Airflow Distribution Nozzle for Uniform Parallel Drying Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional oven and dryer airflow systems face challenges in achieving uniform and parallel airflow distribution, particularly for delicate products that can be damaged by perpendicular impingement, and struggle with low pressure loss and scalability.
Innovation Solution
The proposed airflow delivery system includes an air moving element, an air transfer chamber with multiple turning vanes, and an airflow directional component with layered perforated plates and honeycomb structures that split airflow into multiple sub-paths, ensuring airflow is parallel to the product and maintaining uniform velocity with minimal pressure loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If perpendicular impingement flow is used to heat or dry product, then heating efficiency is improved, but delicate products are damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The airflow is segmented into multiple parallel streams through a nozzle array, where each nozzle directs flow parallel to the product surface rather than perpendicular impingement. This segmentation allows uniform distribution of heating across the product width while avoiding concentrated high-velocity impact that damages delicate materials
Solution Approach 2:
The airflow direction is changed from the traditional perpendicular (z-direction impingement) to parallel (x-direction flow along the product surface). This dimensional change in flow orientation enables effective heat transfer while eliminating the harmful perpendicular impact force on delicate products
2Manufacturing precision
If airflow is distributed uniformly over product by nozzles, then heating uniformity is improved, but pressure loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle geometry parameters are optimized to achieve the desired flow distribution with minimal pressure loss. By carefully selecting nozzle dimensions, spacing, and orientation, the system achieves uniform airflow distribution across the product while maintaining low pressure drop through the nozzle array
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple identical nozzles are arranged in an array to create a replicated flow pattern across the product width. Each nozzle copies the same optimized flow characteristics, ensuring uniform distribution while the modular repetition allows efficient use of the air supply system with minimal total pressure loss
3Area of stationary object
If nozzle outlet face is made long to cover wide product area, then coverage is improved, but flow uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single long nozzle outlet, the system segments the outlet into multiple discrete nozzle elements arranged across the width. Each nozzle element maintains a compact outlet geometry that preserves flow uniformity, while the collective array provides wide coverage through spatial distribution rather than extended single-element length
Solution Approach 2:
The coverage problem is solved by transitioning from a single-dimension solution (long outlet face in x-direction) to a two-dimension array of nozzles (y-direction arrangement with compact x-direction outlets). This dimensional shift allows wide area coverage while each individual nozzle maintains optimal outlet geometry for uniform flow
4Object-affected harmful factors
If parallel airflow is used for delicate products, then product damage is prevented, but heating efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow parameters (velocity, temperature, direction) are optimized for parallel flow configuration to achieve effective heat transfer without perpendicular impact. By adjusting these parameters within the parallel flow regime, the system attains heating efficiency comparable to or better than traditional impingement while preventing product damage
Solution Approach 2:
The parallel airflow configuration enables continuous contact between the air stream and product surface along the flow direction, maximizing the duration of heat transfer interaction. This continuous exposure compensates for the lower intensity compared to impingement, maintaining heating efficiency while using gentler parallel flow that prevents delicate product damage
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 configuration achieves uniform air velocity and directionality across the nozzle outlet, reducing pressure loss and enabling efficient airflow distribution in ovens and dryers, even in geometries with long outlet faces, while maintaining low fan power requirements.
Implementation Method 1
A circulating hot air flow is brought in contact with the product for heating or drying
Implementation Method 2
discharge the airflow from the downstream outlet face substantially parallel to the flow path and without substantial reduction in static pressure
Data Source
AI summary
An improved airflow delivery system (1) comprising an air moving element (3) configured to move air in a flow path, a chamber (19) in the flow path configured to receive product (9), an air transfer chamber (11) comprising an inlet (10) of a selected area for receiving air in the flow path in a first direction (x-x) and an outlet (14) of a selected area greater than the area of the inlet for discharging air in the flow path in a second direction (y-y) different from the first direction, an airflow divider (33) extending across the air transfer outlet and configured to divide airflow in the flow path, an airflow directional (15) extending across the flow path downstream of the airflow divider and upstream of the chamber, the airflow directional having an upstream inlet face (28a) and a downstream outlet face (29c) and configured to receive airflow at the inlet face and split the airflow into multiple separated sub-paths (27) within the flow path and to discharge the airflow from the downstream outlet face substantially parallel to the flow path and without substantial reduction in static pressure.