A deformable soft nozzle structure for achieving 360° annular air flow

Abstract

The application discloses a deformable soft air outlet structure for realizing 360-degree annular airflow, which comprises, sequentially connected along the airflow direction, an airflow generating section, an airflow transmitting section and an airflow regulating section, the airflow generating section converts axial airflow into rotating airflow; the airflow transmitting section is an axially limited composite flexible pipe body, the inner wall of which is provided with a spiral flow guide member for maintaining the circumferential uniformity of the rotating airflow in the curved state; the airflow regulating section is provided with an annular pressure equalizing cavity, an annular air outlet gap and an air volume adjusting group, the air volume adjusting group regulates the air volume by changing the flow area of the annular air outlet gap. The application realizes the automatic matching output of 360-degree uniform annular airflow under all working conditions through the cooperation of three stages of rigid flow guide, flexible maintenance and pressure equalization regulation, and utilizes fluid dynamic pressure feedback to make the pipe body radially self-adapting deformation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ventilation vent technology, and more specifically, to a deformable flexible vent structure that enables 360° annular airflow. Background Technology

[0002] In many industrial applications, specific forms of airflow are required to cover or treat work areas or targets. For example, in dust monitoring, precision parts surface cleaning, special coating curing, and some processes involving air curtain isolation, it is often necessary for the airflow to be uniformly sprayed in a 360° annular pattern to form a centrally symmetrical effective area. This uniform annular airflow avoids the problems of blind spots and uneven force caused by ordinary single-point or multi-point spraying, which is crucial for ensuring process consistency and product quality.

[0003] Currently, the most common way to generate annular airflow in the industry is through a combination of inner and outer double-layered pipes with annular baffles or cyclones. Specifically, airflow enters a ring-shaped cavity tangentially from one or both sides, naturally forming a vortex within the cavity before exiting through a pre-designed annular gap. Other solutions involve installing a fixed conical guide at the end of the duct, using the space between the conical surface and the duct wall to directly form an annular air outlet.

[0004] However, the above-mentioned conventional structure has revealed several common and deep-seated technical defects in actual implementation.

[0005] First, there is a fundamental contradiction between duct rigidity and installation flexibility. To maintain the precise geometric dimensions of the annular cavity and the outlet gap, and to ensure the circumferential uniformity of the outlet airflow, traditional structures are almost invariably made of entirely rigid materials. This results in excessive rigidity of the entire vent structure, making installation extremely difficult, or even impossible, in complex on-site duct environments with bends, narrow passages, or spatial interference.

[0006] Secondly, the airflow energy attenuation and distribution distortion are severe within rigid structures. Even if a rotating airflow is successfully established in the initial section through a flow guiding mechanism, during subsequent transport in straight or curved rigid pipe sections, the lack of any dynamic compensation or adaptive mechanism means that the pipe wall boundary layer effect and centrifugal force at bends continuously consume the rotational momentum of the airflow, forcing it to redistribute across the cross-section. As a result, by the time the airflow reaches the outlet, the circumferential velocity component has significantly decreased and exhibits an asymmetrical distribution, often resulting in a deviated or turbulent flow that deviates significantly from the ideal shape.

[0007] Third, it lacks adaptability to different operating conditions. The flow channel shape of a traditional fixed structure cannot be changed once determined. However, in actual production, the required working air volume and velocity are not constant. When the actual operating air volume deviates from the design point, the rigid structure cannot generate any matching changes in flow channel characteristics, resulting in insufficient swirling intensity at low air volumes and energy waste and noise due to a sharp increase in resistance at high air volumes. This contradiction between fixed characteristics and fluctuating operating conditions is an inherent problem that existing technologies have long failed to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, embodiments of the present invention provide a deformable flexible air outlet structure that realizes 360° annular airflow.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the innovative aspects of this invention are as follows: a deformable flexible air outlet structure that achieves 360° annular airflow, comprising an airflow generating section, an airflow transmission section, and an airflow control section connected sequentially along the airflow direction.

[0010] The airflow generation section converts axial airflow into rotating airflow;

[0011] The airflow transmission section is an axially limited composite flexible tube with a spiral guide on its inner wall to maintain the circumferential uniformity of the rotating airflow in a bent state.

