Once-Through Baking Oven With Counterflow Tubes for Uniform Heating

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing continuous baking ovens face challenges in efficiently adapting to varying throughput requirements and achieving uniform temperature distribution across the baking chamber, leading to inefficiencies and potential energy losses.

Innovation Solution

A continuous baking oven design featuring a heat exchanger with counterflow heat exchanger tubes that allow for even heat dissipation and temperature distribution, utilizing a heating medium that flows in opposite directions to optimize radiation uniformity and reduce pollutant emissions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If conventional heating devices are used in continuous baking ovens, then heating function is provided, but uniform temperature distribution across the baking chamber is difficult to achieve

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetemperature distribution uniformityVSAvoidenergy losses
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies counterflow arrangement where heating medium flows in opposite directions through adjacent heat exchanger tubes. This inversion of the conventional parallel flow approach creates a temperature equalization effect that均匀izes heat radiation across the entire radiator tube arrangement, solving the temperature distribution uniformity problem while reducing energy losses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the flow direction parameter of the heating medium in adjacent tubes from parallel to opposite directions. This parameter change fundamentally alters the thermal field distribution, enabling uniform temperature across the baking chamber and improving energy utilization efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Temperature

If heating medium flows through heat exchanger tubes, then heating function is provided, but temperature distribution across the width and length of baking chamber becomes uneven

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetemperature uniformityVSAvoidoperation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

By implementing counterflow arrangement where heating medium flows in opposite directions through adjacent tubes, the patent achieves uniform temperature distribution across both width and length of the baking chamber. This eliminates the need for complex control operations to compensate for temperature variations, improving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Productivity

If higher fuel gas temperature is used to achieve baking results, then baking speed increases, but pollutant emissions via exhaust stack increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebaking throughputVSAvoidpollutant emissions
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The counterflow arrangement enables effective heat transfer at lower fuel gas temperatures by optimizing the thermal field distribution. This parameter change in operating temperature reduces pollutant emissions while maintaining baking productivity through improved heat utilization efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potential harm of high-temperature operation (pollutant emissions) into a benefit by using counterflow heat exchange to achieve efficient baking at lower temperatures. The counterflow arrangement maximizes heat transfer effectiveness, allowing lower fuel temperatures to achieve the same baking results with reduced emissions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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 counterflow arrangement enhances temperature uniformity and reduces energy losses, enabling efficient operation and adaptation to different throughput demands while minimizing pollutant emissions.

Implementation Method 1

a heat exchanger heating device (17) for indirect heating

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

the heating medium flows in opposite directions through the heat exchanger tubes (24) of the radiator tube arrangement (21)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal radiation: Thermal Radiation

Implementation Method 3

a heat exchanger heating device (17) with adjacent heat exchanger tubes (24), in which the heating medium flows in opposite directions

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat exchanger: Heat Exchanger

Data Source

PatentEP4021188B1Once-through baking oven for continuous baking operation
Publication Date: 2025.10.08 WERNER & PFLEIDERER IND BACKTECHN
  • EP4021188B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4021188B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4021188B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A once-through baking oven for continuous baking operation has a plurality of oven modules with module baking space sections which together form a once-through baking space. A baking material conveying device 5 serves for the continuous conveying of baking material. A heat-exchange heating device (17) serves for indirectly heating the once-through baking space by means of a free-flowing heating medium. The heat-exchange heating device (17) has a heating medium outward-flow pipe arrangement (19), a heating medium return-flow pipe arrangement (22) and at least one radiator pipe arrangement (21) positioned therebetween. The latter has a plurality of heat exchanger pipes (241 to 243), running next to one another, for indirectly giving off heat to the baking space. The heat exchanger pipes (241 to 243) respectively guide the heating medium between the heating medium outward-flow pipe arrangement (19) and the heating medium return-flow pipe arrangement (22). The pipe arrangements (19, 21, 22) are designed in such a way that the heating medium flows in mutually opposite flow directions in two adjacent heat exchanger pipes (24i, 24i+ 1). In an alternative embodiment of the radiator pipe arrangement, it runs in a coiled or meandering manner in such a way that the heating medium 20 flows in mutually opposite flow directions in two adjacent pipe sections. This results in a once-through baking oven which can be operated efficiently and in a manner well-suited to various throughput requirements.