School of Engineering Science. Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6. sfu.ca/~pliu1 January 17, 2009

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1 School of Engineering Science Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 sfu.ca/~pliu1 January 17, 2009 Mr. Patrick Leung School of Engineering Science Simon Fraser University Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6 Re: ENSC 440/305 Project Proposal for Smart Stove Dear Mr. Leung, The attached document, Smart Stove Proposal, outlines our project for ENSC 305/440. We plan to design, build and market a highly efficient stove system to accommodate any size, shape and number of pots placed on the cook top. We aim to market the product at a consumable level where it is affordable, easy to operate and energy efficient. Our proposal describes a system overview of our product, sources of funding, tentative budget and projected milestones. The proposal will also explore current technologies, possible solutions and potential market of this product. Thermopix Inc. is comprised of four creative, motivated and experienced engineering students: Phoebe Liu, Claire Wu, Hao Su and Andrew Lin. If you have any questions or concerns regarding our proposal, please feel free to contact me by phone at (604) or by at pliu1@sfu.ca. Sincerely, Phoebe Liu Chief Executive officer Thermopix Inc. Enclosure: Proposal for Smart Stove.

2 Proposal for Smart Stove Project Team: Phoebe Liu Hao Su Claire Wu Andrew Lin Contact Person: Phoebe Liu Submitted to: Steve Whitmore, ENSC 305 Patrick Leung, PEng, ENSC 440 School of Engineering Science Simon Fraser University Issued: Jan 17, 2009 Version: 1.0a

3 Table of Contents Proposal for Smart Stove Executive Summary Introduction System Overview Design Solution Possible Solution Proposed Design Solution Risk Analysis Sources of Information Budget and Funding Budget Funding Timeline Company Profile Team organization Member Profile Conclusion Table of Glossary References List of Figures Figure 1. Conventional smooth-top stove... 4 Figure 2. Graphic Demonstration of the Smart-Stove's Basic Operation... 5 Figure 3. One enlarged fixed area for large cookware... 6 Figure 4. Five heating elements stove... 7 Figure 5. Development Schedule List of Tables Table 1. Estimated Costs Thermopix Inc Proposal for Smart Stove Table of Contents i

4 1. Executive Summary In today s generation of fast-paced lifestyle, simplicity, efficiency and elegance are the qualities found in the most modern and innovative gadgets, but you probably never would have thought of a cooking stove as a high tech gadget. Imagine a smooth-top stove that is so simple to use that you can place as many pots or pans as you wish anywhere on the smooth-top surface, and start cooking in a matter of seconds. What s more, you will never run the risk of burning yourself. The heating technology of the Smart-Stove is based on the method of induction cooking. Induction cooking has already long been widely accepted around the world, both in a professional and personal realm. In recent years, induction technology have improved exponentially, while development and production cost has reduced dramatically. Market analysis of future trends shows promise in induction technology, as commercial and residential uses will become widely available, competing with the common gas, radiant coil and ceramic options. This increasing popularity of the ceramic cooktop is evident by their cutting-edge 84% energy efficiency, as compared to that of 71% energy efficiency in a smooth top non-induction electric unit, for an approximate 20% savings in energy for the same amount of heat transfer [1]. That means you ll use much less energy, and pay lower bills, to cook the same meals when you choose induction cooking over natural gas or other electric cooktop. Each element on the induction cooktop generates a magnetic field that induces heat in a steel cookware placed on top of it [2]. In essence the saucepan or pot becomes the element, so the cooktop surface doesn't get as hot as other cooktops. Thus, using the induction cooktop to boil water, the stove will never get hotter than 100 C, eliminating the possibility of getting serious burns. Induction cooking is being touted as a superior cooking method primarily because of the nature of the heat it creates. Because most of the heat and energy are produced in the saucepan itself, the heat response is quicker and more efficient [6]. With more conventional electrical cooking, the heat first has to be transferred from the element, through the ceramic and then to the saucepan and its contents. Sounds impossible, but an induction burner creates an electromagnetic current beneath the surface that runs up through the pot, creating resistance in the pot s metal, and in turn creating the heat you need to cook your food. Smart-Stove makes many new and exciting high-tech improvements to the traditional induction cooker, adding the ability for the user to place the pot anywhere on the smooth cooktop with our arrays of pixilated heating elements, and cook with as many pots and pans that will fit simultaneously. The induction sensors on the Smart-Stove also sense how many pots are being used and the location and size of each pot on the stove. The user-friendly GUI then graphically maps these pots and allows the user to adjust the temperature and timer of each pot individually, thus completely automating your cooking experience. Thermopix Inc Proposal for Smart Stove Executive Summary 1

