Sintering furnace

Abstract

This invention provides a sintering furnace comprising: a heating chamber, a cooling chamber, a conveying device, and a cooling system, wherein sintering elements are configured to be heated in the heating chamber; sintering elements conveyed from the heating chamber to the cooling chamber are cooled in the cooling chamber; the conveying device is configured to convey the sintering elements through the heating chamber and the cooling chamber; the cooling system is configured to cool the sintering elements in the cooling chamber; the cooling system includes at least one heat exchanger and at least one first fan, the at least one heat exchanger and the at least one first fan being located above the conveying device; the at least one first fan being arranged adjacent to the at least one heat exchanger and configured to guide airflow through the at least one heat exchanger. The sintering furnace of this invention has a high cooling efficiency in its cooling chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This case relates to a sintering furnace, particularly a sintering furnace used in the manufacture of solar photovoltaic devices. Prior Technology

[0002] In the production of photovoltaic devices such as crystalline silicon solar cells and silicon wafers, a sintering furnace is required to sinter the photovoltaic devices. A sintering furnace includes at least a sintering section and a cooling section. The photovoltaic device is conveyed by a conveyor belt through the sintering section and the cooling section in sequence, and then transported out of the sintering furnace by the same conveyor belt. In the sintering section, the photovoltaic device is sintered at high temperature to achieve certain performance characteristics. Then, the photovoltaic device enters the cooling section to cool down, which reduces the temperature of the photovoltaic device within a certain range. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides a sintering furnace, comprising: a heating chamber in which sintering elements are configured to be heated; a cooling chamber in which sintering elements conveyed from the heating chamber to the cooling chamber are cooled; a conveying device configured to convey sintering elements through the heating chamber and the cooling chamber; and a cooling system configured to cool the sintering elements in the cooling chamber, the cooling system including at least one heat exchanger and at least one first fan, the at least one heat exchanger and the at least one first fan being located above the conveying device, the at least one first fan being arranged adjacent to the at least one heat exchanger and configured to guide airflow through the at least one heat exchanger.

[0004] As described above in the sintering furnace, the cooling chamber includes at least two cooling zones arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the conveying device, and the at least two cooling zones are interconnected.

[0005] As described above in the sintering furnace, the first fan is configured to guide the air, after being heated by the at least one heat exchanger, to flow against the transport direction of the conveying device; wherein, in the transport direction of the conveying device, except for the most downstream cooling zone, each of the other cooling zones is provided with a heat exchanger and a first fan, and the heat exchanger in each cooling zone is set to be located near the downstream cooling zone of the corresponding cooling zone.

[0006] As described above in the sintering furnace, the cooling system further includes a plurality of second fans arranged along the conveying direction of the conveying device, wherein, in the height direction of the cooling chamber, the plurality of second fans are disposed between the conveying device and the at least one heat exchanger and are configured to guide the air after heat exchange by the heat exchanger toward the sintering elements on the conveying device.

[0007] As described above in the sintering furnace, the cooling system also includes a fan, which is an exhaust fan. The fan has an exhaust end and an intake end. The intake end of the fan is connected to the interior of the cooling chamber, and the exhaust end of the fan is connected to the external environment, so as to guide the gas inside the cooling chamber to flow to the outside of the cooling chamber.

[0008] As described above in the sintering furnace, the cooling system also includes an air duct, which has at least one air duct inlet and an air duct outlet. The at least one air duct inlet is located below the conveying device, and the air duct outlet is connected to the suction end of the blower.

[0009] As described above in the sintering furnace, the cooling system further includes a lower shroud that covers the bottom of the conveying device. The lower shroud has at least one lower shroud outlet, which is connected to the at least one air duct inlet.

[0010] As described above with the sintering furnace, the cooling system also includes an upper shroud, which is connected to the upper part of the conveying device. The upper shroud is provided with multiple mounting holes for mounting the multiple second fans.

[0011] As mentioned in the sintering furnace, the heat exchanger is a water-cooled finned tube heat exchanger.

