Pellet Press Shaft Cooling Channels for Bearing Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pellet presses experience overheating of bearings during high-viscosity material kneading, leading to ineffective lubrication, bearing damage, and contamination of pellets due to insufficient cooling.
Innovation Solution
The pellet press incorporates a roller supporting shaft with multiple bearing cooling channels and a fluid seal, allowing cooling liquid to circulate close to the bearings for enhanced heat exchange, along with a recycling cooling system and temperature control to maintain optimal bearing temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If air ventilation is used for cooling bearings, then the structure remains simple, but cooling effectiveness is insufficient leading to bearing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies hydraulic cooling by circulating cooling liquid through channels in the roller supporting shaft. The shaft includes cooling channels formed by drilling holes that allow cooling liquid to flow directly to the bearing locations, providing effective heat removal through liquid convection rather than insufficient air ventilation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling liquid acts as an intermediary substance that transfers heat away from the bearings. The liquid circulates through the shaft's internal channels, absorbing heat from the bearings and carrying it away, thus mediating the thermal management between the heat-generating bearings and the external environment.
2Temperature
If cooling liquid is introduced close to bearings through shaft channels, then cooling effectiveness increases, but device complexity increases due to additional cooling channels and seals
Solution Approach 1:
The roller supporting shaft serves multiple functions: it mechanically supports the roller and bearings while simultaneously housing the cooling liquid channels. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate cooling structures, reducing overall device complexity despite the added cooling capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling channels are nested within the roller supporting shaft structure. The channels are formed by drilling holes through the shaft material, creating a nested configuration where the cooling system is integrated inside the structural component, minimizing additional space and complexity.
3Reliability
If high cooling capacity is implemented to maintain lubricant temperature below 120°C, then food-grade lubricants can be used eliminating contamination risk, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system operates continuously with cooling liquid circulating through the shaft channels to maintain constant temperature control. This continuous cooling action ensures lubricant temperature remains below 120°C, enabling the use of food-grade lubricants without interruption in the cooling function.
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 solution effectively reduces bearing temperatures, increases production capacity, ensures food-grade lubricant usage, reduces power consumption, and minimizes environmental impact by maintaining a safe working environment and preventing pellet contamination.
Implementation Method 1
Heat conduction from the bearings to the cooled shaft results in a lowering of the bearing temperature
Implementation Method 2
cooling liquid passes through the roller supporting shaft in close proximity to the bearings. This results in an effective heat exchange between the lubricated bearing and cooling liquid
Data Source
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AI summary
A pellet press comprising a shaft with a longitudinal axis, having at a roller support side an end part supporting a bearing and a rotation member, wherein the shaft is provided with a cooling channel extending along the longitudinal axis, and a cooling duct extending coaxially within the cooling channel, both being closed at the roller support side, the shaft further comprising at least one bearing cooling channel having first and second radial sections extending in a radial direction through the end part, from roller support side and upstream positions of the cooling channel wall, to an outward end position near the bearing, and a third axial section extending in the axial direction, interconnecting the first and second radial sections, and a fluid seal between the outer surface of the cooling duct and the cooling channel wall at an axial position between the first and second radial sections.