[0012] The airflow control section is equipped with an annular pressure equalization chamber, an annular air outlet gap, and an air volume adjustment group. The air volume adjustment group adjusts the air volume by changing the flow area of ​​the annular air outlet gap.

[0013] The annular pressure equalization chamber is fluidly connected to the inner cavity of the airflow transmission section, forming a fluid dynamic pressure feedback path. When the airflow regulation group changes the flow area, causing a change in the static pressure inside the annular pressure equalization chamber, this static pressure change acts in the opposite direction on the airflow transmission section, driving it to expand or contract radially, thereby changing the effective inner diameter and helix angle of the spiral guide, so that the guiding intensity of the spiral guide on the rotating airflow is automatically matched with the current airflow conditions.

[0014] A further improvement of the present invention is that the airflow generating section is a first rigid cylinder, inside which a guide ring is fixed. The guide ring is composed of multiple guide vanes arranged circumferentially, and each guide vane has a preset guide deflection angle to convert the axially entering airflow into a rotating airflow with a circumferential rotation component.

[0015] A further improvement of the present invention is that: the multiple guide vanes are evenly distributed in the same cross section of the guide ring, and each guide vane rotates only around its own radial axis by the guide deflection angle. The guide deflection angle α of the multiple guide vanes varies along the circumferential direction as follows: taking the projection point of the central axis of the air inlet on the plane where the guide ring (102) is located as the 0° reference point, the guide deflection angle α gradually increases along the circumferential direction from the 0° point, reaches the maximum value at the 90° and 270° positions, decreases back to the minimum value at the 180° position, and then continues to increase to the 360° position; the minimum value of the guide deflection angle α is between 5° and 15°, and the maximum value is between 45° and 75°.

[0016] A further improvement of the present invention is that: the airflow transmission section includes an elastic inner tube and a spiral spring steel wire skeleton tightly wrapped around its outer wall; the spiral guide is at least one spiral protruding rib integrally formed on the inner wall surface of the elastic inner tube; the air inlet end of the airflow transmission section is airtightly connected to the airflow generating section and axially limited and fixed through a first locking joint, and its air outlet end is airtightly connected to the airflow regulating section and axially limited and fixed through a second locking joint; both the first locking joint and the second locking joint axially press the corresponding ends of the spiral spring steel wire skeleton, so that the airflow transmission section cannot be extended or retracted in the axial direction.

[0017] A further improvement of the present invention is that there is a corresponding relationship between the helical rise angle of the spiral protruding rib and the maximum value of the guide deflection angle, so that under the reference airflow condition, when the rotating airflow generated by the guide ring enters the airflow transmission section, the deviation between its actual spiral motion trajectory angle and the helical rise angle of the spiral protruding rib is no greater than 5°.

[0018] A further improvement of the present invention is that: the airflow control section includes

[0019] A second rigid cylinder, the inner wall of which is columnar, has an input end and an output end;

[0020] A central cone is coaxially disposed within the second rigid cylinder. Its outer cone surface and the inner wall surface of the second rigid cylinder together define an annular pressure equalization cavity. The annular pressure equalization cavity is used to guide the incoming annular spiral airflow to flow forward while rotating. The outer edge of the cone bottom of the central cone and the inner edge of the output end of the second rigid cylinder together define an annular air outlet gap.

[0021] An airflow regulating unit includes an regulating push rod, one end of which is fixedly connected to the central cone, and the other end of which passes through and extends out of the second rigid cylinder; the regulating push rod drives the central cone to move back and forth along the axial direction, directly changing the flow area of ​​the annular air outlet gap.

[0022] A further improvement of the present invention is that when the central cone moves in the direction of reducing the flow area of ​​the annular air outlet gap, the static pressure in the annular equalizing chamber increases. The increased static pressure acts in the opposite direction on the inner wall of the elastic inner tube through the fluid dynamic pressure feedback passage, driving the elastic inner tube to expand radially, thereby increasing the effective inner diameter of the spiral guide and reducing the spiral helix angle, thereby reducing the guiding intensity of the rotating airflow and adapting to small air volume conditions.

