Gel felt production system

Abstract

A gel felt production system, comprising a conveying device, wherein the conveying device comprises several first rotary rollers, which are rotationally provided; the several first rotary rollers are arranged at intervals in sequence in a conveying direction of the conveying device; an input end of the conveying device is configured to input wet felt; and an output end of the conveying device is configured to output gel felt. The gel felt production system has low energy consumption, solves the problem of subsequent production being affected by the formation of gel due to the fact that sol is accommodated on a conveyor belt and is gelled, and improves quality stability.

Description

A gel felt production system

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 2023218803517 filed on July 17, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical field

[0003] The present application relates to the technical field of continuous production of gel felt, and in particular to a gel felt production system. [Background Technology]

[0004] Aerogels are made by preparing hydrogels from silica precursors such as water glass and alkoxysilanes (TEOS, TMOS, MTMS, etc.), and removing the liquid components in the hydrogel without destroying the microstructure. Because aerogels are fragile, they are difficult to produce and apply industrially. Therefore, aerogels are combined with fibers to make composite materials for commercial applications. Aerogel felt is made by impregnating a sol on a fiber felt substrate, then gelling the sol and drying it. Aerogel powder or particles are attached to the fiber felt substrate.

[0005] [Summary of the invention]

[0006] The present application provides a gel felt production system to solve the technical problem that sol forms gel on a conveyor belt and affects subsequent production.

[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application proposes a gel felt production system, including a conveying device, the conveying device includes a plurality of first rotating rollers, and the plurality of first rollers are arranged in sequence along the transmission direction of the conveying device; the input end of the conveying device is used to input wet felt, and the output end of the conveying device is used to output gel felt.

[0008] Wherein, along the transmission direction, the distance between two adjacent first rollers is set to 10mm-500mm.

[0009] The tops of the plurality of first rotating rollers are located on the same horizontal plane.

[0010] The diameters of the first rollers are the same and the rotation axes are arranged in parallel.

[0011] Wherein, the cross section of the first roller is non-circular.

[0012] The non-circular shape includes a regular polygon or an ellipse.

[0013] The gel felt production system further comprises a scraper, one end of which contacts the surface of the first rotating roller that is not used for contacting the wet felt.

[0014] The gel felt production system further includes a recovery container and a guide plate. The recovery container is arranged at the bottom of the scraper. The guide plate is arranged at the bottom of the scraper, and one end of the guide plate extends to the top of the recovery container.

[0015] Among them, the gel felt production system also includes a accommodating chamber and an air-inflating and air-exhausting device, the accommodating chamber has an inlet and an outlet; the conveying device is arranged in the accommodating chamber; the air-inflating and air-exhausting device is connected to the accommodating chamber.

[0016] The accommodating chamber includes a plurality of sub-accommodating chambers along the transmission direction of the conveying device; each sub-accommodating chamber is connected to an inflation and exhaust device.

[0017] Among them, the gel felt production system also includes a raw material providing device and a sol loading device. The raw material providing device is arranged on the input end side of the conveying device; the raw material providing device is used to provide fiber felt; the sol loading device is used to provide sol to the fiber felt so that the fiber felt is converted into wet felt.

[0018] The sol loading device includes a reaction container and a pressing roller. The reaction container is arranged on the path from the raw material supply device to the input end of the conveying device. The reaction container is used to accommodate the sol so that the fiber mat and the sol are combined to form a wet mat. The pressing roller is rotatably arranged in the reaction container and is used to press the fiber mat downward so that the fiber mat and the sol are combined.

[0019] The raw material providing device is an unwinding device.

[0020] Among them, the end of the reaction container close to the conveying device is lower than the input end of the conveying device, and a plurality of second rollers arranged in sequence from low to high are rotatably set between the end of the reaction container close to the conveying device and the input end of the conveying device.

[0021] The gel felt production system further includes a traction device, which is arranged at the input end of the conveying device.

[0022] Among them, the gel felt production system also includes a spraying device and a recovery container. The spraying device is arranged on the path from the raw material providing device to the input end of the conveying device or at the input end of the conveying device; the spraying device is used to spray the sol onto the fiber felt, and the sol and the fiber felt are combined to form a wet felt; the recovery container is used to recover the sol.

[0023] Among them, the gel felt production system also includes a winding device and a cutting device. The winding device is arranged on the output end side of the conveying device; the winding device is used to collect the gel felt; and the cutting device is used to cut the gel felt into gel felt blocks.

[0024] Among them, the gel felt production system also includes a catalytic gelation system, which is used to catalyze the wet felt transported by the catalytic conveying device to form gel felt; or, the gel felt production system also includes a reagent supply device, which is used to supply sol and gel catalysts; or, the gel felt production system also includes a catalytic gelation system and a reagent supply device, which is used to catalyze the wet felt transported by the catalytic conveying device to form gel felt; the reagent supply device is used to supply sol and gel catalysts.

[0025] The present application also includes a second technical solution, a method for producing gel felt using the above-mentioned gel felt production system, comprising transferring the wet felt from the input end of the conveying device to the output end of the conveying device, and causing the sol of the wet felt to gel during the transfer process.

[0026] In which, during the transportation process of the wet felt from the input end of the conveying device to the output end of the conveying device, the air pressure in the accommodating cavity is changed over time through the inflation and exhaust device; or, the air pressure at the bottom of the conveying device is made greater than the air pressure at the top through the inflation and exhaust device.