5 Thermopix Inc. is found by four senior engineering students of different disciplines, where software design, electronic hardware design, CAD design, and project management skills are combined together to create a diverse group of talent. The proposal will address the development process of Smart Stove, including the budget and scheduling of the first stage prototype. The prototype will encompass the features mentioned above by April, 2009, with a budget of $1205, funded through ESSEF and various sources. Thermopix is confident that Smart Stove with surpass the already superior traditional induction cooker, in term of power, reliability, safety, cost, and ease of use. Thermopix Inc Proposal for Smart Stove Executive Summary 2

6 2. Introduction Induction cooking was first introduced in the 1980s, and has now been has long been the gold standard of cooking technology in European and Asia restaurants, and is now taking their presence in common households [3]. The cooktop provides a number of benefits; foremost is safety, especially in homes with children, since there is no heat on the cooking surface, only the pan. Energy consumption can be cut by 10 to 20 percent by using an induction cooktop rather than a more conventional type of stove, again since only the pan is heated, according to a study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Induction technology fits well with the increasing importance placed on green building and resource efficiency. Since it is the pot itself and not the cooktop element that actually heats up to cook food, the time required for cooking is reduced and less heat is released into the kitchen. This can result in dramatic energy savings over traditional electric or gas cooktops. The cooktops are manufactured in one, two, four, or six-element models, so if you have a small kitchen and a limited space, an induction cooktop will easily fit in. Traditional cooktops are manufactured in one, two, four, or six-element heating elements, which limit the location of where one can place the pots or pans on the cooktop. SmartStove surpasses the already cutting-edge technology of conventional induction cooker, adding the ability for the user to place the pot anywhere on the smooth cooktop with our arrays of pixilated magnetic heating elements, and cook with as many pots and pans that will fit simultaneously. This document provides a system overview, a proposed design solution, project schedule, and financial information. In addition, our team organization and company profile are included. Thermopix Inc Proposal for Smart Stove Introduction 3

7 3. System Overview This section will discuss the main components and outline the designs of the Smart-stove. The design will be aimed towards achieving three goals: ease of use, energy conservation, and maximum flexibility. The conventional smooth-top range (Figure 1) typically has two or four heating stations, and only one pot can be placed on top of each heating station. Often times, the heating station size does not match the size of the pot, leading to either wasted energy or slow heating times. Smart-stove shrinks the heating elements of the conventional stove, and puts a large number of these shrunken heating elements into an array. Figure 1. Conventional smooth-top stove Figure 2 shows the flowchart overview of the Smart-stove s operation. When a pot is placed on top of the smooth-top heating element array, the heating elements below will detect that the pot is on top, and only these elements will turn on to heat the pot. This approach will ensure that only the required area of the stove is turned on, so that energy is conserved. It will also allow maximum flexibility and easy operation, as one can place multiple containers anywhere on the stove. For additional flexibility, the plan is to implement a touch-screen that maps the sizes and locations of the pots currently on the stove, so that the user can adjust the temperature of each of the pot. Thermopix Inc Proposal for Smart Stove System Overview 4

8 Figure 2. Graphic Demonstration of the Smart-Stove's Basic Operation There are some foreseeable difficulties at this point in the design, one of which is how to implement a sensor system so that the position and shape of the pot placed on top will be accurately detected. The plan is to use the induced magnetic fields in the heating coils as sensors. Another uncertainty is whether the smaller heating elements than the traditional induction stove will provide enough induction to heat the pots to high enough temperatures. These issues will be examined with further hardware testing. Thermopix Inc Proposal for Smart Stove System Overview 5

