Carbon Foam Filter for Vapour Stream Splash Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial vapour deposition processes face challenges with entrained liquid in vapour streams, leading to irregularities in coatings due to splashes from molten sources, which are not effectively addressed by existing methods, especially at high evaporation rates.
Innovation Solution
A filter device using carbon foam with a specific arrangement, combined with a graphite component for heating, effectively removes non-vaporous components from vapour streams by obstructing all trajectories and promoting evaporation of captured splashes, suitable for high evaporation rates up to 2000 g/m²/s.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a carbon foam baffle partially blocks the vapour duct to trap droplets, then droplet removal is achieved, but liquid transmission occurs when flux is high enough to counteract gravity and splashes may solidify blocking the flow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a porous plug made of porous material (such as porous ceramic or porous metal) to replace the solid carbon foam baffle. The porous structure allows vapour to pass through while intercepting liquid droplets through the pore walls, preventing flow blockage even at high flux conditions. The porous nature ensures continuous vapour flow paths are maintained while still achieving effective droplet removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state and structural parameters of the filtration element from solid foam to porous material with controlled pore size and distribution. This parameter change allows the filter to maintain effectiveness at higher evaporation rates and fluxes, preventing the flow blockage issues that occur with solid baffles when liquid flux becomes high enough to counteract gravity.
2Productivity
If evaporation rate is increased to improve productivity, then production rate increases, but more entrained liquid is generated in the vapour stream
Solution Approach 1:
The porous plug provides a large surface area with numerous pore walls that intercept entrained liquid droplets. As evaporation rate increases and more droplets are generated, the porous structure maintains effective droplet capture through its extensive internal surface area, preventing droplets from passing through to the deposition chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
The porous plug is positioned in the vapour stream path before the deposition chamber, performing preliminary droplet removal. This preliminary action eliminates entrained liquid generated at high evaporation rates before the vapour reaches the substrate, ensuring high-quality coatings even at increased production rates.
3Ease of operation
If an open channel with low resistance is provided for vapour flow, then vapour flow efficiency is improved, but particles with low inertia are carried along without contacting the filter
Solution Approach 1:
The porous plug eliminates the need for open channels by providing a fully porous structure where vapour must pass through the pore network. This ensures all vapour and entrained particles contact the pore walls during filtration, maintaining high filtration effectiveness while still allowing efficient vapour flow through the porous matrix.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the concept of open channels from the design and replaces it with a porous structure. By removing solid walls and replacing them with porous material, the system achieves both efficient vapour flow and complete particle contact, as vapour must traverse the porous matrix rather than flow alongside it.
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
The solution significantly reduces or eliminates splashes in vapour streams, enabling high-quality coatings by ensuring a smooth vapour stream, even at high evaporation rates, surpassing the capabilities of existing technologies.
Implementation Method 1
the carbon foam filter material is heated to promote evaporation of the non-vaporous components
Implementation Method 2
the means (6) for removing non-vaporous components comprises a graphite component (9) adhering to the carbon foam component (8), wherein the graphite component (9) is capable of being heated by electromagnetic induction
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a filter device for reducing the amount of non-vaporous components in a vapour stream, comprising a carbon foam as filter material that is capable of being penetrated by the vapour stream and that is arranged in such a way that the only route for the vapour stream to pass the carbon foam is via penetration of the carbon foam. The device is in particular suitable for coating a substrate by physical vapour deposition of the vapour. The homogenous and single phase vapour stream produced by the filter device results in a smooth coated substrate wherein splashes are virtually absent.