[0027] In the process of transferring the wet felt from the input end of the conveying device to the output end of the conveying device, the multiple sub-accommodating chambers are provided with different air pressures through the inflation and exhaust devices.

[0028] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present application. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present application, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are listed below.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0029] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment below. The accompanying drawings are for illustration purposes only and are not to be considered as limiting the present application. The same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to represent the same components. In the drawings:

[0030] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of a gel felt production system of the present application;

[0031] FIG2 is a first partial schematic diagram of an embodiment of a gel felt production system of the present application;

[0032] FIG3 is a second partial schematic diagram of an embodiment of a gel felt production system of the present application;

[0033] FIG4 is a first structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a conveying device of the present application;

[0034] FIG5 is a second structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a conveying device of the present application;

[0035] FIG6 is a third structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a conveying device of the present application;

[0036] FIG7 is a fourth structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a conveying device of the present application;

[0037] FIG8 is a fifth structural diagram of an embodiment of a conveying device of the present application;

[0038] FIG9 is a sixth structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a conveying device of the present application;

[0039] FIG10 is a third partial schematic diagram of an embodiment of a gel felt production system of the present application;

[0040] FIG11 is a fourth partial schematic diagram of an embodiment of a gel mat production system of the present application;

[0041] FIG12 is a fifth partial schematic diagram of an embodiment of a gel felt production system of the present application;

[0042] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of an embodiment of an exhibition platform of the present application;

[0043] FIG14 is a first partial schematic diagram of another embodiment of the gel mat production system of the present application;

[0044] FIG15 is a second partial schematic diagram of another embodiment of the gel mat production system of the present application;

[0045] FIG16 is a third partial schematic diagram of another embodiment of the gel mat production system of the present application;

[0046] FIG17 is a schematic diagram of the steps of a method for producing a gel felt using the gel felt production system of the embodiment of FIG1 of the present application;

[0047] FIG18 is a schematic diagram of the steps of a method for producing gel felt using the gel felt production system of the embodiment of FIG14 of the present application.

[0048] Specific reference numerals: 100, gel felt production system; 11, raw material supply device; 111, supply roller; 12, sol loading device; 121, reaction vessel; 122, pressing roller; 123, spraying device; 13, conveying device; 131, first rotating roller; 1311, large rotating roller; 1312, small rotating roller; 14, second rotating roller; 18, winding device; 181, winding roller; 15, spreading platform; 151, flattening rod; 152 , rib; 153, platform frame; 16, protective cover; 17, traction device; 19, cutting device; 21, scraper; 22, recovery container; 23, guide plate; 31, accommodating chamber; 311, sub-accommodating chamber; 32, inflation and exhaust device; 33, catalytic gelation system; 34, reagent supply device; 35, mixing container; 201, fiber felt; 202, wet felt; 203, gel felt; 204, sol; 205, pressing plate. [Specific implementation method]

[0049] The following embodiments of the technical solution of the present application are described in detail. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application and are therefore only used as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0050] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned figure descriptions are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0051] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined, the term "multiple" refers to more than two (including two), similarly, "multiple groups" refers to more than two (including two), and "multiple pieces" refers to more than two (including two).

[0052] References herein to "embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it constitute an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0053] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is simply a description of the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent the following three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0054] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0055] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, technical terms such as "installed," "connected," "connected," and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integration; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; internal connections between two components or interactions between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application based on specific circumstances.

[0056] In the production system for gel composite rolls, a fiber mat is placed on a conveyor belt. A catalytic sol is poured onto the fiber mat using the conveyor belt as a substrate, and the sol is ensured to gel on the conveyor belt. The gel-coated fiber mat is then rolled up at the other end of the conveyor belt to produce the gel mat. However, after the gel mat leaves the conveyor belt, excess sol remains on the conveyor belt. This excess gel may gelate on the conveyor belt, forming gel lumps. These gel lumps can cause uneven surfaces on the subsequently transported wet mat and the finished gel mat, thereby affecting the quality of the gel mat.

[0057] Based on the above considerations, in order to solve the technical problem of excess sol remaining on the conveyor belt in the prior art, the present application proposes a gel felt production system, which can reduce the situation where excess sol is gelled on the conveying device to form gel blocks, thereby affecting the surface morphology of the gel felt, thereby improving quality stability.

[0058] The following describes in detail a gel felt production system provided by the present application in conjunction with embodiments.

[0059] Please refer to Figures 1 and 14 in conjunction. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of one embodiment of the gel felt production system of the present application; Figure 14 is a first partial schematic diagram of another embodiment of the gel felt production system of the present application. In one aspect, the present application provides a gel felt production system 100, comprising a conveyor 13, the conveyor 13 including a plurality of rotatable first rollers 131, the plurality of first rollers 131 being arranged in sequence and spaced apart along the transmission direction of the conveyor 13; the input end of the conveyor 13 is used to input wet felt 202, and the output end of the conveyor 13 is used to output gel felt 203. The surface of the first rollers 131 can be smooth or have a certain degree of roughness.

[0060] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present application, wet felt 202 enters the conveyor 13 from the input end of the conveyor 13, gels during transport through the conveyor 13 to form a gel felt 203, and is then discharged from the output end of the conveyor 13. After drying, the gel felt 203 forms an aerogel composite material. Compared to the prior art that uses a conveyor belt to transport the wet felt 202, excess sol 204 on the wet felt 202 can flow away from the gap between two adjacent first rollers 131. This reduces the risk of excess sol 204 gelling on the conveyor 13 to form gel lumps, which could affect the surface morphology of the gel felt 203, thereby improving quality stability.

