Quench Fin Spacing and Outlet Diameter for Glass Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing glass sheet quench apparatuses face inefficiencies in heat transfer capabilities and require high operating pressures to achieve effective quenching, leading to potential negative effects on glass quality and increased operational costs.
Innovation Solution
The design of a glass quench apparatus with lower and upper quench heads featuring quench fins with adjusted spacing and outlet opening diameters, providing improved gas flow distribution and impingement points, which reduces operating pressures while maintaining or enhancing heat transfer efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If system pressure is increased to improve heat transfer capability, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but operational costs increase and glass quality may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the quench fins, specifically the spacing between fins and the diameter of outlet openings, to optimize gas flow distribution. This allows achieving effective heat transfer at lower pressures by improving the physical configuration rather than relying on pressure increases
Solution Approach 2:
The quench head is divided into multiple quench fins with multiple outlet openings, creating a segmented gas distribution system. This segmentation allows for better control of gas flow patterns and impingement points on the glass sheet, improving heat transfer efficiency without requiring high system pressure
2Productivity
If inlet area to outlet area ratio is increased to provide suitable gas flows, then gas flow capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the outlet opening diameter parameter (0.25 to 0.36 inches) and the spacing between outlet openings to achieve suitable gas flows. By carefully selecting these parameters, the system achieves effective gas distribution without requiring extreme area ratios, thereby simplifying the device design
3Temperature
If quench fin spacing is adjusted to improve heat transfer, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies a quench fin spacing range of 0.87 to 1.15 inches, providing a tolerable manufacturing window. This parameter optimization allows for improved heat transfer efficiency while maintaining reasonable manufacturing precision requirements, avoiding overly tight tolerances
4Productivity
If outlet opening diameter is increased to improve gas flow, then gas flow rate is improved, but heat transfer distribution uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the outlet opening diameter to a specific range (0.25 to 0.36 inches) that balances gas flow rate with uniform heat transfer distribution. This parameter selection ensures adequate gas flow while maintaining proper impingement point spacing for uniform cooling across the glass sheet surface
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 achieves similar or improved heat transfer capabilities at lower pressures, resulting in higher-quality glass products with reduced operational costs and minimal negative effects on the glass sheets, while optimizing gas flow and power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
each quench fin has multiple outlet openings that provide spaced apart impingement points on a heated glass sheet positioned between the quench heads
Implementation Method 2
lower and upper quench heads configured to supply upward and downward gas flows to a heated glass sheet
Data Source
AI summary
A glass quench apparatus according to the present disclosure includes lower and upper quench heads configured to supply upward and downward gas flows to a heated glass sheet, and each quench head has multiple quench fins for distributing gas. For each quench head, adjacent quench fins are spaced apart center to center by a distance in the range of 0.87 to 1.15 inches, and each quench fin has multiple outlet openings that each have a diameter in the range of 0.25 to 0.36 inches. Furthermore, for each quench fin, the outlet openings are configured to provide spaced apart impingement points on the glass sheet such that adjacent impingement points are spaced apart by a distance in the range of 0.82 to 1.15 inches.