Heatable material storage tank

Abstract

To provide an improved heating device which is easy to make and operate, and improves heat exchange near a storage tank, thereby significantly reducing a heating time of the storage tank as compared to conventional heating devices.SOLUTION: A heating device (1) comprises: a casing (10) having a main chamber (14) in which a storage tank (100) is at least partially disposed; a heating element (20); and a blower (30) configured to form a flow by sucking a gaseous fluid from at least an upper part and convey the sucked gaseous fluid to the main chamber (14), wherein the blower (30) is disposed in a suction duct (40), and an arrangement (200) further comprises a guide sleeve element (50) that is disposed in the main chamber (14) for optimizing heat transfer, and forms a peripheral space (51) around the storage tank (100).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a heating device based on electric heating and forced air circulation, configured to heat a storage tank filled with a material that needs to be in liquid form for use, for example, in a low-pressure dispenser for treating polyurethane or other thermosetting polymers.

Background Art

[0002] Low-pressure or high-pressure dispensers, also referred to as meter mixers or casting machines, comprise at least two component circuits, each component circuit comprising a storage tank containing one component to be heated to acquire a liquid form with a determined viscosity. This dispenser includes a precision gear pump and a hose connected to and usually returning from a mixing head.

[0003] Generally, a heating device for heating the storage tank of this type of machine includes a main chamber in which the storage tank is at least partially incorporated, together with a metering element connected to the storage tank. The main chamber of this heating device includes a heating electric resistance configured to heat the air contained in this main chamber to heat the storage tank and the metering element, and a blower that enables the heated air to circulate and enter the main chamber.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] This type of configuration is advantageous because it is easy to implement, the technology used to heat the storage tank is not as expensive as other heating technologies such as a double-wall device with a heating fluid (water, oil, glycol), and all elements of the configuration (the storage tank and the metering element) are heated using the same device. However, the heat transfer of the air flow is generally insufficient, and it takes several hours to heat the material contained in the storage tank to the target temperature and viscosity. Furthermore, at elevated temperatures above 80 degrees Celsius, this insufficient conductivity and heat transfer performance results in a high gradient, making it difficult to set the material inside the storage tank to the target set value.

[0005] Based on the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved heating device that is simply manufactured and operated and that significantly reduces the heating time of a storage tank compared to conventional heating devices by improving heat exchange near the storage tank.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] For this purpose, one object of the present invention is a configuration comprising a storage tank filled with a material and a heating device configured to heat the storage tank, wherein the heating device is a housing that defines an internal volume, the internal volume having an upper portion, an intermediate portion, and a lower portion along the longitudinal axis of the housing, and a main chamber in which the storage tank is at least partially disposed, a housing having at least one heating element disposed at least partially in the internal volume and configured to heat a gaseous fluid contained in the internal volume, and a blower configured to form a flow by sucking the gaseous fluid from at least the upper portion and convey the sucked gaseous fluid to the main chamber, the suction duct extending away from the main chamber in the internal volume and communicating with the main chamber, the blower being disposed in the suction duct, the configuration further comprising a guide sleeve element disposed at a distance from the storage tank in the main chamber and forming a peripheral space around the storage tank, the guide sleeve element having a cylindrical shape forming an annular portion at a height greater than half the height of the storage tank, and guiding the gaseous fluid conveyed to the main chamber to the peripheral space such that the gaseous fluid has the highest possible speed corresponding to the allowable pressure drop of the fan.

[0007] According to this configuration of the present invention, in order to improve heat transfer with the storage tank, the heated gaseous fluid is guided through the internal volume of the housing. In fact, the guide sleeve element is formed to receive the storage tank, and the heated flow is guided inside the guide sleeve element in the peripheral space formed between the outer wall of the storage tank and the inner surface of the guide sleeve element. This space allows the heated gaseous fluid to be as close as possible to the outer wall of the storage tank at an increased speed in order to increase heat transfer and heating speed. According to the present invention, the heating time of the storage tank is dramatically reduced by 40 to 60% compared to the prior art using the same installed power, enabling significantly improved heat exchange. Preferably, the fluid gas is air.

[0008] According to one feature of the present invention, the housing includes a double-wall structure for thermal isolation. According to one feature of the present invention, the housing includes a door that enables access to the storage tank, and metering elements such as a pump, a plurality of ducts, a plurality of valves, filters, and a plurality of sensors for transporting the material contained in the storage tank. According to one feature of the present invention, the configuration can include a single accessible housing.

[0009] According to one feature of the present invention, the housing includes side walls, an upper wall, and a lower wall that define the internal volume.

