Storage tank for heat-resistant materials

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 processing polyurethane or other thermosetting polymers.

Background Art

[0002] Low-pressure or high-pressure dispensers, also known 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 the mixing head and usually returning from this 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 above storage tank and the above metering element, and a blower enabling the heated air to circulate and enter the above main chamber.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The advantages of this type of configuration are that it is easy to implement, the technology used to heat the storage tank is not as expensive as other heating technologies such as double-walled devices with heating fluids (water, oil, glycol), and all elements of the configuration (storage tank and metering elements) are heated using the same device. However, heat transfer by airflow 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 temperatures exceeding 80 degrees Celsius, this insufficient conductivity and heat transfer performance create a high gradient, making it difficult to bring the material inside the storage tank to the target set value.

[0005] Based on the above, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved heating device that is easy to manufacture and operate, which 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 problem]

[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 comprises a housing that defines an internal volume, the internal volume having an upper portion, an intermediate portion and a lower portion along the vertical axis of the housing and a main chamber in which the storage tank is at least partially located; at least one heating element located at least partially in the internal volume and configured to heat the gaseous fluid contained in the internal volume; and configured to form a flow by drawing the gaseous fluid from at least the upper portion and to transport the drawn gaseous fluid to the main chamber. The configuration comprises a blower, a suction duct extending away from the main chamber in the internal volume and communicating with the main chamber, the blower positioned in the suction duct, and the configuration further comprises a guide sleeve element positioned 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 transported to the main chamber into the peripheral space so 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 to 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 into 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 40-60% compared to the conventional technology using similarly mounted 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 allows access to the storage tank, and metering elements such as a pump and a plurality of ducts, a plurality of valves, a plurality of 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 may include a single accessible housing.

[0009] According to one feature of the present invention, the housing includes a side wall, an upper wall, and a lower wall that determine 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 is suitable for 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 optimal flow by having the highest speed and a larger contact surface that forms a pressure drop corresponding to the blower. For example, the guide sleeve element may have a cylindrical or 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 includes a pump configured to enable the circulation of the material from the storage tank to the distributor and is located in the internal volume of the heating device.

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

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

[0015] According to one feature of the present invention, the heating device includes an upper cavity positioned above the guide sleeve element and extending along the transverse axis of the housing. Preferably, the upper cavity extends along the upper wall of the housing to the upper portion of the internal volume of the housing. The upper cavity allows for the circulation of the flow toward 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 positioned in the suction duct in the lower portion of the internal volume of the housing.

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

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

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

[0021] According to one feature of the present invention, the suction duct comprises one or more segments of a duct, the segments being formed according to a plurality of elements housed within the segments.

[0022] According to one feature of the present invention, the suction duct includes a second segment extending from the middle part of the internal volume to the lower part 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 part or the upper part 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 works in cooperation with the temperature sensor to maintain the temperature of the gaseous fluid at a determined setpoint. The temperature sensor measures the temperature inside the internal volume and transmits the measurement to the control unit, which then controls the at least one heating element and / or the blower to reach the determined setpoint.

[0029] According to one feature of the present invention, when the temperature of the gaseous fluid is at a target setpoint, the control unit switches off the at least one heating element. When the temperature of the gaseous fluid is lower than the target setpoint, the control unit controls the at least one heating element to increase the temperature of the gaseous fluid.

[0030] According to one feature of the present invention, the flow speed is determined by the control unit to optimize heat transfer in accordance with the at least one heating element. For example, when a target temperature is reached, the flow speed may be reduced (e.g., to half the fan speed) to conserve energy by reducing heat loss and motor consumption.

[0031] One object of the present invention is to provide a distributor for processing polymers from at least two circuit components, each comprising at least a first circuit component incorporating the configuration according to the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0032] The present invention will be better understood by the following detailed description, which illustrates some embodiments of the invention based on the following drawings.

[0033] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the configuration according to the present invention.

[0034] [Figure 2]Figure 2 is the same cross-sectional view as Figure 1, showing the detailed airflow according to the present invention.

