Double-Walled Cooling Tubes in Polymer Degassing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing degassing devices for polymer melts suffer from reduced effectiveness and shortened service life due to contamination and clogging from gaseous and liquid inclusions, leading to increased maintenance and disposal issues, as well as inefficiencies in separating mixtures of solid, liquid, and pasty components.
Innovation Solution
A degassing device with a double-walled cooling tube structure and countercurrent cooling principle, combined with a scraper cleaning system that allows for optimal cooling and cleaning of the vacuum separator surfaces, prevents clogging and extends the service life of components by ensuring complete removal of deposits and maintaining vacuum efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a vacuum system is used to remove gaseous inclusions and liquid substances from polymer melt, then the quality of the finished product is improved, but the vacuum system components become contaminated and damaged, shortening their service life
Solution Approach 1:
A filter element is introduced as an intermediary component between the polymer melt and the vacuum system. This filter captures gaseous inclusions and liquid substances before they can reach and damage the vacuum pump and other sensitive components, thereby protecting the vacuum system while maintaining product quality
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful gaseous inclusions and liquid substances are extracted and removed from the polymer melt through the filter element before the melt enters the vacuum system. This prevents the contaminants from reaching and damaging the vacuum pump, extending component service life while still achieving the desired degassing effect
2Reliability
If a filter element is used to separate gaseous inclusions and liquid substances, then the vacuum system is protected, but the filter element itself becomes clogged and requires frequent replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The filter element is designed with specific pore size parameters and material properties that allow it to capture contaminants effectively while maintaining sufficient flow capacity. The pore size is optimized to trap gaseous inclusions and liquid substances without causing excessive pressure drop that would lead to rapid clogging
Solution Approach 2:
The filter element features non-uniform pore distribution with different pore sizes in different regions. The outer regions have smaller pores for capturing fine contaminants, while inner regions have larger pores to maintain flow capacity and prevent rapid clogging, extending the filter's service life
3Manufacturing precision
If the pore size of the filter element is reduced to improve separation efficiency, then more contaminants are removed, but the flow capacity of the filter decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter element uses optimized pore size parameters that balance separation efficiency and flow capacity. The pore size is specifically selected to capture gaseous inclusions and liquid substances effectively while maintaining sufficient throughput for continuous processing operations
Solution Approach 2:
The filter element is divided into multiple layers or zones with different pore sizes. Outer layers have smaller pores for high separation efficiency, while inner layers have larger pores to maintain flow capacity, achieving both contaminant removal and adequate throughput
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 improves the economic efficiency of the degassing process, extends the service life of vacuum system components, and eliminates disposal problems by effectively separating and removing solid, liquid, and pasty deposits, maintaining the vacuum and preventing clogging in the degassing system.
Implementation Method 1
The cooling tubes (45) are surrounded by a scraper-type cleaning device (61) and are cooled by a countercurrent cooling principle
Implementation Method 2
the separated substances react with each other and are deposited on the surfaces due to thermodynamic reasons
Implementation Method 3
a scraper-type cleaning device (61) which can be moved back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the cooling tubes (45) in order to remove deposits on the outside of the cooling tubes
Implementation Method 4
a vacuum pump system creates a negative pressure that can act on the vacuum zone through the appropriate pipelines and thus ensures that interfering gases, degradation products of polymers and additives and impurities are drawn off from the melt
Data Source
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AI summary
An improved device for degassing polymer melts is characterised by, inter alia, the following features: the at least one vacuum separator (15; 15a, 15b) comprises cooling pipes (45) extending parallel to each other in the tank interior (115c) of the vacuum separator housing (115), the cooling pipes (45) are double-walled, the cooling pipes (45) end at a distance (H) above a collection chamber (57) or above the tank bottom (115d) of the vacuum separator housing (115), and a cleaning device (RV) having a scraper or a wiper (61) is provided, said cleaning device being adapted to the cross-sectional shape of the cooling pipes (45) and preferably to the course of the inner wall of the vacuum separator housing (115) and being movable at least in a partial height at least to the lower end of the cooling pipes.