[0061] In the embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figures 3 to 5. Figure 3 is a second partial schematic diagram of an embodiment of the gel mat production system of the present application, Figure 4 is a first structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the conveying device of the present application, and Figure 5 is a second structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the conveying device of the present application. The spacing between two adjacent first rollers 131 is set to 10 mm to 500 mm to adapt to the production cycle of the gel mat production system 100 and improve production efficiency. In one embodiment of the present application, the spacing can be set to 10 mm to 200 mm, which can improve the conveying efficiency of the first rollers 131. In another embodiment of the present application, the spacing can also be set to 200 mm to reduce the number of first rollers 131 and reduce the production line construction cost of the gel mat production system 100. When the first rollers 131 are used to convey the wet mat 202, the sol 204 on the wet mat 202 can flow out through the gap between the two adjacent first rollers 131, preventing the sol 204 from gelling and forming gel blocks during conveyance, which would otherwise affect the surface morphology of the gel mat 203. In other embodiments, the spacing can be set to greater than 500 mm without affecting the conveyance of the wet felt 202 and the gel felt 203. A spacing that is too small will increase the cost of setting up the production line. The length of the first roller 131 can be designed based on the width of the gel felt 203 being produced to ensure smooth conveyance.

[0062] Please refer to Figures 4 and 5 in conjunction. In one embodiment of the present application, the tops of the plurality of first rollers 131 are located at the same horizontal plane. Specifically, the plurality of first rollers 131 can be of different sizes and can be used to convey the wet felt 202 or gel felt 203 as needed. However, it is necessary to ensure that the tops of the plurality of first rollers 131 are located at the same horizontal plane. This is to ensure that the wet felt 202 is horizontal, so that the sol 204 within the wet felt 202 is evenly distributed, thereby improving product quality. For example, the conveying device 13 is composed of a large roller 1311 with a large diameter and a small roller 1312 with a small diameter, the tops of which are arranged in parallel. The wet felt 202 or gel felt 203 moves smoothly on the conveying device 13 composed of the plurality of first rollers 131, which can reduce scratches on the felt body and improve the surface smoothness of the felt body.

[0063] Furthermore, several first rollers 131 can also have the same diameter and their shafts can be arranged in parallel to improve the integrity of the conveying device 13. On the one hand, the wet felt 202 or the gel felt 203 can move smoothly on the conveying device 13 composed of several first rollers 131, reducing the scratching of the felt body and improving the surface flatness of the felt body; on the other hand, it is also convenient for the design and installation of the first rollers 131. After the first first roller 131 is produced, the subsequent first rollers 131 only need to be mass-produced using the first produced first roller 131 as a template, and the shafts can be installed in parallel so that the tops of the several first rollers 131 are located on the same horizontal plane, thereby reducing costs.

[0064] Please refer to Figures 6 to 9. Figure 6 is a third structural diagram of an embodiment of the conveying device of the present application, Figure 7 is a fourth structural diagram of an embodiment of the conveying device of the present application, Figure 8 is a fifth structural diagram of an embodiment of the conveying device of the present application, and Figure 9 is a sixth structural diagram of an embodiment of the conveying device of the present application. In another embodiment of the present application, the cross-section of the first roller 131 is non-circular. Specifically, the first roller 131 can be a non-cylindrical body, as long as the conveying channel formed by the plurality of first rollers 131 can allow the wet felt 202 to run smoothly and smoothly from the input end to the output end of the conveying device 13. Furthermore, the conveying channel formed by the plurality of first rollers 131 will have a height change in the vertical direction during the conveying process, so that the wet felt 202 can move up and down in the vertical direction during the conveying process. For the continuous wet felt 202, since the two ends of the wet felt 202 are fixed by the unwinding device and the rewinding device, the first roller 131 is non-cylindrical, so that the wet felt 202 is periodically tensioned and relaxed, and it is easier to produce fine cracks in the gel structure during gelation, thereby improving the bending resistance of the gel structure, and then improving the flexibility of the aerogel formed after the gel felt 203 is dried.

[0065] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 6 and 7 , the non-circular shape may include a regular polygon, such as a regular hexagon. In another embodiment, as shown in Figures 8 and 9 , the non-circular shape may also include an ellipse.

[0066] Please refer to Figure 10, which is a third partial schematic diagram of an embodiment of the gel mat production system of the present application. In this embodiment of the present application, the gel mat production system 100 further includes a scraper 21. One end of the scraper 21 contacts the surface of the first roller 131 that is not in contact with the wet mat 202, thereby scraping off the sol 204 on the surface of the first roller 131 to prevent agglomeration on the surface of the first roller 131.

[0067] Specifically, the scraper blade 21 can be located at the bottom of the first roller 131, with the top of the scraper blade 21 contacting the bottom of the first roller 131 to scrape the sol 204 off the surface of the first roller 131. The bottom of the scraper blade 21 is tilted toward the conveying direction to minimize interference with the rotation of the first roller 131. The scraper blade 21 can be made of silicone or rubber to avoid scratching the first roller 131.

