Pulper Flow Barrier for Faster Paper Dissolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pulpers face challenges in efficiently and economically dissolving air-dried pulp or waste paper, with conventional designs not adequately improving the intake and circulation of material, leading to suboptimal machine utilization and energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A pulper design featuring a vertically aligned rotor with a substantial, angled flow barrier on the container side wall, which enhances the intake of paper stock by creating a strong vertical thrust component, promoting a well-developed intake cone and improving circulation flow, allowing for faster and more efficient dissolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional pulpers use a vertical cylindrical container with a concentric rotor, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the material intake and circulation are insufficient leading to slow dissolution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by introducing a flow barrier that is offset from the vertical centerline of the container. This asymmetric positioning creates an uneven flow distribution that enhances material circulation and prevents dead zones, thereby improving dissolution speed without requiring a complete redesign of the container structure
Solution Approach 2:
The flow barrier is designed as a separate, modular component that can be independently installed within the container. This segmentation allows the barrier to be added as an enhancement to existing pulpers without replacing the entire container structure, maintaining simplicity while improving productivity
2Productivity
If multiple flow installations (baffles) are added to slow down peripheral flow, then the circulation control is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the flow control function from multiple separate baffles and consolidates it into a single flow barrier component. This flow barrier performs the circulation control function that previously required multiple installations, thereby improving circulation efficiency while reducing device complexity and cost
Solution Approach 2:
The flow barrier is designed to perform multiple functions: it controls peripheral flow, promotes material circulation, and enhances the intake of paper stock into the rotor area. This multi-functionality replaces what previously required multiple specialized components, reducing overall system complexity
3Productivity
If the rotor is positioned to maximize material intake, then the dissolution speed improves, but the construction complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow barrier acts as an intermediary element between the rotor and the material feed. It mediates the flow of material, directing it more effectively into the rotor area and enhancing intake without requiring the rotor itself to be repositioned or redesigned, thus maintaining simple rotor construction while improving productivity
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 improved pulper design enables faster dissolution, increased machine utilization, energy savings, and enhanced substance density, with the ability to be retrofitted at a low cost, resulting in better resolution and increased consistency of the fiber suspension.
Implementation Method 1
a vortex flow is generated in the suspension with the help of the rotor, in which the central area of the Substance is sucked downwards by the rotor and pressed radially outwards in the bottom area, resulting in a circulating flow
Implementation Method 2
the flow barrier 8 results in a strong vertical thrust component being generated at its contour, which deflects the suspension to the center of the container
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
Figure 7~8
AI summary
The invention relates to a pulper for pulverizing and suspending paper material (S), having a container (1), which is open on top, and in which the paper material (S) can be mixed with water (W), pulverized, and suspended, so that a suspension (P) containing paper material is formed, wherein a driven rotor (2) is located on the base of said container (1) to generate a circulation flow in said container (1). To this end, the efficiency of the pulper is to be improved in that a vertical flow barrier (8, 8', 8'') is used on the side wall (5) of the container (1).