Granular Material Cleaning System for Cable Insulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional systems for cleaning resin pellets before extruding polymer products, such as electrical cable insulation, are inadequate in removing loose contaminants and embedded contaminants effectively, leading to imperfections in the insulation layer that can cause degradation and failure.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that first removes loose contaminants and fines using a deduster, followed by a pellet sorter that identifies and removes defective pellets with embedded contaminants, and further utilizes a magnet to separate ferrous materials, ensuring a more thorough cleaning process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional deduster systems are used to remove loose contaminants, then some fines and dust are removed, but embedded contaminants and defective pellets remain in the batch

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontaminant removal effectivenessVSAvoidinsulation quality

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning system is divided into three distinct stages: a deduster for loose contaminants, a pellet sorter for defective pellets with embedded contaminants, and a magnet for ferrous materials. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in removing specific types of contaminants, achieving comprehensive cleaning that conventional single-stage systems cannot achieve.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary cleaning actions in a specific sequence: first removing loose contaminants with the deduster, then identifying and removing defective pellets with the sorter, and finally removing ferrous materials with the magnet. This staged approach ensures that each cleaning action builds upon the previous one, systematically eliminating all contaminant types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If conventional single-stage cleaning systems are used, then device complexity is low, but contaminant removal efficiency is insufficient (only 40% removal rate)

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontaminant removal efficiencyVSAvoidcleaning system structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system merges three different cleaning mechanisms (deduster, pellet sorter, magnet) into a single integrated cleaning station. By combining these approaches, the system achieves 99% contaminant removal efficiency, transforming the sum of individual capabilities into a synergistic whole that exceeds the performance of any single component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Productivity

If loose contaminants are not removed effectively, then they can clog machinery and degrade extruder throughput, but aggressive removal methods may damage pellets

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveextruder throughputVSAvoidpellet integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The deduster replaces aggressive mechanical removal methods with electrostatic and aerodynamic principles. By using electric fields to neutralize static charges and controlled air flows to separate contaminants, the system removes loose particles without applying mechanical stress that could damage pellet integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces air flow as an intermediary medium between the contaminants and the pellets. This controlled air current acts as a mediator that selectively carries away loose contaminants while leaving intact pellets unaffected, avoiding direct mechanical contact that could cause damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

The system achieves a high efficiency in removing contaminants, with approximately 99% of introduced contaminants being removed, compared to 40% with existing systems, thereby improving the quality of the extruded product and preventing cable failure due to water treeing and other imperfections.

Implementation Method 1

The cell generates an electric field to neutralize the static electric charges that causes the dust to adhere to the particulate material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrostatic charge neutralization: Electrostatic Discharge

Implementation Method 2

further utilizes a magnet to separate ferrous materials

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMagnetic separation: Magnetism

Data Source

PatentUS8511474B2Systems and methods for cleaning a batch of granular material

Publication Date: 2013.08.20 PRYSMIAN CAVI E SISTEMI ENERGIA SRL

AI summary

An apparatus (100) and method cleans a batch of pellets or granules prior to use in an extrusion process. Loose contaminants having material characteristics that are undersired for the extruded product are first removed (110) from the batch using a deduster. The deduster may also remove uncontaminated fines and fluff from the batch. Pellets that are defective or otherwise undersired for the extrusion process as well as other loose particle contaminants can then be efficiently detected and removed (120) without the risks of fines clogging the apparatus or shielding the detection process. Magnets may help remove (130) particulates of ferrous material before or after the removal (120) of defective pellets. The resulting batch of pellets helps to produce extruded materials of higher quality, such as insulation material in electrical cables.