(ii) Refrigerants in Use Not Suitable for Cooling the Eutectic below 30 Deg C
(iii) Detachable Freezer Couplings not Reliable
(iv) There Is No Better Coolant or Insulation Available in the World (!)
(v) Dry Ice Poses Supply Chain as well as Safety Issues
Field Observations:
(i) Quick Ingress of Hot/Humid Air, When Lid Is Opened
(ii) Equilibration of Air Temperature with Surroundings,
in a Short Time
(iii) Steady Ingress of Heat through Insulation,
Heating/Melting of Coolant, and Slow Rise in Ice-Cream
Temperature

New Important Learnings:

Performance of Pushcart Depends on Several Coupled
Factors and Processes. We Must Have a Dependable
Theoretical Modeling/Simulation Tool to Validate/Rank
Quality of New Candidate Ideas for Performance
Improvement

We Must Co-invent the New Pushcart Design, and
Eutectic System, if We Want to Succeed
Next Step:
Build Theoretical Model For Predicting Heat Ingress and Ice-
Cream Melting

How Do You Build a Model for Multiple Coupled Phenomena with Vastly
Different Time-scales within a Short Time and with Limited Resource?
The Physical Model
Enthalpy Temp Diagram
for Cornetto Ice-Cream
17
Building Theoretical Model For Predicting Heat
Ingress and Ice-Cream Melting : The Way-forward

Simplify Model by Decoupling Modeling of the Three Processes Which
Operate at Three Distinct Time-scales, Viz. (i) Quick Ingress of Hot Air
When Lid Is Opened, (ii) Equilibration of Air Temperature with Surroundings,
(iii) Steady Ingress of Heat through Insulation, Heating/Melting of Coolant
and Slow Rise in Ice-Cream Temperature
The Physical Model
Enthalpy Temp Diagram
for Cornetto Ice-Cream
Theoretical Model For Heat Ingress and Ice-Cream
Melting
Result 1..Quick Air Ingress and Its Rapid Equilibration

Theoretical Model For Heat Ingress and Ice-Cream
Melting
Result 2 . Slow Heat Ingress through Walls of Container
Comparison of Result 1&2 with Field Data Confirmed That the
Modeling Methodology
The Model Was Ready for Evaluation of
Alternative Ideas
Generation of New Ideas and Their Evaluation
Using the Theoretical Model

Ideas Generated in the Class Room
Provide Sealed Dispensing System
Store Ice-cream in Different Compartments
Provide Cold Air Curtain/Internal Source of Cold Air
Increase Mass of PG-Water
Motorize the Pushcart
Change the Composition of PG-Water
Use a New Genuine Eutectic Coolant
Increase Cooling Surface Area by Putting Frozen
Eutectic in Small Ampoules
Make Cylindrical Pushcarts to Reduce Area/Volume
Ratio
Use Better Insulation

Will Reducing Air-ingress Result in Substantial Performance
Improvement?

Answer : NO
Will Increasing the Weight of PG-Water System
Solve the Problem?
Answer : NO
Will Changing PG-Water Proportion Help?
Will Changing PG-Water Proportion Help?
Answer : NO
Will Use of a Genuine Eutectic with Teu= - 26 Deg Help?

No Success

Will Use of Genuine Eutectics with Much Lower Teu Help?
Option Not Acceptable Due to Refrigeration Constraints
Will Use of Additional Coolant Pads for Increasing Coolant
Surface Help?

No Success
Evaluation of Ideas.

What Next?


A Principle to Remember :

Problems Cannot Be Solved by Thinking Within the
Framework in Which the Problems Were Created

Albert Einstein
Important Observations Which Prompted
Conception Of A New Breakthrough Idea
The Push Carts, and Therefore the Model Developed to
Simulate Their Operation, Involved a Competition Between
Two Heat Sinks viz. Ice-Cream and Coolant
In All Alternatives the Coolant Was Not Fully Molten and
Yet Ice-cream Temperatures Rose Above - 18 Deg C

Genesis Of A Novel Breakthrough Idea
Why Not Put The Two Heat Sinks In Series With Each Other
Vs
This Involved Modifying the Model to Check
Practicality of the Idea
This Involved Efforts to Modify the Model
But the Result Was Worth the Effort
A Novel Design for The Push Cart Was Born
The Magical Result
HEAT SHIELD HEAT SINK
Time (hours)
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
I
c
e
-
C
r
e
a
m