[0012] As mentioned above, in the sintering furnace, the first fan is a filter fan, and the blower is a high-temperature resistant, heat-insulated centrifugal blower.

[0013] The sintering furnace in this case has an extraction element and a heat exchanger located at the top of the cooling chamber. The gas in the cooling chamber can exchange with the gas in the external environment. The cooled airflow in the cooling chamber can flow from top to bottom over the sintering elements to be cooled. The sintering furnace in this case has a relatively low cooling efficiency and a short cooling chamber length. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the sintering furnace in this case;

[0015] Figure 2A is a perspective view of the cooling section and the rear section of the sintering furnace in Figure 1;

[0016] Figure 2B is a perspective view of the cooling section and rear section of Figure 2A excluding the cooling section housing;

[0017] Figure 2C is a side view of the cooling section and rear section of Figure 2B, excluding the cooling section housing;

[0018] Figure 3A is a perspective view of the heat exchanger assembly in Figure 2B;

[0019] Figure 3B is an exploded view of the heat exchanger components in Figure 3A;

[0020] Figure 4A is a perspective view of the air extraction component in Figure 2B;

[0021] Figure 4B is an exploded view of the air extraction element in Figure 4A;

[0022] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the conveying device and the second fan component;

[0023] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the gas flow direction in the cooling section of Figure 1. Implementation

[0024] Various specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification. It should be understood that although terms indicating direction, such as "front," "rear," "up," "down," "left," and "right," are used herein to describe various exemplary structural parts and elements, their use is merely for ease of description and is based on the exemplary orientations shown in the accompanying drawings. Since the embodiments disclosed herein can be arranged in different orientations, these terms indicating direction are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered limiting. Where possible, the same or similar element symbols used herein refer to the same components.

[0025] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the sintering furnace 100 in this case, illustrating its basic structure. As shown in Figure 1, the sintering furnace 100 includes a sintering section 101, a cooling section 102, and a conveying device 120 that runs through both the sintering section 101 and the cooling section 102. The sintering element to be processed is conveyed by the conveying device 120, passing sequentially through the sintering section 101 and the cooling section 102 in the direction indicated by arrow 108 to complete the sintering process. The sintering section 101 has a heating chamber where the photovoltaic device is heated to a certain temperature range, such as 700℃-900℃, so that the sintering element is subjected to high-temperature sintering treatment. After sintering, the sintering element enters the cooling section 102, which cools the sintering element to a certain temperature range, such as below 60℃. The cooled sintering element is then conveyed out of the sintering furnace by the conveying device 120. The sintering furnace 100 also includes a front section 111 and a rear section 112. The front section 111 is located upstream of the sintering section 101, and the rear section 112 is located downstream of the cooling section 102. The front section 111 and the rear section 112 are used to accommodate the power unit of the conveying device 120 and other devices. The sintering furnace 100 has a length direction L, a height direction H, and a width direction W (see Figure 2A).

[0026] Figure 2A is a perspective view of the cooling section 102 and the rear section 112 of the sintering furnace 100 in Figure 1. Figure 2B is a perspective view of the cooling section 102 and the rear section 112 of Figure 2A without the cooling section shell. Figure 2C is a side view of the cooling section 102 and the rear section 112 of Figure 2B without the cooling section shell. Figures 2A-2C illustrate the structure of the cooling section 102.

[0027] As shown in Figures 2A-2C, the cooling section 102 has a cooling section shell 201 and a support 209, with the cooling section shell 201 mounted on the support 209. The cooling section shell 201 encloses a cooling chamber 207. The cooling section shell 201 is generally a box-shaped structure with an opening at the bottom, and includes a front plate 231, a rear plate 232, an upper plate 233, a left plate 234, and a right plate 235. The left side of the cooling section shell 201 is connected to the sintering section 101, and the right side is connected to the rear section 112. The support 209 is generally a cubic frame structure, including a support bottom 291, a support top 292, and multiple support columns 293. Each of the multiple support columns 293 is arranged vertically, with its two ends connected to the support top 292 and the support bottom 291, respectively.

