Heated Dual-Chamber Atomizer for Stable MQL Aerosol Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing minimum quantity lubrication systems face challenges in achieving homogeneous aerosol distribution, rapid reaction times, and adjustable aerosol quality, particularly in systems with space constraints like small spindles, leading to inefficiencies in machining processes.
Innovation Solution
The proposed atomizer unit features a chamber arrangement with an injection chamber and atomizer chamber connected by a nozzle, utilizing dual compressed air streams and a high-pressure injection valve to ensure precise and flexible aerosol generation, with heating to stabilize aerosol quality under varying conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If aerosol is generated in a large container and fed via a line to the machining site, then the system is simple to operate, but the reaction time is slow and aerosol quality cannot be dynamically controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the aerosol generation into two separate chambers: an injection chamber for generating the aerosol and an atomization chamber for final atomization. This segmentation allows the injection chamber to respond quickly to control signals while the atomization chamber ensures proper aerosol quality, resolving the contradiction between fast response and aerosol quality control.
Solution Approach 2:
The injection chamber performs preliminary aerosol generation in advance, creating a pre-aerosolized stream that is then fed into the atomization chamber. This preliminary action reduces the reaction time while maintaining the ability to control aerosol quality through the two-stage process.
2Volume of moving object
If aerosol generation is performed outside the spindle, then space constraints are avoided, but the system complexity increases and integration becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The injection chamber is positioned within or adjacent to the atomization chamber, with the injection chamber's outlet connected to the atomization chamber's inlet. This nested arrangement allows the system to be compact while maintaining the functional separation needed for quick response and aerosol quality control, enabling integration into space-constrained spindle environments.
3Stability of the object's composition
If homogeneous aerosol distribution is achieved through extended mixing chambers, then aerosol quality improves, but the system size increases and reaction time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing function is segmented between two chambers: the injection chamber performs initial mixing of coolant/lubricant with compressed air, and the atomization chamber performs final atomization and homogenization. This segmentation achieves homogeneous aerosol distribution without requiring a single large chamber, thus reducing overall system volume and improving reaction time.
4Reliability
If coolant and lubricant are used in large quantities for adequate cooling and lubrication, then machining process reliability improves, but environmental impact increases and cleaning effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses compressed air streams to generate and transport the aerosol to the machining point, replacing traditional liquid coolant delivery systems. This pneumatic approach enables precise control of coolant/lubricant quantity, achieving adequate cooling and lubrication with minimal fluid consumption, thus reducing environmental impact and cleaning requirements while maintaining process reliability.
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 enables a high-quality, homogeneous, and adjustable aerosol supply with improved reaction times, reducing coolant/lubricant usage and environmental impact, while being compact enough for integration into processing systems.
Implementation Method 1
The atomizer unit has a heater which heats the cooling and/or lubricating agent and/or the first compressed air stream and/or the second compressed air stream and/or the transport stream
Implementation Method 2
where it is atomized by the nozzle
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to an atomizer unit of a minimal quantity lubricant system (2) for a cooling and/or lubricating function of a cutting-machining process. The atomizer unit (3) has a chamber assembly (8) with an injection chamber (9) and an atomizer chamber (10), wherein the injection chamber (9) is connected to the atomizer chamber (10) by a nozzle (11), and the atomizer unit (3) has at least one first feed channel (12) for feeding a first compressed air flow (13) into the injection chamber (9), at least one second feed channel (14) for feeding a second compressed air flow (15) into the atomizer chamber (10), and an injection valve (16) for injecting a coolant and/or lubricant (4) into the first compressed air flow (13) in the injection region (17) of the injection chamber (9). The atomizer unit (3) is designed such that the first compressed air flow (13) flows from the injection chamber (9) into the atomizer chamber (10) through the nozzle (11), is atomized in the atomizer chamber by the nozzle (11), is combined with the second compressed air flow (15) in the atomizer chamber (10) in order to form a transport flow (18) for transporting the injected coolant and/or lubricant (4), and can be conducted to the machining location (7). The atomizer unit (3) has a heater (20) which heats the coolant and/or lubricant (4), the first compressed air flow (13), the second compressed air flow (15), and/or the transport flow (18).