[0023] When the central cone moves in the direction of increasing the flow area, the static pressure in the annular equalizing chamber decreases, and the elastic inner tube contracts radially under the action of its own elastic restoring force and the radial constraint force of the helical spring steel wire skeleton. This reduces the effective inner diameter of the helical guide and increases the helical helix angle, thereby enhancing the guiding strength of the rotating airflow and adapting to high air volume conditions.

[0024] A further improvement of the present invention is that: the elastic inner tube is made of silicone or rubber material with a Shore hardness between 30A and 60A; the ratio of the protrusion height Hr of the spiral guide to the minimum inner diameter D of the elastic inner tube in the undeformed state satisfies: 0.05 ≤ Hr / D ≤ 0.2.

[0025] A further improvement of the present invention is that the spiral guide component and the elastic inner tube are integrally formed through a base.

[0026] A further improvement of the present invention is that: the first locking joint and the second locking joint each include a compression sleeve with external threads and an internal thread interface located at the end of the corresponding hard cylinder, and the two compression sleeves are fixedly connected by a plurality of axially penetrating screw threads.

[0027] The technical effects and advantages of this invention are as follows:

[0028] 1. This invention achieves true 360° uniform annular airflow output through the coordinated action of three stages: swirl generation, flexible maintenance, and pressure equalization. In the airflow generation stage, the axial intake is efficiently converted into a spiral airflow with a strong circumferential rotation component through a guide ring with a specific guide deflection angle arrangement, completing the initial morphological establishment from "axial" to "circumferential". In the airflow transmission stage, even if the flexible tube bends to adapt to complex installation environments, the integrally formed spiral guide component on its inner wall can still guide the rotating airflow continuously throughout the entire process, effectively resisting the centrifugal force deflection effect and boundary layer momentum attenuation at the bend, ensuring that the circumferential rotation characteristics and cross-sectional uniformity of the airflow are not destroyed before reaching the control stage. In the airflow control stage, the airflow enters the annular pressure equalization chamber composed of a central cone and a rigid cylinder, where the final circumferential static pressure equalization is performed to eliminate residual local high or low pressure points, and finally, it is uniformly ejected from the annular outlet gap with a highly consistent circumferential velocity and pressure, forming an ideal 360° annular airflow.

[0029] 2. In this invention, the airflow generation section and airflow control section retain rigid structures to ensure the geometric accuracy of the guide ring and annular air outlet gap; the middle airflow transmission section is a composite flexible tube, which can be freely bent and arranged according to the site space, fundamentally solving the problem of installation limitations. More importantly, this flexible tube achieves axial rigidity limiting through a helical spring steel wire skeleton, allowing only radial deformation under air pressure without axial expansion or contraction. This absorbs the bending displacement of the pipeline and strictly maintains the stability of the flow channel length, overcoming the inherent defects of ordinary flexible tubes that axially move and damage the airflow structure under pressure.

[0030] 3. This invention utilizes the fluid communication between the annular pressure equalization chamber and the airflow transmission section to construct a fluid dynamic pressure adaptive feedback system that requires no external control. When the airflow adjustment group changes the area of ​​the annular outlet slit, the static pressure within the pressure equalization chamber changes accordingly. This pressure change directly acts in the opposite direction on the elastic inner tube, driving it to expand or contract radially. Consequently, the effective inner diameter and helix angle of the spiral guide change: at low airflow, the tube expands, the helix angle decreases, and the guiding intensity decreases; at high airflow, the tube contracts, the helix angle increases, and the guiding intensity increases. This adjustment is entirely based on the system's own fluid dynamic characteristics, requiring no sensors, controllers, or actuators. It has an extremely simple structure, extremely high reliability, and is particularly suitable for harsh industrial environments such as dusty and humid conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the back structure of the airflow generation section.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a curve showing the distribution of the guide deflection angle along the circumference.

[0034] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the principle of fluid dynamic pressure feedback in the airflow control section.