[0068] In the embodiment of the present application, the gel felt production system 100 further includes a recovery container 22 and a guide plate 23. The recovery container 22 is disposed at the bottom of the scraper 21 to recover excess sol 204 leaking from the gap and the sol 204 scraped from the surface of the first roller 131. The guide plate 23 is disposed at the bottom of the scraper 21, and one end of the guide plate 23 extends to the top of the recovery container 22 to guide the sol 204 into the recovery container 22.

[0069] Please refer to Figure 11, which is a fourth partial schematic diagram of an embodiment of a gel felt production system of the present application. In this embodiment of the present application, the gel felt production system 100 further includes a housing chamber 31 and an air-inflating and air-exhausting device 32. The housing chamber 31 has an inlet and an outlet. The wet felt 202 enters the housing chamber 31 through the inlet, is gelled into gel felt 203, and is then output from the outlet. The conveying device 13 is disposed within the housing chamber 31 to convey the wet felt 202. The air-inflating and air-exhausting device 32 is in communication with the housing chamber 31 to facilitate inflation and exhaustion of air into the housing chamber 31 and to adjust the air pressure within the housing chamber 31.

[0070] Specifically, the inflation and exhaust device 32 can inflate or exhaust air in the direction of the first roller 131, and the inflation and exhaust device 32 changes the air pressure inside the accommodating cavity 31, so that the gel structure in the wet felt 202 is more likely to crack, thereby improving the mechanical flexibility of the gel felt 203 and the aerogel after the gel felt 203 is dried.

[0071] In the embodiment of the present application, the accommodating chamber 31 includes multiple sub-accommodating chambers 311 along the transmission direction of the conveying device 13, and each sub-accommodating chamber 311 is connected to an air inflation and degassing device 32. Specifically, the wet felt 202 is divided into multiple sections along the transmission direction by the multiple sub-accommodating chambers 311, so that the air pressure of the wet felt 202 in each section can be adjusted accordingly, thereby increasing the probability and number of cracks in the gel structure, increasing the bending resistance of the gel structure, and improving the mechanical flexibility of the gel felt 203 and the aerogel after the gel felt 203 is dried.

[0072] Please refer to Figures 1, 12, and 14. Figure 12 is a fifth partial schematic diagram of an embodiment of a gel mat production system of the present application. In this embodiment of the present application, the gel mat production system 100 further includes a raw material supply device 11 and a sol loading device 12. The raw material supply device 11 is disposed on the input side of the conveyor device 13 and is used to provide a fiber mat 201. The sol loading device 12 is used to provide a sol 204 to the fiber mat 201, thereby converting the fiber mat 201 into a wet mat 202.

[0073] Specifically, the sol loading device 12 can be disposed between the raw material supply device 11 and the conveying device 13. The fiber mat 201 provided by the raw material supply device 11 is formed into a wet mat 202 under the action of the sol 204 loaded by the sol loading device 12, and then enters the conveying device 13 for transmission, thereby reducing the time it takes for the fiber mat 201 to be converted into a gel mat 203 during the production process and improving the production efficiency of the gel mat production system 100. Furthermore, the sol 204 in the embodiment of the present application can include silica sol. By impregnating the fiber mat 201 with silica sol, the fiber mat 201 is converted into a wet mat 202, accelerating the process of gelation and conversion of the wet mat 202 into the gel mat 203 during transmission, thereby improving transmission efficiency.

[0074] In the embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 2 is a first partial schematic diagram of an embodiment of the gel mat production system of the present application. The sol loading device 12 includes a reaction vessel 121 and a pressing roller 122. The reaction vessel 121 is disposed on the path from the raw material supply device 11 to the input end of the conveyor device 13. The reaction vessel 121 is used to contain the sol 204 so that the fiber mat 201 and the sol 204 combine to form a wet mat 202. The pressing roller 122 is rotatably disposed within the reaction vessel 121 and is used to press the fiber mat 201 downward to combine the fiber mat 201 and the sol 204.

[0075] Specifically, the pressing roller 122 is disposed within the reaction vessel 121 and is used to press down the fiber mat 201 and combine it with the sol 204. After entering the reaction vessel 121, the fiber mat 201 passes under the pressing roller 122. The pressing roller 122 flattens the raised portions of the fiber mat 201, improving the surface smoothness of the fiber mat 201. It also allows the fiber mat 201 to be fully impregnated with the sol 204, combining with the sol 204 to form a wet mat 202, thereby increasing the saturation of the sol 204 in the wet mat 202.

[0076] Furthermore, the raw material providing device 11 can be a unwinding device, which continuously provides the fiber mat 201 as a whole in a roll, thereby improving production efficiency. In a specific embodiment, the raw material providing device 11 is provided with at least two providing rollers 111 for alternate unwinding. The two providing rollers 111 are of different sizes, and the two providing rollers 111 respectively wind the fiber mat 201 into at least two rolls. During production, when the fiber mat 201 on one providing roller 111 is unwound to the end of the fiber mat 201, the fiber mat 201 on another providing roller 111 is used to start unwinding and providing the fiber mat 201, thereby providing a continuous fiber mat 201. In another embodiment, the raw material providing device 11 can also directly provide fiber mat sheets, which simplifies the structure of the gel mat production system 100, reduces production costs, and can effectively reduce the wrinkles and indentations caused to the fiber mat 201 by unwinding and winding the fiber roll 201.

[0077] In the embodiment of the present application, the end of the reaction container 121 close to the conveying device 13 is lower than the input end of the conveying device 13, and a plurality of second rollers 14 arranged in sequence from low to high are rotatably arranged between the end of the reaction container 121 close to the conveying device 13 and the input end of the conveying device 13.

