Powder Spray Nozzle Unclogging for Continuous Cohesive Powder Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for handling and spraying powders, particularly dry and cohesive powders, face challenges in efficiently clearing accumulated material from the outlet orifice of powder spray nozzles, leading to potential clogging and increased risk of user injury.
Innovation Solution
A powder spray nozzle equipped with an unclogging member, such as a rod, that can be moved between retracted and projected positions to clear the outlet orifice, combined with a suction force at the powder outlet to promote flow and de-agglomeration, allowing for improved powder handling and spraying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If powder is sprayed continuously through the outlet orifice, then productivity is improved, but powder accumulates and clogs the outlet orifice
Solution Approach 1:
The unclogging member is positioned in advance within the outlet orifice to prevent powder accumulation before it occurs. During normal spraying operation, the unclogging member remains in a retracted position allowing powder flow, and is activated to project into the orifice only when clogging is detected or at predetermined intervals, thus maintaining continuous productivity while preventing reliability issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The unclogging member is integrated directly into the powder spray nozzle structure, allowing the nozzle to clear its own outlet orifice without requiring external tools or manual intervention. The unclogging member can be actuated by the system itself (e.g., through pneumatic, hydraulic, or mechanical means) to project into the orifice and remove accumulated powder, enabling the system to maintain its own functionality.
2Reliability
If the unclogging member is projected into the outlet orifice to clear powder, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The unclogging member is merged with the nozzle body structure, forming an integrated assembly where the unclogging member is housed within or attached to the nozzle. This combination eliminates the need for separate external unclogging devices and reduces the overall system complexity while maintaining the reliability benefit of automated orifice clearing.
Solution Approach 2:
The unclogging member serves multiple functions: it acts as a clearing tool when projected into the orifice, and remains integrated with the nozzle structure during normal operation. The same component that maintains the nozzle structure also provides the unclogging function, reducing the need for additional specialized parts and simplifying the overall device design.
3Reliability
If additional separate tools are used to clear the outlet orifice, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The powder spray nozzle is designed to clear its own outlet orifice using an integrated unclogging member that can be actuated by the system itself. This eliminates the need for operators to use separate external tools or perform manual clearing operations, significantly improving ease of operation while maintaining reliability through automated or semi-automated clearing functionality.
4Reliability
If the unclogging member is always projected into the outlet orifice, then reliability is improved, but powder flow and productivity worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The unclogging member is designed to be dynamic rather than static, capable of moving between a retracted position during normal spraying operation and a projected position when clearing is needed. This dynamic positioning allows the system to maintain high productivity during spraying while providing reliability protection when the unclogging member is activated, resolving the contradiction between continuous operation and orifice protection.
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 solution effectively clears accumulated powder, reduces the risk of clogging, and enhances powder dispersion and mixing, enabling precise control over powder flow and reducing the need for additional tools, while ensuring user safety.
Implementation Method 1
a suction force at the powder outlet to promote flow and de-agglomeration
Implementation Method 2
a suction force at the powder outlet to promote flow and de-agglomeration
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
Figure 5
AI summary
A powder spray nozzle (1) comprising: a powder inlet (2) configured to receive powder from a source of powder; a powder outlet (3) having an outlet orifice (4) configured to spray powder out of the powder spray nozzle (1); a first conduit (5) extending between the powder inlet (2) and the powder outlet (3); and an unclogging member (6) configured to be movable between a retracted position wherein the unclogging member (6) is held clear of the outlet orifice and a projected position wherein a distal end of the unclogging member (6) is projected at least partially into the outlet orifice (4).