[0010] According to one feature of the present invention, the housing can have a cylindrical shape, a polygonal shape, or any shape that conforms to the storage tank and components to be heated.

[0011] According to one feature of the present invention, the guide sleeve element is formed to maintain an optimal flow by having a maximum speed and a larger contact surface that forms a pressure drop corresponding to the blower. For example, the guide sleeve element can have a cylindrical shape or a polygonal shape that forms an annular portion at a height greater than half the height of the storage tank.

[0012] According to another feature of the present invention, the metering element is configured to enable circulation of the material from the storage tank to the dispenser and includes a pump disposed in the internal volume of the heating device.

[0013] According to one feature of the present invention, metering elements such as a pump and a plurality of ducts for transporting the liquid material contained in the storage tank, and a plurality of valves, filters, and a plurality of sensors are preferably disposed in the main chamber of the heating device.

[0014] According to this configuration, the pump and the plurality of ducts for transporting the above material are heated by the heated flow transported to the main chamber by the blower in order to maintain the liquid state of this material even when the material is outside the storage tank.

[0015] According to one feature of the present invention, the heating device is arranged above the guide sleeve element and includes an upper cavity that extends along the horizontal axis of the housing. Preferably, the upper cavity extends along the upper wall of the housing to the upper part of the internal volume of the housing. The upper cavity enables the circulation of the flow towards the suction duct.

[0016] According to one feature of the present invention, the upper cavity is in fluid communication with the guide sleeve element. According to one feature of the present invention, the upper cavity is in fluid communication with the suction duct.

[0017] According to one feature of the present invention, the blower is arranged in the suction duct in the lower part of the internal volume of the housing.

[0018] According to one feature of the present invention, the guide sleeve element includes an inner surface arranged all around the outer wall of the storage tank.

[0019] According to one feature of the present invention, the guide sleeve element includes a first end communicating with the main chamber and a second end on the opposite side of the first end and connected to the upper cavity.

[0020] According to one feature of the present invention, the suction duct includes a first segment extending from the upper part of the internal volume to the middle part of the internal volume.

[0021] According to one feature of the present invention, the suction duct includes one or several segments of the duct, and this segment is formed according to a plurality of elements accommodated in this segment.

[0022] According to one feature of the present invention, the suction duct includes a second segment extending from the middle portion of the internal volume to the lower portion of the internal volume. Preferably, the first segment of the suction duct has a reduced cross-section compared to the cross-section of the second segment. The difference between these two cross-sections makes it possible to increase the debit flow upstream of the blower in order to increase the heating process of the gaseous fluid.

[0023] According to one feature of the present invention, the heating element is arranged upstream from the blower, preferably in the suction duct. Preferably, the at least one heating element is arranged in the suction duct, in the middle portion or the upper portion of the internal volume, in order to heat the gaseous fluid upstream of the main chamber. This arrangement makes it possible to heat a small volume of gaseous fluid at an increased debit flow, thereby increasing the speed of the heating process to reach the targeted temperature value. Preferably, the gaseous fluid to be heated comes from the upper cavity of the heating device.

[0024] According to one feature of the present invention, the heating element is an electrical resistance, which is simple, standard and can be less expensive compared to other technologies.

[0025] According to one feature of the present invention, the heating element includes several heating elements.

[0026] According to one feature of the present invention, the heating device includes a control unit configured to control the at least one heating element and / or the blower.

[0027] According to one feature of the present invention, the heating element includes a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the gaseous fluid inside the internal element.

[0028] According to one feature of the present invention, the control unit, in cooperation with the temperature sensor, maintains the temperature of the gaseous fluid at a determined setpoint. Thus, the temperature sensor measures the temperature inside the internal volume, transmits the measured value to the control unit, and the control unit controls the at least one heating element and / or the blower in order to reach the determined temperature setpoint.

[0029] According to one feature of the present invention, when the temperature of the gaseous fluid is at the targeted setpoint, the control unit disconnects the at least one heating element. When the temperature of the gaseous fluid is lower than the targeted setpoint, the control unit controls the at least one heating element in order to increase the temperature of the gaseous fluid.

[0030] According to one feature of the present invention, the speed of the flow is determined by the control unit in order to adapt to the at least one heating element and optimize heat transfer. For example, when the targeted temperature is reached, the speed of the flow can be decreased (e.g., to half the fan speed) in order to save energy due to reduced heat loss and motor consumption.

[0031] One object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser for processing polymers from at least two circuit components, including at least a first circuit component equipped with the configuration according to the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0032] The present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description, which describes several embodiments of the present invention by way of example based on the following drawings.

