Blow-Molded Container Cooling Using Recovered Pressure Medium
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blow molding processes require complex and energy-intensive cooling methods to maintain the external shape of plastic containers, especially at high production speeds, and the use of additional cooling media leads to equipment costs and contamination risks.
Innovation Solution
Reutilize the pressure medium from the container's interior as a cooling medium by directing it to subsequent containers, achieving adiabatic cooling and reducing the need for additional cooling media, with the pressure medium being sequentially passed through multiple containers and optionally cooled between them.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If active cooling with dedicated cooling medium is introduced into the container interior, then cooling efficiency is improved, but equipment complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure medium discharged from the container interior serves its own cooling function. The system utilizes the existing pressure medium flow path to achieve cooling without requiring separate cooling equipment, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating complex cooling infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the pressure medium directly to the environment after forming, the system recovers it by redirecting it through subsequent containers. This recovery process transforms the discharged medium into a useful cooling resource, eliminating waste and reducing the need for additional cooling media.
2Temperature
If additional cooling medium is supplied to the container interior, then cooling effect is improved, but contamination risk and equipment costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure medium already present in the container interior performs the cooling function. This eliminates the need to introduce external cooling media that could potentially contaminate the container, especially important for applications like beverage containers where internal contamination must be avoided.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure medium serves multiple functions: it performs the forming operation during blow molding and then continues to serve as the cooling medium. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate cooling media and the associated contamination risks.
3Ease of operation
If pressure medium is discharged directly to environment via relief line, then discharge process is simple, but cooling opportunity is lost
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of discarding the pressure medium directly to the environment, the system redirects it through subsequent containers where it provides cooling. This recovery process captures the cooling potential that would otherwise be lost during direct discharge.
Solution Approach 2:
The discharged pressure medium, which would normally represent energy loss and wasted cooling potential, is converted into a useful cooling resource for subsequent containers. The discharge process is transformed from a waste-generating operation into a beneficial cooling process.
4Productivity
If production speed is increased to tens of thousands of containers per hour, then productivity is improved, but cooling requirements become more stringent and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure medium continuously flows from one container to the next in sequence, providing uninterrupted cooling action. This continuous flow process matches the high-speed production requirements without requiring complex intermittent cooling systems.
Solution Approach 2:
Each container utilizes the pressure medium discharged from the previous container for cooling. This self-service mechanism automatically scales with production speed without requiring additional cooling infrastructure, as the system inherently provides cooling proportional to the production rate.
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
Enhances cooling efficiency with reduced energy consumption and eliminates the need for complex cooling equipment, while maintaining the container's shape integrity and reducing contamination risks.
Implementation Method 1
the depressurization of the pressure medium causes adiabatic cooling, which improves the cooling effect on the further container
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a container (3) from a preform (2) having an interior (2b), wherein the preform (2) is placed in an outer mold (2a) and the interior (2b) is pressurized with a pressure medium, so that the preform (2) is formed into the container (3) with an interior (3b), and the pressurized pressure medium is subsequently released from the interior (3b). According to the invention, the pressure medium is supplied to at least one further container (3') during the release process.