CO2 Snow Separation Chamber With Screw Conveying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for producing carbon dioxide snow suffer from strong turbulence and scattering of snow particles due to the expansion of liquid carbon dioxide, leading to caking issues and inefficient operation, particularly when attempting to focus the snow particles using mechanical devices.
Innovation Solution
A device with an expansion nozzle in a snow horn and a gas discharge line opening into a separating chamber with baffles, where the snow-gas mixture impacts and separates, allowing the snow to collect while the gas escapes, and a mechanical transport device like a conveyor spiral or screw conveys the snow without pressure, minimizing turbulence and scattering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If mechanical devices such as funnels or baffles are used to focus snow particles, then the scattering of snow particles is reduced, but the carbon dioxide snow cakes on the mechanical devices and impairs operation
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful carbon dioxide gas stream is extracted and separated from the snow particles through a dedicated gas discharge line and separating chamber, removing the cause of caking while preserving the snow focusing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The device is segmented into distinct functional zones: a snow horn for snow particle generation, a separating chamber for gas-snow separation, and a gas discharge line for gas removal. This segmentation allows each component to perform its function without interfering with others, preventing caking
2Productivity
If the snow horn is designed to produce carbon dioxide snow by expanding liquid carbon dioxide, then carbon dioxide snow is generated, but strong turbulence and scattering of snow particles occur due to the carbon dioxide gas flow
Solution Approach 1:
A separating chamber acts as an intermediary between the snow horn and the discharge point, allowing the snow-gas mixture to separate into its components before the snow is delivered, thus stabilizing the snow particle distribution while maintaining production efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The device segments the snow-gas mixture into separate gas and snow streams through the separating chamber, with the gas exiting through one path and the snow through another, eliminating turbulence and scattering
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 effectively separates carbon dioxide snow from gas, allowing for precise and pressure-free transport and application, reducing turbulence and caking, and enabling efficient production and use of carbon dioxide snow without disruptive gas influences.
Implementation Method 1
In snow horns, carbon dioxide snow is produced by expanding liquid carbon dioxide using the Joule-Thomson effect
Implementation Method 2
The vast majority of the snow-gas mixture flow initially impacts the impact surfaces and is preferably multiple times on the walls reflected in the separation chamber. As a result, the snow collects inside the separating chamber, while the gas flow escapes
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The device (1) for making carbon dioxide snow, comprises an expansion nozzle incorporated into a snow horn (3) for relaxing liquid carbon dioxide. The snow horn and a gas outlet (4) for discharging the gaseous carbon dioxide produced during relaxing the liquid carbon dioxide run into a partition chamber, in which a baffle plate for separating the carbon dioxide snow created during relaxing the liquid carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide gas. A transport device (13) is provided for transporting the carbon dioxide snow to a mouth opening (10) of the partition chamber. The device (1) for making carbon dioxide snow, comprises an expansion nozzle incorporated into a snow horn (3) for relaxing liquid carbon dioxide. The snow horn and a gas outlet (4) for discharging the gaseous carbon dioxide produced during relaxing the liquid carbon dioxide run into a partition chamber, in which a baffle plate for separating the carbon dioxide snow created during relaxing the liquid carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide gas. A transport device (13) is provided for transporting the carbon dioxide snow to a mouth opening (10) of the partition chamber spaced apart from the gas outlet. A conveyor spiral or a conveyor screw is used as transport device and parts of the conveyor spiral or conveyor screw are used as baffle plate. The snow horn and the gas outlet compatibly run into the partition chamber at 90[deg] . The snow horn and/or the gas outlet run through the partition chamber at 60-120[deg] against the transport device of the carbon dioxide snow. The gas outlet and the transport device are arranged to each other, so that the prevailing direction of the gas stream escaping through the gas outlet and the prevailing transport direction of the carbon dioxide snow guided by the transport device to the mouth opening of the partition chamber are compatible at an angle of 180[deg] . A control device is provided for regulating the quantity of the supplied liquid carbon dioxide and/or driving speed of the transport device and is data-connected with the expansion nozzle and/or the transport device. An independent claim is included for a method for cooling products with carbon dioxide snow.