Ice Cooler James & Nicole Bangerter
Background One of my projects I am working on for BYU Engineering Startup is to come up with an optimal thickness for a new ice cooler design. This is a REAL customer with a new innovative idea.
Objective: To figure out the optimal thickness (minimum t) and materials for an ice cooler.
Approach Calculate the heat transfer rate for each case. – Input the amount of ice in kg – Input amount of hours to maintain temperature For this study we used : – 1 kg – 1 hour Assumption: Constant heat flux through the walls to melt the ice with a constant outside surface temperature. Constants: – Surface temperature of 32.2 ° C – Ice cooler temperature of 0° C
Variables/Considerations Plastic Material Polypropylene – Aka: Polypropene Polystyrene Polyvinyl Chloride Polyethylene Insulation Material Styrene Foam Styrofoam – Aka: Polystyrene
Excel Spreadsheet
Conclusions