[0028] The cooling section 102 has several support legs 263 connected to the bottom 291 of the support frame. The support legs 263 are at a certain height to allow for a gap between the lower opening and the ground, enabling communication between the lower opening and the outside. The support legs 263 are relatively short, resulting in a small gap between the lower opening and the ground, allowing only a small amount of gas in the cooling chamber 207 to exchange with the outside gas. Openings 261 and 262 are provided on the left plate 234 and right plate 235 of the cooling section housing 201 to allow the passage of the conveying device 120 and the photovoltaic device transported by the conveying device 120. Opening 262 is located in the middle of the cooling section 102 in the height direction and is adjacent to the rear section 112. The conveying device 120 and the transported firing elements are located in the middle of the cooling section 102.

[0029] The conveying device 120 includes a support 230 and a conveyor belt (not shown) located on the support 230. The conveyor belt is supported by the support 230 and can move relative to the support 230 to drive the firing element to move.

[0030] The cooling chamber 207 includes a first cooling zone 271, a second cooling zone 272, and a third cooling zone 273 arranged in sequence. The first cooling zone 271, the second cooling zone 272, and the third cooling zone 273 are interconnected.

[0031] A cooling system is provided in cooling chamber 207 to cool the firing elements. The cooling system includes three suction elements 240, two heat exchanger elements 250, and a second fan element 260. The second fan element 260 is located above and connected to the conveying device 120. The second fan element 260 extends along the conveying direction from the front end of the first cooling zone 271 to the rear end of the third cooling zone 273. Each of the three suction elements 240 has the same or similar structure and is respectively disposed in the first cooling zone 271, the second cooling zone 272, and the third cooling zone 273. Each of the two heat exchanger elements 250 has the same or similar structure and is respectively disposed between the first cooling zone 271 and the second cooling zone 272, and between the second cooling zone 272 and the third cooling zone 273. Each of the two heat exchanger elements 250 is connected to a bracket 209 and is located above the second fan element 260.

[0032] Figure 3A is a perspective view of the heat exchanger assembly 250 in Figure 2B, and Figure 3B is an exploded view of the heat exchanger element 250 in Figure 3A. Figures 3A and 3B illustrate the structure of the heat exchanger element 250. As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the heat exchanger assembly 250 includes a heat exchanger 301 and a first fan assembly 302. The first fan assembly 302 includes first fans 303 and 304, and a first fan bracket 305. The first fans 303 and 304 are mounted side by side on the first fan bracket 305. The first fan element 302 is connected to the heat exchanger 301 through the first fan bracket 305. In this case, the heat exchanger 301 is a water-cooled finned tube heat exchanger. The heat exchanger 301 is generally plate-shaped and has a front side 311 and a back side 312. The heat exchanger 301 has multiple fins and heat exchange tubes (not shown) arranged side by side. The fins are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the front side 311 and the back side 312, and the heat exchange tubes pass through the multiple fins. There are gaps between adjacent fins so that gas can flow through the heat exchanger 301 in a direction from the front side 311 to the back side 312, or from the back side 312 to the front side 311.

[0033] Heat exchanger 301 has a cooling medium outlet and a cooling medium inlet connected to heat exchange tubes, respectively. The cooling medium (e.g., cooling water) enters the heat exchange tubes from the cooling medium inlet and flows out from the cooling medium outlet. The temperature of the air in the cooling chamber 207 is higher than the temperature of the cooling medium. The air in the cooling chamber 207 can exchange heat with the cooling medium flowing in the heat exchange tubes through the fins and heat exchange tubes, thereby reducing the temperature of the air in the cooling chamber 207.

[0034] In one embodiment of this invention, the first fans 303 and 304 are filter fans, each including a filter layer (not shown in the figure) disposed on the fan outlet side. The filter layer filters impurities in the air to reduce the decrease in heat exchange efficiency caused by impurity accumulation on the heat exchanger surface. Furthermore, the filter layer reduces impurities in the cooling chamber to avoid affecting the performance of the fired components. In one embodiment of this invention, the dimensions of the heat exchanger 301 are 826*406*111mm, and the power range of the first fans 303 and 304 is 50-70W. In one embodiment, the power range of the first fans 303 and 304 is 65W.

