Adjustable Aperture Screens for Thermal Chamber Gas Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional thermal treatment furnaces with gaseous atmosphere quenching lack efficient control over cooling speed and temperature adjustment, leading to inefficient heat exchange and high heat dispersion due to fixed mono-block screens and complex directional cooling systems.
Innovation Solution
A thermal chamber with adjustable apertures or screens that can rotate between 0° and 90°, controlled by a lever system actuated by a rod and crankshaft, allowing for precise modulation of gas passage and temperature regulation through a software interface and PLC-controlled motor system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional mono-block screens are used in thermal treatment furnaces, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the cooling speed control is insufficient and temperature adjustment is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The screen is divided into multiple independent adjustable aperture elements instead of a single fixed mono-block structure. Each aperture can be individually opened or closed to control gas flow, enabling precise temperature and cooling speed adjustment while maintaining structural simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The screen apertures are made dynamically adjustable during operation through actuation mechanisms that can open or close individual aperture elements. This allows real-time control of gas passage and cooling rate without requiring complex overall screen restructuring
2Speed
If mono-block screens are totally opened for cooling, then gas passage is maximized, but heat exchange efficiency deteriorates due to screen surface covering the heat exchanger
Solution Approach 1:
The screen is segmented into multiple aperture elements that can be selectively opened or closed. This allows optimization of the balance between gas passage area (for cooling speed) and heat exchanger surface area (for heat exchange efficiency) by adjusting which apertures are open at any given time
Solution Approach 2:
The effective screen area and gas passage cross-section are dynamically changed by adjusting the opening state of individual aperture elements. This enables continuous adjustment of cooling intensity and heat exchange efficiency to match process requirements
3Manufacturing precision
If traditional fixed screens are used, then the device complexity is low, but the cooling curve control precision is insufficient for achieving desired metastable structures
Solution Approach 1:
The screen is divided into multiple independently controllable aperture elements, each capable of being opened or closed. This segmentation enables precise control of gas flow rates and cooling curves by selectively activating specific apertures, achieving the precision needed for metastable structure formation without excessive complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates temperature sensors and control logic that monitor the thermal state and adjust aperture configurations in response. This feedback mechanism enables precise control of cooling curves to achieve target metastable structures while automatically managing the complexity of aperture adjustment
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables continuous temperature adjustment and improved gas flow rate, reducing heat dispersion and enhancing thermal exchange efficiency during cooling, allowing for precise control of cooling curves and metastable structure formation in metals.
Implementation Method 1
at least a surface comprises a plurality of apertures or screens which connect the inside of the thermal chamber with the inside of the bell to allow the passage of the gas atmosphere from the thermal chamber to the bell
Implementation Method 2
a heat exchanger and a thermal chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A furnace for thermal treatment with gaseous atmosphere quenching having a bell inside which there are provided a rotor regulating the gas atmosphere flow, a heat exchanger regulating the temperature of the gas atmosphere and a thermal chamber configured for thermal treatment and the following gaseous atmosphere quenching. The thermal chamber has at least a surface positioned on a side adjacent to the heat exchanger and at least a surface positioned on an opposed side to the adjacent one to the heat exchanger and wherein at least a surface has a plurality of screens which connect the inside of the thermal chamber with the inside of the bell to allow the passage of the gas atmosphere from the thermal chamber to the bell, wherein the screens are adjustable to modify the passage section and so the flow of the gas atmosphere in function of the temperature required by the thermal treatment.