Instant Drink Cooler Machine

In this Instructable I will build a drink cooler machine that can chill your drink in just 60 seconds! Based on the concept of the "Cooper Cooler", I will show you every step of the build and how you can make one by yourself using very cheap materials.

Step 1: How It Works

How is it possible to cool down a drink in just 60 seconds? The key is to remove the heat from the liquid inside the can. By using two electric motors, one spinning the bottle and one pumping ice water onto the drink, the warm liquid in the center will move outwards causing more of the warm liquid to interact with the cold water on the outside. Basically the icy water on the outside will absorb a lot more heat and way faster than something like a freezer or an ice bath.

Step 2: Build #1 - Water Pump

Using my favourite CAD software, Fusion360, I designed a water pump based on a couple of key measurments. The first one being the diameter of the 12V electric motor. The second one being the diameter of the PVC tube (clear tube), that I was going to use to guide the water from the pump to the drink.

After a dozen of failed attempts I eventually managed print a perfect working water pump, and has proven to work for many hours. The performance was quite surprising too, as it was capable of pushing the water several meters vertically up through the PVC tube.

Do you have a 3D printer? If not, get one! They are very inexpensive and the precision is breathtaking. I recommend this one: http://www.gearbest.com/3d-printers-3d-printer-kit...

Now when you have a 3D printer you can go ahead and download the STL files and start printing the water pump: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2111988

Step 3: Build #2 - Container

Back to the drawing board! This time we need to figure out the dimensions of the container. Based on the standard size of a 50cl drink the pieces quickly took shape. Once again using Fusion360 to visualize every piece and how they are going to fit together.

The material used was found in my local hardware store. It's a 6mm water resistant board and worked out great for my requirements for the great price of only 10$. Once I had traced out the parts on the board the cutting could begin. With all parts cut out I took a piece of sandpaper and smooth out the edges.

Step 4: Build #3 - Assembly

The container consists of 6 parts total; top, bottom, back, front and 2 side pieces. I made a line 50mm from the bottom of the 2 side pieces. The line represent where the bottom piece should be glued and acs as a guide hwne attaching the second side part. With the two sides and bottom part glued together using a good amount of epoxy, it was time to make carve out the spaces for each electrical component.

What electronics do you need? You will need two electric motors (12V), a 10A controller, one switch, a 12V 6A adapter and a jack adapter. Get them here:

Controller: http://www.gearbest.com/other-accessories/pp_4632...

Motor: http://www.gearbest.com/rc-car-parts/pp_562940.ht...

Switch: http://www.gearbest.com/other-car-gadgets/pp_5759...

Jack adapter: http://www.gearbest.com/diy-parts-components/pp_5...

Adapter: http://www.gearbest.com/led-strips/pp_18066.html?...

3D printer: http://www.gearbest.com/3d-printers-3d-printer-ki...

See picture #5 for placement of the electronic components. I carved them out using a dremel tool, and remember to wear a protective mask when carving wood! The last picture shows the components successfully installed.

Step 5: Build #4 - Installation

Once the necessary spaces for the components has been made I glued the back, front and upper parts to the construction. With the container fully assembled I gave it a paint job using spray paint. Once the paint was dry I fit all the components in each space.

Step 6: Build #5 - Rotary Mechanism

In order to make the bottle spin we need a second electric motor, a 245mm long wooden dowel (diameter does not matter, though I used 15mm), a ring that the shaft will rest on.

I made a ring from two pieces of the same material the container is made of. I then drilled out a hole for the motor shaft to fit through. I also made a hole in of the ends of the wooden dowel, slightly smaller than the shaft of the motor. With the ring glued on the inside of the container the wooden dowel can be pushed onto the motor shaft.

The final step before the electrical connections is to attached the PVC tube to the water pump and the upper part of the container, as shown in picture #4.

Step 7: Build #6 - Electrical Connections

The final step before we can use the cooler is to make the electrical connections. I used 22AWG wire to connect the jack adapter to the switch and positive terminal of the controller board. The black wire from the jack adapter should be soldered to the middle pin of the switch. With a second black wire, solder one end to the top pin of the switch and the other end to the negative terminal of the controller board.

I then soldered the motor leads and even added some wire mesh guard to make it look nice. I joined the two black wires from the motors and connected them to the negativ motor terminal of the controller board. I did the same for the red wires.

This is totally optional, but will add a certain "coolness" appeal to your machine, 3D printed on and off signs. The absolutely final step was to plug in the power. Now we are done and can test it out!

Step 8: It Does Work!

With two drinks of the same initial temperature of around 17.5°C, one was put into the cooling machine and the other one was placed in the ice bath. As you can see the ice has almost melted, making the temperature of the water in both containers absolutely freezing.

Going for 60 seconds.....

Cooling machine: 9,8°C
Ice bath: 16°C

I did anticipate a significant temperature difference, but in just 60 seconds the cooling machine dropped the temperature from 17.5°C all the way down to 9.8°C. That's amazing results in my opinion!

If you did enjoy this project and would like to see more, check out my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/RcLifeOnSimon

Step 9:

Comments

[PatrycjaT2]

Hi, do you have any electrical connections nad installation scheme?

[Fly4aWhiteGuy]

When I lived in Alabama, I sometimes had my beer start to turn slushy before I could finish drinking it when I was working on projects out in the barn in winter.

I started keeping a few beers in a 5 gallon bucket full of water - when I wanted one, I had to chip off about 1/4" of ice (I only drank one per night, which is why they sometimes froze before I finished them).

Drinking liquids even below freezing (when they have other than just water in them) is not dangerous.

[jnichols6]

9.8° isnt exactly drinking temperature though... how long does it take to get to 2°?
Is it even possible?