[0035] Figure 4A is a perspective view of the air extraction component 240 in Figure 2B, and Figure 4B is an exploded view of the air extraction element 240 in Figure 4A. Figures 4A and 4B illustrate the structure of the air extraction element 240.

[0036] As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the exhaust assembly 240 includes a fan 401, a duct 402, and a lower exhaust hood 403. The fan 401 is connected to the top 292 of the support frame 209 and is located within the cooling chamber 207. The fan 401 has an intake end 461 and an exhaust end 462. The intake end 461 communicates with the duct 402, and the exhaust end 462 communicates with the factory's exhaust system via an exhaust port on the cooling section housing 201, thus allowing the exhaust end 462 to communicate with the external environment. In one embodiment of this invention, the fan 401 is a high-temperature resistant, heat-insulated centrifugal fan.

[0037] The duct 402 includes three duct inlets 411, 412, and 413, and one duct outlet 415. The duct outlet 415 is connected to the intake end 461 of the fan 401, and the duct inlets 411, 412, and 413 are connected to the lower exhaust hood 403. The duct 402 includes a main pipe 416, a first branch pipe 417, a second branch pipe 418, and a four-way connector 419. One end of the main pipe 416 forms the duct outlet 415, and the other end is connected to the first interface of the four-way connector 419. One end of the first branch pipe 417 and the second branch pipe 418 respectively forms duct inlets 411 and 413, and the other end is connected to the second and third interfaces of the four-way connector 419. The fourth interface of the four-way connector 419 forms the duct inlet 411. The fan 401, which is connected to the duct 402, can provide power to guide air from the duct inlets 411, 412 and 413 to the duct outlet 415.

[0038] The lower drainage hood 403 has a bottom 431, a pair of opposing elongated sidewalls 432 and 433, and a pair of opposing wide sidewalls 434 and 435. The pair of elongated sidewalls 432 and 433 and the pair of wide sidewalls 434 and 435 extend upward from the edge of the bottom 431 and connect with each other to form a box shape with an opening at the top. A lower drainage space 446 is formed inside the lower drainage hood 403. An upper drainage hood opening 438 is formed at the top of the pair of elongated sidewalls 432 and 433 and the pair of wide sidewalls 434. The upper drainage hood opening 438 forms an upper drainage hood inlet. The lower drainage hood 403 also includes a pair of flanges 441 and 442 that extend horizontally outward from the top of the pair of elongated sidewalls 432 and 433, respectively. The pair of flanges 441 and 442 are used for connection with the bottom of the conveying device 120. The bottom 431 has three evenly arranged mounting holes 451, 452, and 453, which respectively form three lower drainage hood outlets. The mounting holes 451, 452, and 453 are matched with the shapes of the duct inlets 411, 412, and 413, respectively, so that one end of the duct inlet 411, 412, and 413 of the duct 402 can be installed in the mounting holes 451, 452, and 453, so that the internal space of the duct 402 is connected to the lower drainage space 446.

[0039] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the conveying device 120 and the second fan element 260. As shown in Figure 5, the conveying device 120 includes a support member 501 and a conveyor belt (not shown) located on the support member 501. The conveyor belt can be driven by a power device to move relative to the support member 501. The firing element to be conveyed is located on the conveyor belt and moves together with the conveyor belt along the conveying direction.

[0040] The second fan element 260 includes an upper draft shroud 503 and a plurality of second fans 509. The upper draft shroud 503 is connected to the upper part of the conveying device 120 and is generally elongated, extending along the extension direction of the conveying device 120. The upper draft shroud 503 includes a top 511 and a pair of side portions 512 and 513 extending outward and downward from both sides along the length of the top 511. That is, the upper draft shroud 503 has a shape that is high in the middle and low on both sides, i.e., the cross-section of the upper draft shroud 503 is approximately trapezoidal. An upper draft space 546 is formed within the upper draft shroud 503. The top 511 has a plurality of mounting holes for mounting the plurality of second fans 509, which are arranged side-by-side along the length of the upper draft shroud 503. The plurality of second fans 509 can guide the gas above the plurality of second fans 509 into the upper draft space 546. In one embodiment of this case, the power range of the multiple second fans 509 is approximately 25W. The bottom of the side 512 of the upper shroud 503 is pivotally connected to the conveying device 120, and a handle is provided on the side 513. The operator can hold the handle to rotate the second fan element 260 to expose the conveying device 120, which facilitates the maintenance and cleaning of the conveying device 120.

