Plasma Spray Nozzle Plate Uniform Cooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional plasma spray machines experience uneven heat dissipation and localized wear on the nozzle plate due to constrained cooling channel designs, leading to reduced arc power and plasma jet flow quality, necessitating frequent nozzle plate replacement.

Innovation Solution

A nozzle plate with a flow-optimized coolant channel structure, featuring an annular channel portion and internal rib arrangement, prevents gas bubble formation and ensures uniform cooling, enhancing heat transfer and reducing wear by maintaining a consistent coolant flow velocity and increasing the surface area for heat absorption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the cooling channel is shaped to fit packaging and installation space constraints, then space utilization is improved, but uneven heat dissipation occurs leading to localized wear

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepackaging spaceVSAvoidheat dissipation uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling channel cross-sectional area is varied along its length to create different cooling intensities at different locations. The channel has a first cross-sectional area in a first region and a second cross-sectional area in a second region, allowing localized optimization of heat dissipation to prevent uneven wear while fitting within space constraints.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Speed

If the flow velocity of coolant is increased to improve cooling, then heat dissipation is improved, but gas bubbles form in the coolant reducing heat absorption capacity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoolant flow velocityVSAvoidheat absorption capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling channel cross-sectional area is changed along the flow direction to optimize flow velocity distribution. By having varying cross-sectional areas, the system achieves appropriate flow velocities that prevent gas bubble formation while maintaining effective heat transfer, avoiding the pitfalls of uniformly high velocity throughout the channel.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If a conventional cooling channel design is used, then manufacturing is simple, but localized wear occurs reducing nozzle plate service life

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling channel manufacturingVSAvoidnozzle plate service life
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling channel is designed with different cross-sectional areas in different regions to provide localized cooling where needed. This prevents concentration of heat and wear at specific locations, thereby extending the service life of the nozzle plate while remaining manufacturable using conventional techniques.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 optimized cooling geometry extends the nozzle plate's service life, improves plasma spray quality, and reduces spare part costs by minimizing wear and maintaining efficient heat transfer during plasma spraying operations.

Implementation Method 1

A coolant channel through which a liquid coolant, such as cooling water or another cooling liquid, can flow is integrated into the nozzle plate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

As the coolant flows through the coolant channel, part of the heat generated by the arc is transferred through the nozzle plate material and into the coolant

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP4400219A1Nozzle plate for a plasma spray atmospheric spraying machine and plasma spray machine
Publication Date: 2024.07.17 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP4400219A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4400219A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4400219A1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a nozzle plate (1) for a plasma spraying machine for atmospheric plasma spraying, and to such a plasma spraying machine. The nozzle plate (1) is made of an electrically conductive material and has a central through-opening (7) through which a receiving geometry for a ceramic ring of the plasma spraying machine is formed. A coolant channel (10) through which a liquid coolant flows is integrated into the nozzle plate (1), the inner wall (18) of which is formed by the material of the nozzle plate (1). An annular channel portion (19) of the coolant channel (10) surrounds the through-opening (7) in the material of the nozzle plate (1) in a ring-like manner.The coolant channel (10) has an internal channel structure (25) in a specified maximum cooling requirement area (24) of the nozzle plate (1) which is designed such that, when the coolant channel (10) is supplied with coolant, gas bubble formation of the coolant in a channel section of the coolant channel (10) associated with the maximum cooling requirement area (24) is prevented.