[0035] The diagram labels are: 100-airflow generating section, 101-first rigid cylinder, 102-guide ring, 103-guide vane;

[0036] 200-Airflow transmission section, 201-Elastic inner tube, 202-Helical spring steel wire skeleton, 210-Helical guide, 220-First locking joint, 230-Second locking joint, 240-Screw;

[0037] 300-Airflow control section, 301-Second rigid cylinder, 310-Central cone, 320-Air volume adjustment group, 330-Annular pressure equalization chamber, 340-Annular air outlet gap, 321-Adjusting push rod. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] This embodiment provides a deformable flexible air outlet structure that achieves 360° annular airflow, referring to... Figures 1 to 4 Its core design lies in achieving uniform annular airflow output under all operating conditions through the coordinated action of three stages: rigid flow guidance, flexible maintenance, and pressure equalization. The air outlet structure is connected sequentially along the airflow direction by an airflow generation section 100, an airflow transmission section 200, and an airflow control section 300.

[0040] Airflow generation section 100

[0041] Reference Figure 2 The airflow generating section 100 is a first rigid cylinder 101 made of stainless steel with an inner diameter of 50 mm. Inside, a guide ring 102 is fixed, consisting of 12 guide vanes 111 evenly distributed circumferentially. Each guide vane 111 is a rectangular thin sheet, 2 mm thick, with a width matching the cylinder radius. Each guide vane 111 rotates only around its own radial axis by a preset deflection angle α, forcibly converting the axially entering airflow into a rotating airflow with a circumferential rotational component.

[0042] In this embodiment, the airflow deflection angle α is non-uniformly distributed circumferentially. Its variation follows this pattern: taking the projection point of the air inlet's central axis onto the plane of the airflow guide ring as the 0° reference point, α gradually increases circumferentially from this point, reaching its maximum value at 90° and 270°, decreasing back to its minimum value at 180°, and then continuing to increase to 360° (i.e., 0°). Specifically, in this embodiment, the minimum value of α is 10° at 0°, 180°, and 360°; the maximum value is 60° at 90° and 270°. The intermediate angle positions use a smooth transition. (Refer to...) Figure 3 The solid curve in the figure clearly shows the circumferential distribution pattern of α in this embodiment.

[0043] Experimental measurements showed that, under the baseline airflow conditions (inlet velocity 12 m / s, corresponding to an airflow of approximately 85 m³ / h), the outflow angle (i.e., the actual spiral motion trajectory angle) of the airflow after passing through the guide ring was approximately 55°, and the circumferential velocity non-uniformity was controlled within 8%, laying a good initial swirling foundation for subsequent transmission.

[0044] Airflow transmission section 200

[0045] Reference Figure 1 The airflow transmission section 200 is an axially constrained composite flexible tube. This composite flexible tube includes an elastic inner tube 201 and a helical spring wire skeleton 202 tightly wrapped around its outer wall. The elastic inner tube 201 is made of silicone material with a Shore hardness of 45A, and its minimum inner diameter D in its undeformed state is 50mm. The helical spring wire skeleton 202 is made of closely wound stainless steel spring wire with a diameter of 2mm and a pitch of 5mm, and is tightly bonded to the elastic inner tube 201 through a vulcanization process.

[0046] The inner wall of the elastic inner tube 201 is integrally formed with a spiral raised rib, serving as a spiral guide 210. The cross-section of the spiral guide 210 is semi-circular, and its raised height Hr is 6 mm, therefore Hr / D = 0.12, falling within the preferred range of 0.05 to 0.2. The spiral helix angle θ of the spiral guide 210 is 55°, precisely matching the actual spiral motion trajectory angle of the rotating airflow generated in the airflow generating section under the reference operating condition, which is approximately 55°, with a deviation of 0°. This precise matching ensures that, under the reference operating condition, the airflow can adhere to the guide with minimal resistance and maintain rotational momentum to the maximum extent.

[0047] The air inlet of the airflow transmission section 200 is airtightly connected to the airflow generating section 100 via a first locking connector 220, and the outlet is airtightly connected to the airflow regulating section 300 via a second locking connector 230. The first locking connector 220 and the second locking connector 230 have the same structure, both including a compression sleeve with external threads and an internal thread interface corresponding to the end of the rigid cylinder. During installation, the end of the elastic inner tube 201 is fitted onto the interface, and the compression sleeve is tightened. The tapered front surface of the compression sleeve simultaneously presses the end of the elastic inner tube 201 and its internal helical spring steel wire skeleton 202 axially against the interface end face. Simultaneously, the two compression sleeves are locked together by four M6 axially penetrating screws 240 and nuts, achieving axial rigidity. This structure ensures that the airflow transmission section 200 is not axially expandable or contractible, allowing only radial expansion or contraction under air pressure, thus solving the inherent defects of ordinary hoses that axially move and damage the airflow structure under pressure.