[0078] Specifically, the reaction vessel 121 and the conveying device 13 are connected via a plurality of second rollers 14. The reaction vessel 121 is located at a low position, while the conveying device 13 is located at a high position. The plurality of second rollers 14 form an inclined surface for conveying the wet felt 202. The second rollers 14 are passively rotating rollers. The front end of the wet felt 202 is pulled from the reaction vessel 121 to the input end of the conveying device 13, and then from the input end of the conveying device 13 to the output end of the conveying device 13. The height difference is utilized to pull the excess sol on the wet felt 202 away from the wet felt 202 under the action of gravity. The sol 204 flows away through the gap between two adjacent second rollers 14, reducing the gelation of the excess sol 204 on the wet felt 202 to form gel blocks. This improves or avoids the impact on the gelation of the wet felt 202 to form the gel felt 203, improves the surface smoothness of the gel felt 203, and enhances the quality stability of the gel felt production system 100.

[0079] In another embodiment, the reaction vessel 121 may be positioned high, the conveying device 13 may be positioned low, and a plurality of passively rotating second rollers 14 may be provided. In other embodiments, the second rollers 14 may also be actively rotating rollers, thereby improving the smooth passage of the wet felt 202 over height differences.

[0080] Please refer to Figures 1 to 12. In the embodiment of the present application, the gel felt production system 100 further includes a winding device 18 and a cutting device 19. The winding device 18 is provided on one side of the output end of the conveying device 13, and is used to collect and wind the gel felt 203. Specifically, the winding device 18 is provided on one side of the output end of the conveying device 13. The winding device 18 includes a winding roller 181, which is used to wind up the gel felt 203 transmitted from the output end of the conveying device 13. At the same time, it can also provide traction to the first roller 131 of the conveying device 13, thereby reducing the energy consumption required for transmission, making the gel felt production system 100 energy-saving and reducing production costs.

[0081] The specific structure of the cutting device 19 is prior art and will not be described in detail in this application. The cutting device 19 can be used to cut the gel felt 203 into gel felt blocks for direct collection. Specifically, the cutting device 19 cuts the gel felt 203 into gel felt blocks, making it easier to dry the gel felt 203, thereby producing an aerogel felt. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the cutting device 19 can also be provided after the drying process, that is, after the gel felt 203 is dried to obtain an aerogel felt, the aerogel felt is cut to obtain an aerogel sheet.

[0082] In the embodiment of the present application, the gel felt production system 100 further includes a traction device 17, which is disposed at the input end of the conveying device 13 and is used to pull the wet felt 202 to the winding device 18. The winding device 18 is used to collect and wind the gel felt 203. The traction device 17 may include two clamping rollers.

[0083] Specifically, several first rollers 131 are passively rotating rollers, which first pull the front end of the wet felt 202 from the input end of the conveying device 13 to the winding device 18 through the traction device 17, and then the winding device 18 winds up the wet felt 202 to provide traction, driving the first rollers 131 to rotate, thereby making the conveying device 13 run. At the same time, the energy consumption required by the conveying device 13 is reduced, making the gel felt production system 100 energy-saving and environmentally friendly. In other embodiments of the present application, the first rollers 131 can also be set as actively rotating rollers, thereby improving the smoothness of the transmission of the wet felt 202 on the conveying device 13. The conveying device 13 of the embodiment of the present application uses several passively rotating first rollers 131, which can effectively reduce the energy consumption required for transportation, so that the gel felt production system 100 can improve quality and stability while also playing a role in energy saving and environmental protection.

[0084] Please refer to Figures 1 and 13 in combination. Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of an embodiment of a spreading platform of the present application. In the embodiment of the present application, a spreading platform 15 is further provided between the raw material providing device 11 and the reaction vessel 121. The spreading platform 15 is used to flatten the fiber felt 201. The spreading platform 15 includes a platform frame, a flattening rod 151 and a retaining edge 152. Specifically, the platform frame is used to support the spreading platform 15. When the fiber felt passes through the spreading platform 15, the flattening rod 151 is used to flatten the passing fiber felt 201 to prevent the fiber felt 201 from accumulating wrinkles, thereby improving the surface flatness of the felt body.

[0085] Please refer to Figures 14 to 16. Figure 14 is a first partial schematic diagram of another embodiment of the gel mat production system of the present application, Figure 15 is a second partial schematic diagram of another embodiment of the gel mat production system of the present application, and Figure 16 is a third partial schematic diagram of another embodiment of the gel mat production system of the present application. In another embodiment of the present application, unlike the above embodiment, the gel mat production system 100 also includes a spraying device 123 and a recovery container 18. The spraying device 123 can be arranged on the path from the raw material supply device 11 to the input end of the conveying device 13, or it can be arranged at the input end of the conveying device 13. The spraying device 123 is used to spray the sol 204 onto the fiber mat 201, so that the sol 204 combines with the fiber mat 201 to form a wet mat 202. The recovery container 18 can be arranged below the corresponding spraying device 123, or it can be arranged below the conveying device 13 to recover the sol 204.

