Pressure Blast Pre-Filming Spray Nozzle for Steam Desuperheating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing steam desuperheaters are complex, costly, and require significant maintenance, with inefficient cooling water distribution and evaporation in superheated steam, leading to uneven temperature reduction and potential structural issues due to water buildup.
Innovation Solution
A simplified nozzle assembly with a valve element that creates a uniformly distributed spray pattern by using a conical valve body and apertures to break down cooling water into fine droplets, ensuring effective evaporation and distribution within the steam flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If cooling water is sprayed as very fine water droplets or mist, then the mixing of cooling water with superheated steam is more uniform and evaporation effectiveness is greatly increased, but the surface area exposed to steam is greatly increased which may lead to water buildup and erosion
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is segmented with multiple apertures arranged in a specific geometric pattern, creating multiple spray streams that distribute cooling water uniformly across the steam flow cross-section. This segmentation prevents localized water buildup while maintaining fine droplet distribution for effective evaporation.
Solution Approach 2:
The apertures are positioned at specific locations on the valve body surface to create localized spray zones that collectively provide uniform coverage. Each aperture generates fine droplets in a specific region, and the combined effect achieves uniform temperature reduction without excessive surface area concentration in any single location.
2Device complexity
If cooling water is sprayed in a streaming pattern, then the construction can be simpler, but the evaporation of cooling water is greatly diminished and water buildup occurs causing erosion and thermal stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The aperture geometry parameters (size, shape, orientation) are specifically designed to transform the cooling water flow from a streaming pattern into fine droplet spray. The apertures create a spray pattern with optimized droplet size distribution that enhances evaporation efficiency while maintaining structural simplicity.
3Manufacturing precision
If a uniform geometrical flow pattern is sprayed, then the mixing of cooling water with superheated steam is enhanced and temperature reduction is uniformly distributed, but the device construction becomes more complex with more parts
Solution Approach 1:
The spray pattern generation function is merged into the valve body structure itself through the aperture arrangement. Instead of requiring separate spray nozzles or complex positioning mechanisms, the valve body apertures directly create the uniform geometrical flow pattern, combining the valve and spray generation functions into a single component.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve body serves multiple functions: it controls water flow through the valve mechanism and simultaneously generates the uniform spray pattern through its aperture configuration. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate spray generation components, reducing overall device complexity while achieving uniform temperature reduction.
4Productivity
If cooling water spray does not efficiently evaporate, then water accumulates in the steam pipe, but increasing surface area of spray may lead to water buildup on pipe walls
Solution Approach 1:
The spray is directed into the third dimension of the steam flow (radially across the pipe cross-section) rather than parallel to the pipe wall. This dimensional change ensures that fine droplets are distributed throughout the steam flow volume where they can efficiently evaporate, while the geometric distribution prevents concentration of surface area at any single location on pipe walls.
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 provides a cost-effective, low-maintenance desuperheater with improved cooling water distribution and evaporation efficiency, ensuring uniform temperature reduction and preventing water buildup, thus enhancing the operational safety and efficiency of steam systems.
Implementation Method 1
the cooling water mixes with the superheated steam and evaporates, drawing thermal energy from the steam and lowering its temperature
Implementation Method 2
the cooling water mixes with the superheated steam and evaporates, drawing thermal energy from the steam and lowering its temperature
Implementation Method 3
A simplified nozzle assembly with a valve element that creates a uniformly distributed spray pattern by using a conical valve body and apertures to break down cooling water into fine droplets
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a nozzle assembly which includes a nozzle housing and a valve element axially slidable therewithin between a closed and an open position. The nozzle housing has a housing inlet and a housing outlet fluidly interconnected by a plurality of housing passages. The valve element has a truncated conical valve body including a conical outer surface and a concave inner surface with a plurality of valve apertures extending through the valve body. The outer surface is sealingly engagable to a valve seat formed in the housing outlet such that the flow of cooling water through the valve apertures is prevented when the valve element is in the closed position. The outer surface and valve seat collectively define an annular gap when the valve element is axially displaced to the open position such that a portion of the cooling water flowing through the annular gap may pass through the valve apertures.