[0033]

Figure 1

[0034]

Figure 2

[0035]

Figure 3

[0036] The configuration 200 according to the present invention includes a heating device 1 configured to heat at least one storage tank 100 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The heating device 1 includes a housing 10 having a plurality of side walls 11, an upper wall 12, and a lower wall 13 that define an internal volume. As is apparent, the illustrated housing 10 has a polygonal shape, but may be cylindrical or any other shape without departing from the scope of the present invention. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing 10 includes a double-wall structure, that is, each of the side walls 11, the upper wall 12, and the lower wall 13 is double to ensure heat insulation of the housing 10.

[0037] The heating device 1 further includes at least one heating element 20, preferably several heating elements 20, configured to be at least partially disposed inside the internal volume of the housing 10 to heat the air flow. In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of heating elements 20 are electrical resistances, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0038] The heating device 1 further includes a blower fan 30 configured to generate an air flow by sucking air from at least the upper portion 10a and convey the sucked air to the main chamber 14.

[0039] The internal volume is divided into three parts, namely, an upper part 10a, an intermediate part 10b, and a lower part 10c with respect to the longitudinal axis Y - Y of the housing 10. These parts are schematically shown in FIG. 1.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the heating device 1 includes an air suction duct 40 extending from the upper part 10a to the lower part 10c, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Preferably, a plurality of heating elements 20 are arranged in the air suction duct 40 in the intermediate part 10b upstream of the blower fan. Further, the blower fan 30 is also arranged in the air suction duct 40 in the lower part 10c to suck air from the upper part 10a to the lower part 10c and convey the sucked air to the main chamber 14.

[0041] The air suction duct 40 includes a first segment 41 extending from the upper part 10a to the intermediate part 10b and a second segment 42 extending from the intermediate part 10b to the lower part 10c. As shown in FIG. 1, for example, the first segment 41 has a reduced cross-section compared to the cross-section of the second segment 42. Obviously, the air suction duct 40 may have another shape without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0042] According to this embodiment of the configuration of the present invention, the above configuration further includes a guide sleeve element 50 provided in the main chamber 14 at a distance from the storage tank 100 and forming a peripheral air space 51 around the storage tank 100. This guide sleeve element 50 is configured to guide the air conveyed to the main chamber 14 to the peripheral air space 51 at a position as close as possible, taking into account the allowable pressure drop against the outer wall of the storage tank 100 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0043] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the heating device 1 can include an upper cavity 17 provided above the guide sleeve element 50 and extending along the transverse axis X-X of the housing 10, and preferably extending along the upper wall 12 of the housing 10 in the upper part 10a. The upper cavity 17 is preferably in fluid communication with the guide sleeve element 50 and the air suction duct 40 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 1, the heating device includes a control unit 60 configured to control the at least one heating element 20 and the blower fan 30. Further, the heating device 1 includes at least one temperature sensor 70 configured to measure the temperature of the air inside the housing 10. The control unit 60 cooperates with the temperature sensor 70 to maintain the temperature of the air at a determined set value. Thereby, the temperature sensor 70 measures the temperature inside the housing 10, particularly the temperature of the air suction duct 40, and transmits the measured value to the control unit 60, and the control unit 60 controls the plurality of heating elements 20 and / or the blower fan 30 to reach the determined temperature set value at a determined speed.

[0045] According to the present invention, the configuration 200 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is incorporated into a dispenser (not shown) for processing a polymer from two circuit components.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 2, the circulation of the heated air inside the internal volume of the housing 10 is a closed loop. The air from the upper cavity 17 is sucked into the air suction duct 40 by the blower fan 30 and is heated by the plurality of heating elements 20 all the way down to the lower part 10c. Thereafter, the blower fan 30 sends the sucked and heated air into the main chamber 14. The heated air flow is guided and forced to rise towards the upper part 17 by the guide sleeve element 50 in the internal volume. The heated air flow passes through the guide sleeve element 50 and heats the storage tank 100 provided in the guide sleeve element 50 by heat transfer, particularly as shown in FIG. 3. The air flow is guided into the upper cavity 17 by the guide sleeve element 50 and is sucked again into the air suction duct 40.

[0047] According to one embodiment of the present invention, metering elements 101, 102, such as a pump 101, a duct 102, a plurality of valves, a filter, a plurality of sensors, etc., for transporting a fluid material contained inside a storage tank 100, can be provided in the main chamber 14 of the heating device 1 in order to be heated by a heated air flow, which is advantageous.

