Rapid cooling system of vacuum heat treatment furnace and vacuum furnace

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of vacuum heat treatment, in particular to a vacuum heat treatment furnace rapid cooling system and a vacuum furnace, comprising a driving pump, a liquid metal pipeline, an in-furnace heat exchanger, liquid metal, an out-furnace heat exchanger, a cooling water pipeline and cooling water; the in-furnace heat exchanger is positioned in the vacuum heat treatment furnace; the driving pump drives normal-temperature liquid metal, the liquid metal is conveyed into the in-furnace heat exchanger through the liquid metal pipeline, heat is absorbed, and high-temperature liquid metal is formed and reaches the out-furnace heat exchanger under driving of the driving pump; the cooling water pipeline conveys cooling water into the outside-furnace heat exchanger, the cooling water exchanges heat with the high-temperature liquid metal in the outside-furnace heat exchanger, and normal-temperature liquid metal is formed; through the special structural design, the characteristics of high heat conductivity and high boiling point of liquid metal can be utilized, the cooling rate of the rapid cooling system of the vacuum heat treatment furnace is increased, high pressure generated by high temperature in the system is reduced, and the probability that the rapid cooling system has safety accidents when water serves as a cooling medium to operate is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of vacuum heat treatment technology, and in particular relates to a rapid cooling system for a vacuum heat treatment furnace, namely a vacuum furnace. Background Technology

[0002] Typically, in the heat treatment of special materials, it is necessary to use inert gas to rapidly cool the special materials at extremely high temperatures, and the cooling system must remain safe and reliable at high temperatures to allow the materials to be heat-treated to cool down quickly.

[0003] Traditional vacuum heat treatment furnace rapid cooling systems use water as the direct cooling medium, which exchanges heat with inert cooling gas in a compact heat exchanger inside the furnace. This has problems such as limited heat treatment temperature, high pressure in the compact heat exchanger inside the furnace, large size of the compact heat exchanger inside the furnace, large cooling water flow rate, large cooling water pump power, and large footprint of the cooling system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention aims to provide a rapid cooling system for a vacuum heat treatment furnace, which can effectively realize the recovery of waste heat from data centers and avoid thermal pollution and energy waste.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution created by this invention is implemented as follows: This invention provides a rapid cooling system for a vacuum heat treatment furnace. The rapid cooling system includes a drive pump 1, a liquid metal pipeline 2, an in-furnace heat exchanger 3, liquid metal 4, an external heat exchanger 5, a cooling tower (not shown in the figure), a cooling water pipeline 6, and cooling water 7. The in-furnace heat exchanger 3 is located inside the vacuum heat treatment furnace. The drive pump 1 drives the room-temperature liquid metal 4, which is transported to the in-furnace heat exchanger 3 through the liquid metal pipeline 2, where it absorbs heat and forms a high-temperature liquid metal 4. Driven by the drive pump 1, the liquid metal 4 reaches the external heat exchanger 5. The cooling tower drives the cooling water 7, which is transported to the external heat exchanger 5 through the cooling water pipeline 6. The cooling water 7 exchanges heat with the high-temperature liquid metal 4 in the external heat exchanger 5, forming a room-temperature liquid metal 4. The cooled water 7 then returns to the cooling tower through the cooling water pipeline 6. The room-temperature liquid metal 4 is then driven by the drive pump 1 for circulation.

[0006] Furthermore, the room-temperature liquid metal is a gallium indium tin alloy.

[0007] Furthermore, the structural materials of the drive pump 1, the liquid metal pipeline 2, the furnace heat exchanger 3, and the furnace heat exchanger 5 are all metallic and non-metallic materials that do not react with the liquid metal 4.

[0008] Furthermore, both the in-furnace heat exchanger 3 and the out-of-furnace heat exchanger 5 include an enhanced heat exchange structure, which is a fin or a microchannel.

[0009] Furthermore, the furnace heat exchanger 3 is a furnace compact heat exchanger, which adopts a finned structure.

[0010] Furthermore, the external heat exchanger 5 is an external compact heat exchanger, which adopts a finned structure.

[0011] Furthermore, the liquid metal pipe 2 is a liquid metal flexible pipe.