[RCLifeOn]

No drink should be served at 2°C. Most drinks will be served at 6-11°C. Any colder and it will burn.

[Wingloader]

LOL. I don't know why but I find your reply hilarious! Nice one! :-)

[jnichols6]

I was genuinely just curious, and completely baffled at the response that 2° would burn, especially since thats what damn near every fridge around here is set to! And not a burn in sight!!! Lol!

[PedroA106]

I would like to see you drinking beer at 6°C!!!!
It can go under if you add a bit of ice on the colling fluid.

[jnichols6]

Have you people never heard of slushies???
Maybe its because i live in a warm climate... but I'm certainly not alone around here in my love of cold drinks. The fridge of my truck is currently reading 0.2° my drink sits against the condenser for over an hour before i drink it... i aim for slushy, but still drinkable (too long and it freezes)
If brain freeze is not a very real risk, it's too hot! Lol!

[Oncer]

And of course as everyone knows here in Britain we drink our beer warm...

[Ryan MacKenzie]

Beers can be drunk at various temperatures. According to your preference of temp you dont like the taste of beer :) . Im an Ale guy so 12-14 is me.

Very cold (0-4C/32-39F): Any beer you don’t actually want to taste. Pale Lager, Malt Liquor, Canadian-style Golden Ale and Cream Ale, Low Alcohol, Canadian, American or Scandinavian-style Cider.



Cold (4-7C/39-45F): Hefeweizen, Kristalweizen, Kölsch, Premium Lager, Pilsner, Classic German Pilsner, Fruit Beer, brewpub-style Golden Ale, European Strong Lager, Berliner Weisse, Belgian White, American Dark Lager, sweetened Fruit Lambics and Gueuzes, Duvel-types



Cool (8-12C/45-54F): American Pale Ale, Amber Ale, California Common, Dunkelweizen, Sweet Stout, Stout, Dry Stout, Porter, English-style Golden Ale, unsweetened Fruit Lambics and Gueuzes, Faro, Belgian Ale, Bohemian Pilsner, Dunkel, Dortmunder/Helles, Vienna, Schwarzbier, Smoked, Altbier, Tripel, Irish Ale, French or Spanish-style Cider



Cellar (12-14C/54-57F): Bitter, Premium Bitter, Brown Ale, India Pale Ale, English Pale Ale, English Strong Ale, Old Ale, Saison, Unblended Lambic, Flemish Sour Ale, Bière de Garde, Baltic Porter, Abbey Dubbel, Belgian Strong Ale, Weizen Bock, Bock, Foreign Stout, Zwickel/Keller/Landbier, Scottish Ale, Scotch Ale, American Strong Ale, Mild, English-style Cider



Warm (14-16C/57-61F): Barley Wine, Abt/Quadrupel, Imperial Stout, Imperial/Double IPA, Doppelbock, Eisbock, Mead

Hot (70C/158F): Quelque Chose, Liefmans Glühkriek, dark, spiced winter ales like Daleside Morocco Ale.

[PedroA106]

I write before see the video.. sice you have put ice on it you should try another cooling fluid, or as someone say with salt you can get liquid water at above -5°C

[jnichols6]

6-11° doesnt even meet food hygeine standards here! 2° is most common, but cold items MUST be kept below 4° (hence 2° allowing room for error)!!!
At the temps youre suggesting I'd throw the drink out... way too warm to drink, I prefer the colder the better.

[4deuce11B]

Shake Me Up!

I'd be pretty careful opening any can I put through all that. Considering what you did, I'm surprised that the can didn't get shook up. Pretty neat idea, though. I mostly just put my soda in the fridge and not touch it for a few hours.

I guess I'm lazy.

[Build_it_Bob]

Very nice build. I also like your tidy shop; looks like a great work space.

Build_it_Bob

[ableabe]

I think your explanation of the underlying Physics needs refinement. For a can sitting submerged in an ice bath, there are basically only gravitational-induced convection currents aiding heat transfer. These currents move relatively slowly, both inside the can and without.

With the spinning can and liquid falling on it, there is much enhanced convection. On the un-submerged part of the can, there is a "falling film," which is very thin, and so, presents greatly-reduced resistance to heat transfer, by virtue of its thinness (you can study "falling film" heat transfer on the web). Below the ice water surface next to the outside surface of the spinning can, again, the spinning maintains a relatively thin boundary layer next to the can, which greatly increases heat transfer by virtue of its thinness. Judging from the rpm you spin at, I'd guess that this boundary layer is "Laminar."

In your explanation, you say that, inside the can, warmer liquid moves from central portions to outer, colder portions. That needs more analysis, since cooler water is denser than warmer water (true for most other liquids). There thus tends to develop a stable stratification, with the inside liquid rotating as a rigid body, once past a short, initial period when there will be a thin boundary layer, as there is on the outside of the can. Thus, heat transfer from the warm liquid inside the can will start at a larger level once you flip the switch, then settle down to a minimal level, with the dominant mode of heat transfer in that case being pure conduction, without much help from any convection.

Thus, the heat transfer enhancement because of the thin layers acting on the outside surfaces of the can and for a short time acting on the inside surface of the can are enough to overcompensate for any inside heat transfer that is reduced because of the rigid-body rotation of the internal liquid.

[e5frog]

I'd love to buy one, not sure I want to make one, don't have the kind of nice large workshop. As it took less than ten minutes to make one I guess I could drive up to Trollhättan from Älvängen and see it being made. ;-)

[RCLifeOn]

You are always welcome for a visit :D

[e5frog]

Tack Simon, behöver du elektronik-hjälp så är det bara att fråga.

[RCLifeOn]

Skulle jag kunna få din mejl?

[e5frog]

alias här och sedan snabel-A gmail.com