[0041] The width of the conveying device 130 is more than half the width of the cooling chamber 207, and the widths of the upper and lower duct shrouds 503 and 403 match the width of the conveying device 130. When the second fan element 260 and the extraction element 240 are installed in the sintering furnace 100, the upper duct shroud 503 covers the upper part of the conveying device 130, and the lower duct shroud 403 covers the upper part of the conveying device 130. The distance between the upper and lower duct shrouds 503 and the side wall of the cooling section housing 201 is small, and only a small portion of the gas above the upper duct shroud 503 can pass through the aforementioned distance to enter the space below the lower duct shroud 403.

[0042] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the gas flow direction within the cooling section of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 6, the conveying device 130 is divided into an upper space 601 and a lower space 602. The heat exchanger element 250 and the fan 401 are located in the upper space 601. The three duct inlets 411, 412, and 413 of the duct 402 are located in the lower space 602, and the duct outlet 415 of the duct 402 is located in the upper space 601. The heat exchanger element 250 can exchange heat with the air in the cooling chamber 207, reducing the temperature of the air in the cooling chamber 207. The air cooled by the heat exchanger element 250 passes sequentially from the upper space 601 through the upper drainage space 546, the conveying device 130, the lower drainage space 446, and the duct 402 before exiting into the cooling chamber. The air cooled by the heat exchanger element 250 can cool the firing elements on the conveying device 130, thereby reducing the temperature of the firing elements.

[0043] As shown in Figure 6, the cooling chamber 207 is equipped with two heat exchanger assemblies 250a and 250b. Heat exchanger assemblies 250a and 250b have identical structures. The heat exchanger assembly 250 shown in Figures 3A and 3B is any one of the heat exchanger elements 250a and 250b shown in Figure 6. Heat exchanger element 250a is located between the first cooling region 271 and the second cooling region 272, and is arranged near the top of the cooling chamber 207. There is a gap between heat exchanger element 250a and the second fan element 260, thus providing a certain operating space above the second fan element 260, facilitating the operator to lift the second fan element 260 for maintenance.

[0044] In the conveying direction of the conveying device, the heat exchangers 301 of the heat exchanger assemblies 250a and 250b are respectively located upstream of the corresponding first fan assembly 302, and the first fan 303 provides airflow towards the heat exchanger 301 in the conveying direction. In the cooling chamber 207, the cooler air after heat exchange by the heat exchanger assembly 250a flows towards the left plate 234 of the cooling section housing 201 until it is blocked by the left plate 234 and changes direction. The airflow continues to move downward and away from the left plate 234. Most of the downward airflow is blocked by the conveying device and the second fan element 260 and changes direction, continuing to move away from the left plate 234. Similarly, the cooler airflow after heat exchange by heat exchanger assembly 250b flows towards the left plate 234 of the cooling section housing 201. The airflow is blocked by heat exchanger assembly 250a or the left plate 234, changing direction. The airflow continues to move downwards and away from the left plate 234. Most of the downward-moving airflow is blocked by the conveying device and the second fan element 260, changing direction and continuing to move away from the left plate 234. The airflow flowing along the conveying direction after heat exchange by heat exchanger assemblies 250a and 250b moves to the right along the conveying direction until it is blocked by the right plate 235, changing direction. The airflow continues to move upwards until it is blocked by the upper plate 233, changing direction again. The airflow continues to move towards the left plate 234. Thus, in the cooling chamber 207, the airflow in the upper space 601 can circulate clockwise as shown by arrow 640, resulting in a uniform gas distribution in the upper space 601, consisting entirely of cool air. In the rear section of the cooling chamber, namely the third cooling zone 273, the firing element has been cooled by the first and second cooling zones, and its temperature has decreased. Therefore, the heat exchanger element 250 does not need to be installed in the third cooling zone 273. The cooling capacity of the heat exchanger elements 250a and 250b is sufficient to meet the temperature requirements of the third cooling zone 273.