9 4. Design Solution Currently, there are few existing products for solving either the problem of low efficiency for large cookware or small numbers of cookware limitation. However, all attempts cannot overcome both of the problems since the fixed size of heating area would constrain one or another. 4.1 Possible Solution Enlarging the fixed size heating element for large cookware To address these problems, some manufacturers start designing larger heating area for some specific stoves. Enlarged fixed heating area in limited cook-top surface is one of the possible solutions in current market, as Figure 3 shows. However, since stove s cooktop area is fixed, increasing the size of one heating element area will mean decreasing the area of another heating element. Figure 3. One enlarged fixed area for large cookware Increasing the number of heating elements The number of cookware we can heat up at once is an essential key to save time to satisfy both professional uses and household needs. In the current commercial products, most of the solutions tend to diminish the size of some heating elements in order to fit more heating elements in the fixed cooktop surface. The following diagram demonstrates a design which contains five heating elements, and we note that two of the heating elements are as small as 5 inches. Thermopix Inc Proposal for Smart Stove Design Solution 6

10 Figure 4. Five heating elements stove Although this solution may overcome the issue of not enough heating elements at the same time, it might raise more problems on prolonged heating time and energy efficiency. 4.2 Proposed Design Solution Shape defining cook-top The proposed idea of pixilated heating elements will allow users to position any dimension and numbers of ferromagnetic cookware on the surface for heating purposes. In order to adjust the temperatures and cooking time of all pots separately, our pixilated induction cook-top will do so with an LCD touch panel. This proposed design not only allows users to hold more numbers of pots anywhere within the surface, but also higher flexibility in pan s size and shape. Safe Operation The induction cooktop only sense and operate on magnetized materials, so it will not be accidentally operated. Comparing to electric stove or gas stove, induction cook-top provides child safety protection by preventing accidents. Instantaneous responses Induction cook-top technology allows changes in temperature and heat level settings to be made instantaneously. Positioning flexibility Pixilation technology provides high flexibility on positioning pans anywhere within the heating surface. Compare to modern induction stoves and traditional electric stoves, fixed size and location are required. Heat efficiency There is no heat wasted since energy is directly applied to induction cookware. Also, the pixilation technology allows any cookware size, significantly increasing the heat efficiency for large cookware [4]. Thermopix Inc Proposal for Smart Stove Design Solution 7

11 Easy to clean and maintain Since heating element is under ceramic glass, spills will not burn on heating surface. With the pixilation technology, maintenance can be easily achieved by replacing broken pixels rather than replacing large heating element. Thermopix Inc Proposal for Smart Stove Design Solution 8

12 4.3 Risk Analysis Numerous situations should be considered for successful completion of the project. Feasibility of the project can be determined through research and components selection. Since induction cook-top is already a commercial product, components should be available with relatively low cost. The improved and innovative SmartStove is superior in both marketability and practical aspects, as opposed to conventional induction cooktop. The feasibility of the project depends on many variables such as heating ability of each small induction coil, amount of energy required for the entire system, and interference between magnetic fields. These mentioned problems will be the main issues that will be encountered, leading to the potential design problems. Due to high flexibility and energy efficiency, SmartStove will not have many competitors in the current market. However, magnetized cookware is the main constraint of induction cook-top and is the only drawback compared to electrical stove. Currently, traditional electrical stoves are still more widely used than induction cook-top. Therefore, users acceptance of new induction technology should also be considered as a potential risk. Thermopix Inc Proposal for Smart Stove Design Solution 9

13 5. Sources of Information This project primarily focuses on improving the current design of induction cook-top technology, so the basic knowledge of induction should be obtained from previous textbooks as well as other internet sources. The relative designs and possible alternate solutions might be available in patent research which can be acquired from online and library resources. Since induction cook-top is a commercial product in the market already, parts and power analysis might be achieved by disassembling existing product and conducting further tests. The selection of electronic components can also be finalized by examining current products and consulting with faculty professors. Furthermore, the small copper coils for induction might not be easily found and purchased in retail stores, so it might be necessary to contact some manufacturers for information or customized details. The manufacturers information can be reached from either internet sources or contact through induction cook-top company [5]. Thermopix Inc Proposal for Smart Stove Sources of Information 10

