Field Charger Overmold Structure to Reduce Carbon Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
HVAC system air cleaners face reduced effectiveness due to carbon deposits forming in field chargers, especially in wet conditions, leading to electrical tracking and inefficient particle collection.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a field charger with a conductive inner core and non-conductive overmold, featuring a grid shape formed by molded conductive resin connecting metal pins, and an earthplate for grounding, which reduces carbon deposit formation and ensures uniform power distribution across the pins, enhancing the efficiency of particle collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional field charger design is used, then the structure is simple, but carbon deposits form leading to electrical tracking and reduced effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The field charger employs a composite structure with a conductive inner core and a non-conductive outer overmold. This composite material design allows the inner core to conduct electricity for charging particles while the outer non-conductive layer prevents carbon deposits from creating electrical tracking paths, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining electrical functionality and preventing harmful carbon deposit formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The non-conductive overmold acts as an intermediary barrier between the conductive inner core and the external environment. It mediates by allowing the inner core to perform its charging function while blocking the formation of continuous carbon deposit paths that would lead to electrical tracking, thus protecting the system without interfering with the core functionality.
2Productivity
If power is applied to the field charger, then particle collection occurs, but carbon deposits form in wet conditions causing electrical tracking
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structure of conductive inner core plus non-conductive outer overmold enables the field charger to maintain high particle collection efficiency through the conductive core while the non-conductive outer layer prevents electrical tracking even when carbon deposits form in wet conditions, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and harmful effects.
3Ease of manufacture
If the field charger structure is simplified, then manufacturing is easier, but power distribution across pins is non-uniform
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive inner core is designed with specific geometric parameters (grid shape with interconnected bars and pins) that optimize power distribution uniformity. By carefully controlling the dimensions, spacing, and connectivity of the grid structure, the design achieves uniform power distribution across all pins while maintaining relative manufacturing simplicity through the modular grid pattern.
Solution Approach 2:
The interconnected grid structure of the conductive inner core creates equipotential regions that ensure uniform voltage distribution across all pins. The continuous conductive path through the grid bars and connection points equalizes the electrical potential, ensuring that each pin receives appropriate power for effective particle charging.
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 minimizes carbon deposit formation, maintains the effectiveness of the field charger in wet conditions, and ensures uniform power distribution, leading to improved air cleaning efficiency and reduced electrical tracking.
Implementation Method 1
a conductive resin molded over a portion of the metal pins, wherein the molded conductive resin forms a grid shape, and wherein the conductive resin conductively connects the plurality of metal pins
Implementation Method 2
HVAC system air cleaners face reduced effectiveness due to carbon deposits forming in field chargers, especially in wet conditions, leading to electrical tracking
Data Source
AI summary
An air cleaning system has a field charger comprising a plurality of bars comprising a conductive inner core and a non-conductive overmold, and a plurality of pins attached to the bars and extending out of the non-conductive overmold. The conductive inner core is molded over the plurality of pins, conductively connecting the pins, and the non-conductive overmold is molded over the conductive inner core. A method of manufacturing the field charger includes placing a plurality of metal pins in a mold, placing contact points in the mold, molding a conductive resin over at least a portion of the plurality of pins and contact points, molding an insulating resin over the inner core, plurality of pins, and contact points, wherein at least a portion of the pins and contact points extend from the non-conductive overmold, and mounting an earthplate to the conductive overmold.