Ink Tempering Heat Exchanger With Mixed-Fluid Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tempering devices for ink printers cannot maintain ink at an optimally consistent and specified temperature, leading to potential overheating or overcooling, which can degrade print quality and render the ink unusable.
Innovation Solution
A tempering device with a warm fluid source and a cold fluid source that mix to create a mixture fluid of a desired temperature, which is then used in a heat exchanger to temper the ink without diluting it, ensuring the ink remains within its maximum and minimum allowable temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If ink is cooled or heated using NTC thermistors or PTC thermistors, then the ink temperature can be adjusted, but the ink may be heated beyond its maximum allowable temperature or freeze in the event of a malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a heat exchanger as an intermediary device that transfers thermal energy from a tempering fluid to the ink without direct contact between the heating/cooling elements and the ink. This mediator approach prevents the ink from being exposed to extreme temperatures that could cause volatilization or freezing, while still achieving effective temperature control through thermal conduction from the controlled tempering fluid.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct electrical heating elements (NTC/PTC thermistors) with a fluid-based thermal control system. Instead of using electrical fields to heat or cool the ink directly, the system uses a tempering fluid whose temperature is controlled through mixing hot and cold water supplies, eliminating the risk of electrical element failure causing extreme temperature conditions.
2Device complexity
If ink is tempered directly by a mixture of cooling agent and heating agent, then the tempering process is simplified, but the ink becomes diluted with the cooling agent and is no longer usable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the tempering system into two separate hydraulic circuits: a tempering agent circuit that contains the hot and cold water mixing system, and an ink circuit that contains only the ink to be tempered. The heat exchanger enables thermal energy transfer between these segregated circuits, allowing the ink to be tempered without any direct mixing or contamination with the tempering fluids.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger acts as an intermediary that enables thermal coupling between the tempering fluid and ink while maintaining physical separation. This allows the tempering function to be achieved without direct contact between the ink and tempering agents, preventing dilution and contamination while still transferring the necessary thermal energy.
3Speed
If electronic heating elements are used to heat ink, then rapid temperature adjustment is achieved, but local temperature elevations (hot spots) are generated that degrade print quality
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger serves as a thermal mediator that distributes heat uniformly across the ink stream through the large surface area of heat transfer plates. This eliminates localized hot spots that would occur with point-source electrical heating elements, while still achieving rapid temperature adjustment through the high thermal conductivity and large contact area of the heat exchanger plates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from point-source heating (electrical elements) to surface-area heating (heat exchanger plates). By spreading the thermal energy transfer across a large two-dimensional surface area rather than a zero-dimensional point source, the system achieves uniform temperature distribution throughout the ink without creating localized hot spots that would degrade print 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
The device effectively maintains the ink at a consistent temperature within a narrow tolerance range, preventing overheating or overcooling, thus ensuring high print quality and extending the ink's usability.
Implementation Method 1
A heat exchanger has a first fluid circuit with the mixture fluid, and separate therefrom a second fluid circuit with ink. In the heat exchanger, the ink is tempered by the mixture fluid to a desired nominal temperature.
Implementation Method 2
In the heat exchanger, the ink is tempered by the mixture fluid to a desired nominal temperature
Implementation Method 3
a mixer mixes a mixture fluid from the two tempering fluids of different temperature, which mixture fluid provides a desired mixture temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A tempering device has a warm fluid source and a cold fluid source with different temperature levels. The two tempering fluids are supplied to a mixer that, from the two tempering fluids of different temperatures, mixes a mixture with desired temperature with the aid of a regulation device. The mixer is supplied to a heat exchanger. In the heat exchanger, the heat of the mixture fluid is transferred to the ink in order to temper the ink. The desired nominal temperature of the ink is regulated in that the ink temperature is measured after the heat exchanger and is fed back as a real value to the mixer, and the mixture temperature is thereby modified as necessary. The ink tempered in such a manner is supplied to a printing unit of the ink printer for printing to a printing substrate.