T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e

(
d
e
g

C
)

-21
-20
-19
-18
-17
-16
Heat Sink
Heat Shield
The New Idea Was So Powerful That It Worked with
Even Higher Temperature Eutectics !
What Next ?
File a Patent:
The Idea Is So Simple That It Can Be
Copied Very Easily. But It Is So Useful
That It Has to Be Protected as an
Intellectual Property


What Next ?
File a Patent:
The Idea Is So Simple That It Can Be Copied
Very Easily. But It Is So Useful That It Has to Be
Protected as an Intellectual Property

Search for a Non Toxic, Non Corrosive Pure
Chemical, or Develop a Genuine Eutectic
System with High , Which Melts between ~ 20
and - 26 Deg C
Search of a Non Toxic, Non Corrosive Pure Chemical,
or Development of a Genuine Eutectic System with
High , Which Melts between ~ 20 and - 26 Deg C
Likelihood of Finding an Eutectic Was Higher
than Finding a Pure Chemical
Ice-Cream and Cryogenic Industries All Over the
World, Had Worked on This Problem Without
Much Success.
All Commercially Available Eutectic Coolants
Were Both Corrosive and Not Safe Enough.
Search of a Non Toxic, Non Corrosive Pure Chemical,
or Development of a Genuine Eutectic System with
High , Which Melts between ~ 20 and - 26 Deg C
Likelihood of Finding an Eutectic Was Higher than
Finding a Pure Chemical
Ice-Cream and Cryogenic Industries All Over the World,
Had Worked on This Problem Without Much Success
All Commercially Available Eutectic Coolants Were Both
Corrosive and Not Safe Enough
________________________

How Do We Search for the Right Eutectic System?
Search of a Non Toxic, Non Corrosive Pure Chemical, or
Development of a Genuine Eutectic System with High ,
Which Melts between ~ 20 and - 26 Deg C

A So Called Rigorous Rational Approach:
C
1
C
2
.
.

C
m
L
1

L
2
.
.

L
n
56 Million Components in
CAS Registry Would Lead to
( )
( ) { } ( ) { } ! 2 56 ! 2
! 56
M
M
Binary Combinations
Search of a Non Toxic, Non Corrosive Pure Chemical,
or Development of a Genuine Eutectic System with
High l, Which Melts between ~ 20 and - 26 Deg C
Likelihood of Finding an Eutectic Was Higher than Finding a Pure
Chemical
Ice-Cream and Cryogenic Industries All Over the World, Had
Worked on This Problem Without Much Success. All Commercially
Available Eutectic Coolants Were Both Corrosive and Not Safe
Enough. Use of Expensive Materials of Construction to Counter the
Issues Was Not a Prudent, and a Viable Option in India.
This Was Not a Rational Optimization Problem,
but a Complex Multi-dimensional Creative
Challenge.
Use of Heuristic Insights about Phenomenology
of Solid-Liquid Phase Equilibria, Simplified
Theoretical Thumb Rules, and a Hypothetico-
Deductive Approach Was the Best Way
Forward.
Some Qualitative Observations on a Simple Binary
Eutectic System Formed by Two Immiscible Solids
Congruous Melting
43
Some Qualitative 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
44
Some 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

Composition of Such
Ternary Eutectic Lies
within the Triangle
Formed by Three Binary
Eutectic Points
If A Is a Solvent, and B a
Solute, The Heat Absorbed
During Eutectic Melting ~
X
A

A
+ X
B
AHS
B-A
-----------------------------------

What Do You Do to
Obtain an Eutectic with
High Heat Absorption
Capacity?
Search For Suitable Eutectic : Our Approach
Congruous Melting
If A Is a Solvent, and B a Solute,
The Heat Absorbed During Eutectic
Melting ~ X
A

A
+ X
B
AHS
B-A
---------------------------------------------
What Do You Do to Obtain an
Eutectic with High Heat Absorption
Capacity?
__________________
Choose a Solvent with High
and a Combination of
Components Which Forms an
Eutectic Which Is Rich In
Solvent A.
Search For Suitable Eutectic : Our Approach
Congruous Melting
If A Is a Solvent, and B a Solute, the Heat
Absorbed During Eutectic Melting ~ X
A

A
+
X
B
AHS
B-A
---------------------------------------------
Choose a Solvent with High 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 ?
Search For Suitable Eutectic : Our Approach
Congruous Melting
How Do We Choose Solute B Such That It Depresses Melting Point
of Ice at Minimal X
B
& Forms an Eutectic at < - 20 Deg C ?