[0048] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in order to reach a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius using a 200-liter storage tank 100, a fan and heating power similar to those used in the prior art, and a plurality of parameters described in the experimental section (paragraph

[0049] hereinafter), it can be said that an unexpectedly dramatic improvement was measured because the time to reach the target temperature was halved using a product actual temperature close to the set value, and the efficiency of this new heating device 1 by forced air circulation was demonstrated.

[0049] Experimental section In three cross-sections of the body 10 labeled with reference signs S1, S2, and S3 in FIG. 2, using the power of a blower fan of around 500 W, the output of the blower fan of 1000 m 3 / h, and a pressure drop of 500 Pa, the cross-sectional area (mm 2 ) and the air velocity (m / s) were measured. These measured values are presented in the following table.

Table 1

[0050] In another example (not shown), a plurality of parameters can change. That is, for the output of the blower fan of 500 to 2000 m 3 / h and the pressure drop of 200 to 2000 Pa, the power of the blower fan can be 200 to 2000 W.

Table 2

[0051] In another example (not shown), multiple parameters can vary. That is, for the output of the blower fan of 500 to 1500 m 3 / h and the pressure drop of 300 to 1000 Pa, the power of the blower fan can be 200 to 750 W.

Table 3

[0052] In the examples illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the gaseous fluid is air, but the present invention is not limited to this example. Further, the blower in the above example is a blower fan, but the blower can be any device configured to blow out air or a gaseous fluid. As is apparent, the present invention is not limited to the various embodiments described and represented using the accompanying drawings. In particular, various changes are still possible without departing from the scope of the present invention, from the perspective of the configuration of each element or by substituting technical equivalents.

Claims

1. An arrangement (200) comprising a storage tank (100) filled with a material and a heating device (1) configured to heat the storage tank (100), The heating device (1), a housing (10) defining an internal volume, the internal volume having, along a longitudinal axis (Y-Y) of the housing (10), an upper portion (10a), a middle portion (10b) and a lower portion (10c), and a main chamber (14) in which said storage tank (100) is at least partially disposed; at least one heating element (20) disposed at least partially in the interior volume and configured to heat a gaseous fluid contained in the interior volume; a blower (30) configured to create a flow by drawing gaseous fluid from at least the upper portion (10a) and to convey the drawn gaseous fluid to the main chamber (14); Equipped with a suction duct (40) extending away from and communicating with the main chamber (14) in the interior volume; The blower (30) is disposed in the suction duct (40), the arrangement (200) further comprises a guide sleeve element (50) arranged at a distance from the storage tank (100) in the main chamber (14) and forming a peripheral space (51) around the storage tank (100); said guide sleeve element (50) having a cylindrical shape forming an annular portion at a height greater than half the height of said storage tank (100) and guiding said gas fluid conveyed in said main chamber (14) to said peripheral space (51) so that said gas fluid has the highest possible velocity corresponding to the allowable pressure drop of the fan; A configuration characterized by:

2. 10. The arrangement of claim 1 comprising a single accessible housing.

3. 2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the heating device (1) comprises an upper cavity (17), which is arranged above the guide sleeve element (50) and extends along the transverse axis (X-X) of the housing (10) in the upper part (10a) along the upper wall (12).

4. The arrangement of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the guide sleeve element (50) includes an inner surface disposed all around an outer wall of the storage tank (100).

5. the suction duct (40) comprises a first segment (41) extending from the upper portion (10a) to the middle portion (10b) and a second segment (42) extending from the middle portion (10b) to the lower portion (10c); An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first segment (41) has a reduced cross section compared to a cross section of the second segment (42).

6. The arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the blower (30) is arranged in the suction duct (40) in the lower part (10c) of the internal volume of the housing (10).

7. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the heating element (20) is preferentially arranged in the suction duct (40), upstream from the blower (30).

8. The arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a control unit (60) configured to control the at least one heating element (20) and / or the blower (30).

9. The arrangement of any of claims 1 to 8, comprising a temperature sensor (70) configured to measure a temperature of the gaseous fluid inside the enclosure (10).

10. An arrangement as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the control unit (60) cooperates with the temperature sensor (70) to maintain the temperature of the gaseous fluid at a determined set point.

11. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a metering element (101, 102) may preferably be arranged in the main chamber (14) of the heating device (1).

12. the metering element includes a pump (101) configured to allow circulation of the material from the storage tank (100) to a dispenser; The arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the pump is arranged in the main chamber (14) of the heating device (1).

13. A distributor for processing a polymer from at least two circuit components, the distributor comprising at least a first circuit component equipped with an arrangement (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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