Center-to-ends Fiber Oxidation Oven Supply Plenum
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Solution Overview
Problem
In oxidation ovens used for producing carbon fibers, the lack of uniform gas flow between plenums leads to temperature inconsistencies, causing non-uniform oxidation of fibers during line stoppages and affecting exotherm removal.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a supply structure with plenums that have additional openings in the top or bottom walls to direct heated gas into the gaps between plenums, ensuring a consistent and uniform airflow, which reduces temperature differences and improves exotherm removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If heated gas is supplied only through side wall nozzles in conventional plenums, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but uniform gas flow is not achieved in the gaps between plenums, causing temperature inconsistencies
Solution Approach 1:
The plenum structure is segmented into multiple functional zones with different opening configurations. Side wall nozzles provide horizontal flow while top/bottom openings provide vertical flow into gaps, creating segmented flow paths that collectively achieve uniform temperature distribution across different spatial regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from two-dimensional side wall openings to three-dimensional multi-directional openings by adding top and bottom openings to the plenum structure. This dimensional expansion enables heated gas to flow into the gaps between plenums from multiple directions, achieving uniform temperature distribution that cannot be obtained with side wall openings alone.
2Reliability
If additional top or bottom openings are added to plenums, then uniform gas flow and temperature consistency are improved, but the plenum structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The plenum structure is designed with multi-functionality: side wall nozzles serve for horizontal gas distribution while top/bottom openings serve for vertical gas distribution into gaps. This universal design allows a single plenum structure to fulfill multiple flow distribution functions, ensuring reliable and consistent oxidation conditions throughout the chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the plenum structure are assigned different opening characteristics: side walls have nozzles for horizontal flow, while top/bottom surfaces have openings for vertical flow into gaps. This local quality differentiation ensures that each region of the oxidation chamber receives appropriately directed heated gas, achieving uniform oxidation consistency across locally different positions.
3Productivity
If gas flow in gaps between plenums is non-uniform, then the structure remains simple, but temperature differences occur causing non-uniform fiber oxidation
Solution Approach 1:
The plenum structure with top/bottom openings ensures continuous and uniform heated gas flow into the gaps between plenums during both operation and line stoppages. This continuous useful action prevents temperature drops and maintains consistent oxidation conditions, ensuring uninterrupted and uniform oxidation efficiency throughout the process.
Solution Approach 2:
The additional top/bottom openings pre-establish uniform gas flow paths into the gaps between plenums, anticipating and preventing temperature inconsistencies before they occur. This preliminary anti-action counteracts the potential harmful effect of non-uniform heating, ensuring consistent temperature distribution and preventing non-uniform fiber oxidation.
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 design ensures that fibers are subjected to consistent temperatures, promoting uniform oxidation and enhancing exotherm removal during both normal operation and line stoppages.
Implementation Method 1
Each plenum is configured to receive heated air and direct the flow of heated gas in approximately horizontal and parallel streams of heated gas out of the nozzles towards both ends of the oxidation chamber
Implementation Method 2
Each oxidation oven heats the segments to a temperature approaching approximately 300° C. by means of a circulating flow of hot gas
Implementation Method 3
This design ensures that fibers are subjected to consistent temperatures, promoting uniform oxidation and enhancing exotherm removal during both normal operation and line stoppages
Implementation Method 4
Oxidation ovens are commonly used to produce carbon fibers from a precursor (such as an acrylic, pitch, or cellulose fibers)
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment is directed to an oven for heating fibers. The oven comprises a supply structure disposed within the oven between first and second ends of the oven. The supply structure comprises a plurality of plenums. The plenums are in fluid communication with a heating system. Each of the plenums comprises a pair of side walls, a bottom wall, and a top wall. Each of the plenums is configured so that first openings are formed in the respective side walls of that plenum. At least one plenum is configured so that one or more second openings are formed in at least one of the top wall or the bottom wall of at least one plenum. The at least one plenum is configured to supply heated gas from the heating system into the chamber from the first openings and said one or more second openings of the plenum.