Non-Woven Fabric Cooling Chamber with Modulated Gas Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plants for producing non-woven fabric are complex to control, require high electrical energy consumption, and have costly and complex heat exchanger systems, making them expensive to operate and maintain.
Innovation Solution
A simplified plant design with a cooling system that uses a single fan and a modulating feed duct to regulate cooling gas flow, reducing energy consumption and costs, and featuring a control unit to maintain stable pressure and temperature for efficient filament cooling and stretching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If multiple heat exchangers and fans are used to cool filaments in different sections, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple cooling sections (first and second cooling sections) into a single integrated cooling chamber that shares common lateral walls and a single outlet. This merging approach maintains the ability to cool filaments at different stages while reducing the number of separate systems needed, thereby decreasing device complexity while preserving cooling effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling gas serves multiple functions: it cools the filaments in the first cooling section, continues to cool them in the second cooling section, and exits through a common outlet. This multi-functional use of a single cooling gas flow path allows one system to perform what previously required multiple separate systems, reducing overall complexity.
2Temperature
If multiple heat exchangers are used to heat cooling gas, then cooling control is improved, but energy consumption and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the heating function into a single heat exchanger that heats the cooling gas before it enters the cooling chamber. This single heat exchanger serves both cooling sections, eliminating the need for multiple separate heat exchangers and reducing energy consumption while maintaining temperature control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling gas flows continuously through both cooling sections after being heated once, maintaining continuous cooling action throughout the filament processing path. This continuous flow approach ensures effective cooling without requiring repeated heating cycles or multiple heat exchangers, thereby reducing energy consumption.
3Ease of operation
If separate feed ducts are used for each cooling section, then flow regulation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cooling chamber into distinct first and second cooling sections with different feed openings, allowing independent introduction of cooling gas at different locations. This segmentation enables flow regulation for each section while using a simplified duct structure that feeds into a common cooling chamber, balancing operational control with structural simplicity.
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 plant operates with reduced energy consumption, is easier to control and maintain, and produces non-woven fabric with improved efficiency and lower production costs, while maintaining stable pressure and temperature for consistent filament processing.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling gas is susceptible of being forcibly introduced in order to cool the filaments coming from the outlet of the extrusion head
Implementation Method 2
The plant comprises a cooling system in fluid connection with the cooling chamber by means of a feed duct, and adapted to introduce, into the cooling sections, cooling gas
Data Source
AI summary
Plant for producing non-woven fabric, which comprises a cooling chamber provided with a first and with a second cooling section traversed by filaments of non-woven fabric. In addition, the plant comprises a feed duct connected to the cooling chamber in order to convey, within the latter, a cooling gas by means of the action of a fan, and provided with a first and with a second valve arranged for determining corresponding flows of the cooling gas to be introduced, respectively, in the first and in the second cooling section. A pressure sensor is employed in order to determine the pressure in the cooling chamber, by controlling the fan in a feedback manner.