[0048] Airflow control section 300

[0049] Reference Figure 4The airflow control section 300 includes a second rigid cylinder 301, a central cone 310, and an air volume adjustment group 320.

[0050] The inner wall of the second rigid cylinder 301 is cylindrical with an inner diameter of 70 mm. A central cone 310 is coaxially disposed within it, with a cone angle of 60° and a cone base diameter of 60 mm. The outer cone surface of the central cone 310 and the inner wall surface of the second rigid cylinder 301 together define an annular pressure equalization cavity 330. The radial width of this annular pressure equalization cavity 330 gradually narrows from the input end to the output end, guiding the incoming annular spiral airflow to flow forward while rotating, and completing the circumferential static pressure equalization in this process. The outer edge of the cone base of the central cone 310 and the inner edge of the output end of the second rigid cylinder 301 together define an annular air outlet gap 340.

[0051] The airflow regulating assembly 320 includes an regulating push rod 321. The front end of the regulating push rod 321 is fixedly connected to the threaded hole at the bottom of the central cone 310 via a thread, and the rear end passes through and extends out of the threaded seat at the bottom of the second rigid cylinder 301. By rotating the regulating push rod 321, the central cone 310 can be driven to move back and forth axially, thereby directly changing the axial distance between the outer edge of its cone bottom and the inner edge of the cylinder's output end, that is, changing the flow area of ​​the annular air outlet gap 340.

[0052] Adaptive feedback mechanism for hydrodynamic pressure

[0053] The key innovation of this invention lies in the fact that the annular equalizing chamber 330 and the inner cavity of the airflow transmission section 200 are fluidly connected, forming a closed-loop fluid dynamic pressure feedback path. When the flow area is changed by the airflow regulating group 320, it will cause a change in static pressure in the annular equalizing chamber 330. This change in static pressure acts in the opposite direction on the elastic inner tube 201 of the airflow transmission section 200, driving it to expand or contract radially, thereby changing the effective inner diameter and helix angle of the spiral guide 210, so that the guiding intensity is automatically matched with the current airflow conditions.

[0054] The adaptive process will be described below under three typical operating conditions, based on specific experimental data, to demonstrate its technical effectiveness.

[0055] Operating Condition 1: Baseline Airflow Condition

[0056] The inlet velocity was set to 12 m / s (airflow 85 m³ / h). At this point, the central cone 310 was adjusted to the middle position, and the flow area of ​​the annular outlet slit 340 was set to 1200 mm². The relative static pressure within the annular equalizing chamber 330 stabilized at 150 Pa. Under this pressure, the radial expansion of the elastic inner tube 201 was minimal, with a measured effective inner diameter of 50.5 mm and a helix angle of approximately 54.5°. The airflow passed through near the design conditions, and the 360° annular airflow circumferential velocity uniformity measured at the outlet was 93%, with a wind speed of 8 m / s, meeting the process requirements.

[0057] Operating Condition 2: Small Air Volume Adaptive Operating Condition

[0058] Reduce the inlet air velocity to 6 m / s (air volume approximately 42 m³ / h). The operator rotates the adjusting push rod 321 to move the central cone 310 forward, reducing the flow area of ​​the annular outlet slit 340 to 700 mm².

[0059] Due to the increased outflow resistance, the static pressure in the annular equalizing chamber 330 immediately rises to 380 Pa. This increased static pressure acts as a feedback signal, acting in the opposite direction on the inner wall of the elastic inner tube 201. Under the increased internal pressure, the elastic inner tube 201 undergoes radial expansion, with the measured effective inner diameter increasing to 53.2 mm. As the inner diameter increases, the integrally formed spiral guide 210 is also stretched open, and its helix angle automatically decreases from 54.5° to 47°.

[0060] The reduction in the helical helix angle and the increase in the effective inner diameter directly reduce the guiding strength and frictional resistance of the helical guide for the rotating airflow. This perfectly suits the characteristic of insufficient rotational momentum of the airflow under low airflow conditions, avoiding additional energy dissipation and flow field distortion caused by forced guidance. Final measured data show that the outlet wind speed recovered to 7.8 m / s, comparable to the baseline condition; the circumferential velocity uniformity of the 360° annular airflow remained at a high level of 91%, successfully suppressing flow deviation and turbulence under low airflow conditions.

