Infrared Float Bar Cooling Air Path Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air float bars for drying and curing webs face inefficiencies in cooling and heat recovery, leading to thermal degradation and contamination of infrared emitters and lenses, and fail to effectively manage temperature differences across varying web areas during the drying process.
Innovation Solution
The design optimizes the cooling air path to maximize cooling of emitters and lenses while providing convective heat transfer to the web, using a channel assembly with adjustable apertures to regulate cooling air flow and prevent contamination, and combines infrared radiation with convection to balance heat transfer across wet and dry areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If cooling air is discharged through holes in the quartz lens, then some heat recovery is achieved, but the fluid contact is not optimized for effective cooling of the emitter and lens
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling air flow path is segmented into multiple zones: air enters through a first set of holes in the quartz lens, flows through a channel to cool the emitter, then exits through a second set of holes to cool the lens and reflector. This segmentation allows optimized cooling of each component without compromising heat recovery efficiency.
2Reliability
If cooling air flow is increased to improve cooling effectiveness, then emitter and lens longevity is enhanced, but heat recovery efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling air flow path is designed to continuously circulate through multiple cooling zones, maximizing the utilization of each unit of cooling air. The air sequentially cools the emitter, lens, and reflector in a continuous flow, ensuring sustained cooling effectiveness without requiring excessive air flow rates that would compromise heat recovery.
3Productivity
If the infrared emitter temperature is increased to enhance drying rate, then productivity is improved, but the risk of web ignition and thermal degradation increases
Solution Approach 1:
Cooling air acts as an intermediary between the high-temperature infrared emitter and the web material. The air absorbs excess heat from the emitter and lens, then delivers this heat to the web in a controlled manner through convective heat transfer, enabling high drying rates while preventing direct thermal contact and ignition risks.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the air float bar surfaces are kept cool to prevent web ignition, then safety is improved, but the drying efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces direct thermal contact (conduction) with radiant heat transfer through cooling air flow. The infrared emitter radiates heat through the quartz lens and cooling air to the web, allowing the float bar surfaces to remain cool while maintaining high drying efficiency through radiant energy transfer.
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 approach enhances the longevity of emitters and lenses, prevents contamination, and ensures uniform drying by maintaining optimal temperatures, reducing the risk of web ignition and overheating, while maximizing energy efficiency and drying rate.
Implementation Method 1
an infrared light source, such as an infrared bulb, a reflector surface and a lens to enhance accelerated infrared heating of web material to cause solvent evaporation, drying and/or curing
Implementation Method 2
Cooling air is brought through a channel assembly that encloses the emitter... the flow path is not optimized for both cooling of the emitter and recovering of heat to the air which is subsequently impinged on the web
Implementation Method 3
Electromagnetic infrared heat energy in combination with jets of air impinging upon the web surface provide for concentrated heating of the web material, thereby providing subsequent rapid evaporation, drying and/or curing from the surface of the material
Implementation Method 4
A quartz lens is used to enclose the emitter while allowing transmission of electromagnetic energy in the range of infrared wavelengths to pass from the channel assembly enclosure to the web
Data Source
AI summary
Infrared air float bar for use in floating and drying a continuous planar web of a material in a dryer. Direct radiated or reflected infrared electromagnetic energy from an infrared light source in a removable channel assembly accelerates drying, or evaporation of solvents, or curing of web material passing in proximity to the bar, either by infrared electromagnetic energy, or in combination with convention airflow. The infrared source is cooled by pressurized air passing through an interior portion of the removable air bar channel assembly, and the air is further conducted into fluid contact with the web in an air gap between the emitter and web to promote convective heat transfer and to contribute to the air pressure field supporting web flotation. The removable channel assembly is configured for replacement of the infrared emitter and to allow the setting of the pressurized cooling air flow to the optimum level.