Horizontal foaming kettle temperature equalizing device

Abstract

A horizontal foaming kettle temperature equalizing device, including horizontal cylindrical kettle body and temperature equalizing device, temperature equalizing device includes centrifugal impeller, drive motor and shunt baffle assembly;Centrifugal impeller is located in the kettle body one end head inside, is driven rotation by drive motor;Shunt baffle assembly includes the upper baffle, lower baffle, left baffle and right baffle that are arranged in the circumferential direction interval in the kettle body inside, each baffle all extends along the axial direction of kettle body, and forms upper air supply channel, left air supply channel, right air supply channel and lower return air channel with the inner wall of kettle body, is set up air supply port or return air port on each baffle.The utility model utilizes centrifugal impeller to drive airflow, adjusts the air volume through adjustable baffle, makes hot air forced circulation through lower return air channel, realizes even distribution of temperature in the kettle, can adapt to various foaming reactions, and guarantees the quality of foaming product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of polymer material foaming equipment, specifically to a horizontal foaming kettle temperature equalization device. Background Technology

[0002] In the supercritical fluid foaming process of polymer materials, the temperature uniformity of the horizontal foaming reactor directly affects the density consistency and mechanical properties of the foamed product. Existing technologies have the following shortcomings: 1) Uneven airflow distribution: The airflow is concentrated at the near end of the air supply channel, while insufficient at the far end, resulting in a significant axial temperature gradient within the reactor, with overheating at the near end and underheating at the far end; 2) Low thermal circulation efficiency: Relying solely on natural convection or simple mechanical stirring, it fails to fully utilize the principle of "hot air rises, cold air sinks," leading to poor temperature uniformity in deeper regions; 3) Insufficient adaptability: Lacking airflow adjustment methods, it cannot adapt to the differentiated temperature distribution requirements of foaming processes with different materials and pressures. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a temperature equalization device that can accurately control airflow distribution and efficiently combine natural convection and forced circulation to solve the technical problem of uneven temperature in horizontal foaming reactors. Utility Model Content

[0003] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this utility model provides a horizontal foaming kettle temperature equalization device. This device utilizes a centrifugal impeller to drive airflow, combined with the natural law of "hot air rising and cold air sinking," and adjusts the airflow through an adjustable baffle to force hot air to circulate through the lower return air channel, thereby achieving uniform temperature distribution inside the kettle. It can be adapted to various foaming reactions and ensures the quality of foamed products.

[0004] The present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] A horizontal foaming kettle temperature equalization device includes a kettle body and a temperature equalization device. The kettle body is a horizontal cylindrical structure with its axis set horizontally. The temperature equalization device includes a centrifugal impeller, a drive motor, and a flow divider baffle assembly.

[0006] The centrifugal impeller is located inside the end cap of one end of the vessel body and is used to drive the gas circulation inside the vessel; the drive motor is located outside the vessel body and its output shaft is connected to the impeller shaft of the centrifugal impeller.

[0007] The diversion baffle assembly includes an upper baffle, a lower baffle, a left baffle, a right baffle, and a sealing plate arranged circumferentially inside the vessel body, with each baffle extending along the axial direction of the vessel body.

[0008] The upper baffle and the upper area of ​​the inner wall of the vessel form an upper air supply channel;

[0009] The left baffle and the left side area of ​​the inner wall of the vessel form a left air supply channel;

[0010] The right baffle and the right side area of ​​the inner wall of the vessel form a right air supply channel;

[0011] The lower baffle and the lower area of ​​the inner wall of the vessel form a lower return air channel;

[0012] The lower baffle is provided with a return air vent, and the upper baffle, left baffle and right baffle are respectively provided with air supply vents;

[0013] The end of each baffle closest to the centrifugal impeller is the proximal end, and the end furthest from the centrifugal impeller is the distal end.

[0014] The sealing plate is located near the end of each baffle to isolate the upper air supply channel, left air supply channel, right air supply channel and lower return air channel from the material inside the vessel;

[0015] The outer periphery of the lower baffle is sealed to the inner wall of the vessel, so that the lower return air channel forms an independent air duct with its outer periphery closed. The near end of the lower return air channel is connected to one end of the exhaust pipe through the exhaust port, and the other end of the exhaust pipe is connected to the impeller chamber. The centrifugal impeller is located in the impeller chamber.

