{"closest_prior_art":[{"name":"US6294853B1, Cooling of electromechanical actuator with phase change material and thermosyphons containing working fluid","overlap":"Discloses a passively cooled electromechanical actuator with phase-change material thermally coupled to stator supports. The PCM absorbs transient heat; thermosyphons subsequently remove stored heat so it resolidifies for the next transient cycle. This substantially overlaps the proposal's passive latent buffer, actuator placement, transient-load purpose, passive rejection path, and reserve restoration.","remaining_difference":"Does not disclose the proposal's specific annular cassette and electrically isolating bridges or its reconciled hot-core joule balance, boundary heat-flux measurements, melt-fraction reserve floor, and equal-mass paired protocol.","source_ids":["SRC1"]},{"name":"A new phase-change cooling method for the frequent start-stop electric motor","overlap":"Directly addresses frequent start-stop motor temperature control using PCM and reports simulated reductions in stator-core and stator-coil temperatures, with performance depending on PCM conductivity, latent heat, and motor duty cycle.","remaining_difference":"Reports temperature-oriented numerical results rather than a contained actuator cassette with a passive enclosure-rejection path, electrical-isolation constraints, measured melt fraction, or experimentally reconciled hot-core energy stock.","source_ids":["SRC3"]},{"name":"WO2003090254A2, Phase change heat sink for use in electrical solenoids and motors","overlap":"Discloses reducing internal motor or solenoid temperature by placing PCM in intimate contact with the device, including internal placement and potting around coil windings.","remaining_difference":"Does not disclose explicit inter-burst passive reserve recovery, an electrically isolating high-conductivity bridge, distributed hot-core calorimetry, or coupled-stock and delayed-rebound measurements.","source_ids":["SRC2"]}],"contrastive_claim_falsifier":"The surviving performance claim is falsified if preregistered paired surrogate trials show no reproducible reduction in peak or end-window hot-core joules versus an equal-mass non-PCM reference, failure to restore the reserve floor during approved cooldown, an excessive balance residual, or any isolation, containment, clearance, aging, or external-hot-spot violation. The broader claim that passive PCM can alter an actuator's transient thermal trajectory without software is already non-distinct in light of SRC1 and SRC3.","contrastive_claim_remaining":"For the specified sealed-actuator surrogate, the particular combination of a contained annular PCM cassette, electrically isolating thermal bridges, and passive enclosure path will reduce reconciled hot-core energy over repeated bursts relative to an equal-mass non-PCM reference and restore a prescribed latent-capacity reserve within the approved cooldown without transferring the violation to insulation, housing, bearings, or adjacent structures.","experiment_id":"eoa_inverse_innovation_exp13_second_slot_policy60_20260806","gates":{"adequate_source_search":{"rationale":"The bounded search covered the proposal directly, frequent-start/stop and phase-change-heat-sink terminology, patents and an IEC insulation-qualification standard, and combinations involving stators, windings, passive rejection, and conductive isolation. Four opened sources span three publisher contexts and include primary research and an official standard.","source_ids":["SRC1","SRC2","SRC3","SRC4"],"status":"PASS"},"bounded_next_test":{"rationale":"A paired non-production surrogate can directly measure the remaining performance difference. SRC3 supplies relevant PCM and duty-cycle variables, while IEC candidate-versus-reference qualification practice supports comparative testing when an insulation system or its components are changed.","source_ids":["SRC3","SRC4"],"status":"PASS"},"distinct_testable_claim":{"rationale":"Passive PCM buffering of actuator or motor transients is not distinct, but the narrower comparative claim combining isolating bridges, passive reserve recovery, reconciled hot-core joules, melt-fraction reserve, and coupled-hazard observations remains falsifiable and was not disclosed as a complete combination in the retained sources.","source_ids":["SRC1","SRC2","SRC3"],"status":"PASS"},"no_obvious_safety_or_authority_stop":{"rationale":"The proposed first step is confined to a protected, non-production surrogate with explicit isolation, containment, temperature, pressure, fire, clearance, halt, and quarantine limits. IEC guidance confirms that candidate insulation systems and component or manufacturing changes require functional evaluation and