Fluidized Bed Cooling for Flat Metal Products
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for controlling the cooling rate of flat metal products, such as slabs and plates, are inefficient and can lead to poor quality or product discard due to inadequate cooling rates, especially for highly alloyed steel grades, and often require significant equipment and resources.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a fluidized bed of solid particles with controlled gas injection to manage heat transfer, where the metal product is placed with its broad face parallel to the direction of particle circulation, allowing for precise control of the cooling path and using a transfer medium like water or molten salts to efficiently cool the product without surface defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If water is sprayed directly on the metal product surface, then cooling efficiency is improved, but surface defects are created
Solution Approach 1:
A fluidized bed of solid particles serves as an intermediary medium between the hot metal product and the cooling system. The particles circulate around and contact the product surface, transferring heat away from the metal without directly spraying water onto it, thus achieving efficient cooling while preserving surface quality
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the direct mechanical spray cooling system with a fluidized bed particle circulation system. Instead of using high-velocity water jets that can damage surfaces, the system uses fluidized particles to conduct heat transfer, substituting a mechanical direct-contact cooling method with a particulate-mediated thermal transfer process
2Manufacturing precision
If gas and water flow rates are controlled together, then cooling rate control is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the water flow control system from the cooling rate control mechanism. By using a fluidized bed of solid particles, the system achieves cooling rate control through gas flow rate adjustment alone, removing the complexity of coordinating multiple fluid flow rates while maintaining precise thermal control
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the controlling parameter from a combination of gas and water flow rates to solely gas flow rate. By adjusting the gas flow rate that fluidizes the particle bed, the cooling rate is controlled through a single parameter, simplifying the control system while maintaining manufacturing precision
3Manufacturing precision
If heavy cooling equipment is used, then cooling control capability is improved, but equipment weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a bed of solid particles that can be easily replaced or regenerated. Rather than using heavy, complex cooling equipment, the system employs a relatively simple fluidized bed configuration with particles that circulate and can be maintained or replaced as needed, reducing overall equipment weight while preserving cooling control capability
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 method enables fast and homogeneous cooling of metal products from 900°C to 350°C in under 60 minutes while maintaining product quality and flatness, with efficient heat recovery and reduced energy consumption, and can be adapted for use in various metal production settings.
Implementation Method 1
a gas is injected for fluidizing the solid particles in a bubbling regime
Implementation Method 2
the solid particles having a direction of circulation (D) and capturing the heat released by the metal product and transferring said captured heat to a transfer medium
Implementation Method 3
capturing the heat released by the metal product
Data Source
AI summary
A method of cooling of a flat metal product having a broad face and a temperature upper to 400° C., wherein the metal product is put in contact with a fluidized bed of solid particles, the solid particles having a direction of circulation (D) and capturing the heat released by the metal product and transferring the captured heat to a transfer medium wherein the metal product is put in contact with the solid particles so that its broad face is parallel to the direction (D) of circulation of the solid particles, a thermal cooling path of the metal product is defined, considering the product parameters of the metal product, a gas is injected for fluidizing the solid particles in a bubbling regime, the injection flow rate of said gas being controlled to match the defined cooling path of the metal product.