[0016] The distal ends of the upper baffle, left baffle, and right baffle are open, allowing the distal ends of the upper air supply channel, left air supply channel, and right air supply channel to communicate with the central region of the vessel body; the proximal ends of the upper baffle, left baffle, and right baffle are connected to the impeller chamber.

[0017] Through the above technical solution, firstly, this utility model achieves efficient synergy between natural convection and forced circulation. This device uses a centrifugal impeller as the driving force, combining gas flow patterns with active control. During operation, relatively low-temperature gas naturally converges in the lower return air channel under the effect of "cold gas sinking," and is then actively drawn in by the centrifugal impeller and transported to the upper, left, and right air supply channels. Simultaneously, the heated "hot gas" is forcibly guided into the central region of the vessel where the core reaction occurs under the continuous suction of the impeller. This forms a closed thermal cycle of cold gas sinking – active suction and transport – hot gas rising – forced return. This design not only conforms to the gas flow patterns but also significantly improves circulation power and efficiency through external forced drive.

[0018] Furthermore, this invention employs a multi-channel layout, with air supply from three sides (upper, left, and right) and a return air channel at the bottom, enabling three-dimensional diffusion of hot gas within the reactor. Specifically, under the suction of the centrifugal impeller, the gas flows from the bottom return air channel into the impeller chamber, and is then respectively sent to the upper, left, and right air supply channels. It then returns to the reactor space from these channels, and is subsequently drawn back into the bottom return air channel, forming a closed-loop thermal cycle. This structure utilizes the externally sealed bottom return air channel to effectively draw the centrifugal impeller into the lower region of the reactor, allowing for efficient recovery of cold gas from the bottom. This eliminates axial and radial temperature gradients, effectively mitigating the axial temperature gradient and radial thermal unevenness problems present in traditional horizontal reactors. This improves the temperature uniformity of the working area within the reactor, providing a stable and uniform thermal environment for the supercritical fluid foaming process of polymer materials, fundamentally ensuring the stability of the foamed product quality.

[0019] Preferably, the air inlets on the upper baffle, left baffle, and right baffle are evenly distributed along the axial direction of each baffle, and are used to supply air to the middle region of the vessel body; the return air inlets on the lower baffle are evenly distributed along its axial direction, and are used to recover the airflow collected at the bottom of the vessel body.

[0020] Through the above technical solution, the air supply and return air outlets are axially evenly distributed on their respective baffles, ensuring that hot air can be evenly delivered to each section of the central axial direction of the vessel body; the return air outlets, which are axially evenly distributed on the lower baffle, can recover the airflow gathered at the bottom of the vessel body. This structure can effectively break the axial heat unevenness caused by the length direction in the horizontal vessel.

[0021] Preferably, the air supply vent on the upper baffle and the air return vent on the lower baffle are offset from each other in the vertical direction, so that the airflow cannot form direct convection between the two vents.

[0022] By offsetting the air inlet of the upper air supply duct and the return air inlet of the lower air return duct vertically, the structural design prevents the hot air from returning directly to the return air duct without sufficient mixing. This ensures that the hot air must be ejected from the air supply inlet, undergo sufficient diffusion, mixing, and heat exchange in the working area in the middle of the vessel before being drawn in through the return air inlet. This effectively avoids the problem of insufficient local heat exchange caused by airflow taking shortcuts, ensuring the quality of the heat circulation and the effectiveness of the temperature equalization device.

[0023] Preferably, the air supply outlet and the air return outlet are provided with guide vanes, which are arranged at an angle of 30° to 60°.

[0024] Through the above technical solution, this utility model sets guide vanes on the air supply and return air inlets to guide the airflow into and out of the channel at an oblique angle, which can break the direct convection between the air supply and return air inlets, so that the airflow forms a meandering flow in the middle area of ​​the reactor body, greatly increasing the contact time and coverage of the material, and reducing local temperature dead zones; the guide vanes guide the gas to make the airflow smoother, which can reduce the impact on the foaming material in the reactor and ensure the product molding quality.

[0025] Preferably, the opening of the air supply vents on the upper baffle, left baffle, and right baffle is adjustable, and the opening of the return air vent on the lower baffle is adjustable.