[0086] Specifically, the cutting device 19 can be arranged on the side of the input end of the conveying device 13, or can be arranged on the path from the raw material providing device 11 to the input end of the conveying device 13, for cutting the fiber mat 201 into sheets, or the raw material providing device 11 directly supplies the sheet-like fiber mat 201. It can be understood that the supply of sheet-like fiber mat 201 in the present application is relative to the process of supplying a continuous fiber mat 201 through a reeling device (such as a reeling roller), and multiple sheet-like fiber mats 201 are supplied to the conveying device 13 in sequence. For example, rectangular or square sheet-like fiber mats 201 are cut from the continuous fiber mat 201 released from the reeling device. The spraying device 123 can be used to spray the cut sheet-like fiber mat 201. Since the several sheet-like fiber mats 201 are not a continuous whole, the requirements for the amount and uniform distribution of the sol 204 for a single sheet-like fiber mat 201 are relatively small, and the spraying device 123 can be used to reduce costs and improve production efficiency. Furthermore, a guide plate 23 may be provided above the recovery container 18 to guide the excess sol 204 into the recovery container 18 , thereby facilitating the recovery of the sol 204 .

[0087] In an embodiment of the present application, the gel felt production system 100 also includes a catalytic gelation system 33 and a reagent supply device 34. The catalytic gelation system 33 is a heating system or sound wave or radiation system in the prior art, which can be arranged above the conveying device 13 to apply heat or sound waves or radiation to the wet felt 202 to catalyze the gelation of the sol 204 on the wet felt 202. This is beneficial for controlling the gelation time and the properties of the aerogel after the gel is dried. For example, the catalytic gelation system 33 is arranged as a hydrothermal heating system below the conveying device 13 to heat the wet felt 202 on the conveying device 13 to between 20-60°C to catalyze the gelation of the sol 204 on the wet felt 202. In another embodiment of the present application, the catalytic gelation system 33 can also be arranged above the conveying device 13. The reagent supply device 34 is used to supply the sol 204 and the gel catalyst. During the production process, the reagent supply device 34 can supply sol 204 to the reaction container 121 so that the fiber felt 201 and the sol 204 are combined to form a wet felt 202. At the same time, it can also supply a gel catalyst to the reaction container 121 so that the wet felt 202 is gelled to form a gel felt 203 during the transportation process, reducing the time required for the wet felt 202 to gel to form a gel felt 203, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing production costs.

[0088] In one embodiment, the gel felt production system 100 may include both the catalytic gelation system 33 and the reagent supply device 34 to improve production efficiency. In another embodiment, the gel felt production system 100 may include only the catalytic gelation system 33 to reduce costs. In yet another embodiment, the gel felt production system 100 may include only the reagent supply device 34.

[0089] In the embodiment of the present application, the gel felt production system 100 also includes a protective cover 16, which is covered on the outer periphery of the conveying device 13 and is used to reduce the volatilization of solvent during the transportation of the wet felt 202 and the gel felt 203 on the conveying device 13, thereby affecting the aerogel performance after the gel is dried.

[0090] In the embodiment of the present application, the gel mat production system 100 may further include a mixing container 35, which is connected to the reagent supply device 34 and is used to carry and mix the sol 204 and the gel catalyst. By pre-mixing the sol 204 and the gel catalyst and then spraying them onto the fiber mat 201, the formation of the gel mat 203 can be catalyzed.

[0091] Specifically, in some embodiments, the gel felt production system 100 may include any one of the above-mentioned cutting device 19, catalytic gelation system 33, protective cover 16 and reagent supply device 34. In other embodiments, the gel felt production system may also include at least some of the components. In other embodiments, the gel felt production system may also include all of the components.

[0092] Another aspect of the present application provides a method for producing a gel felt 203 using the above-mentioned gel felt production system 100, comprising transferring the wet felt 202 from the input end of the conveying device 13 to the output end of the conveying device 13, and causing the sol 204 of the wet felt 202 to gel during the transfer process.

[0093] Specifically, by pre-combining the fiber mat 201 and the sol 204 to form the wet mat 202, the process flow during the transport process can be simplified and production efficiency can be improved. The conveying device 13 can include a plurality of rotatable first rollers 131, which are arranged in a sequentially spaced arrangement along the transport direction of the conveying device 13. Compared to the prior art that uses a conveyor belt to transport the wet mat 202, excess sol 204 on the wet mat 202 can flow away from the gap between two adjacent first rollers 131, thereby reducing the possibility of excess sol 204 gelling on the conveying device 13 to form gel blocks, which could affect the surface morphology of the gel mat 203, and improving quality stability.

[0094] Furthermore, during the transfer of the wet felt 202 from the input end of the conveying device 13 to the output end of the conveying device 13, the air pressure in the accommodating chamber 31 can be changed over time by the air-inflating and air-exhausting device 32, so that when the wet felt 202 is gelled, it is easier for cracks to form in the gel structure to increase the bending resistance of the gel structure, thereby improving the flexibility of the gel felt 203 and the aerogel formed after the gel felt 203 is dried. The air pressure at the bottom of the conveying device 13 can also be made greater than the air pressure at the top by the air-inflating and air-exhausting device 32. By increasing the air pressure at the bottom of the wet felt 202, the wet felt 202 can be supported by the gas pressure, reducing the risk of degumming of the wet felt 202 due to gravity, and maintaining a high saturation of the wet felt 202, thereby increasing the aerogel content of the aerogel composite material.

[0095] Furthermore, during the transmission process of the wet felt 202 from the input end of the conveying device 13 to the output end of the conveying device 13, the multiple sub-cavities 311 have different air pressures through the inflation and exhaust device 32, so that the wet felt 202 is more likely to produce cracks in the gel structure during gelation to increase the bending resistance of the gel structure, thereby improving the flexibility of the gel felt 203 and the aerogel formed after the gel felt 203 is dried.

