External Mixing Chamber for Web Drying Gas Heating

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing heating systems for drying web-shaped materials are inefficient, leading to energy wastage and unpredictable flow conditions due to direct mixing of gases of different temperatures within the treatment chamber.

Innovation Solution

An external air treatment system where the recirculated gaseous treatment medium is preheated by mixing it with fresh air and combustion exhaust gases, then reintroduced into the treatment chamber, reducing energy consumption and improving flow conditions through turbulence in the mixing chamber.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the gaseous treatment medium is heated within the treatment space, then the heating is simple, but the energy efficiency is low and flow conditions are unpredictable

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheating system complexityVSAvoidenergy efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The heating system is extracted from the treatment chamber and placed in an external air treatment plant. The recirculated treatment medium is heated externally in a mixing chamber where it combines with fresh air and heating medium, then the preheated mixture is returned to the treatment chamber. This extraction resolves the contradiction by enabling efficient heat recovery and controlled mixing outside the treatment space while maintaining simple heating functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The recirculated treatment medium is preheated in the external mixing chamber before being returned to the treatment chamber. This preliminary heating action, combined with preheating fresh air using waste heat from the treatment medium, significantly improves energy efficiency by reducing the energy required for subsequent heating within the treatment space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Device complexity

If fresh air and recirculated medium are mixed directly in the treatment chamber, then the mixing is simple, but the flow conditions become unpredictable and difficult to control

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemixing system complexityVSAvoidflow condition predictability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The mixing chamber is extracted from the treatment chamber and positioned in the external air treatment plant. All mixing operations between recirculated treatment medium, fresh air, and heating medium occur externally. This extraction ensures predictable and controllable flow conditions are established before the mixture enters the treatment chamber, resolving the contradiction between simple mixing and reliable flow control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Temperature

If the entire recirculated treatment medium is heated, then the temperature is high, but energy is wasted since some medium must be discharged as exhaust air

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetreatment medium temperatureVSAvoidenergy wastage
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Only the portion of recirculated treatment medium that will be returned to the treatment chamber is heated to high temperature. The portion designated for exhaust discharge is not heated, maintaining local quality differences in temperature based on the intended destination of each gas stream. This resolves the contradiction by heating only where necessary while still achieving sufficient treatment medium temperature.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 enhances energy efficiency by minimizing direct gas mixing within the treatment chamber, reducing pressure losses, and ensuring uniform temperature distribution, while allowing for modular and flexible air treatment system setup.

Implementation Method 1

a gaseous heating medium heated by the heating device and a gaseous treatment medium returned from the treatment chamber being mixable in the mixing chamber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

The heated gaseous treatment medium mixed with fresh air can be blown into the treatment chamber with the aid of a fan device

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 3

The heated gaseous treatment medium mixed with fresh air can be blown into the treatment chamber with the aid of a fan device, the fan device being arranged behind the heating system in the direction of flow

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectForced convection: Forced Convection

Implementation Method 4

the gaseous heating medium can be introduced into the mixing chamber in such a way that when the gaseous heating medium is fed into the mixing chamber, turbulence occurs in the mixing chamber, which causes intensive mixing of the gaseous heating medium with generated by the recirculated, gaseous treatment medium

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTurbulence: Turbulence

Data Source

PatentEP3168559B1Heating system for heating a gaseous treatment medium for a drier
Publication Date: 2020.04.01 TRUTZSCHLER NONWOVENS & MAN MADE FIBERS
  • EP3168559B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3168559B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3168559B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In a heating system (38) for heating a gaseous treatment medium (30, 40) for a device for treating a preferably web-shaped material (12) with a gaseous treatment medium (40), comprising a heating device, a mixing chamber (54) for mixing at least a first gaseous heating medium (49) heated by means of the gas burner and the gaseous treatment medium (30) already used for treatment and returned by the device, it is provided that the gaseous heating medium (49) can be introduced into the mixing chamber (54) in such a way that, when the gaseous heating medium (49) is introduced into the mixing chamber (54), turbulence occurs in the mixing chamber (54), which generates intensive mixing of the gaseous heating medium (49) with the returned gaseous treatment medium (30).