[0026] More preferably, both the air supply outlet and the air return outlet are provided with a sliding adjustable air regulating plate. The air regulating plate has elongated adjustment grooves on both sides. Adjustment pins pass through the adjustment grooves and are fixed to the corresponding baffles. The air regulating plate can be slid along the adjustment grooves to adjust the opening of the air supply outlet or the air return outlet. By adjusting the opening of the air regulating plate, the air volume at the near end and the far end can be evenly distributed.

[0027] Through the above technical solution, the air regulating plate assembly added to this utility model solves the problem of uneven air delivery caused by airflow resistance. By adjusting the opening of each air outlet, implementing a small opening at the near end and a large opening at the far end, the pressure loss of the airflow in the channel can be compensated, thereby ensuring that hot air can be evenly delivered to all positions along the axial direction of the vessel, effectively avoiding the temperature gradient of overheating at the near end and underheating at the far end. This design not only achieves balanced axial airflow and improves the uniformity within the vessel, but also adapts to the differentiated temperature distribution requirements of foaming processes with different materials and pressures, enhancing the process adaptability of the device.

[0028] Preferably, the upper air supply channel, left air supply channel, right air supply channel, and lower return air channel are all equipped with heating elements for heating the gas inside the vessel.

[0029] More preferably, the heating element is an electric heating tube or a finned heating structure, and is uniformly distributed along the axial direction of the corresponding airflow channel.

[0030] By adding heating elements to each air supply channel through the above technical solution, the low-temperature gas drawn in by the centrifugal impeller and sent to each channel can be warmed by the heating elements in the channel. This design brings more precise and proactive temperature control capabilities. When the gas flows through, it is uniformly heated into hot gas by the heating elements and then sent into the space inside the vessel through the air outlet, ensuring the temperature of the airflow participating in the circulation. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the longitudinal section in Example 1.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-section in Example 1.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a partial unfolded schematic diagram of the air supply duct in Example 1.

[0034] Figure 4 This is a partial unfolded schematic diagram of the return air duct in Example 1.

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the longitudinal section in Example 2.

[0036] In the diagram: 1-Bottle body; 2-Centrifugal impeller; 3-Drive motor; 4-Baffle assembly; 4a-Upper baffle; 4b-Lower baffle; 4c-Left baffle; 4d-Right baffle; 5-Air inlet; 6-Air outlet; 7-Air regulating plate; 8-Regulating groove; 9-Regulating pin; 10-Electric heating element; 11-Sealing plate; 12-Impeller chamber; 13-Exhaust port; 14-Exhaust duct; 15-Guide plate; A-Upper air supply channel; B-Lower return air channel; C-Left air supply channel; D-Right air supply channel. Detailed Implementation

[0037] Example 1

[0038] A horizontal foaming kettle temperature equalization device includes a kettle body 1 and a temperature equalization device. The kettle body 1 is a horizontal cylindrical shape and is made of high temperature and high pressure resistant alloy material to ensure airtightness and strength.

[0039] The temperature equalization device includes a centrifugal impeller 2, a drive motor 3, and a flow divider assembly 4. The centrifugal impeller 2 is located inside one end cap of the vessel body and is used to drive the gas circulation inside the vessel. The drive motor 3 is located outside the vessel body, and its output shaft is connected to the impeller shaft of the centrifugal impeller 2. Here, the connection between the drive motor and the vessel body can be achieved using a mechanical seal, or a combination of an inner magnetic rotor and an outer magnetic rotor of a magnetic coupler, or other technologies known in the art to achieve high-pressure sealing.

[0040] The diversion baffle assembly 4 includes an upper baffle 4a, a lower baffle 4b, a left baffle 4c, and a right baffle 4d arranged circumferentially within the vessel body, each baffle extending axially along the vessel body. The upper baffle 4a and the upper region of the vessel body's inner wall form an upper air supply channel A; the left baffle 4c and the left side of the vessel body's inner wall form a left air supply channel C; the right baffle 4d and the right side of the vessel body's inner wall form a right air supply channel D; and the lower baffle 4b and the lower region of the vessel body's inner wall form a lower return air channel B.

