Lorentz

Lorentz

Lorentz

“Attractivly sutainable”

“Attractivly sutainable”

“Attractivly sutainable”

2023

2023

2023

Brief

Brief

Brief

Philips Domestic Appliance is a major supplier of appliances for domestic use worldwide. In response to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations, Philips Domestic Appliance aims to reduce its impact on the climate. One approach to addressing this issue is to enhance the energy efficiency of their appliances, such as the Senseo coffee pad machine. On its own, the Senseo is quite energy-efficient. However, in the current scenario where millions of Senseos are used worldwide, the small numbers start adding up and become a significant factor.

Description

The current design of the Senseo is already quite efficient, making this project quite challenging. Testing revealed a couple of things that could still be improved.

The current Senseo uses a resistive heating element enclosed in a large metal vat filled with water. This leads to long boiling times, which, in turn, result in additional heat loss due to radiative heating.

To address the efficiency problem, I devised a heating solution that works as follows: water is pumped through a metal heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is heated by an inductive heating coil, causing the entire heat exchanger to heat up due to resistive heating of the electrical eddy currents. As the water flows through it, it is heated by a large surface area. To remedy heat leakage, an insulated sleeve is placed around the heat exchanger and the inductive element.

To address the efficiency problem, I devised a heating solution that works as follows: water is pumped through a metal heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is heated by an inductive heating coil, causing the entire heat exchanger to heat up due to resistive heating of the electrical eddy currents. As the water flows through it, it is heated by a large surface area. To remedy heat leakage, an insulated sleeve is placed around the heat exchanger and the inductive element.

The user experience is another aspect where users can be made more mindful and connected. My research showed that users of Senseo devices often turn on the machine and then leave to do other tasks, resulting in the machine being on while not in use. Interviews and user tests have shown that by making some simple changes, like adding a countdown to when the coffee is finished, users will be more engaged and more likely to stay with the machine.

I was inspired by the eco lineup from Philips and wanted to incorporate similar materials in the Lorentz. By using a thin layer of wood veneer over an LED display, an effect can be created where the surface looks like wood at first glance. When the device is on, the LED display shines through the wood layer. By using capacitive touch sensing, the user is able to interact with the machine, thus making the user have contact with the natural surface of the wood.

The user experience is another aspect where users can be made more mindful and connected. My research showed that users of Senseo devices often turn on the machine and then leave to do other tasks, resulting in the machine being on while not in use. Interviews and user tests have shown that by making some simple changes, like adding a countdown to when the coffee is finished, users will be more engaged and more likely to stay with the machine.

I was inspired by the eco lineup from Philips and wanted to incorporate similar materials in the Lorentz. By using a thin layer of wood veneer over an LED display, an effect can be created where the surface looks like wood at first glance. When the device is on, the LED display shines through the wood layer. By using capacitive touch sensing, the user is able to interact with the machine, thus making the user have contact with the natural surface of the wood.