Coating Tunnel Half-Open Loop Recirculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hollow glass containers face high losses of coating compounds due to rapid processing speeds and venting systems, leading to inefficient coating application, health hazards, and increased chemical emissions, necessitating reduced chemical consumption and emissions.
Innovation Solution
A coating apparatus with a half-open loop that recirculates the coating material exhaust from the outlet to the inlet of the coating tunnel, mixing it with fresh air to maintain concentration and reduce waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If glass containers are processed at high speed through the coating tunnel, then productivity increases, but coating compound is lost when containers draw it out through the outlet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful loss of coating compound through the outlet into a beneficial recirculating resource. The exhaust gas containing coating compound is captured and redirected back through the half-loop to the inlet region, transforming waste material into a useful coating source that enhances deposition efficiency and reduces chemical loss.
2Productivity
If fresh air is introduced at the inlet to maintain carrier gas flow, then coating application continues, but coating compound concentration is diluted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers the coating compound that would otherwise be discarded with the exhaust air. By capturing the exhaust gas containing coating compound and redirecting it through the half-loop back to the inlet, the system recovers valuable chemical material and maintains its concentration in the carrier gas, reducing the need for continuous fresh chemical introduction.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If venting system is installed to prevent coating compound escape, then health and safety are improved, but coating compound is discarded and coating performance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a half-loop as an intermediary system between the coating tunnel outlet and inlet. This half-loop acts as a mediator that captures coating compound-laden exhaust air and redirects it back into the coating zone, preventing direct escape to the environment while maintaining coating compound availability for continuous deposition on glass containers.
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
This configuration reduces coating chemical consumption and emissions, ensuring efficient application with minimal loss and improved safety by maintaining coating compound concentration and reducing ambient air exchange.
Implementation Method 1
The coating application is done inside a coating apparatus also called a coating tunnel or coating hood with a so called hot end coating by chemical vapor deposition usually in forming a thin layer of a metal oxide
Implementation Method 2
The temperature of the containers excess 400° C. at the surface of the containers, so that when the heat decomposable inorganic metallic or organometallic compound (coating compound) is applied thereto, said compound reacts immediately and is converted to a metal oxide coating
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a coating apparatus also called coating tunnel or coating hood for applying a protective coating to hollow glass containers. In particular it relates to a coating apparatus also called coating tunnel or coating hood with the re-use of the coating material containing exhaust from the end of the coating tunnel for applying the protective coatings to glass containers. More particularly the present invention relates to a coating apparatus also called coating tunnel or coating hood with an additional half-loop that re-uses the coating material containing exhaust from the end of the coating tunnel at the entrance of the tunnel while replacing fresh air.