[0012] The present invention also provides a vacuum furnace, which includes the above-described rapid cooling system for vacuum heat treatment furnace.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the present invention can achieve the following beneficial effects: This invention provides a novel rapid cooling system for a vacuum heat treatment furnace. Through a special structural design, it utilizes the high thermal conductivity and high boiling point of liquid metal to increase the cooling rate of the rapid cooling system, reduce the high pressure generated by high temperature within the system, and lower the probability of safety accidents when the rapid cooling system operates with water as the cooling medium. At the same time, the high heat transfer coefficient of liquid metal allows for a smaller, more compact heat exchanger size within the furnace compared to traditional water as the cooling medium, saving usable space within the furnace, reducing the power of the furnace circulating fan, reducing the flow rate of the rapid cooling water, and reducing the pump power of the cooling water pump. Attached Figure Description

[0014] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of the invention are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the rapid cooling system of the vacuum heat treatment furnace described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Drive pump; 2. Liquid metal pipeline; 3. In-furnace heat exchanger; 4. Liquid metal; 5. Out-of-furnace heat exchanger; 6. Cooling water pipeline; 7. Cooling water. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof.

[0017] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0018] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0019] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0020] The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0021] like Figure 1The diagram shows a schematic of the rapid cooling system for a vacuum heat treatment furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention. As can be seen from the diagram, the rapid cooling system includes a drive pump 1, a liquid metal pipeline 2, an in-furnace heat exchanger 3, liquid metal 4, an external heat exchanger 5, a cooling water pipeline 6, and cooling water 7. The in-furnace heat exchanger 3 is located inside the vacuum heat treatment furnace. The drive pump 1 drives the room-temperature liquid metal 4, which is transported through the liquid metal pipeline 2 to the in-furnace heat exchanger 3, absorbing heat to form a high-temperature liquid metal 4. Driven by the drive pump 1, the liquid metal 4 reaches the external heat exchanger 5. The cooling water pipeline 6 transports the cooling water 7 to the external heat exchanger 5. In heat exchanger 5, heat is exchanged with high-temperature liquid metal 4 to form room-temperature liquid metal 4. Specifically, the cooling water pipe 6 is connected to the cooling tower, and the cooling water 7 is driven by the drive pump in the cooling tower to be transported in the cooling water pipe 6. After heat exchange, the cooling water 7 is then transported back to the cooling tower through the cooling water pipe 6. The formed room-temperature liquid metal 4 is then driven by the drive pump 1 to circulate. That is, the drive pump 1 drives the room-temperature liquid metal 4 to be transported to the furnace heat exchanger 3 through the liquid metal pipe 2 to absorb heat and form high-temperature liquid metal 4. Then, driven by the drive pump 1, it reaches the furnace heat exchanger 5 to exchange heat with the cooling water 7.

[0022] In a specific embodiment, cooling water 7 carries away the heat carried by the high-temperature liquid metal 4, continuously circulating multiple times to achieve a safe, reliable, and rapid cooling effect. The liquid metal 4 absorbs heat from the circulating inert gas inside the furnace, which is then transferred to the external heat exchanger 5. Cooling water 7 cools the heat absorbed by the liquid metal 4 before it enters the furnace radiator 3 to continue absorbing heat, creating a continuous circulation. This allows for low-pressure, high-temperature circulation within the liquid metal 4 loop. This cooling system utilizes the high thermal conductivity of the liquid metal to rapidly absorb heat from the furnace and then transfer it to the external radiator for cooling. This improves the rapid cooling rate of the system and reduces the flow rate of the rapid cooling water, thereby reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, the in-furnace heat exchanger 3 is a compact in-furnace heat exchanger, and the external heat exchanger 5 is an external compact heat exchanger. Specifically, this compact structure can be achieved by selecting high-efficiency heat exchange fins, which can further reduce the size of the heat exchanger while meeting performance requirements. The liquid metal pipeline is a flexible liquid metal pipeline. On the one hand, the flexible pipeline is suitable for multi-phase installation; on the other hand, the flexible pipeline can buffer stress and reduce system damage caused by impact within the system. The structural materials of the drive pump 1, the liquid metal pipeline 2, the in-furnace heat exchanger 3, and the external heat exchanger 5 are all metal and non-metal materials that do not react with the liquid metal 4. Both the in-furnace heat exchanger 3 and the external heat exchanger 5 include enhanced heat exchange structures, which are fins or microchannels.

