Fluid Cooler with Internal Heating to Prevent Solidification Blockages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooling fluids that solidify in a predefined temperature range poses a risk of solidification within the cooler, leading to potential blockages, particularly when cooling sulfur melts, as existing methods fail to prevent solidification without compromising the cooling process.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a heating device within the pipeline surrounded by a cooling medium, which is activated when the fluid temperature falls below a predefined value, ensuring the fluid remains in a liquid state and preventing further solidification, with options for heating using hot water or steam and turbulence plates for enhanced heat transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the fluid is cooled in a pipeline without additional heating, then the cooling efficiency is improved, but the fluid may solidify within the pipeline causing blockages
Solution Approach 1:
The heating device is activated in advance or simultaneously with cooling to prevent solidification before it occurs. By applying heat when the fluid temperature approaches the solidification point, the system counteracts the harmful effect of solidification proactively, maintaining fluid flow while achieving the desired cooling effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the thermal parameters by switching between cooling and heating modes. When the fluid temperature is above the solidification point, cooling is applied to reduce temperature. When the temperature approaches the solidification point, heating is activated to prevent solidification, thus optimizing the thermal state throughout the process.
2Manufacturing precision
If the fluid is cooled to just above solidification temperature for optimal pastillation, then the processing quality is improved, but the risk of solidification within the cooler increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating device is positioned locally within the pipeline at the cooling location. This allows targeted heating only where and when needed - specifically in the cooling section where the fluid temperature is lowest and solidification risk is highest - without affecting the overall cooling process or requiring heating of the entire fluid path.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating device acts as an intermediary element between the cooling medium and the fluid. It mediates the thermal interaction by providing localized heat input to the fluid within the pipeline, counterbalancing the cooling effect precisely where the fluid is most vulnerable to solidification, thus enabling the fluid to reach the optimal temperature range for pastillation.
3Reliability
If a heating device is added to prevent solidification, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating device is integrated directly into the pipeline structure, merging the heating function with the existing cooling system. The heating element is positioned within the pipeline that already carries the fluid through the cooling medium, combining cooling and heating functions in a single integrated structure rather than requiring separate parallel systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own pipeline infrastructure to deliver both cooling and heating functions. The pipeline that carries the fluid through the cooling medium also serves as the conduit for the heating device, eliminating the need for additional external heating infrastructure and reducing overall system complexity.
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 solution allows for safe cooling of sulfur melts to just above the solidification temperature, preventing blockages and enabling optimal pastillation by maintaining the fluid in a liquid state, thereby improving processing efficiency and preventing solidification within the cooler.
Implementation Method 1
guiding the fluid through at least one pipe of a cooler, wherein the pipe is surrounded by a cooling medium
Implementation Method 2
heating the fluid in the pipe by means of a heating device arranged inside the pipe when the fluid in the area of the pipe falls below a predefined temperature
Implementation Method 3
The heating device may be equipped with turbulence plates
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for cooling a fluid that solidifies in a predefined temperature range, in particular a melt, comprising a cooling chamber for a cooling medium to be accommodated therein or to flow therethrough, at least one conduit for the fluid, which is at least partly arranged inside the cooling chamber, and at least one heating device arranged inside the conduit.