Heat Insulating Pipe Condensation Control via Dew-Point Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heat insulating pipes with a vacuum space between inner and outer pipes face challenges in maintaining hermetic sealing, leading to degraded vacuum levels and reduced insulation performance, especially when bent, which can cause condensation issues in semiconductor processing environments.
Innovation Solution
A heat insulating pipe system with a measuring unit to monitor the surface temperature of the pipe and a control unit that adjusts pressure within the airtight space by exhausting gas based on dew-point temperature calculations to prevent condensation, using an exhaust device connected via an Automatic Pressure Controller.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the heat insulating pipe is bent to adapt to narrow spaces, then the adaptability is improved, but the heat insulation property deteriorates at the bent location causing condensation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by increasing the thickness of the heat insulator specifically at the bent portion where heat insulation is most needed. The heat insulator thickness is made non-uniform, being thicker at bent locations and thinner at straight portions, thereby maintaining adequate insulation performance throughout the pipe while allowing the pipe to be bent for adaptability.
2Reliability
If the heat insulator is made thicker to maintain insulation when bent, then the heat insulation property is improved, but the pipe diameter increases making it difficult to place in narrow spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The heat insulator thickness is varied locally rather than uniformly throughout the pipe. The insulator is thicker only at bent portions where it is needed for condensation prevention, and thinner at straight portions, thereby maintaining insulation performance while minimizing overall pipe diameter for narrow space installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipe system is designed to be dynamically bent during installation to adapt to narrow spaces, with the heat insulator configured to accommodate these bends. The dynamic bending capability allows the pipe to change shape for installation while the heat insulator maintains adequate thickness at critical bent locations.
3Reliability
If the vacuum space is used for heat insulation, then the heat insulation property is improved, but the vacuum degree deteriorates over time due to gas discharge leading to condensation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the long-term vacuum space with a heat insulator made of low-thermal-conductivity material that does not require maintenance. This disposable-style approach uses a solid insulating material that maintains its insulation performance indefinitely without the vacuum degree deterioration problem, eliminating the need for periodic re-exhausting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the vacuum-based heat insulation system with a solid material-based heat insulator system. The vacuum space, which requires mechanical maintenance (re-exhausting), is replaced with a solid heat insulator material that provides passive, maintenance-free thermal insulation.
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
Effectively suppresses condensation on the heat insulating pipe surfaces, maintaining high insulation performance even when bent, and reduces the frequency of gas exhaustion, thus extending the system's operational lifespan and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
there may be used a heat insulating pipe having a vacuum space between an inner pipe and an outer pipe
Implementation Method 2
heat insulator may be wound around a pipe through which the heat medium is flown
Implementation Method 3
the control unit is configured to control a pressure within the airtight space by controlling an exhaust device configured to exhaust a gas within the airtight space
Implementation Method 4
when the heat insulation property of the heat insulating pipe is low, the temperature of the low-temperature fluid may be transferred to a surface of the heat insulating pipe, so that condensation is generated on the surface
Data Source
AI summary
A processing system 100 includes a heat insulating pipe 12, a temperature measuring device 19, and a control device 20. The heat insulating pipe 12 has an inner pipe and an outer pipe. An airtight space is formed between the inner pipe and the outer pipe. A fluid having a temperature lower than that of an indoor space in which the heat insulating pipe 12 is placed is flown within the inner pipe. The temperature measuring device 19 measures a temperature of a surface of the heat insulating pipe 12. The control device 20 is controls a pressure within the airtight space by controlling an exhaust device 16 configured to exhaust a gas within the airtight space based on the temperature of the surface of the heat insulating pipe 12 and a dew-point temperature calculated from a humidity and the temperature of the indoor space.