40 inventive principles / #36
#36 Phase transitions
What it says
- Use effects that happen during a change of phase, such as change of volume or release or absorption of heat.
Examples
- Software
- Use the moment of a state change (deploy, failover) to run checks.
- Business
- Use a reorganisation as the moment to change habits.
- Engineering
- Heat pipes that move heat by evaporation and condensation.
- Everyday life
- Ice packs that absorb heat as they melt.
Where the matrix suggests it
The classic contradiction matrix suggests Phase transitions in 60 of its 1,248 filled cells. Most often for these conflicts:
- Improving Volume of moving object worsens Loss of substance
- Improving Force worsens Difficulty of detecting and measuring
- Improving Stress or pressure worsens Force
- Improving Shape worsens Quantity of substance
- Improving Temperature worsens Weight of moving object
- Improving Use of energy by stationary object worsens Force
- Improving Loss of energy worsens Force
- Improving Reliability worsens Use of energy by stationary object