[0061] Operating Condition 3: High Air Volume Adaptive Operating Condition

[0062] Increase the inlet air velocity to 20 m / s (air volume approximately 141 m³ / h). The operator rotates the adjusting push rod 321 backward to move the central cone 310 backward, increasing the flow area of ​​the annular air outlet gap 340 to 1600 mm².

[0063] As the outflow channel enlarges, the static pressure within the annular equalizing chamber 330 rapidly drops to 40 Pa. Under the combined action of its own elastic restoring force and the radial constraint force of the helical spring wire skeleton 202, the elastic inner tube 201 undergoes radial contraction, with the measured effective inner diameter shrinking to 49.1 mm. The helix angle of the helical guide 210 automatically increases from 54.5° to 61°.

[0064] The increased helical angle and decreased effective inner diameter enhance the helical guide's ability to constrain and guide airflow. This effectively counteracts the distortion of cross-sectional distribution and rapid dissipation of rotational momentum caused by centrifugal force in the flexible bend section under high air volume and high velocity conditions. Through this adaptive adjustment, the circumferential velocity uniformity of the annular airflow at the final outlet remains above 90%, the outlet wind speed increases to 13.5 m / s, and no abnormal whistling occurs.

[0065] Example 2

[0066] This embodiment is basically the same in structure as Embodiment 1, the only difference being the parameter setting of the deflection angle α of the guide vane 111. In this embodiment, the minimum value of α is 5° and the maximum value is 45°. Specifically, the distribution is as follows: at 0°, 180°, and 360° positions, α is 5°; at 90° and 270° positions, α is 45°. Its circumferential distribution pattern is as follows... Figure 3 The dashed curve.

[0067] Accordingly, the helix angle θ of the helical guide 210 of the airflow transmission section 200 is designed to be 40° to match the lower reference swirl intensity of this embodiment.

[0068] Testing revealed that, under the same baseline airflow condition (inlet 12 m / s), the circumferential velocity uniformity at the outlet of this embodiment was 89%. Under low airflow conditions (inlet 6 m / s, outlet gap area reduced to 700 mm²), through adaptive feedback, the duct expands radially, and the helical angle decreases to 33°. At this point, the outlet airflow velocity recovers to 7.5 m / s, and the uniformity remains at 88%. Under high airflow conditions (inlet 20 m / s, outlet gap increased to 2000 mm²), the helical angle adaptively increases to 46°, and the uniformity remains at 87%.

[0069] This embodiment is particularly suitable for scenarios where the initial swirl intensity requirement is not high, but low flow resistance is desired with a wider airflow adjustment range.

[0070] Example 3

[0071] This embodiment is basically the same in structure as Embodiment 1, the only difference being the parameter setting of the guide deflection angle α. In this embodiment, the minimum value of α is 15° and the maximum value is 75°. Specifically, the distribution is as follows: at 0°, 180°, and 360° positions, α is 15°; at 90° and 270° positions, α is 75°. Its circumferential distribution pattern is as follows... Figure 3 A curve with a midpoint dashed.

[0072] Accordingly, the helix angle θ of the helical guide 210 is designed to be 68°.

[0073] Tests showed that, under the baseline airflow conditions, the circumferential velocity uniformity at the outlet reached as high as 95%, demonstrating an extremely strong initial swirl establishment capability. Under low airflow conditions, the spiral angle adaptively decreased to 58°, while the uniformity remained at 93%; under high airflow conditions, the spiral angle adaptively increased to 76°, and the uniformity was still maintained above 92%.

[0074] This embodiment is applicable to precision process applications where there are extreme requirements for circumferential airflow uniformity and the system can withstand high flow resistance, such as semiconductor wafer surface treatment.

[0075] Example 4 (Comparative Example)

[0076] This embodiment serves as a comparison to illustrate the adverse consequences when the flow deflection angle α exceeds the preferred range. In this embodiment, the minimum value of α is set to 3°, and the maximum value is set to 80°.

