Infrared Heater Width Optimization for Heat Treatment Furnaces

Solution Overview

Problem

Heat treatment furnaces face challenges in improving heat treatment performance while maintaining energy-saving performance and preventing excessive temperature increases of objects being treated, as simply increasing heater output can lead to quality deterioration and reduced energy efficiency.

Innovation Solution

The heat treatment furnace design includes a heating device with infrared-emitting heaters positioned along the conveying path, optimized in width and distance to the object, allowing for efficient electromagnetic wave usage, reducing unnecessary energy usage, and minimizing sidewall heating, thereby enhancing both heat treatment and energy-saving performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the output of the heater is increased to improve heat treatment performance, then the dehydration rate is improved, but the temperature of the object excessively increases resulting in quality deterioration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedehydration rateVSAvoidquality of object

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The heater width is optimized to match the object width, creating localized heating zones that concentrate thermal energy precisely where needed. This ensures uniform heat distribution across the object surface without creating hot spots that would cause quality deterioration, while maintaining high dehydration efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The invention optimizes the heater width parameter (Wd/Hd ratio) to achieve the best balance between heat treatment performance and temperature control. By adjusting this geometric parameter, the system achieves high dehydration rates while preventing excessive temperature increases that would damage object quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If the output of the heater is increased to improve heat treatment performance, then the dehydration rate is improved, but the energy-saving performance is reduced due to inefficient heat energy utilization

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedehydration rateVSAvoidenergy-saving performance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The heater width is optimized to match the object width, creating localized heating zones that concentrate thermal energy precisely where needed. This ensures uniform heat distribution across the object surface without creating hot spots that would cause quality deterioration, while maintaining high dehydration efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The invention optimizes the heater width parameter (Wd/Hd ratio) to achieve the best balance between heat treatment performance and temperature control. By adjusting this geometric parameter, the system achieves high dehydration rates while preventing excessive temperature increases that would damage object quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Temperature

If conventional heaters are used without optimized dimensions, then the heating coverage is insufficient, but increasing heater width increases energy loss to sidewalls

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat treatment performanceVSAvoidenergy loss to sidewalls

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The heater width is optimized to match the object width, creating localized heating zones that concentrate thermal energy precisely where needed. This ensures uniform heat distribution across the object surface without creating hot spots that would cause quality deterioration, while maintaining high dehydration efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 configuration improves dehydration rates and energy efficiency, suppressing temperature increases and maintaining object quality, achieving effective heat treatment while reducing energy consumption.

Implementation Method 1

one or more heaters each including a heating part configured to radiate infrared electromagnetic waves to the object

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectInfrared radiation: Infrared Radiation

Data Source

PatentUS20240410652A1Heat treatment furnace

Publication Date: 2024.12.12 NGK INSULATORS LTD

AI summary

A heat treatment furnace may include: a furnace body including an entrance, an exit and a processing chamber; a conveyor configured to convey a sheet-shaped object extending from the entrance to the exit; and a heating device configured to heat the object being conveyed by the conveyor. The heating device may include one or more heaters each including a heating part configured to radiate infrared electromagnetic waves to the object. The one or more heaters may be disposed along a conveying path of the object. The heating part may be disposed parallel to a front or back surface of the object, and may extend in a width direction of the object orthogonal to the conveying path. When a widthwise dimension of the object is Wd and a widthwise dimension of the heating part is Hd, Wd/Hd may be in a range of 0.20 to 0.80.