Mechanical Alcohol Concentration Regulator for Varnish Vats
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual addition of alcohol to varnish vats for optical glasses is prone to human error, affecting the quality of varnishing and operator health, while electronic systems increase production costs.
Innovation Solution
A device with an overflow tray and connected pipes maintains alcohol concentration by using air bubbles to release alcohol from a sealed tank when the varnish level drops, eliminating the need for manual additions and visual control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual addition of alcohol is used to maintain concentration in varnish vats, then the operator can control the amount added, but the operation is prone to human error, affects operator health, and is frequently forgotten
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects when alcohol concentration drops and triggers the addition of alcohol without human intervention. The float mechanism and air bubble detection system enable the vat to self-regulate its alcohol concentration, eliminating the need for manual monitoring and addition while ensuring consistent quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the alcohol concentration level through the float mechanism and air bubble detection in the tube. When the level drops, the system receives feedback and automatically activates the pump to add alcohol, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains reliable concentration control.
2Manufacturing precision
If electronic systems with high/low level sensors are used to control alcohol addition, then the dose of alcohol can be controlled precisely, but the production cost increases greatly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces expensive electronic sensors with a simple, inexpensive mechanical float mechanism and air bubble detection system. The float can be made from inexpensive materials and the entire control system uses basic mechanical and pneumatic components rather than costly electronics, achieving precise dose control at low cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces electronic sensing and control systems with a mechanical float mechanism and pneumatic air bubble detection system. This substitution eliminates the need for expensive electronics while maintaining precise control over alcohol addition through purely mechanical and pneumatic means.
3Quantity of substance
If frequent manual alcohol addition is required to maintain proper concentration, then the alcohol evaporation loss is compensated, but the production productivity decreases due to regular interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors alcohol concentration through the float mechanism and automatically adds alcohol when needed without stopping the varnishing production. The pump operates continuously or intermittently based on detected needs, ensuring uninterrupted production while maintaining proper alcohol concentration throughout the process.
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
Automatically regulates alcohol concentration in varnish vats, ensuring consistent quality without manual intervention and maintaining low production costs.
Implementation Method 1
an overflow tray (11) with a U cross-section fixed to the vat external side (1) below its top edge (12), a pipe (13) that links the bottom of the tray (11) to the bottom (14) of the vat (1) through a pump (15)
Implementation Method 2
Any drop in the level of the varnish in vat (1) and particularly in tray (11) is due essentially to the evaporation of the alcohol (22) of the varnish (10), triggering an important variation that no longer guarantees good results in the varnishing of glasses or other substrates.
Implementation Method 3
a flexible pipe (21) feeding the alcohol and connected to the free extremity of the metallic pipe (16). The metallic tube (16) of the overflow tray will preferably have a diameter of 6-8 mm and be beveled at its junction with the tray's inner side for an easier penetration of the air bubble.
Implementation Method 4
pump (15) operates continuously to maintain a high level (10) of varnish in vat (1) and in tray (11)
Data Source
AI summary
Device for the regulation of the concentration of a product in a liquid and, most specifically, of an alcohol used in the composition of a varnish contained in a varnishing vat for optical glasses or other substrates. The vat comprises an overflow tray and a sealed alcohol reservoir. The reservoir is installed higher than the overflow tray so that when level of the varnish in the overflow tray drops sufficiently low, an air bubble is created that rises to the alcohol reservoir, thus creating additional pressure in the alcohol reservoir and forcing a drop of alcohol into the overflow tray until the level of the varnish in the overflow tray recovers its normal level above the junction point between the second pipe and the overflow tray.