Electronic stove and universal power supply
An electronic stove incorporates a cylindrical outer shell and a concentric copper heater core. A foil heater surrounds the copper heater core and a heater control PCB carried in the outer shell is connected to the foil heater. A battery assembly has a cylindrical second outer shell carrying a battery pack. A power controller carried in the second outer shell is connected to the battery pack. A connector carriage is engaged between the battery assembly and cylindrical outer shell, extending through the shell of the battery assembly and received in the cylindrical outer shell aligned proximate a lower surface of the first outer shell whereby the lower surfaces of the first outer shell and the second outer shell are in planar alignment. A first contact set of a connector is connected to the heater control PCB. A second contact is connected to the power controller.
1 . A method for heating of a liquid container and heating system (LCHS) comprising:
receiving an input for a desired heating mode and a temperature setting;
providing electrical power from a battery pack that is operatively connected with a resistive heater that is in contact with a heating core;
measuring battery pack condition before or after the step of providing;
measuring a temperature of one or more thermal sensors connected with the heating core;
entering a dwell phase when a measured temperature of at least one of the one or more thermal sensors reaches the temperature setting; and
removing electrical power from the resistive heater in the dwell phase.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the resistive heater comprises a thin-film construction.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the resistive heater is configured to contact a lower portion of the heater core.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the LCHS comprises two of the one or more thermal sensors that are positioned at different locations along the heating core.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein before the step of providing electrical power, operatively connecting the battery pack to the liquid container, wherein the LCHS is configured to accommodate connecting and disconnecting the battery pack from the liquid container.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the LCHS has a compact form factor to enable the LCHS to be carried by a user for use at a remote location.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein when desired heating mode is a first heating mode, the LCHS provides full available electrical power to the resistive heater before the step of measuring battery pack condition.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein after the step of entering the dwell phase, further comprising providing electrical power to the resistive heater if after the step of entering the dwell phase the measured temperature of at least one of the one or more thermal sensors is below the temperature setting.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein before the step of providing electrical power to the resistive heater, measuring battery pack condition, and providing electrical power if the measured battery pack condition is within acceptable limits.
10 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising repeating the dwell phase if after the step of providing electrical power to the resistive heater the measured temperature of at least one of the one or more thermal sensors reaches the temperature setting.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein when the desired heating mode is a second heating mode, before the step of providing electrical power, the LCHS measures an initial temperature of the one or more thermal sensors and measures battery pack condition.
12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising computing a target temperature and estimated electrical power to reach the target temperature based on measured battery pack condition.
13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising after the step of computing, starting a heating cycle, and providing the estimated electrical power to the resistive heater.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more thermal sensors comprises two or more thermal sensors that are positioned at different locations along the heating core.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
estimating an amount of fluid in the heating core by measuring the temperatures of the two or more thermal sensors after a predetermined time in the heating cycle;
computing a revised temperature set point and a revised estimated electrical power based on a temperature differential of the two or more thermal sensors;
resuming the heating cycle by providing the revised estimated electrical power to the resistive heater; and
entering a dwell phase when at least one of the two or more thermal sensors has a measured temperature that equals the revised temperature set point.
16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising increasing the electrical power to the heater core when the at least one of the two or more thermal sensors has a measured temperature below the revised temperature set point.
17 . A method for heating of a liquid container and heating system (LCHS) comprising the steps of:
inputting one or both of a desired heating mode and a temperature setting;
providing electrical power from a battery pack that is operatively connected with a resistive heater comprising a thin-film construction in contact with a heating core;
one or both of measuring battery pack condition and measuring a temperature of thermal sensors that are positioned at different locations along the heater core before or after the step of providing;
entering a dwell phase when a measured temperature of at least one of the thermal sensors equals the temperature setting during which time electrical power from the battery pack to the resistive heater is shut off; and
restoring providing electrical power from the battery pack to the resistive heater when a measured temperature of at least one of the thermal sensors is below the temperature setting.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein before the step of restoring, measuring battery pack condition to determine if the battery pack condition is within acceptable limits.
19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
estimating an amount of fluid in the heating core by measuring a temperature of at least two of the thermal sensors after a predetermined time in a heating cycle;
computing a temperature set point and an estimated electrical power based on a temperature differential of the measured temperatures of the at least two of the thermal sensors;
resuming the heating cycle by providing the revised estimated electrical power to the resistive heater; and
entering a dwell phase when at least one of the thermal sensors has a measured temperature that equals the temperature set point.