[0045] The second fan element 260 provides downward airflow, guiding the heat-exchanged gas in the upper space 601 downwards through the upper drainage space, the transmission device, and the lower drainage space, thereby exchanging heat with the firing elements being transported on the transmission device and reducing their temperature. The hotter air, after heat exchange with the firing elements, enters the duct 402 of the extraction element 240 from the lower drainage space along the direction indicated by arrow 650 and is then discharged outside the cooling chamber 207. The extraction element 240 provides power for the airflow in the duct 402, facilitating rapid exhaust from the cooling chamber 207. The lower opening of the cooling chamber 207 connects to the outside, allowing for the replenishment of gas within the cooling chamber 207 to maintain pressure balance.

[0046] In this case, the conveying device divides the cooling chamber into an upper space 601 and a lower space 602. The upper space 601 and lower space 602 have only a small connecting area. Therefore, most of the air in the upper space 601 circulates within it under the guidance of the first fan 303, with only a small amount of gas entering the lower space 602 through the gap between the conveying device and the cooling section housing 201. The cooled air in the upper space 601 is then guided by the second fan element 260 to the element being fired, thus cooling the element. The cooled air is effectively utilized.

[0047] In this case, the exhaust element allows for air exchange between the cooling chamber and the outside environment, rapidly expelling hotter air from the factory and thus reducing the internal temperature of the cooling chamber. The heat exchanger element is positioned above the conveying device. Air in the upper space of the cooling chamber is first cooled by the heat exchanger before being guided to the firing elements requiring cooling, ensuring that the cooler air in the cooling chamber quickly reaches the vicinity of the firing elements. Compared to the cooling chamber of a sintering furnace where the heat exchanger element is located at the bottom of the conveying device, this cooling chamber avoids the accumulation of cooler air at the bottom of the cooling chamber, below the conveying device, thus preventing waste of cool air. Furthermore, the heat exchanger element includes a fan, which promotes airflow in the upper space of the cooling chamber, resulting in a more uniform distribution of cool air and thus a more even flow of cool air to the firing elements. Since the cooled air in this case circulates in the upper space of the cooling chamber, the cooling area at the very end of the downstream direction in the conveying direction does not require a heat exchanger element. Compared to the cooling chambers of conventional sintering furnaces of the same length, the cooling efficiency of the cooling chamber in this invention can be increased by 40%-60%. In one embodiment of this invention, the cooling efficiency of the cooling chamber is increased by 50%.

[0048] The cooling section in this case has a high cooling efficiency. Therefore, with a certain conveying speed of the conveying device, the time required to cool the sintering element to the predetermined temperature is less, and the required length of the cooling section is shorter, which is beneficial to reducing the overall size of the sintering furnace.

[0049] Although only some features of this case have been illustrated and described herein, many improvements and variations can be made by those skilled in the art. Therefore, it should be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such improvements and variations that fall within the substantive spirit of this case.