[0041] The end of each baffle that is closer to the centrifugal impeller 2 is the proximal end, and the end that is farther away from the centrifugal impeller 2 is the distal end;

[0042] The sealing plate 11 is located near the end of each baffle to isolate the upper air supply channel, left air supply channel, right air supply channel and lower return air channel from the material inside the vessel;

[0043] The outer periphery of the lower baffle 4b is sealed to the inner wall of the vessel, making the lower return air channel B a closed independent air duct. The near end of the lower return air channel B is connected to one end of the exhaust pipe 14 via the exhaust port 13, and the other end of the exhaust pipe 14 is connected to the impeller chamber 12. The centrifugal impeller 2 is located inside the impeller chamber 12.

[0044] The distal ends of the upper baffle 4a, left baffle 4c and right baffle 4d remain open, so that the distal ends of the upper air supply channel A, left air supply channel C and right air supply channel D are connected to the middle of the vessel body; the proximal ends of the upper baffle 4a, left baffle 4c and right baffle 4d are connected to the impeller chamber 12.

[0045] The lower baffle 4b is provided with a return air inlet 6, and the upper baffle 4a, left baffle 4c and right baffle 4d are respectively provided with air supply outlets 5; the near end of the lower baffle 4b is provided with an exhaust air outlet 13, which is connected to the impeller chamber 12 via an exhaust pipe 14, and the centrifugal impeller 2 is located in the impeller chamber 12.

[0046] In this embodiment, the return air inlet 6 and the supply air inlet 5 are evenly distributed along each baffle.

[0047] In this embodiment, the air supply vent 5 on the upper baffle and the air return vent 6 on the lower baffle are offset from each other in the vertical direction, so that the airflow cannot form direct convection between the two vents. The air supply vents at the upper air supply channel A, the left air supply channel C, and the right air supply channel D supply air to the middle area of ​​the vessel; the air return vents at the lower air return channel B are distributed in the middle and lower areas of the vessel.

[0048] In this embodiment, the opening of the air supply vents 5 on the upper baffle 4a, left baffle 4c, and right baffle 4d is adjustable, and the opening of the return air vent 6 on the lower baffle 4b is also adjustable. Specifically, each air supply vent 5 and return air vent 6 is equipped with a slidingly adjustable air regulating plate 7. The air regulating plate has elongated adjustment grooves 8 on both sides. Adjustment pins 9 pass through the adjustment grooves 8 and are fixed to the corresponding baffles. Sliding the air regulating plate 7 along the adjustment grooves 8 adjusts the opening of the air supply vent 5 or return air vent 6. By adjusting the opening of the air regulating plate, a uniform distribution of airflow between the near and far ends can be achieved.

[0049] In this embodiment, electric heating tubes 10 for heating the gas inside the vessel are installed in the upper air supply channel A, left air supply channel B, right air supply channel C, and lower return air channel D. The electric heating tubes 10 are evenly distributed along the axial direction of the corresponding airflow channel.

[0050] The working process of this embodiment

[0051] 1) Air volume adjustment: According to the requirements of the foaming process, adjust the opening of the air regulating plate 7 at the air outlet of each air supply channel, and adopt a gradient design of "small opening at the near end and large opening at the far end" to achieve uniform matching of air volume at the near end and the far end.

[0052] 2) Gas heating and conveying: The drive motor 3 drives the centrifugal impeller 2 to rotate, drawing relatively low-temperature gas from the lower return air channel B and conveying it to the upper air supply channel A, left air supply channel C and right air supply channel D. When the gas flows through, it is uniformly heated into hot gas by the electric heating tube 10, and then sent into the space inside the vessel through the air supply port.

[0053] 3) Enhanced thermal circulation: Hot gas naturally flows upward to the top of the vessel 1 due to the "rising hot gas". At the same time, the centrifugal impeller 2 continuously draws in the hot gas, which is forced back through the lower return air channel B and combines with natural convection to form a closed-loop thermal circulation.

[0054] 4) Three-dimensional thermal mixing: The upper air supply channel A, the left air supply channel C and the right air supply channel D supply heat to the middle of the vessel from multiple directions, while the lower return air channel B draws air from the bottom, forming a three-dimensional thermal mixing in the vessel and eliminating axial and radial temperature gradients.

[0055] Example 2

[0056] The difference between this embodiment 2 and embodiment 1 is that guide vanes 15 are provided on the air supply outlet 5 and the return air outlet 6, and the guide vanes 15 are arranged at a 45° angle to the horizontal plane.

