Perforated Foil Insert Element for Low-Resistance Gas Humidification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for humidifying, cleaning, and cooling gases or liquids face inefficiencies due to high flow resistance, limited gas-moisture exchange, and structural instability, especially in larger dimensions, and are difficult to clean without damaging components.
Innovation Solution
The installation element features a lattice plate composite with perforated foil and grid plate elements arranged offset to each other, forming a self-stabilizing structure that enhances liquid retention and gas exchange through three-dimensional flow, using perforated grid plate elements made of plastic or paper, and reinforced with snap-in connections for improved cohesion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If closed material layers or plate elements are welded or glued to form a dense structure, then structural strength is improved, but flow resistance increases and gas-moisture exchange efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies porous foam plate elements instead of closed material layers. These porous structures provide numerous pathways for gas flow and moisture exchange while maintaining structural integrity through the foam matrix, thereby reducing flow resistance and enhancing mass transfer efficiency without sacrificing strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite construction by combining multiple foam plate elements with different densities or compositions. This allows optimization of both mechanical strength and flow characteristics, creating a structure that simultaneously provides structural support and efficient gas-moisture exchange pathways.
2Productivity
If plate elements are arranged in close contact to form crossing channels, then gas flow paths are created, but flow resistance becomes comparatively high
Solution Approach 1:
The porous foam plate elements provide three-dimensional flow pathways throughout the entire volume of each plate, rather than relying on narrow crossing channels between closely contact plates. This dramatically reduces flow resistance while maintaining effective gas flow capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional channel flow between plates to three-dimensional flow through porous structures. Gas can move through the porous foam in multiple directions simultaneously, creating more flow paths and reducing resistance compared to constrained channel flow.
3Ease of manufacture
If paper plate elements are used to reduce manufacturing cost, then ease of manufacture is improved, but cleaning capability is lost due to destruction risk
Solution Approach 1:
The porous foam plate elements are made from durable materials that can be manufactured cost-effectively while providing the necessary porosity for gas-moisture exchange. Unlike paper, these foam structures can withstand cleaning processes and repeated use without deteriorating.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs cost-effective foam materials that, while inexpensive like paper, are durable enough to be cleaned and reused multiple times. This eliminates the disposable nature of paper plate elements while maintaining low manufacturing costs.
4Productivity
If the device is scaled to larger dimensions for increased capacity, then productivity is improved, but structural stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite construction with multiple foam plate elements arranged in specific configurations. This composite structure distributes mechanical loads and maintains stability in larger devices, preventing the structural instability that occurs when simply scaling up single plate elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes parameters such as foam density, plate thickness, and structural configuration to maintain stability in larger dimensions. By adjusting these parameters, the device can be scaled up for increased capacity while preserving structural integrity.
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 increases the surface area for liquid retention, reduces flow resistance, and enhances gas treatment efficiency by promoting turbulence and mass transfer, while maintaining structural stability even in large dimensions and allowing for easy cleaning.
Implementation Method 1
the wetting liquid forms as large a surface as possible and remains in the device or on the plate elements for a longer period of time
Implementation Method 2
A gas is cooled with the aid of such devices according to the principle of adiabatic cooling (evaporative cooling)
Implementation Method 3
there is not yet an optimal exchange of the gas with the moisture, which can have a disadvantageous effect on the efficiency of the gas treatment
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~5
AI summary
The invention relates to an insert element for inserting into a device for humidifying, cleaning and/or cooling a fluid, in particular a gas, such as, for example, air, said insert element comprising an insert body (10) which can be humidified with a liquid, in particular water, and through which a gas, in particular air, can flow and which has a flow inlet side and a flow outlet side and, between said sides, is provided with regions which can be humidified by the liquid and can be exposed to the fluid. The insert body (10) has a multi-layered design and has a number of corrugated grid-type plate elements (12) which bear against one another, are limited by an edge (14, 16) and are provided with elevations and depressions. A film-type plate element (19, 19') is mounted between at least two adjacent grid plate elements (12). The film-type plate element (19, 19') is perforated.