( )
B
A
A
ix
RT
A for T

2
~ A
Congruous Melting
( )
( )
( )
( )
|
.
|

\
|
+
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
~
~ A
|
.
|

\
|
+
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
~
~ A
A
A
B
B
A
A
A
mB
B
A A
mB
B
A
A
B
B
B
B
B
mA
A
B B
mA
A
M
X
M
X
M
X
i
RT
x i
RT
B for T
Similarly
M
X
M
X
M
X
i
RT
x i
RT
A for T

2
2
2
2
Thinking Creative e Qualitativ for
Thumbrules ve Quantitati Some
How Do We Choose Solute B Such That It Depresses Melting
Point of Ice at Minimal X
B
& Forms an Eutectic at < - 20 Deg C ?

( )
B
A
A
ix
RT
A for T

2
~ A
Congruous Melting
( )
( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
B
A
B
A
mB
B
B
B
B
A
B
mA
A
A
A
A
B
B
B
B
B
mA
A
B B
mA
A
X
M
M
i
RT
T B for T Liquidus
Similarly
X
M
M
i
RT
T A for T Liquidus
M
X
M
X
M
X
i
RT
x i
RT
A for T
~
~
|
.
|

\
|
+
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
~
~ A
1
Thinking Creative e Qualitativ for
Thumbrules ve Quantitati Some
2
2
2
2

50
How Do We Choose Solute B Such That It Depresses Melting
Point of Ice at Minimal X
B
, & Forms an Eutectic at < - 20 Deg C ?

( )
B
A
A
ix
RT
A for T

2
~ A
Congruous Melting
( )
( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
B
A
B
A
mB
B
B
B
B
A
B
mA
A
A
A
A
B
B
B
B
B
mA
A
B B
mA
A
X
M
M
i
RT
T B for T Liquidus
Similarly
X
M
M
i
RT
T A for T Liquidus
M
X
M
X
M
X
i
RT
x i
RT
A for T
~
~
|
.
|

\
|
+
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
~
~ A
1
Thinking Creative e Qualitativ for
Thumbrules ve Quantitati Some
2
2
2
2

Look for Small Molecular Weight Well Dissociating Electrolytes Which

Form Eutectics with Water at Temperatures near 20 Deg C
Avoid Halides Corrosive
Avoid Nitrites .Toxic
51
Search For Suitable Eutectic : Our Approach
Employ Water as Solvent for Its Large Latent Heat of
Melting and Low Cost
Look for Low Molecular Weight Electrolytes Which Form
Eutectics with Water at Temperatures Near 20
o
C
Avoid halides..corrosive
Avoid Nitrites/Nitratestoxic
This Leaves No Choice from the Inventory of
Freezing Mixtures Reported in Literature
What Next ?
Look for Edible Salts of Organic Acids
They are likely to be less corrosive as well

52
Search For Suitable Eutectic : Our Approach
Employ Water as Solvent for Its Large Latent Heat of Melting and Low
Cost
Look for Low Molecular Weight Electrolytes Which Form Eutectics with
Water at Temperatures Near 20
o
C
Avoid halides..corrosive
Avoid Nitrites/Nitratestoxic
This Leaves No Choice from the Inventory of Freezing Mixtures
Reported in Literature. What Next ?

Look for Edible Salts of Organic Acids
They are likely to be less corrosive as well

An Encouraging Finding :
Sodium AcetateT
Eu
= - 18
o
C

What Next ?
53
An Encouraging Finding : Sodium Acetate T
Eu
= - 18
o
C
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
The Result
DSC
Temperature
-35 -30 -25 -20 -15 -10
H
e
a
t

F
l
o
w

i
n

D
S
C

New MarkI
Eutectic
PG35%
Only the Third
Trial Produced
the Mark I
Eutectic
Composition!
Was It a Fortuitous Accident?
He Who Catches Plenty of Fish
Knows Where to Throw the Line
..A Chinese Proverb

56