Fibrous Panel Water Load Reduction via Segmented Slurry Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The conventional wet forming process for producing fibrous panels, such as ceiling tiles, requires a large amount of water, leading to significant energy consumption and resource usage due to the need to evaporate and dry the water content, which is approximately 70% of the panel's weight before kiln drying.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the preparation of a pre-mixed slurry with mineral wool, cellulose, and binder, followed by the admixing of a mineral filler slurry within the headbox of a forming machine, where the mineral filler slurry is introduced and mixed with the pre-mixed slurry to form a dispersion, which is then flowed onto a foraminous support wire for dewatering and drying, reducing the water load and energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the conventional wet forming process is used to produce fibrous panels, then the panel formation is achieved with complete mixing of all components, but the water load increases to approximately 70% of the panel weight requiring significant energy for evaporation and drying
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing process is divided into two separate stages: first mixing mineral wool, cellulose, and binder to form a pre-mixed slurry, then separately mixing mineral filler with water to form a mineral filler slurry. This segmentation allows controlled addition of water at different stages, reducing the total water load in the final panel while maintaining composition homogeneity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mineral filler is pre-mixed with water in a separate mixer to create a mineral filler slurry before being added to the pre-mixed slurry. This preliminary action allows precise control over the amount of water introduced at each stage, preventing excessive water accumulation that would otherwise require 70% of the panel weight to be evaporated during drying.
2Stability of the object's composition
If all components are mixed together in a single tank with water, then complete mixing is achieved, but the water load and drying time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing operation is segmented into distinct stages: pre-mixing of mineral wool, cellulose, and binder; separate mixing of mineral filler with water; and final combination in the headbox. This segmentation reduces total water introduction, thereby reducing drying time while maintaining mixture homogeneity through controlled mixing at each stage.
Solution Approach 2:
The mineral filler slurry is prepared in advance in a separate continuous mixer before being injected into the headbox. This preliminary preparation allows optimization of water content in the filler portion independently, reducing overall water load and subsequent drying time while ensuring homogeneous distribution in the final panel.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a large amount of water is used in the mixing process, then all components can be thoroughly mixed, but the energy consumption and resource usage increase due to evaporation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The water addition process is segmented into two controlled stages: water added to the mineral wool-cellulose-binder mixture, and separate water added to the mineral filler. This prevents excessive water from being introduced at once, reducing the 70% water load that must be evaporated, thereby cutting energy loss while maintaining thorough mixing through separate slurry preparations and final headbox mixing.
Solution Approach 2:
The mineral filler is pre-saturated with a controlled amount of water in a separate mixer before combination with the pre-mixed slurry. This preliminary water addition optimizes the filler's water content independently, reducing the total water that needs to be evaporated during drying, thus decreasing energy loss while ensuring homogeneous distribution in the final panel.
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 decreases the water load needed for panel formation, accelerating the evaporation and drying process, thereby reducing time, cost, and energy consumption while maintaining equivalent performance to conventionally produced panels.
Implementation Method 1
mixing the mineral filler slurry with the pre-mixed slurry to form a dispersion
Implementation Method 2
dewatered, first by gravity and then vacuum suction means
Implementation Method 3
dewatered, first by gravity and then vacuum suction means
Implementation Method 4
dried in a heated convection drying oven or kiln to form the lightweight fibrous panel
Implementation Method 5
dried in a heated convection drying oven or kiln
Data Source
AI summary
A method of decreasing the water load needed to form a fibrous panel. The process includes admixing a mineral wool, a cellulose, and a binder to provide a pre-mixed slurry, admixing a mineral filler with water to provide a mineral filler slurry, admixing the pre-mixed slurry and the mineral filler slurry to form a dispersion, flowing the dispersion onto a foraminous support wire to provide a green board, dewatering the green board to form a dewatered green board and drying the dewatered green board to provide a fibrous panel.