[0077] Experiments revealed that at the minimum deflection angle of 3°, the airflow exhibited almost no deflection, resulting in a significant axial velocity component in the outlet airflow at the corresponding azimuth. This disrupted the circumferential uniformity of the annular airflow, with the measured circumferential velocity non-uniformity worsening to over 25%. At the maximum deflection angle of 80°, the excessive deflection angle caused a surge in local drag, triggering severe secondary flows and eddies. This not only increased the total pressure loss by approximately 40% compared to Example 1 but also generated significant broadband aerodynamic noise. Even with adaptive adjustment mechanisms, it was impossible to fully compensate for the fundamental flow field distortion caused by the initial design flaws.

[0078] Overall Review

[0079] As can be seen from the systematic experimental data of Examples 1 to 4, setting the minimum value of the guide deflection angle α between 5° and 15° and the maximum value between 45° and 75° is an experimentally verified preferred technical range that effectively balances circumferential uniformity, flow resistance, and swirl intensity. Values ​​below or above this range will have unacceptable negative impacts on the overall quality of the 360° annular airflow.

[0080] In summary, this invention, through ingenious fluid-structure interaction design, utilizes its own flow field parameters as control signals to achieve automatic matching of guiding intensity and airflow conditions without the need for external sensors, controllers, or actuators. This structure ensures that even under wide-ranging operating conditions with significant airflow fluctuations, a high-quality 360° uniform annular airflow output can be automatically maintained after a single manual setting of the outlet gap area, demonstrating extremely high industrial practical value.

[0081] Finally, the following points should be noted: First, in the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection", and "linkage" should be interpreted broadly, and can be mechanical or electrical connections, or internal connections between two components, or direct connections. "Up", "down", "left", "right", etc. are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may change.

[0082] Secondly: The accompanying drawings of the embodiments disclosed in this invention only involve the structures involved in the embodiments disclosed in this invention. Other structures can refer to the general design. In the absence of conflict, the same embodiment and different embodiments of this invention can be combined with each other.

[0083] In conclusion, the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A deformable flexible air outlet structure for achieving 360° annular airflow, characterized in that: It includes an airflow generating section (100), an airflow transmission section (200), and an airflow control section (300) connected sequentially along the airflow direction. The airflow generating section (100) converts axial airflow into rotating airflow; The airflow transmission section (200) is an axially limited composite flexible tube, and its inner wall is provided with a spiral guide (210) to maintain the circumferential uniformity of the rotating airflow in a bent state. The airflow control section (300) is provided with an annular pressure equalization chamber (330), an annular air outlet gap (340) and an air volume adjustment group (320). The air volume adjustment group (320) adjusts the air volume by changing the flow area of ​​the annular air outlet gap (340). The annular equalizing chamber (330) is fluidly connected to the inner cavity of the airflow transmission section (200), forming a fluid dynamic pressure feedback path. When the airflow regulating group (320) changes the flow area, causing a change in the static pressure inside the annular equalizing chamber (330), the change in static pressure acts in the opposite direction on the airflow transmission section (200), driving it to expand or contract radially, thereby changing the effective inner diameter and helical angle of the spiral guide (210), so that the guiding intensity of the spiral guide (210) on the rotating airflow is automatically matched with the current airflow condition.

2. The deformable flexible air outlet structure for achieving 360° annular airflow according to claim 1, characterized in that: The airflow generating section (100) is a first rigid cylinder (101) with a guide ring (102) fixed inside. The guide ring (102) is composed of multiple guide vanes (111) arranged circumferentially. Each guide vane (111) has a preset guide deflection angle to convert the axially entering airflow into a rotating airflow with a circumferential rotation component.

3. The deformable flexible air outlet structure for achieving 360° annular airflow according to claim 2, characterized in that: The multiple guide vanes (111) are evenly distributed within the same cross-section of the guide ring (102). Each guide vane (111) rotates only around its own radial axis by the guide deflection angle. The guide deflection angle α of the multiple guide vanes (111) varies along the circumferential direction as follows: taking the projection point of the central axis of the air inlet on the plane where the guide ring (102) is located as the 0° reference point, the guide deflection angle α gradually increases along the circumferential direction from this 0° point, reaches the maximum value at 90° and 270°, decreases back to the minimum value at 180°, and then continues to increase to the 360° position. The minimum value of the guide deflection angle α is between 5° and 15°, and the maximum value is between 45° and 75°.