[0050] 100: Sintering Furnace 101: Sintering Section 102: Cooling Section 108: Arrow 111: Front Section 112: Later section 120: Conveying device 130: Conveying device 201: Cooling section housing 207: Cooling Chamber 209: Bracket 230: Support section 231:Front panel 232: Backplate 233:On the board 234: Left Plate 235: Right Plate 240: Air extraction element 250: Heat exchanger components 260: Second fan component 261: Opening 262: Opening 263: Support foot 271: First Cooling Zone 272: Second Cooling Zone 273: Third Cooling Zone 291: Base of the bracket 292: Top of the bracket 293: Support column 301: Heat exchanger 302: First Fan Assembly 303: First Fan 304: First Fan 305: First Fan Bracket 311: Front 312: reverse 401: Fan 402: Air duct 403: Lower drainage cover 411: Duct Inlet 412: Duct Inlet 413: Duct Inlet 415: Duct outlet 416: Supervisor 417: First branch pipe 418: Second branch pipe 419: Four-way connector 431: Bottom 432: Length sidewall 433: Length of sidewall 434: Width sidewall 435: Width of sidewall 438: Upper drainage hood opening 441: Folded edge 442: Folded edge 446: Lower drainage space 451: Mounting hole 452: Mounting hole 453: Mounting hole 461: Inhalation end 462: Exhaust end 501: Support component 503: Upper drainage cover 509: Second Fan 511: Top 512: Side 513: Side 546: Upper drainage space 601: Upper Space 602: Lower Space 640: Arrow 650: Arrow H: Height direction L: Length direction W: Width direction

[0051] Domestic storage information (please note in order of storage institution, date, and number) none Overseas storage information (please note in the order of storage country, institution, date, and number) none

Claims

1. A sintering furnace, characterized in that it comprises: A heating chamber in which the firing element is configured to be heated; A cooling chamber (207) in which the firing elements conveyed from the heating chamber are cooled; a conveying device (120) configured to convey the firing elements through the heating chamber and the cooling chamber (207); a cooling system configured to cool the firing elements in the cooling chamber (207), the cooling system including at least one heat exchanger (301) and at least one first fan (303), the at least one heat exchanger (301) and the at least one first fan (303) being located above the conveying device (120), the at least one first fan (303) being arranged adjacent to the at least one heat exchanger (301) and being configured to guide airflow through the at least one heat exchanger (301); the cooling chamber (207) including at least two cooling zones arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the conveying device (120), the at least two cooling zones being interconnected; The first fan (303) is configured to guide the air after heat exchange by the at least one heat exchanger (301) to flow against the transport direction of the conveying device (120); wherein, in the transport direction of the conveying device (120), each cooling zone except the most downstream cooling zone is provided with a heat exchanger and a first fan (303), and the heat exchanger (301) in each cooling zone (271, 272, 273) is set to be a cooling zone downstream of the corresponding cooling zone.

2. The sintering furnace as requested in item 1, wherein: The cooling system also includes a plurality of second fans (509) arranged along the conveying direction of the conveying device (120), wherein the plurality of second fans (509) are disposed between the conveying device (120) and the heat exchanger (301) in the height direction of the cooling chamber (207), and are configured to guide air after heat exchange by at least one heat exchanger (301) toward the firing elements on the conveying device (120).

3. The sintering furnace as requested in item 1, wherein: The cooling system also includes a fan (401), which is an exhaust fan. The fan (401) has an exhaust end (462) and an intake end (461). The intake end (461) of the fan (401) is connected to the interior of the cooling chamber (207) through a duct (402), and the exhaust end (462) of the fan (401) is connected to the external environment to guide the gas inside the cooling chamber (207) to flow to the outside of the cooling chamber.

4. The sintering furnace as requested in item 3, wherein: The duct (402) has at least one duct inlet (411, 412, 413) and duct outlet (415). The at least one duct inlet (411, 412, 413) is located below the conveying device (120), and the duct outlet (415) is connected to the air intake end (461) of the fan (401).

5. The sintering furnace as described in request item 4, wherein: The cooling system also includes a lower shroud (403) that covers the bottom of the conveying device (120). The lower shroud (403) has at least one lower shroud outlet that is connected to at least one duct inlet (411, 412, 413).

6. The sintering furnace as described in request item 2, wherein: The cooling system also includes an upper shroud (503), which is connected to the upper part of the conveying device (120). The upper shroud (503) is provided with a plurality of mounting holes for mounting the plurality of second fans (509).

7. The sintering furnace as requested in item 1, wherein: The heat exchanger (301) is a water-cooled finned tube heat exchanger.

8. The sintering furnace as requested in item 1, wherein: The first fan (303) is a filter fan, and the sintering furnace also includes a blower (401), which is a high-temperature resistant heat-insulating centrifugal blower.

Images