Membrane Panel Assembly Using Adhesive-Free Integration Methods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing energy recovery assemblies face performance issues due to improper membrane adhesion, leading to air leakage and reduced effectiveness, and the use of adhesives increases costs and environmental concerns, while wrapping techniques are labor-intensive and prone to leaks.
Innovation Solution
The integration of membranes with an outer frame without adhesives, using injection-molding, ultrasonic bonding, or laser-bonding to secure the membrane sheet directly to the frame, forming a robust and efficient energy exchange assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If adhesives are used to secure the membrane to the spacer, then the membrane adhesion is improved, but the air leakage increases and the latent effectiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes adhesives from the assembly process entirely, extracting the harmful element that caused air leakage and performance degradation. The membrane is secured through mechanical integration with the spacer structure rather than chemical bonding, eliminating the adhesion-strength dependency while maintaining seal integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane and spacer are merged into a single integrated component during the extrusion process, creating a unified structure where the membrane is inherently secured within the spacer geometry. This integration eliminates the need for separate adhesion processes and prevents air leakage at interfaces.
2Strength
If excessive adhesive is used to secure the membrane to the spacer, then the membrane adhesion is improved, but the area available for heat and moisture transfer is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Adhesives are completely removed from the system, eliminating the trade-off between adhesion strength and transfer area. The membrane's full surface area remains available for energy exchange since no adhesive coverage is required to secure it.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane and spacer form an integrated structure where the membrane is held in place by the spacer's geometric features rather than adhesive layers, preserving 100% of the membrane's active surface area for heat and moisture transfer.
3Strength
If adhesives are used to secure the membrane, then the membrane adhesion is improved, but the cost and labor during assembly increase
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive application step is completely extracted from the manufacturing process, eliminating material costs, application labor, and quality control requirements associated with adhesive bonding. The extrusion process integrates membrane securing as an inherent feature.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane securing function is merged into the extrusion process itself, allowing the spacer and membrane to be formed and integrated in a single manufacturing operation rather than requiring separate bonding steps.
4Strength
If adhesives are used to secure the membrane, then the membrane adhesion is improved, but harmful volatile organic compounds are emitted
Solution Approach 1:
Adhesive materials are completely extracted from the system, eliminating the source of volatile organic compound emissions. The membrane is secured through the inert spacer structure rather than chemical adhesives, removing the harmful emission pathway entirely.
5Ease of manufacture
If wrapping techniques are used to assemble the energy recovery core, then the cost is reduced and membrane waste is minimized, but the manufacturing process becomes labor intensive and leaks occur at edges
Solution Approach 1:
The manual or automated wrapping process is replaced with an extrusion-based manufacturing system that forms the spacer and membrane as an integrated component. This mechanical process substitution eliminates wrapping-related edge leaks while maintaining cost efficiency through automated production.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer and membrane are merged into a single extruded component, eliminating the separate wrapping and sealing steps that caused edge leaks. The integrated structure ensures continuous sealing without vulnerable接缝 points.
6Ease of manufacture
If wrapping techniques are used to assemble the energy recovery core, then the cost is reduced, but the manufacturing process becomes labor intensive
Solution Approach 1:
Labor-intensive wrapping operations are replaced with automated extrusion processes that continuously form and integrate the membrane-spacer assembly. This mechanical automation maintains low material waste while dramatically increasing production speed and reducing labor requirements.
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 energy transfer efficiency by eliminating air leakage and reducing costs, while eliminating the use of harmful adhesives and labor-intensive wrapping processes, resulting in a more effective and environmentally friendly energy recovery system.
Implementation Method 1
Heat and moisture are transferred between the two airstreams through the membrane layers
Implementation Method 2
The membrane sheet is configured to transfer one or both of sensible energy or latent energy therethrough
Implementation Method 3
The membrane sheet may be integrated with the outer frame without an adhesive. The outer frame may be injection-molded around edge portions of the membrane sheet
Implementation Method 4
Alternatively, the membrane sheet may be ultrasonically bonded to the outer frame
Implementation Method 5
In at least one other embodiment, the membrane sheet may be laser-bonded to the outer frame
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
A method of forming a membrane panel configured to be secured within an energy exchange assembly may include forming an outer frame defining a central opening, and integrating a membrane sheet with the outer frame. The membrane sheet spans across the central opening, and is configured to transfer one or both of sensible energy or latent energy therethrough. The integrating operation may include injection-molding the outer frame to edge portions of the membrane sheet. Alternatively, the integrating operation may include laser-bonding, ultrasonically bonding, heat-sealing, or the like, the membrane sheet to the outer frame.