4. The deformable flexible air outlet structure for achieving 360° annular airflow according to claim 1, characterized in that: The airflow transmission section (200) includes an elastic inner tube (201) and a spiral spring steel wire skeleton (202) tightly wrapped around its outer wall; the spiral guide (210) is at least one spiral protruding rib integrally formed on the inner wall of the elastic inner tube (201); the air inlet end of the airflow transmission section (200) is airtightly connected to the airflow generating section (100) and axially limited and fixed through a first locking joint (220), and its air outlet end is airtightly connected to the airflow regulating section (300) and axially limited and fixed through a second locking joint (230); the first locking joint (220) and the second locking joint (230) axially press the corresponding ends of the spiral spring steel wire skeleton (202) so that the airflow transmission section (200) cannot be extended or retracted in the axial direction.

5. The deformable flexible air outlet structure for achieving 360° annular airflow according to claim 4, characterized in that: There is a corresponding relationship between the helical rise angle of the spiral protruding rib and the maximum value of the guide deflection angle, so that under the reference airflow condition, when the rotating airflow generated by the guide ring (102) enters the airflow transmission section (200), the deviation between its actual spiral motion trajectory angle and the helical rise angle of the spiral protruding rib is no greater than 5°.

6. The deformable flexible air outlet structure for achieving 360° annular airflow according to claim 5, characterized in that: The airflow control section includes A second rigid cylindrical body (301) has a columnar inner wall and has an input end and an output end; A central cone (310) is coaxially disposed inside the second rigid cylinder (301). Its outer cone surface and the inner wall surface of the second rigid cylinder (301) together define an annular pressure equalization cavity (330). The annular pressure equalization cavity (330) is used to guide the incoming annular spiral airflow to flow forward while rotating. The outer edge of the cone bottom of the central cone (310) and the inner edge of the output end of the second rigid cylinder (301) together define an annular air outlet gap (340). An airflow regulating unit (320) includes an regulating push rod (321). One end of the regulating push rod (321) is fixedly connected to the central cone (310), and the other end passes through and extends out of the second rigid cylinder (301). The regulating push rod (321) drives the central cone (310) to move back and forth along the axial direction, directly changing the flow area of ​​the annular air outlet gap (340).

7. A deformable flexible air outlet structure for achieving 360° annular airflow according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the central cone (310) moves in the direction of reducing the flow area of ​​the annular air outlet gap (340), the static pressure in the annular equalizing chamber (330) increases. The increased static pressure acts in the opposite direction on the inner wall of the elastic inner tube (201) through the fluid dynamic pressure feedback passage, driving the elastic inner tube (201) to expand radially, thereby increasing the effective inner diameter of the spiral guide (210) and reducing the spiral angle, thus reducing the guiding intensity of the rotating airflow and adapting to small air volume conditions. When the central cone (310) moves in the direction of increasing the flow area, the static pressure in the annular equalizing chamber (330) decreases, and the elastic inner tube (201) contracts radially under the action of its own elastic restoring force and the radial constraint force of the spiral spring wire skeleton (202), which reduces the effective inner diameter of the spiral guide (210) and increases the spiral helix angle, thereby enhancing the guiding strength of the rotating airflow and adapting to large air volume conditions.

8. The deformable flexible air outlet structure for achieving 360° annular airflow according to claim 7, characterized in that: The elastic inner tube (201) is made of silicone or rubber material with a Shore hardness between 30A and 60A; the ratio of the protrusion height Hr of the spiral guide (210) to the minimum inner diameter D of the elastic inner tube in the undeformed state satisfies: 0.05 ≤ Hr / D ≤ 0.

2.

9. A deformable flexible air outlet structure for achieving 360° annular airflow according to claim 8, characterized in that: The spiral guide (210) and the elastic inner tube (201) are integrally formed by the base.

10. A deformable flexible air outlet structure for achieving 360° annular airflow according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first locking connector (220) and the second locking connector (230) each include a compression sleeve with external threads and an internal thread interface located at the end of the corresponding hard cylinder. The two compression sleeves are fixedly connected by multiple axially penetrating screw threads.

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