[0035] [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a detailed view of Figure 1 illustrating the heat transfer between the airflow and the storage tank according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0036] Configuration 200 according to the present invention includes a heating device 1 configured to heat at least one storage tank 100, as illustrated in Figures 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 the internal volume. As is obvious, although the illustrated housing 10 has a polygonal shape, it may be cylindrical or any other shape without departing from the scope of the present invention. As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the housing 10 includes a double-wall structure, i.e., each side wall 11, upper wall 12, and lower wall 13 is double-walled to ensure thermal insulation of the housing 10.

[0037] The heating device 1 further includes at least one heating element 20, preferably several heating elements 20, which are at least partially located inside the internal volume of the housing 10 and configured to heat the airflow. In the illustrated embodiment, the multiple heating elements 20 are electrical resistors, 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 airflow by drawing air from at least the upper portion 10a and to transport the drawn air to the main chamber 14.

[0039] The above internal volume is divided into three parts with respect to the vertical axis YY of the housing 10: the upper part 10a, the middle part 10b, and the lower part 10c. These parts are schematically shown in Figure 1.

[0040] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the heating device 1 includes an air intake duct 40 extending from an upper section 10a to a lower section 10c, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. Preferably, a plurality of heating elements 20 are arranged in the air intake duct 40 in an intermediate section 10b upstream of the blower fan. Furthermore, a blower fan 30 is also arranged in the air intake duct 40 in the lower section 10c to draw air from the upper section 10a to the lower section 10c and transport the drawn air to the main chamber 14.

[0041] The air intake duct 40 includes 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, and as shown in Figure 1, for example, the first segment 41 has a reduced cross-section compared to the cross-section of the second segment 42. As will be apparent, the air intake duct 40 may have other shapes without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0042] According to this embodiment of the configuration of the present invention, the 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, the guide sleeve element 50 being configured to guide the air transported to the main chamber 14 to the peripheral air space 51 at the closest possible position, taking into account the acceptable pressure drop against the outer wall of the storage tank 100, as shown in Figures 1 to 3.

[0043] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the heating device 1 may include an upper cavity 17 located above the guide sleeve element 50, extending along the transverse axis XX of the housing 10, and preferably extending along the upper wall 12 of the housing 10 in the upper portion 10a. The upper cavity 17 is preferably in fluid communication with the guide sleeve element 50 and the air intake duct 40, as shown in Figure 1.

[0044] As shown in Figure 1, the heating device includes a control unit 60 configured to control the at least one heating element 20 and the blower fan 30. Furthermore, 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 works in cooperation with the temperature sensor 70 to maintain the air temperature at a determined setpoint. Thus, the temperature sensor 70 measures the temperature inside the housing 10, particularly the air intake duct 40, and transmits the measurement to the control unit 60, which then controls the multiple heating elements 20 and / or blower fans 30 to reach the determined temperature setpoint at a determined speed.

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

[0046] As shown in Figure 2, the circulation of heated air within the internal volume of the housing 10 is a closed loop. Air from the upper cavity 17 is drawn into the air intake duct 40 by the blower fan 30 and heated by the multiple heating elements 20 as it descends to the lower portion 10c. After this, the blower fan 30 sends the drawn-in and heated air into the main chamber 14. The heated airflow is guided and forced to rise towards the upper portion 17 within the internal volume by the guide sleeve element 50. The heated airflow passes through the guide sleeve element 50 and heats the storage tank 100 provided in the guide sleeve element 50 by heat transfer, as shown in particular in Figure 3. The airflow is guided into the upper cavity 17 by the guide sleeve element 50 and drawn back into the air intake duct 40.

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

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

[0049] The reason why an unexpectedly dramatic improvement was measured using the multiple parameters described hereafter is that the time required to reach the target temperature was halved using the actual product temperature close to the set value, demonstrating the efficiency of this new heating device 1 with forced air circulation.