[0057] In this embodiment, guide vanes are installed on the air supply and return air inlets to guide the airflow into and out of the channel at an oblique angle. This breaks the direct convection between the air supply and return air inlets, allowing the airflow to form a meandering flow in the middle area of ​​the reactor body. This significantly increases the contact time and coverage area with the material, and reduces local temperature dead zones. The guide vanes also make the airflow smoother, reducing the impact on the foaming material inside the reactor and ensuring the quality of the product molding.

[0058] The above description provides a detailed account of one embodiment of the present invention. However, this description is merely a preferred embodiment and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. All equivalent variations and improvements made within the scope of the claims of the present invention should still fall within the patent coverage of the present invention.

Claims

1. A horizontal foaming kettle temperature equalization device, characterized in that: It includes a vessel body and a temperature equalization device. The vessel body is a horizontal cylindrical structure with its axis set horizontally. The temperature equalization device includes a centrifugal impeller, a drive motor, and a flow divider baffle assembly. The centrifugal impeller is located inside the end cap of one end of the vessel body and is used to drive the gas circulation inside the vessel; the drive motor is located outside the vessel body and its output shaft is connected to the impeller shaft of the centrifugal impeller. The diversion baffle assembly includes an upper baffle, a lower baffle, a left baffle, a right baffle, and a sealing plate arranged circumferentially inside the vessel body, with each baffle extending along the axial direction of the vessel body. The upper baffle and the upper area of ​​the inner wall of the vessel form an upper air supply channel; The left baffle and the left side area of ​​the inner wall of the vessel form a left air supply channel; The right baffle and the right side area of ​​the inner wall of the vessel form a right air supply channel; The lower baffle and the lower area of ​​the inner wall of the vessel form a lower return air channel; The lower baffle is provided with a return air vent, and the upper baffle, left baffle and right baffle are respectively provided with air supply vents; The end of each baffle closest to the centrifugal impeller is the proximal end, and the end furthest from the centrifugal impeller is the distal end. The sealing plate is located near the end of each baffle to isolate the upper air supply channel, left air supply channel, right air supply channel and lower return air channel from the material inside the vessel; The outer periphery of the lower baffle is sealed to the inner wall of the vessel, so that the lower return air channel forms an independent air duct with its outer periphery closed. The near end of the lower return air channel is connected to one end of the exhaust pipe through the exhaust port, and the other end of the exhaust pipe is connected to the impeller chamber. The centrifugal impeller is located in the impeller chamber. The distal ends of the upper baffle, left baffle, and right baffle are open, allowing the distal ends of the upper air supply channel, left air supply channel, and right air supply channel to communicate with the central region of the vessel body; the proximal ends of the upper baffle, left baffle, and right baffle are connected to the impeller chamber.

2. The horizontal foaming kettle temperature equalization device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air inlets on the upper, left, and right baffles are evenly distributed along the axial direction of each baffle, and are used to supply air to the middle area of ​​the vessel body; the return air inlets on the lower baffle are evenly distributed along its axial direction, and are used to recover the airflow collected at the bottom of the vessel body.

3. The horizontal foaming kettle temperature equalization device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air supply vents on the upper baffle and the air return vents on the lower baffle are offset from each other in the vertical direction, so that the airflow cannot form direct convection between the two vents.

4. The horizontal foaming kettle temperature equalization device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The air supply and return air inlets are equipped with guide vanes, which are arranged at an angle of 30° to 60°.

5. The horizontal foaming kettle temperature equalization device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The opening of the air supply vents on the upper, left, and right baffles is adjustable, and the opening of the return air vent on the lower baffle is adjustable.

6. The horizontal foaming kettle temperature equalization device according to claim 5, characterized in that: Both the air supply outlet and the air return outlet are equipped with a sliding adjustable air regulating plate. The air regulating plate has elongated adjustment grooves on both sides. Adjustment pins pass through the adjustment grooves and are fixed to the corresponding baffles. The air regulating plate can be slid along the adjustment grooves to adjust the opening of the air supply outlet or the air return outlet.

7. The horizontal foaming kettle temperature equalization device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Heating elements for heating the gas inside the reactor are installed in the upper air supply channel, left air supply channel, right air supply channel, and lower return air channel.

8. The horizontal foaming kettle temperature equalization device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The heating element is an electric heating tube or a finned heating structure, and is evenly distributed along the axial direction of the corresponding airflow channel.

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