[0096] Since the fiber mats 201 have different shapes and sizes, their requirements for the saturation of the sol 204 are also different. When producing the gel mat 203 , different production methods can be used according to different fiber mats 201 .

[0097] Please refer to FIG. 17 , which is a schematic diagram of the steps of a method for producing gel felt using the gel felt production system of the embodiment of FIG. 1 according to the present application.

[0098] Specifically, the method of producing the continuous gel felt 203 may include:

[0099] S110 , the fiber mat 201 is transferred from the raw material supply device 11 to the reaction container 121 to be impregnated with the sol 204 , so that the fiber mat 201 is converted into a wet mat 202 and transferred to the input end of the conveying device 13 .

[0100] Specifically, the raw material supply device 11 can pass a continuous fiber mat 201 into a reaction vessel 121. The reaction vessel 121 contains a mixed colloidal solution of silica sol and catalyst, which can be combined with the fiber mat 201 to form a wet mat 202. In order to saturate the colloidal solution 204 in the fiber mat 201, the fiber mat 201 can be pressed down by a pressing roller 122 to improve the surface flatness of the fiber mat 201 so that the fiber mat 201 can be fully impregnated with the colloidal solution 204.

[0101] S120 , the wet felt 202 is transferred from the input end of the conveying device 13 to the output end of the conveying device 13 , and the sol 204 of the wet felt 202 is gelled during the transfer process.

[0102] Specifically, the sol 204 of the wet felt 202 can be catalyzed by the catalytic gelation system 33 during the transmission process, thereby improving production efficiency. Furthermore, during the transmission process of the wet felt 202 from the input end of the conveying device 13 to the output end of the conveying device 13, the air pressure in the accommodating chamber 31 can be changed over time by the air-inflating and exhausting device 32, so that the wet felt 202 is more likely to produce cracks in the gel structure during gelation, thereby increasing the bending resistance of the gel structure, and then improving the flexibility of the gel felt 203 and the aerogel formed after the gel felt 203 is dried. The air pressure at the bottom of the conveying device 13 can also be made greater than the air pressure at the top by the air-inflating and exhausting device 32. By increasing the air pressure at the bottom of the wet felt 202, the wet felt 202 can be supported by the gas pressure, reducing the risk of degumming of the wet felt 202 due to gravity, and maintaining a high saturation of the wet felt 202, thereby increasing the aerogel content of the aerogel composite material.

[0103] Furthermore, when the accommodating cavity 31 has multiple sub-accommodating cavities 311, the wet felt 202 is transferred from the input end of the conveying device 13 to the output end of the conveying device 13. During the transmission process, the multiple sub-accommodating cavities 311 have different air pressures through the inflation and exhaust device 32, so that the wet felt 202 is more likely to produce cracks in the gel structure during gelation to increase the bending resistance of the gel structure, thereby improving the flexibility of the gel felt 203 and the aerogel formed after the gel felt 203 is dried.

[0104] S130 , the winding device 18 collects the gelled gel felt 203 .

[0105] Specifically, the winding device 18 can collect and wind the gel felt 203, and can also provide traction for the wet felt 202 during transportation, thereby achieving energy conservation and environmental protection. In order to produce sheet-shaped gel felt, a cutting device 19 can be provided at the output end of the conveyor device 13 to cut the continuous gel felt 203 into sheets of gel felt 203 for output.

[0106] Please refer to FIG18, which is a schematic diagram of the steps of the method for producing gel felt using the gel felt production system of the embodiment of FIG14. In order to meet other requirements, the method for producing the sheet-shaped gel felt 203 may also include:

[0107] S210 , cutting the fiber mat 201 into sheets and transferring them to an input end of the conveying device 13 .

[0108] Specifically, the fiber mat 201 provided by the raw material providing device 11 is cut into sheets by the cutting device 19 . The saturation of the sol 204 in the sheet-like fiber mat 201 is small, and it is conducive to the uniform distribution of the sol 204 .

[0109] S220, the spraying device 123 sprays the sheet-like fiber mat 201, and the fiber mat 201 combines with the sprayed sol 204 to form a wet mat 202, and the wet mat 202 is transferred from the input end of the conveying device 13 to the output end of the conveying device 13, and the sol 204 of the wet mat 202 is gelled during the transfer process.

[0110] Specifically, unlike the method for producing a continuous gel felt 203, the sheet-like fiber felt 201 can be impregnated with the sol 204 by simply spraying it through the spraying device 123 to form a wet felt 202. To accelerate the gelation of the wet felt 202, a mixing container 35 and a reagent supply device 34 can be provided. The mixing container 35 is connected to the reagent supply device 34 and is used to carry the sol 204 and the gel catalyst and to allow the sol 204 and the gel catalyst to mix. By pre-mixing the sol 204 and the gel catalyst and then spraying them onto the fiber felt 201, the formation of the gel felt 203 can be catalyzed.

[0111] Please refer to Figure 4. For the sheet wet felt 202, since the friction between it and the first roller 131 is relatively small, in order to increase the friction so that the sheet wet felt 202 can be effectively transmitted by the first roller 131, a pressing plate 205, such as a steel plate, can be set on the surface of the sheet wet felt 202 after the spraying step.