14 6. Budget and Funding 6.1 Budget As mentioned in our introduction, our project is to design a shape defining cooktop. We strive to keep the cost to a minimum in which the quality outcome is kept at a satisfactory level. Table 1 illustrates the overall estimated cost in detail. Part Description Estimated Prototype Cost Induction heating Elements x 9 $500 LCD screen with touch panel $150 Glass Ceramic Counter Top $100 Microcontroller with EEPROM and Flash $35 Motors and Sensors $20 Power Supply Regulator high wattage $220 Case and Buttons $50 PCB Manufacturing $80 Other Electronic Part $50 Total $1205 Table 1. Estimated Costs 6.2 Funding Considering the high cost associated with our project, a variety of possible funding sources for the project have been considered. The primary fund is from ESSEF. We are also seeking funding with BC Hydro where our new Smart Stove can be more energy efficient than the traditional stove system. Moreover, we are looking at the possible ways of borrowing programmable microcontrollers. Because of the fact that the team might not able to collect enough funding for the entire project, our team members are willing to share any remaining financial costs of the project. An accurate recording of all financial transaction will be kept to ensure the proper reimbursements. Thermopix Inc Proposal for Smart Stove Budget and Funding 11

15 7. Timeline The figure below illustrates our prototype development schedule, from the initial research phase to the rolling out of our first stage working prototype. We will be using this chart to ensure our project is delivered on time and completed professionally. Dec-08 Jan-09 Mar-09 Apr-09 Research Hardware Sourcing Deassembly Proposal Components Sourcing Hardware Assembly Functional Design Specification Hardware Equipment Calibration Software Debugging/Modifica User Revision Design Post Mortem and Documentaton Figure 5. Development Schedule Thermopix Inc Proposal for Smart Stove Timeline 12

16 8. Company Profile 8.1 Team organization Thermopix Inc consists of four dynamic, talented, and motivated senior engineering students: Phoebe Liu, Hao Su, Claire Wu, and Andrew Lin. Each team member brings unique yet essential assets that will ultimately contribute to the successful development of our prototype. Members' expertises are highlight in the following section, Member Profile. The company adapts an Interactive Organization module, where decision-making authorities are assigned to certain specific roles. For example, financial decision are assigned to our CFO, Claire Wu, technical decision assigned to our CTO, Hao Su, and organizational decision to CTO, Andrew Lin, and final decision making assigned to our CEO, Phoebe Liu. This approach is often adapted by small high tech companies, which is the most appropriate approach for our company, Thermopix. At Thermopix, policies and procedures are loosely defined and open to interpretation, and group discussion and creativity are highly encouraged. Each member's feedback and opinion is highly values as each of us has unique knowledge that is beneficial to all, and we work together to move forward. Our business decisions are made as if we were a review committee, so that all details are acknowledged and the most effective plan of action is taken. Because of the highly flexible methodology used by our company, each team member will take on roles depending on the circumstances, where all members may work on software development at the same time, while at other time only one team member may work on software development. However, certain responsibilities are assigned to team members based on their specific assets, such as Andrew and Hao taking responsibilities for the mechanical integration of the heating elements, and Claire taking responsibilities for quality assurance, and Phoebe taking responsibilities for hardware research and development of our product. Product development will be broken down into stages, and each stage into modules to ensure deadlines are met. In addition, we also assign certain roles to our members to improve our team dynamic: Phoebe being the team leader and recorder, Hao being the devil's advocate, Andrew being the budget manager and facilitator, and Claire being the marketing specialist and mediator. Team meetings are held at least bi-weekly, but additional meetings may be schedules as necessary. An agenda is sent out before each meeting, and a meeting minute is sent out via delegating each task to certain team member after the meeting. Most tasks will require input from others in the group and work shall be circulated via so that team members can provide support and ideas to one another. Time constraints are also imposed for each meeting to ensure effective use of time and designation of tasks based on attributes. All team members should attend the weekly meeting if possible, although occasional absences will be tolerated. Thermopix Inc Proposal for Smart Stove Company Profile 13