qualification; it does not create an absolute stop to the bounded test.","source_ids":["SRC4"],"status":"PASS"},"supported_problem":{"rationale":"Frequent start-stop motor temperature control and short transient heat absorption are directly visible. Prior art also anticipates stored heat being removed after transient conditions so PCM is ready for another cycle. The stronger assertion that an acceptable housing temperature specifically masks a hazardous joule stock across permitted bursts was not directly demonstrated by the retained sources.","source_ids":["SRC1","SRC3"],"status":"PASS"}},"prior_art_disposition":"SUBSTANTIAL_COLLISION","problem_evidence":{"finding":"The general problem is visible: intermittent or transient motor operation can require thermal buffering, and PCM performance depends on duty cycle, conductivity, and latent heat. Evidence is only partial for the proposal's more specific failure mode involving a cool housing concealing hazardous retained energy across individually permitted bursts.","source_ids":["SRC1","SRC3"],"status":"PARTLY_SUPPORTED"},"research_id":"eoa_inverse_innovation_exp13_light_screen_20260806","schema_version":1,"screen_id":"E13P040","screen_survival":false,"search_lanes":{"component_combination":{"no_result_note":null,"queries":["electrically insulating thermally conductive bridge phase change material motor stator","sealed electric actuator phase change material thermal management stator winding latent heat"],"source_ids":["SRC1","SRC2","SRC3"]},"direct_problem_and_intervention":{"no_result_note":null,"queries":["sealed electric actuator phase change material thermal management stator winding latent heat","electric motor phase change material cooling repeated intermittent duty thermal energy"],"source_ids":["SRC1","SRC3"]},"products_practices_and_standards":{"no_result_note":null,"queries":["servo motor phase change material thermal buffer product patent","IEC 60034-18 thermal evaluation insulation rotating electrical machines"],"source_ids":["SRC1","SRC2","SRC4"]},"synonyms_and_historical_terms":{"no_result_note":null,"queries":["phase change heat sink solenoid motor","frequent start-stop electric motor phase change cooling"],"source_ids":["SRC2","SRC3"]}},"sources":[{"claims_supported":["A passively cooled electromechanical actuator can place PCM in thermal communication with stator supports to absorb transient heat.","Thermosyphons can remove stored PCM heat after the transient so the PCM resolidifies for the next cycle."],"publisher":"Google Patents","source_id":"SRC1","source_type":"OTHER","title":"US6294853B1 - Cooling of electromechanical actuator with phase change material and thermosyphons containing working fluid","url":"https://patents.google.com/patent/US6294853B1/en"},{"claims_supported":["PCM may be placed in intimate contact with a motor or solenoid to reduce internal operating temperature.","Disclosed placements include inside the device and potted around coil windings."],"publisher":"Google Patents","source_id":"SRC2","source_type":"OTHER","title":"WO2003090254A2 - Phase change heat sink for use in electrical solenoids and motors","url":"https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2003090254A2/en"},{"claims_supported":["PCM cooling has been specifically proposed for frequent start-stop electric motors.","The reported numerical study found stator-core and stator-coil temperature reductions and dependence on PCM properties and duty cycle."],"publisher":"Applied Thermal Engineering, Elsevier; indexed by IAEA INIS","source_id":"SRC3","source_type":"PRIMARY_RESEARCH","title":"A new phase-change cooling method for the frequent start-stop electric motor","url":"https://inis-temp.iaea.org/search/search.aspx?orig_q=RN%3A53121254"},{"claims_supported":["IEC 60034-18-1 provides general requirements for qualification and functional evaluation of rotating-machine insulation systems.","Its scope includes comparison and qualification considerations for candidate systems and minor component or manufacturing changes."],"publisher":"International Electrotechnical Commission","source_id":"SRC4","source_type":"OFFICIAL_STANDARD","title":"IEC 60034-18-1:2022 - Functional evaluation of insulation systems: General guidelines","url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/64618"}],"world_novelty_boundary":"This bounded screen establishes a substantial collision with known passive PCM actuator and motor cooling, but it cannot establish world novelty, patentability, freedom to operate, market size, expert acceptance, production feasibility, or realized value. Unsearched patents, non-English literature, products, confidential practices, and later publications may further narrow or eliminate the remaining claim."}