Apparatus of manufacturing aerogel sheet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aerogel sheets in existing manufacturing processes often have non-uniform thickness, poor heat insulation, and durability issues, making mass production difficult.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus comprising a tray device with a rotation mechanism, silica precursor injection, and surface modification devices to uniformly impregnate and coat fiber sheets with silica precursor and coating solutions, ensuring consistent thickness and improved properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional aerogel manufacturing methods are used, then aerogel can be produced, but the sheets have non-uniform thickness and poor heat insulation
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is divided into distinct stages: fiber sheet formation, silica precursor impregnation, gelation, drying, and surface modification. Each stage is controlled separately to ensure uniform thickness and quality throughout the aerogel sheet production process.
Solution Approach 2:
A fiber sheet is prepared in advance as a support structure before aerogel formation. This preliminary fiber network provides a uniform scaffold that ensures consistent thickness and structural integrity throughout the subsequent aerogel impregnation and drying processes.
2Productivity
If conventional aerogel manufacturing methods are used, then aerogel can be produced, but mass production is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process enables continuous production by maintaining uninterrupted operational sequences. Fiber sheets are continuously formed, impregnated with silica precursor, gelated, dried, and surface-modified in a continuous workflow, allowing for scalable mass production without repeated setup or interruption.
3Reliability
If aerogel sheets are produced with focus on heat insulation, then thermal performance improves, but durability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The aerogel is formed as a composite material within a fiber sheet matrix. This composite structure combines the excellent thermal insulation properties of aerogel with the mechanical strength and durability of the fiber sheet, achieving both high heat insulation performance and improved durability simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The fiber sheet provides localized structural support and mechanical strength at critical locations, while the aerogel fills the spaces to provide thermal insulation. This spatial differentiation of material functions allows the composite structure to exhibit both high insulation performance and enhanced durability.
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 mass production of aerogel sheets with enhanced heat insulation, durability, and uniform thickness, addressing the limitations of existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
A silica precursor solution is subjected to sol-gel polymerization reaction to from gel
Implementation Method 2
drying process is performed on the formed gel under supercritical or atmospheric conditions to obtain the aerogel
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an apparatus of manufacturing an aerogel sheet. The apparatus of manufacturing the aerogel sheet includes: a tray device in which a fiber sheet is accommodated; a rotation device including a rotation rod to which the tray device is fixed and a driving member rotating the rotation rod so that the tray device is disposed on an upper and lower portion of the rotation rod; an injection device injecting a silica precursor into the tray device disposed on the upper portion of the rotation rod to impregnate the silica precursor into the fiber sheet; and a surface modification device injecting a coating solution into the tray device disposed on the lower portion of the rotation rod to modify a surface of the fiber sheet in which the silica precursor is impregnated.