[0049] Experimental section In Figure 2, in the three cross-sections of body 10 labeled with reference numerals S1, S2, and S3, the power of the blower fan per 500W, 1000m 3 Using a fan output of / h and a pressure drop of 500Pa, the cross-sectional area (mm²) 2 The air velocity (m / s) was measured. These measurements are shown in the table below. [Table 1]

[0050] In another example (not shown), multiple parameters can vary, namely, 500-2000m. 3 Given a fan output of 1 / h and a pressure drop of 200-2000 Pa, the power of the fan could be 200-2000 W. [Table 2]

[0051] In another example (not shown), multiple parameters can vary, namely, 500-1500m. 3 Given a fan output of 1 / h and a pressure drop of 300-1000 Pa, the power consumption of the fan could be between 200 and 750 W. [Table 3]

[0052] In the examples illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the gaseous fluid is air, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. Furthermore, while the blower in the above examples is a blower fan, the blower can be any device configured to blow out air or a gaseous fluid. As is clear, the present invention is not limited to the various embodiments described and represented with reference to the accompanying drawings. In particular, various modifications are still possible without departing from the scope of the present invention, either in terms of the configuration of each element or by substituting technical equivalents.

Claims

1. A configuration (200) comprising a storage tank (100) filled with material and a heating device (1) configured to heat the storage tank (100), The heating device (1) A housing (10) that defines an internal volume, wherein the internal volume comprises an upper portion (10a), an intermediate portion (10b), and a lower portion (10c) along the vertical axis (Y-Y) of the housing (10), and a main chamber (14) in which the storage tank (100) is at least partially located, At least one heating element (20) is positioned at least partially within the internal volume and configured to heat the gaseous fluid contained within the internal volume, A blower (30) is configured to form a flow by drawing gaseous fluid from at least the upper portion (10a) and to transport the drawn gaseous fluid to the main chamber (14), It is equipped with, The suction duct (40) extends away from the main chamber (14) in the internal volume and communicates with the main chamber (14), The blower (30) is placed in the suction duct (40), and the blower (30) is a blower fan. The above configuration (200) further comprises a guide sleeve element (50) which is positioned at a distance from the storage tank (100) in the main chamber (14) and forms a peripheral space (51) around the storage tank (100), The guide sleeve element (50) has a cylindrical shape that forms an annular portion at a height greater than half the height of the storage tank (100), and guides the gaseous fluid conveyed to the main chamber (14) into the surrounding space (51) so that the gaseous fluid can have the highest speed corresponding to the allowable pressure drop of the fan. A configuration characterized by the following:

2. The configuration according to claim 1, wherein the heating device (1) is positioned above the guide sleeve element (50) and comprises an upper cavity (17) that extends along the upper wall (12) and along the horizontal axis (X-X) of the housing (10) in the upper portion (10a).

3. The configuration according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the guide sleeve element (50) includes an inner surface disposed around the entire outer wall of the storage tank (100).

4. The suction duct (40) includes a first segment (41) extending from the upper portion (10a) to the intermediate portion (10b), and a second segment (42) extending from the intermediate portion (10b) to the lower portion (10c), The configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first segment (41) has a cross-section that is reduced compared to the cross-section of the second segment (42).

5. The configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the blower (30) is positioned in the suction duct (40) in the lower portion (10c) of the internal volume of the housing (10).

6. The configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the heating element (20) is located upstream of the blower (30) in the suction duct (40).

7. The configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a control unit (60) configured to control at least one heating element (20) and / or the blower (30), This configuration is, The housing (10) further comprises a temperature sensor (70) configured to measure the temperature of the gaseous fluid inside the housing, The configuration wherein the control unit (60) cooperates with the temperature sensor (70) to maintain the temperature of the gaseous fluid at a predetermined set value.

8. The configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a metering element selected from the group consisting of a pump and duct, valve, filter and sensor for transporting liquid material contained in a storage tank may be arranged in the main chamber (14) of the heating device (1).

9. The metering element includes a pump (101) configured to allow the circulation of the material from the storage tank (100) to the distributor. The configuration according to claim 8, wherein the pump is located in the main chamber (14) of the heating device (1).

10. A distributor for processing a polymer from at least two circuit components, comprising at least a first circuit component equipped with a configuration (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the material is a polymer.

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