Electrospinning Airflow Venting for Solvent Vapor Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in forming fiber films using electrospinning apparatuses is the need to lower the vapor concentration of solvents in the area where the material liquid is ejected from spinning heads, which affects the formation of solvent droplets on the transfer target.
Innovation Solution
An electrospinning apparatus with an air ejection unit that forms an air flow across the transfer unit to ventilate the area where the material liquid is ejected, using detectors to monitor solvent vapor concentration and adjust air ejection and suction to maintain optimal ventilation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If material liquid ejection is increased to enhance productivity, then fiber film production efficiency is improved, but solvent vapor concentration increases causing harmful solvent droplets on the transfer target
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes solvent vapor from the electrospinning area using a vacuum system with pumps and exhaust ports. This allows increased material liquid ejection for higher productivity while continuously removing solvent vapor to prevent harmful droplet formation on the transfer target.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces air flow as an intermediary substance that carries solvent vapor away from the electrospinning area. Blowers and air nozzles generate air currents that transport solvent vapor to designated exhaust areas, enabling higher material liquid ejection rates without increasing local solvent vapor concentration.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If ventilation is increased to reduce solvent vapor concentration, then solvent droplet formation is prevented, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilation system is segmented into multiple independent components: local exhaust ports positioned near the electrospinning area, separate blowers for different zones, and distributed air nozzles. This segmentation allows targeted ventilation only where needed, reducing overall system complexity while effectively preventing solvent droplet formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the kinetic energy of the electrospinning jet itself to assist ventilation. The high-velocity material liquid ejection creates natural air currents that help carry solvent vapor away, reducing the burden on mechanical ventilation systems and lowering energy consumption while still preventing droplet formation.
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 approach effectively reduces solvent vapor concentration, preventing solvent droplets and ensuring high-quality fiber film formation even with increased material liquid ejection, thereby enhancing the production process.
Implementation Method 1
The air ejection unit forms an air flow that flows across the transfer unit toward an area located on the opposite side across the transfer unit in a second direction, which intersects both the transfer direction and the first direction, by ejecting air against the transfer unit from one side of the second direction
Implementation Method 2
An electrospinning apparatus that forms a fiber film with an electrospinning method (sometimes called an 'electric charge induction spinning method') is known. To form a fiber film using such an electrospinning apparatus, a material liquid is ejected via an electrospinning method against a transfer target
Data Source
AI summary
In an embodiment, an electrospinning apparatus includes a transfer unit, a spinning head and an air ejection unit. In the transfer unit, a transfer target is transferred along a transfer direction, and a spinning head is capable of ejecting a material liquid toward the transfer unit from a first direction, which intersects the transfer direction. The air ejection unit forms an air flow that flows across the transfer unit toward an area located on an opposite side across the transfer unit in a second direction, which intersects both the transfer direction and the first direction, by ejecting air against the transfer unit from one side of the second direction.