17 We adapt a professional, yet friendly manners to each other, so that disputes will be immediately resolved. Team members will show one another the respect they deserve, and treat each other as equals. With that said we have a positive outlook on the experience ahead and look forward to its challenges. 8.2 Member Profile Phoebe Liu - CEO Phoebe is a fifth year Electronics Engineering student at Simon Fraser University. She has strong background in electronic designs, including filters, oscillators, amplifiers, and RF components. She is also familiar with circuit fabrication from bare silicon wafer and characterization of the fabricated device. Through her co-op terms at a consulting firm, she was able to acquire key skills to the project, such as project management skills by working with other engineering clients. Hao Su - CTO Hao is a fifth year electronics engineering student at SFU to be graduating in fall of Through various school projects and coop terms in NRC and BChydro, Hao contributes his expertise in analog and digital communication systems, low level power circuit design, and integration of hardware sensors with microprocessors. Hao is an electronics and automotive enthusiast, and has vast hands-on experience with hardware components and creative design. Claire Wu - CFO Claire is a fifth year System Engineering student at Simon Fraser University and is expected to graduate at the end of summer Through Coop terms at Yahoo R&D and project developing departments, she gained practical experiences in both software developing and front-end project planning. With her previous Coop experiences and direct study of robotic design, her strength includes hardware components selection and design and well versed in software languages such as C/C++, PHP, Java, VHDL, and assembly languages. In addition, she has expertise in circuit design and analysis, basic CAD design, and MATLAB simulations. Andrew Lin - COO Andrew is a fifth year System Engineering student at Simon Fraser University. He worked closely with Carlo Menon at the SFU robotics department, which helped him develop a strong background in control theory and analysis of mechanical system. His mechanical design intuition and expertise in CAD tools are key components to the success of Smart Stove. Thermopix Inc Proposal for Smart Stove Company Profile 14

18 9. Conclusion With more and more household embracing the new way of hassle-free cooking, induction cooktop has already been deemed the new way of the future. We at Thermopix Inc. are confident that our product Smart Stove will not only increase the usability of induction cooktop, but also aim to improve the energy efficiency, safety, reliability, and practicability of the existing technology. Using an array of pixilated heating elements, Smart Stove will allow anyone, including professional chefs and food enthusiast, to fully enjoy the full cooking experiences, without ever to worry about where the pots or pans are placed anymore. Not only that, Smart Stove will encompass all the benefits that existing induction cooktop already possess, including a cool cooktop to the touch, more energy efficient as compared to that of gas or electric, and ease of clean and maintenance. Our solution of incorporating a touch screen and easy to user Graphic User Interface will also enhance the hassle free cooking experience. The founders of Thermopix Inc. are positive that our first stage prototype will have a successful roll out, mainly due to our diverse skill sets and unique yet relevant experiences. Our proposal has included detailed explanation of our development process, including a budget and a wellplanned schedule to ensure that Smart Stove will meet the specified requirements and complete within the allocated time frame successfully. Thermopix Inc Proposal for Smart Stove Conclusion 15

19 Table of Glossary EEPROM Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory, is a type of non-volatile memory to store small amount of data. Flash A specific type of EEPROM that can program in large blocks. Induction Cooktop A type of cooker that heats ferromagnetic pots from magnetic field hysteresis loss. This type of cooker is faster and more energy efficient than traditional cooktops. Eddy-Current Electrical phenomenon that cause when a conductor is exposed to a changing magnetic field due to relative motion. Hysteresis A system that may be in any number of states, independent of the inputs to the system, rate-independent memory. Ferromagnetic A material that form permanent magnets and exhibit strong interactions with magnets such as iron. Thermopix Inc Proposal for Smart Stove Table of Glossary 16

20 References [1] TECHNICAL SUPPORT DOCUMENT FOR RESIDENTIAL COOKING PRODUCTS, (Docket Number EE-RM-S ), Table 1.7 of the DoE [2] Witcheck appliance [3] H Okatsuka, K Taniguchi, T Kakizawa, Electromagnetic Induction heating apparatus capable of heating nonmagnetic cooking vessels, US Patent 4,549,056, 1985 [4] Lee, Min Ki, Method and circuit for controlling power level in the electromagnetic induction cooker, US Patent 5,004,881, 1991 [5] Induction Cooking. The OwlCroft Company, Oct 2008 < [6] Well Done, The Kitchen Emporium Inc. < [7] Induction Cooktops, Heat from the friction produced by magnetized molecules: A cool way to cook, NAHB Research Center, < Inventory/Appliances/induction-cooktops> Digital Images All digital photographs presented in this proposal are retrieved from external sources, as cited below: Title Page Smoothtop System Overview Conventional Smooth-top stove KenmoreElectricInductionCooktop42800-large.jpeg System Overview Microcontroller System Overview Temperature Sensor Design Solution One Enlarged Area for large Cookware Design Solution Five Heating Elements Stove Thermopix Inc Proposal for Smart Stove References 17