[0024] In a specific embodiment, the room-temperature liquid metal is a gallium indium tin alloy, and various proportions of gallium indium tin alloys are acceptable. By using liquid metal as a heat transfer medium, the liquid metal has a high heat transfer coefficient and high temperature resistance, which can reduce the size of the compact heat exchanger in the furnace, save available space in the furnace, reduce the power of the circulating fan in the furnace, reduce the flow rate of the rapid cooling water, reduce the power of the cooling water pump, etc. The boiling point of liquid metal is as high as 1300℃, which is more widely used than water, a traditional cooling medium. It is difficult to boil in the pipeline, has a high safety factor, and can meet the requirements of furnace conditions with temperatures of 1500℃ or higher.

[0025] The present invention also provides a vacuum furnace, which includes the above-described rapid cooling system for vacuum heat treatment furnaces.

[0026] This invention provides a novel rapid cooling system for a vacuum heat treatment furnace. Through its unique structural design, it leverages the high thermal conductivity and high boiling point of liquid metal to enhance the cooling rate of the rapid cooling system, reduce the high pressure generated by high temperatures within the system, and decrease the probability of safety accidents when the rapid cooling system operates with water as the cooling medium. Simultaneously, the high heat transfer coefficient of liquid metal allows for a smaller, more compact heat exchanger compared to traditional water-based cooling, saving usable furnace space, reducing the power of the furnace circulating fan, decreasing the flow rate of the rapid cooling water, and reducing the power consumption of the cooling water pump.

[0027] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used to reorder, add, or delete steps. For example, the steps described in this invention disclosure can be executed in parallel, sequentially, or in different orders, as long as the desired result of the technical solution disclosed in this invention can be achieved, and this is not limited herein.

[0028] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A rapid cooling system for a vacuum heat treatment furnace, characterized in that: The rapid cooling system of the vacuum heat treatment furnace includes a drive pump (1), a liquid metal pipeline (2), an in-furnace heat exchanger (3), liquid metal (4), an external heat exchanger (5), a cooling tower, a cooling water pipeline (6), and cooling water (7). The furnace heat exchanger (3) is located inside the vacuum heat treatment furnace; the drive pump (1) drives the room temperature liquid metal (4) to be transported to the furnace heat exchanger (3) through the liquid metal pipeline (2), absorbs heat, and forms high temperature liquid metal (4); then, driven by the drive pump (1), it reaches the furnace heat exchanger (5). The cooling tower drives the cooling water (7) to be transported to the furnace heat exchanger (5) through the cooling water pipeline (6). In the furnace heat exchanger (5), the cooling water (7) exchanges heat with the high-temperature liquid metal (4) to form room-temperature liquid metal (4). The cooling water (7) after heat exchange returns to the cooling tower through the cooling water pipeline (6). The room-temperature liquid metal (4) is then driven by the drive pump (1) to circulate.

2. The rapid cooling system for the vacuum heat treatment furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The room-temperature liquid metal is a gallium indium tin alloy.

3. The rapid cooling system for the vacuum heat treatment furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid metal drive pump (1), the liquid metal pipeline (2), the furnace heat exchanger (3), and the furnace heat exchanger (5) are all made of metal and non-metal materials that do not react with the liquid metal (4).

4. The rapid cooling system for the vacuum heat treatment furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the in-furnace heat exchanger (3) and the out-of-furnace heat exchanger (5) include enhanced heat exchange structures, which are fins or microchannels.

5. The rapid cooling system for the vacuum heat treatment furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The furnace heat exchanger (3) is a furnace compact heat exchanger, which adopts a finned structure.

6. The rapid cooling system for the vacuum heat treatment furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The external heat exchanger (5) is an external compact heat exchanger, which adopts a finned structure.

7. The rapid cooling system for the vacuum heat treatment furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid metal pipe (2) is a liquid metal flexible pipe.

8. A vacuum furnace, characterized in that, The vacuum furnace includes the rapid cooling system for the vacuum heat treatment furnace as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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