[0112] S230 , a collecting device collects the gelled sheet-like gel felt 203 .

[0113] Specifically, in addition to the winding roller 181 , the collecting device may also include other structures to complete the collection of the sheet-like gel felt 203 .

[0114] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and they should all be included in the scope of the claims and specification of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any way. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions that fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A gel felt production system, wherein: include: A conveying device (13), the conveying device (13) comprising a plurality of rotatably arranged first rollers (131), the plurality of first rollers (131) being arranged in sequence and spaced apart along the transmission direction of the conveying device (13); the input end of the conveying device (13) being used for transmitting the wet felt (202), and the output end of the conveying device (13) being used for outputting the gel felt (203).

2. The gel mat production system according to claim 1, wherein: Along the transmission direction, the distance between two adjacent first rotating rollers (131) is set to 10mm-500mm.

3. The gel mat production system according to claim 1, wherein: The tops of the plurality of first rotating rollers (131) are located on the same horizontal plane.

4. The gel mat production system according to claim 3, wherein: The plurality of first rotating rollers (131) have the same diameter and their rotating axes are arranged in parallel.

5. The gel mat production system according to claim 1, wherein: The cross section of the first rotating roller (131) is non-circular.

6. The gel mat production system according to claim 5, wherein: The non-circular shape includes a regular polygon or an ellipse.

7. The gel mat production system according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: A scraper (21), one end of the scraper (21) contacts the surface of the first rotating roller (131) that is not used to contact the wet felt (202).

8. The gel mat production system according to claim 7, wherein: Also includes: A recovery container (22) is arranged at the bottom of the scraper (21); A guide plate (23) is arranged at the bottom of the scraper (21), and one end of the guide plate extends to the top of the recovery container (22).

9. The gel mat production system according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: The accommodating chamber (31) has an inlet and an outlet; the conveying device (13) is arranged in the accommodating chamber (31); and the inflation and exhaust device (32) is communicated with the accommodating chamber (31).

10. The gel mat production system according to claim 9, wherein: The accommodating chamber (31) comprises a plurality of sub-accommodating chambers (311) along the transmission direction of the conveying device (13); each of the sub-accommodating chambers (311) is connected to one of the inflation and degassing devices (32).

11. The gel mat production system according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: A raw material supply device (11) is arranged at one side of the input end of the conveying device (13); the raw material supply device (11) is used to provide the fiber felt (201); The sol loading device (12) is used to provide the sol (204) to the fiber mat (201) so that the fiber mat (201) is converted into a wet mat (202).

12. The gel mat production system according to claim 11, wherein: The sol loading device (12) comprises: A reaction container (121) is arranged on a path from the raw material supply device (11) to an input end of the conveying device (13), and the reaction container (121) is used to contain the sol (204) so ​​that the fiber mat (201) and the sol (204) are combined to form a wet mat (202); A pressing roller (122), the pressing roller (122) being rotatably disposed in the reaction container (121) and used for pressing down the fiber mat (201) and allowing the fiber mat (201) to combine with the sol (204); The raw material providing device (11) is an unwinding device.

13. The gel mat production system according to claim 12, wherein: One end of the reaction container (121) close to the conveying device (13) is lower than the input end of the conveying device (13), and a plurality of second rollers (14) arranged in sequence from low to high are rotatably arranged between the end of the reaction container (121) close to the conveying device (13) and the input end of the conveying device (13).

14. The gel mat production system according to claim 13, wherein: Also includes: A traction device (17) is arranged at the input end of the conveying device (13).

15. The gel mat production system according to claim 11, wherein: Also includes: a spraying device (123) disposed on a path from the raw material supply device (11) to the input end of the conveying device (13) or disposed at the input end of the conveying device (13); the spraying device (123) is used to spray the sol (204) onto the fiber felt (201), and the sol (204) and the fiber felt (201) are combined to form the wet felt (202); A recovery container (22), wherein the recovery container (22) is used to recover the sol (204).

16. The gel mat production system according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: A winding device (18) is arranged at one side of the output end of the conveying device (13); the winding device (18) is used to collect the gel felt (203); or, A cutting device (19), wherein the cutting device (19) is used to cut the gel felt (203) into gel felt blocks.

17. The gel mat production system according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: a catalytic gelation system (33), the catalytic gelation system (33) being used to catalyze the wet felt (202) transported by the transport device (13) to form the gel felt (203); or / and, A reagent supply device (34) is used to supply the sol (204) and the gel catalyst.

18. A method for producing a gel felt using the gel felt production system according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein: include: The wet felt (202) is transferred from the input end of the conveying device (13) to the output end of the conveying device (13), and the sol (204) of the wet felt (202) is gelled during the transfer process.

19. The method for producing a gel felt according to claim 18, wherein: The gel felt production system is a gel felt production system according to claim 9; the wet felt (202) is transferred from the input end of the conveying device (13) to the output end of the conveying device (13). During the transfer process, the air pressure in the accommodating chamber (31) is changed over time through the inflation and exhaust device (32); or, the air pressure at the bottom of the conveying device (13) is made greater than the air pressure at the top through the inflation and exhaust device (32).

20. The method for producing a gel mat according to claim 19, wherein: The gel felt production system is a gel felt production system according to claim 10; the wet felt (202) is transferred from the input end of the conveying device (13) to the output end of the conveying device (13). During the transfer process, the inflation and exhaust device (32) is used to make the multiple sub-containing chambers (311) have different air pressures.

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